These days, thanks to my transformation from walking womb to 24/7 milk bar, I am a girl with a hefty appetite. They say that nursing requires even more calories than pregnancy and I believe it. I’m not counting calories (yay!) but just guessing from the huge amounts of food I consume every few hours I’d say it’s a lot. Like NFL linebacker a lot.
This frightens me.
But before we delve deeper into my neuroses, I have a confession to make: I have a serious case of envy for anyone who has figured out to eat when they’re hungry. Yes, I am still trying to master this life skill that infants, dogs and the Tasmanian Devil do with gusto. Many of you blog friends have already figured out how to do this. Heather [who Eats Almond Butter], MizFit, Quix, Leslie [who Never Says Diet] and many others of you have written about how you made peace with your hunger pangs. And every time I read one of your inspirational stories I think to myself, “someday that is going to be me.”
But someday is not today. And today I hate that I’m so hungry. It seems like a cruel trick of nature to saddle women who are still holding on to half their pregnancy weight with an appetite that makes werewolves look reserved. In the past I’ve embraced my hunger, sometimes too much, enjoying that dizzy emptiness. But being solely responsible for providing a little person’s nutrition keeps me from going that route again. She needs calories and I can’t produce those out of thin air.
So I eat. I eat mostly healthy things, albeit loads of them. Case in point: for lunch I ate an entire 1-lb box of baby spinach as a side dish. Who eats an entire pound of spinach in one sitting? Even Popeye exercised portion control with those puny cans. (We won’t talk about the jumbo jar of mixed nuts that contains 35 servings that I ate in one week.) I also eat things I would never normally eat. Pizza, sausage, cookies and entire packages of gummy worms disappear before my kids even see them, much less get a chance to complain that I’m not sharing. I hate that I do that.
Every morning (question: When does morning start, exactly? Is it at the 12 a.m. feeding, the first official one of the new day? Or is it the 3 a.m. feeding because I can’t get back to sleep after? Or perhaps the 5:30 a.m. feeding because dawn is hinting on the horizon?) I resolve to not eat everything in sight. And every evening I fall into bed disappointed with myself.
I suppose it all comes down to control. We’re always told that the secret is to exercise more will power, control our appetite. But these days my appetite is controlling me. My hunger feels like an emergency that I must respond to. It will not be ignored, distracted or otherwise toyed with. If I do manage to stave it off, it slaps me down with a fierce case of of the low blood sugar crankies.
When I do finally manage to string a coherent thought together – no mean feat in this household – it scares me that I’m not even three weeks post partum and am already freaking out about food and weight. (But hey at least I’m not freaking out about freaking out!) I won’t always be nursing so I should just trust my body and give it what it wants, right? Trust. Gah.
I have serious trust issues with my body.
Short of begging Geneen Roth to switch brains with me, what can I do? How do you tell the difference between real hunger and just eating? How do you strike that balance between controlling yourself and trusting yourself? Is it even possible to do both or do you fall into one camp or the other?
Ummm…I'm totally not aware of when I'm actually hungry. To the point where I won't eat all day, feel sick, and say to myself 'man, I must be getting the stomach flu' or get a headache and say 'jeeze, is there a chinook blowing in', completely forgetting that the last thing I ate was a bowl of steel-cut oats at 7am, and it's now 9 pm. These are just 2 examples, from yesterday and today- that is to explain that it happens frequently.
But other days, I binge horribly, then if feel awful about myself- usually when I have too much free time, and I'm stressed, so I avoid doing school-work by baking.
So, if any of you are aware of tricks, I'm all ears.
Somewhat related question: I was listening to the news this morning, and an indigent woman in Toronto was saying how the government child care benefit was barely enough enough for a couple cans of formula, and how it was supposed to last the whole month, etc. And I thought to myself "Umm, then why aren't you breastfeeding, since your kid is 6-weeks old, it's better for the baby, and presumably cheaper".
Here the question: is your increased food intake cheaper than formula?
I think you need to trust yourself, Charlotte. You need the extra calories now, and as long as MOST of what you're eating is healthy, you'll be fine.
(was that spinach cooked? Because I could totally eat a ton of raw spinach, but can't choke down even a tablespoon of the cooked stuff, unless it's mixed with sour cream and cheese and stuff and called "Lava Loaf"…. THEN I could eat a ton of it! :D)
I try to work on this every day of my life. I feel like i KNOW when I am hungry and eating for hunger and when I'm not hungry and I'm eating for other reasons that are beyond my power at the moment. The difference is what I do about it- do I have the wherewithal to listen to my body and not feed it when it's not hungry, or do I say I don't care, and I'll eat the damn popcorn anyway.
