It was more competition than anything, but we all agreed to do it one night after we had over-ordered Indian food and over-drowned it with beer. The first two days were really hard—I was hungry and my stomach really wanted food. Then a strange thing happened—my hunger actually went away. I was still feeding myself broth and juice and water, but it was more out of habit. The thing that did not go away was my craving—I had a sincere and distinct craving for coffee when I woke up every morning. Looking back on that week, it is the only thing I can really remember wanting badly. In true bad form, I broke the fast Super Bowl weekend with all the toxins you could dream of—queso, burgers, chips, French fries, beer. I remember not feeling so great the next day.
That experience taught me that your body sends signals and it taught me that a lot of the battle is bringing yourself to a state where your mind is able to listen to your body. Weeks on end of drinking and eating and binging will only raise your tolerance for these things so that your threshold is skewed and your body tuning is lost. Now that I’ve found my own personal homeostasis at fleeting times, I long for it when it’s absent, because I feel so much more like myself when I’m in a balanced state. Now, when life does take me off track, I find myself starting to make small efforts to bring that balance back. I don’t employ any of the ridiculous methods of my former life: skipping meals or eating nonfat yogurt, pretzels, baked potatoes, cottage cheese, Snackwell cookies, or steak and spinach. The funny thing is, if I get on the scale at the height of my imbalance, I will only feed it more. Something about looking down at a number that does not appeal to me makes me give in to it. However, if I simply stay off the scale for a while, until I feel like I’m balanced again, the next time I weigh myself, the scale usually says something I’ve seen before and have been okay with.
I have learned a few things in all of this:
Your body is the best monitor—the trick is tuning in to it
Psst: Your Size Isn’t Printed on a Label
By: Francis McKenzie (View Profile)
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I totally agree with this article and it totally makes sense. I thought I was the only one who thought this way. I especially hate those segments in the media during holiday season of what to avoid and what foods you should replace in order to sustain a minimal caloric intake. I mean, it's Christmas! Aren't you entitled to enjoy the holiday food? Not for nothing, but one day of enjoyment does not make you a pig. It took me many years to allow myself to do this as well. I always watched everything I ate and even on holidays, etc, would eat only healthy alternatives, if anything at all. Now in my 30s I've finally come to terms with my body and realized, I'm not happy when I eat the things I don't like to stay thin. Now I eat what I like (which usually includes some sort of red meat) and work out a lot more.
This really caught my eye! Add to the mix of things already mentioned to cause weight gain - waking up one day to the depressing fact that you have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I had always been fairly small in size, when all at the same time I'm hit with the need for a hystorectomy, and shortly afterward this diagnosis that hit me really hard. Now diet, medications, and a limited ability to exercise. It's been very difficult to go from a small dress size to the next, to the next. I also have become aware of stores that label sizes in a different manner than some. I haven't given up on getting into some of my smaller sizes, therefore, any extra closet space is being taken up with clothes I just can't part with. I am determined to get back into them someday, but by then, they will be out of style! You can't win for losing, so to speak!
You had me at "pssst"! I know my "size" but depending on where I shop, that size can go up or down. Add that onto regular body fluctuations and shopping can turn into a depressing nightmare. It's been a long struggle learning to accept my body exactly the way it is - no matter what size my tag says. I have to admit, though...it's awfully tempting to completely stop shopping at the stores where my size is bigger!
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