An appetite is a really strange thing! Some people never have much of one all (don't you just HATE those skinny people who can sit in front of a barely touched plate of deliciousness and say, "I can't eat another bite, I'm so FULL!"); for some people, they are just one big appetite and nothing else; and for other people - like me - the appetite is something that waxes and wanes like a lunar calendar. I'm the kind of person who usually has no interest in eating after I've had my dinner. I eat dinner, I watch a little T.V., I putz around the house getting a few things done, then I take my medicine and go to bed to read until I fall asleep. That's the week night routine.
But last night was so weird! I went out to eat and to a movie with a friend (we saw Thor - Thoroughly entertaining with great eye candy thrown in - calorie free!). All was good. I ate a Weight Watchers approved meal at Apple Bee's and I stuck with diet coke and a fat free candy at the theater; even stayed away from the calorie laden popcorn that is always so aromatically enticing! But when I got home and should have gotten ready for bed, I stayed up instead. I watched one T.V. show, I played with my constantly entertaining cats, I watched another T.V. show. I kept looking at the clock and thinking, "I should probably go to bed now," but I just wasn't tired. I was, however, hungry. Actually hungry. My stomach was empty and growling at 10:00 at night. That NEVER happens to me! So I tried some low fat string cheese. Good, right? Some dairy, a little protein, not a lot of fat. Should fill me up just fine. 20 minutes later, my stomach was growling again (and it was not indigestion, I promise). So I opted for cereal and fruit. When my stomach started growling 30 minutes after that I threw in the towel and just went to bed! This morning I woke up hungry again!
My first thought about all of this is that I must not be eating enough during the day for me to be so hungry late at night like that. But I know I am. I'm working hard at getting enough fiber and protein in my diet, and besides that, I'm full when I'm done with each meal. So then I think, maybe in the last 10 days since I've started this whole thing my metabolism has suddenly gone from the speed of a slug on pot to the speed of a cheetah! Or, maybe it was just a full moon last night. Who knows? At least I didn't eat chips, fries, a cheese burger, an ice cream sundae or anything else in the way of Fast Food/Drive Through fare.
Hopefully this evening my moon will be in the house of plenty and my stomach will NOT be growling at 11:00 at night! Please God, let me be full?
Off like a prom dress,
Laura
You are a very eloquent writer Laura. Congrats on the cereal and fruit. That is one of my favorite late night snacks. I really like all the special K cereals. :) Glad to know that Thor is a good one. We may go see it soon.
ReplyDeleteJessie W.
There can be so many causes. Among my favorite (that I usually forget in the moment) is simple thirst -- which often shows up as hunger.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link w/ more info: http://preciseeating.com/Concepts/StagesofHunger.aspx
"gone from the speed of a slug on pot"--Hahahahahaahaha!!!
ReplyDeleteI was checking out your weight loss chart below--awesome!!! Keep up the good work!! I'm proud of you and your the commitment that you're keeping!!
Love you!!
What was the BMR for the day and how many calories did you consume? That would determine the answer. :)
ReplyDeleteHey again -
ReplyDeleteI can't say why I was thinking about this today, but it occurred to me that Diet Coke may have been the culprit, or at least one of the culprits.
Diet sodas rev up the body to expect digestion, so the brain gets the message that we need to eat something to fill this now revved up engine. I'm not explaining it well, but here's an article about it:
http://www.organicauthority.com/foodie-buzz/diet-soda-makes-you-fat.html
I think there are competing studies about whether diet sodas are as harmful as the article above suggests. In general, it seems like a diet coke late in the day could easily wig out your body right before bed. (How's that for a scientific explanation? ha!)
very best,
mc
My hubby and I did the Body for Life diet years ago and really had some success on it (but you couldnt' tell by looking at me now :-() But there are some things that I learned while on it that have changed the way I eat. First each meal is like a fire...build with small kindling then put on the big logs. Carbs are the kindling. After they burn through (to give you quick energy) then your proteins kick in for the long haul. So every meal should have at 1 carb serving and 1 protein serving and all the veggies you want. Fruits are a carb as they are so sugar filled (natural). Second, I try to eat smaller meals but more frequently, ie: early am, mid morning, lunch, midafternoon, dinner, before bed. I didn't always remember all of those meals but once I started eating that way my body actually craved a snack during the day.
ReplyDeleteSome good snack ideas: love string cheese (glad you found it already), cottage cheese is a great protein - I like to mix it with yogurt or granola (add a little splenda for some sweetness); Balance Gold Carmel Nut Blast bar, 15 grams of protein and it tastes like a snickers bar...one of my favorites; Clif Builder bars...Peanut butter, chocolate & mint choc chip all very good, 20 grams protein, 230(ish) calories and tastes excellent!
Just a few ideas.