You are undergoing a huge and crazy undertaking and you are flooded in hormones. No wonder you are consumed by this worry! I know how hard it is for you, but if there is any way that you can somehow cut yourself some slack, you might end up slightly better off for it. Soo soo hard, I know, Charlotte.
Realize that you WILL need to eat more, and you will probably eat weird things that you don't normally eat. Also TRY to realize that it is a finite period of time. It isn't forever. You will get back on track. Have more faith in yourself and try to remember how you got through all your other pregnancies. You sure looked dang good throughout this one, so you're obviously doing something very right.
hang in there!
Deb
Seriously, eliminate the word willpower from your vocabulary. It is a crock of %$*&.
There are too many external cues (such as marketing) and internal cues (hormones (and I don't mean pregnancy ones), blood sugar fluctuations, etc.) for us to rely on that elusive "willpower."
As I have worked and continue to work through my own hunger issues, I've found the best success through continuing to eat properly. Especially by including small amounts of protein and healthy fats throughout my day…it keeps the blood sugar, insulin, ghrelin, etc. etc. on an even keel and helps me feel full. I've also done a fair amount of reading about intuitive eating, which has helped me a lot with my own hunger and fullness issues.
I do find that when I eat the bad stuff, it does set me up for a cycle where I continue to CRAVE CRAVE CRAVE the bad stuff over the next few days and weakens my "willpower" to resist more of the bad stuff.
I don't have any issues with eating. When I am breastfeeding (any day now) I expect to eat like an NFL linebacker and not have any issue with it. This makes me wish I could give you some good advice – just do this or that, Charlotte, and you will be fine! The problem is that there just seems to be a giant gulf in our views on food and body, and I don't know how to cross it any better than you do.
In case it is helpful here are some of the attitudes that I carry around with me which I think contribute to the lack of problem (in this department – believe me, I have the neuroses to spare in others):
– I refuse to buy into the whole "you must eat perfectly" guilt framework, esp. the "when you are pregnant, eating a donut is STEALING NUTRITION FROM YOUR BABY" exacerbation of it. I generally eat healthily but I also eat things because I enjoy them, not because they are good for me. And I don't worry about it when I do.
– I figure I have plenty of time to lose the weight, and it is not worth spending energy on when I will need the energy to take care of a newborn infant. People say to me, meaning to be helpful, "oh, you only gained in your belly, you'll lose the weight in no time." I respond, "I'll lose the weight when I lose it, I'm not going to worry about it." And I mean it.
– Willpower, pride, and control have nothing to do with my eating (those are the dysfunctional strategies I use to "deal" with my personal neurosis, overwork…). I eat when I am hungry and usually stop when I am full, but this is as a habit of self-care, i.e. I do it because I feel better when I do so, not because this is the morally "right" orientation to food. I enjoy my food immensely. I have no compunction about eating a snack for fun even if I am not hungry and I will spend 0 emotional energy afterwards berating myself about it.
If I try to guess by comparing how I orient to eating with my own neurotic issues with overwork I would say that the difference is that for me there is little to no moral valence to food and eating, i.e. I do not have the senese that there are "right" and "wrong" ways to do it that then affect my sense of self-worth (although certainly there are "wrong" ways to eat that make me feel physically bad, like eating a cr*pload of sugar). It's the tie between eating and whether or not you feel good about yourself that is the problem, I think, not the eating strategies themselves. And if I knew how to fix that, then I wouldn't have any neuroses of my own…
The short version (the one where I dont hijack your comments and make it a MizPost) is that for me I learned to trust my hunger when I learned to trust myself.
I know I yammer about it frequently (esp. in the exposed post where I said that for me it was when I let go of giving a …care what my weight was or what I looked like that it all fell into place) but when I learned to trust my gut (about life, work, whom to marry, where I should move to in the world, what my definition of family wast etc) that I learned to TRUST MY GUT to tell me what it needed literally as well.
frick.
now I do wanna write a post 🙂
HAPPY THANKSGIVING and THANK YOU for sharing without hesitation all thats in your head with us readers.
day in
day out
we appreciate you.
When you feel "hungry" have a glass of water and wait 10 minutes to eat. Our bodies often confuse thirst with hunger – especially when we're tired. If you still feel hungry then it's not thirst and not emotional eating, it's truly hunger.
You could also try having snacks with some protein in them to help feel full longer.
