The Shaggy Palm Tree: A personal journey of losing a 100lbs. Chapter Two: Own it, page 3

Hunger verses Starving

I know that I will have to be aware of my physical shape for the remainder of my life. I know that I will never be able to eat whatever or how much I want of high fat starchy foods. That is just life. Just like an alcoholic must re-frame from liquor. Am addicted to high calorie foods, but I re-frame from those foods. It is that simple, that is just the way it is. I have not had one bite of sugar/starch in over a year. Knowing this I have learned to listen to my body. I have learned the difference between feeling hungry and the definite feeling of starving. To me hunger is a great way to make sure I omit unnecessary calories, no one ever died from hunger, but starving is a different condition.

what I wish I looked like while consuming food

Hunger, you might have a craving, or you hear your tummy growl, but over all you feel calm inside, and then ask yourself, can I comfortably wait to eat for an hour and then go keep yourself busy and if it goes easy and before you know it the hour has passed. For people who gain weight easily, hunger can be a symptom gone wrong, just because you might feel a little hungry, or have a food craving, or even hear your tummy growl. Take a hard look at your body, and look at those extra pounds and know that hunger is just your body being lazy and not wanting to metabolize that fat, but instead wants to trick you into taking the easy road of consuming calories. Hunger is a feeling I have learned to live with, and I have not suffered any negative results by ignoring hunger.

putting a mask on fake starving known as hunger

The feeling of starving now that is a completely different condition. I try my best to not let myself get starved. The feeling of starving is a feeling, of nervousness, panic, and distraction and all without any known source or cause, it is just a feeling of perhaps doom, or negativity, or unable to focus. I have noticed that starving increases joint pain. It took some trial and error before I learned the difference between hunger and starving. Starving is a cruel effect and no one should feel it.

starving

I noticed that when I sat down to eat after allowing myself to feel starving that I would barely chew my food and would just pile the food in my mouth almost wanting to use my hands to pick up the chunks of chicken or vegetables. It was almost like a basic need to my body had been ignored. I have learned that to address staring that I have two rules that work well for me.

piggy out isn't healthy

Rule one, you will of course always feel hungry before starving. Sometimes I would feel hungry just two hours after eating, and logically there isn’t a possible reason for my body to seriously need more calorie intake. So to lose weight I have had to learn to reason, live with, and deal with hunger, that’s just the facts of life. So the first feeling of hunger, I look at the time and compare that to when I last ate. I tell myself, I know I feel hungry but “right now is not the time for me to eat” and I assure myself that I will check my hunger in an hour. I then go do something, work on a hobby, clean house, surf the internet, watch a movie or read a book, simply stay focus on non food habits. Also an important part of this rule is to make a time when you will eat, say its 11 am and your lunch is at 1 pm grab a beverage, stay busy and make and keep that promise with yourself that you will eat as promised at 1 pm. (have and stick to a plan that is realistic and personalized)

know what foods you are going to eat today

Rule two how to deal with starving when it isn't time to eat. So you look at the time and it is noon but lunch isn't till 1 pm and you have addressed hunger and now you are feeling starving, nervous, can’t sit still, unable to focus. I have found that it only takes as little as 1 ½ to 2 ounces of very lean meat to completely take care of the starving feeling. I truly feel that no one should feel starving, it is a negative feeling toward the only body that you have and the body that you love. I make my own homemade beef jerky with zero sugars and starches, my beef jerky has zero carbohydrates and it is lean because beef jerky must be lean, fat makes it go rancid. I usually keep a small zip lock bag of beef jerky on me, or a small can of tuna. No matter how busy my schedule is or how many meetings I have and can’t get away to go eat. I can always find five minutes to eat 2 ounces of meat. Of course, I have to have mints too for freshening my breath. There are many of on the market that is sugar and aspartame free.

keep a lunch date with yourself

Brushing your teeth is a trick I use on hunger. If it is way too early for me to eat again, I have found that simply brushing my teeth resets that hunger feeling.

Plus who doesn't like fresh breath? One of the side effects of working toward a healthy BMI is a feeling of attractiveness, and fresh breath goes with that.