As long as it's not crap food (and just WHY do you have gummy worms in your house, young lady?!) eat! I'm not sure it's possible to nurse a baby without feeling like you're starving all the time.
My problems came when I STOPPED nursing. I got used to ingesting massive quantities of food, but then those calories weren't going anywhere!
I struggle with this since high school and I've never been pregnant/breastfeeding! In my case it's emotional eating, so I did a lot of reading on that. Shrink Yourself (the free trial version) was very useful. Now I know if I'm thirsty or really hungry or just emotional. I try to manage my stress/anxiety another way. Still a lot of work to do before I can say I eat only when I'm hungry, though.
I am the kind of person who needs to eat every few hours even if I am not hungry. It is hardwired into me. And I have healthy snacks everywhere. Purse, car, desk at work, etc. You would think I lived through the depression with the way I stockpile.
I can't recall what I ate while nursing – it seems like a several month blur so many years ago (I do recall many reeses after my second though). I would say to listen to your hunger right now and your body is serving a much higher purpose. once that purpose has been fulfilled, you can focus on getting back to a healthy level of eating.
I cannot address the eating while hungry. I just had this conversation with my husband last week. I used to be able to just eat – not overthinking every morsel I ingested, just ate what I wanted when I wanted and it all balanced out. Ever since putting on some weight years ago and focusing on getting it back off, I have lost the ability to just 'eat'. Every meal, every snack is a struggle between the devil and angel inside my head arguing over having what I crave versus what I should eat. I wish there was a way to turn back the clock and rid myself of those 2 –
Ugh, I have no concept of this either! I eat like clockwork…and then at night I snack out of boredom…sometimes it's acceptable stuff like 100 calorie popcorn and a hot chocolate, but then other times I can eat 5 cookies and still feel like I need to eat more. I think I don't eat enough during the day sometimes and it comes back to bite me (haha) at night.
I like Sara's first sentence, that made me feel less critical of myself. *Hugs to you!* Thank you for being so honest and open with your experiences…even if we can't provide any suitable solution, I do hope this is somewhat therapeutic for you.
Is it Michael Pollan who said if you're not hungry enough to eat an apple than you're not hungry? I've started thinking this to myself when I head to the kitchen. Would I eat an apple right now? If the answer is yes, then, hey, sometimes I eat an apple! Other time I eat something else (not as healthy as an apple). If I wouldn't eat an apple? Then I back away from the kitchen.
Is it Michael Pollan who said if you're not hungry enough to eat an apple than you're not hungry? I've started thinking this to myself when I head to the kitchen. Would I eat an apple right now? If the answer is yes, then, hey, sometimes I eat an apple! Other time I eat something else (not as healthy as an apple). If I wouldn't eat an apple? Then I back away from the kitchen.
Is it Michael Pollan who said if you're not hungry enough to eat an apple than you're not hungry? I've started thinking this to myself when I head to the kitchen. Would I eat an apple right now? If the answer is yes, then, hey, sometimes I eat an apple! Other time I eat something else (not as healthy as an apple). If I wouldn't eat an apple? Then I back away from the kitchen.
M – Back in my grad school days I had the same problem! Sadly, now that I'm at home and around my fridge 24/7 (and feeding my kids 10 times a day) I never forget to eat…
And I'd never considered whether all my extra food is cheaper than formula! I'm guessing in the long run it is. Formula is REALLY pricey & heaven help you if your baby needs the special kind (can be upwards of $40 a can). I do eat a lot of extra food but I can shop sales and eat leftovers;)
The Bag Lady – I am intrigued by this Lava Loaf of which you speak! Tell me more!
Sara – Excellent point about the junk making you crave it more for days afterwards. That is so true for me!
Matmos – YOU are what I'm talking about!! Everything you wrote was so sane and rational. I want to be you when I grow up!
I think your body will regain some sort of balance soon and the issue will disappear without any effort on your part, just go with it.
But I've read so much on your blog about sugar coma, sugar addiction, sugar level fluctuation etc. that I would try and stay off of sugar for a while to regain some sort of control.
I remember the time of breastfeeding as a constant struggle not in terms of "what food will make me fat or thin" but of "what food will give the baby allergies, colics and all the other joys of sleepless nights".
Miz – Write the post, woman! I need you!
Janice- good point about the protein! I do think that really helps.
dragonmama – The gummy worms? Toddler potty training:) And no, he won't pee for stickers, lol.
Erika – hahah! I'm the same way! Yay for closet survivalists;)
VAmomof2- I feel the same way. All the dieting stuff has messed me up to the point where I don't even know what hunger really is anymore… sigh.
Hmmm…this has always been a "thing" with me. My "I'm full" switch is not entirely functioning. I can eat a lot mroe than I should.
I HAVE found a few things that help though. Eating oatmeal and fruit in th emorning takes a bit of time, but it seems to be the only thing that keeps me from feeling like I need to gnaw my arm off by lunchtime. I tray and eat whole foods when I have hunger pangs. I mean, there are the hormonal ones that can't be satiated no matter what or how much I eat (so very annoying) but I find switching to snacks involving nuts and complex foods an dless sugar and junk keep me feeling less hungry for longer.
And when all else fails I drink my weight in tea.
I confess, I'd be ata a bit of a loss when breasfeeding. I've never been there and I realise you ahve to eat…my friend who is current'y breastfeeding twins has resorted to eating smaller healthy meals every 3 hours instead of just a few big regular ones and she's finding she is MUCH less hungry/crazy. I figure, as long as you aren't having banana splits every day…
Erin – LOVE Michael Pollan. I happen to be a huge apple lover though so I'll eat one anytime anyplace. Perhaps if I change up that thought to "am I hungry enough to eat cabbage"…
I have definitely had trouble with hunger cues in the past- as in, I had none, due to having been anorexic. So I'd go from fine and completely non-hungry to totally ill from having nothing in my system without it ever occurring to me that I needed to eat. I learned that I have to eat on a schedule so that doesn't happen. After a number of years, I do get hungry now, and it's on time with the schedule I set for myself. 8am? I'm ravenous. 12? Starving? 3pm? Snack machine. 7pm? Give me dinner!
The difference for me between feeling hungry and just craving something to eat for emotional reasons is that when I am actually hungry, my stomach hurts.
If I feel pains in my midsection (between my sternum and my pelvis) of hunger, then I'm hungry. If I "feel" it in my head when I look at something yummy, I'm not hungry.
Also, sometimes dehydration masks itself as hunger. So I'll drink a glass of water or iced tea first to see if that solves it. If not, I was genuinely hungry, and go eat.
I have the same issue as you. I'm trying SO HARD right now to maintain control and to listen to my body, but I do slip up.
I've found, however, that since I started seeing a guy who is super awesome, I haven't been binging as much. I think that I tend to overeat to overcompensate and fill in places that are emotionally missing in my life- when those little "voids" are filled, I don't have so many food issues.
But, if someone so much as rolls their eyes at me rudely, it can be enough to make me turn to food. It's so strange. I'm glad at least to be conscious about it. I don't prevent it every time, but sometimes I do, and those moments are really wonderful.
Honestly (and this is probably TMI for the boys) I've noticed a more minor version of what you're describing at points when I'm pmsing. I'm just a ton hungrier and I crave foods I normally can't stand. My point being, it's probably partly the extra calories burned from nursing/your body healing itself and partly hormonal. And thus it too will go away, when your hormones are back to normal. Your body is burning a LOT more calories to it needs a lot more fuel. It may feel out of control but it won't last forever – and there's a good reason, so it's not really out of control hunger.
it sounds like this is real, true hunger. Your body is churning out food for another human while also sustaining you as you care for a large family, so it needs lots of energy. If you were saying, "Lately, after breastfeeding, I sit in front of the TV and shovel handful after handful of doritos into my mouth," I'd say, "that's clearly not hunger -that's boredom or stress." Or if you were sitting down and surrounding yourself with a loaf of bread, a jug of OJ, a jar of PB, a sleeve of cookies and some oce cream and bingeing, we know that's not real hunger. Your appetite sounds like the definition of real hunger. Mizfit once gave me a tip which has always stuck with me: If you think you're hungry, ask yourself, "Could I eat a big bowl of steamed brown rice with some brocolli and chicken right mow? If the answer is yes, then you are truly physiologically hungry and you need to eat (preferably something wholesome versus crap). If the answer is No, then you're eating emotionally. I totally ask myself this all the time, usually after dinner when I start wandering into the kitchen. It works like a charm.
I completely know how you feel because I am hungry constantly. As for exercise I find that this makes me even hungrier and then I end up stuffing my face afterwards.
You've gotten so much good input, as usual. Here's a bit I can add – domestic animals do not stop eating when they are full, or eat only when hungry. Many dogs and horses will eat themselves to death if given the chance. Obesity is a major problem in dog health, and 'trust' and 'willpower' are never going to be part of the solution – just better locks on the cabinets.
I believe that no animal, humans included, were designed to live in food-rich environments. It's incredibly hard to turn down processed food that speaks to our survival instincts – look at me, tons 'o fat & sugar here!! Those were good things when we were at risk of starving all the time. Only now are they troublesome, in this country at least. As Chris Rock says, steak is health food in most parts of the world.
Hang in there. Spinach is good stuff 😉
I'm lucky–I'm usually pretty clear on what's "real" hunger. If I can consider eating any number of healthy foods, including lean protein and vegetables, and they all sound good, I know I'm actually hungry. But if the only things that sound good are cookies, crackers, or other tasty treats, I know I'm just eating for entertainment.
You know, one of the things I learned in (one of my many go-rounds with) therapy was the idea of making Reminder Cards. (Side note: I've been doing that Beck diet, and she does the same thing, which cracked me up.)
I take an index card and write my concern at the top. And then under that I list various rational responses to that – sort of like talking myself off the ledge.
So one for this situation might look like this:
I am afraid to eat so much – I don't want to get fat!
1. It's important to remember that I can't eat less and still give my baby the nutrients she needs to grow. I need to eat for her.
2. I will probably not really get fat, but even if I do gain some weight overall, I know that I have really consistent eating and exercise habits normally. Once I stop nursing, those habits mean that any excess weight I might be carrying will come back off.
3. If I'm really too nervous to trust my hunger, and I'm too hungry to eat according to my "normal" standards, then I need new standards, at least temporarily. I can schedule in extra meals, and extra food, and then I won't feel so out of control.
Those are examples that would work for *me.* I don't know what your internal responses would be, but you get the general idea. And then I print out a bunch of index cards and stash them EVERYWHERE so I can reread them on a moment's notice. (I even have set in my purse at all times.)
That is one of the few things that has REALLY helped me a LOT.
Charlotte, it was a learning experience for me BUT I had to work on it… I had to pay attention & listen to my body & understand when I was really hungry. We also my be thirsty too which can mimic hunger so you have to watch for that.
Now, I really know when it is emotional because I so know my brain when it says give me food cause I am upset or hormones call. The other part where it is more subtle, it was just all about paying attention. I always stop * think about it & I don't rush to get the food.
Thx for sharing your thoughts!
I don't have a full button. Neither does my daughter, not since the day she was born and would nurse for hours on end. I limit myself to eating a certain points during the day. I try to make these mini meals healthy. And I get on the scale each day to make sure I didn't overdo it, and try to change the pattern if I see a gradual rise over a week or two… I can't even let hunger touch me or I'll go on an eating spree that can only end badly!
I learned to eat when I'm hungry by working night shift…I have an erratic schedule, working 3 – 12 hour night shifts (I'm a RN) every week. As a result, I don't have any preconceived meal times. When I'm hungry, I eat. Sometimes a lot, sometimes a little. I do find, like a previous poster, I eat much more when pmsing.
And the result of doing this for a year, with my sporadic exercise mixed in? No change in my weight at all. I'm a happy girl 🙂 Try to let go of the "lunchtime, better eat" mentality. When you're ready to eat, eat. There will be gummy bears in existance for the rest of your life. If you want them today, chow down. If you can wait a day, gummy bears will still be there. Good luck, and congrats on your little girl!
Charlotte,
I know this will probably scare you, but you might have to just go through the whole pendulum thing.
Meaning that, as a person who is used to rigidly controlling your eating and exercising, you might have to let yourself overeat and slack off on the sweating for a bit to find the happy middle.
And sorry, but I don't mean the "back off exercise!" command from your MD. And I don't mean eating more just because you are nursing.
OK, here's a cliche: when a child learns to walk, he/she falls a lot. So truly give yourself permission to fall (which means sometimes overeating and/or under exercising) as you learn to intuitively eat and exercise.
Just my 2cs.
I go back and forth. I can maintain my current weight and even slloooowwwllly lose a bit by just pretty much sticking to a schedule and eating when I'm hungry. I don't really have the "knowing when to stop" thing down (via paying attention to my body), but since I've gotten good at knowing how many calories is in most food, and knowing how many calories is reasonable for me to consume right then. It's more about being able to do the math in my head now.
One of the best tips I have found is doing a hunger vs crave check. If something like fruit, veggies, jerky, pistachios, or other *healthy-approved* type foods sound good and it's not meal time, I'm hungry. If I'm going for chocolate or chips or whatnot, then I'm just cravey and take a moment to think whether I deserve a small treat or I just need to sit my butt down and do something else.
But right now, you should trust yourself. And fyi, I have totally split one of those normal 6 serving bags of lettuce with Zliten in gigantic punchbowls with some veggies and chicken and dressing and called it lunch.
I drink a glass of water when I think I am hungry. If I still feel hungry in 20mins then I search out something healthy.
Hehe – love that picture at the end. 🙂
Oh Charlotte, I still struggle at times, and I have never experienced the hunger of being a nursing mama. From what my friends have said, the hunger never stops, but your body is burning the calories, and you baby girl needs those nutrients.
Lately I've been so busy with work and life, that my hunger has been screaming at me big time. I never "forget to eat" or anything like that…really, who does that? I hate when people say "I was in such a hurry that I forgot to eat lunch." Anyway, it's easier for me to listen b/c by the time I get around to eating, I am really hungry. However, if I'm just sitting around bored all day, all hunger cues are off. Those days, it's all I can do to stay out of the kitchen.
Just keep listening. I really think your body is probably needing all the food you're eating right now. Oh, and 1 pound of spinach? I've done it too. 🙂
There's a really great book out called "The Appetite Awareness Workbook." It takes time (which I know is a precious commodity right now), but it's very useful.
You wrote exactly how I am feeling and thinking right now while I am nursing my 7 week old baby. Each day I think of what I can do to eat better and how I can fit in some exercise so that I can lose weight while I also feel so hungry all the time. I am very self-conscious with the way I look especially when I know I have weight to lose. I have decided to really focus on what I am thinking and try hard to make my thoughts positive about myself.
Thanks for your post and thanks for all the comments from everyone!
When my appetite gets up and grabs me by the throat* shouting "feed me now damn it," I generally take that as A Sign that I'm supposed to eat.
Where is it written that a nursing mother is supposed to be skinny? A pox on Heidi Klum and all those who walk with her!
*Yes, I have a quite talented appetite, which can do that if so inclined.
"enjoying that dizzy emptiness" leapt out from the screen and whacked me right between the eyes. THANK GOD you wrote that and made me realise where I'm headed (not for the first time… L x
Char, as someone who just went through this myself (I think my baby was a few weeks old when I found Facebook and "other" Char sent me over here). Your pediatrician is a valuable resource to you in this area. I did count calories while nursing, and FYI it's +300/day while pregnant and +500/day while nursing. To lose weight, a 500 calorie deficit is recommended, so I tried to eat normally and depended on the nursing to provide the deficit (I had to lose 30lbs…again;)
I don't trust my hunger when nursing because I say stupid things to myself like, "I don't care, I'm tired," and "I can afford it, I'm nursing." 500 cal/day is 1 peanut butter sandwich, and extra big snack, or a small meal. That kept it in perspective for me.
The pedi helped me monitor baby's progress and gave me the signs to be aware of in case I pushed too hard, and recommended 1600-2000 cal/day. You'll be different, but you do have resources available to you. And don't worry! Unless you see yourself sliding into slovenly habits for the rest of your life, give it time. I cannot imagine you'll never bounce back from this, so don't be in too big a hurry. Be careful not to gain more now, I always gained 10-20 AFTER baby was born! So if you watch for that, when she's about 6 months you can relax back into dieting.
I just wanted to say that you are not alone and I deal with the same struggle everyday. But I didn't just have a child so I have no excuse. Just think everyday when you go to sleep and do not induldge you won the battle for the day and if not, there is always tomorrow
It seems that when our life seems out of control, that we turn to the one thing we can control – what goes into our mouth – and badger ourselves with our inability to control ourselves. Comfort, comfort yourself is all you are called to do when life has posed so many demands on you. It will get easier but as with all of life, not yet, not as quickly as needed. Love ya ~ L
i just have to say:
EAT THE GUMMI WORMS!!!
you've just had a baby, for heaven's sake, you've earned a treat!
🙂
(and also, the ice-cold water trick works well for me, too, in determining whether or not i'm really hungry)
A great read. Balance is the key to healthy life, thats what my personal trainer from Carlsbad keeps on telling me. Thanks dear!
one day i was able to eat a burger that size and then one day i realised i need to lose weight or get more unfit and die at an early age. buying fitness equipment was one of the best things i did.
I do Weight Watchers so I always know exactly how much I should be consuming. That way if I get hungry, I know how many calories I can have.
Admiring the dedication you put into your website and detailed information you offer.
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