‘Ello 😀
Want to know my secret to having a fabulous day?
Start it in a fabulous way! (Dr. Seuss, eat your heart out)
After being less than impressed with yesterday’s breakfast deviation, this morning I decided to screw the whole variety thing and just go back to my tried-and-true beloved bowl of oats: eggified, banafied, and topped with almond butter and pudding. Dee-licious. Always puts a smile on my face.
And while it would be considered bad science to conclude that a satisfying breakfast was the only reason that today was so terrific, I can say that it definitely didn’t hurt 😉
Nor did enjoying dessert [and reading] after lunch…
And while we’re at it, a delicious dinner probably played its part, too.
Any guesses as to where I’m going with all this? Besides taste bud heaven?
Food, my dear friends. Food is the secret behind having a fabulous day. The right kind (ie. what you crave), and the right amount (ie. not too much/little).
Alright, so maybe it’s not quite that simple, but there’s no denying that food is a necessary part of the equation. Without food there is no health, and without health there is no happiness.
And there’s no shame in enjoying food and admitting that it can put a smile on our face, either. All those warnings about the dangers of “emotional eating” are a load of crap. What’s wrong with treating myself to something that I know will put a smile on my face?
Nothing. at. all. Swoooooon.
About a week ago, I made the decision to increase how much I was eating in an attempt to combat general feelings of “offness”. It definitely wasn’t the easiest thing to do… especially because I didn’t know whether or not my ‘offness’ was actually caused by hunger or something else, but seeing as how my symptoms always seemed to disappear after I had something to eat, I figured that hunger was probably the most likely culprit. And it appears that it was…
After a week or so of eating more… there’s no more offness. No more irritability. No more hyperactivity. No more inability to concentrate. And no more constant thoughts of food.
Thank goodness for that…
I absolutely hated feeling scatterbrained and not being able to think about anything besides what I was going to eat next, so if I felt those feelings start to creep in, I would simply grab something to eat, and the thoughts would disappear and I would be free to go on with my day. Eat and move on… I like it 😀
Quite a few people expressed the same kind of uncertainty when it came to identifying the signs of true hunger, and from my own experiences, the best advice I can give you is this…
If you think you might be hungry, then you probably are. If you can’t stop thinking about food, then you should probably eat more. If you’re tired, irritable, and feeling “off”, then don’t be afraid to grab a snack. I promise you that you won’t “balloon up”, and you will feel 100x better. It might be hard to believe, but you’ll be amazed at how big of a difference even the slightest increase in intake can make on your overall quality of life. And who doesn’t want to enjoy fabulous days? 😀
. – . – . – .
Does anyone have any similar experiences that they want to share?
I so, so agree with this post. Food makes or breaks my day. I am always confusing to whether or not I truly am hungry and lately I’ve been feeling “off”. It’s probably because I eat about 2 meals for no reason other than nausea. This post has inspired me to eat more and eat health(ier), though I’ll definitely be having that cookies n’ cream fro yo today!
This post is basically awesome, you took the words right out of my mouth! Call it emotional eating but good food makes me happy and can lift my spirits…funnily enough, even looking at good food (e.g. That ice cream cone) makes me happy 🙂
You know this post makes me jump with joy, Amanda 😀
Proud is an understatement, but I can’t find another word in my dictionary ( which is quite a huge one ) to describe what I feel for you.
This was a challenge, but you confronted it and did what was necessary. It’s a clear proof of your commitment to recovery and life, you decided to provide your body with health and strength even what that meant dealing with uncomfortable emotions for a while. As you realized, this anxiety is temporary as we gradually realize that eating more can benefit our soul in the most beautiful way. Think about the food as a way of making sure that you continue to be YOU, the amazing, bright and passionate Amanda. The person we all love and whom we hope love herself too.
I’ve had countless of similar experiences, each time I increase actually! I am anxious and have to deal with the voice telling me it is all wrong, but once I do it it feels so incredibly good and liberating. A felt experience of what it means to be able to take care of my life.
Love you Amanda – know that this post will inspire and help so many fighters out there.
<3
PS : One day we'll be swooning together over a nice bowl of ice cream.
I experience the same questions about hunger and how much to eat all the time. It’s difficult sometimes because I’m afraid, if I obey what I consider to be “hunger” pangs, I’ll end up over-eating, but I also hate those feelings of fatigue, irritability, inability to concentrate, etc., so it’s worth eating more just to feel vibrantly alive!
Thank you for this post–it’s exactly what I needed to read today. I was just having some little struggles this afternoon. <3
I have the saaame thangalang. Sometimes, I just can’t stop thinking about what I am going to eat next, even if I am not hungry! But then I have some fish or something and I feel betta 🙂
I absolutely agree – starting off your day with the right breakfast (and coffee, of course) is starting on the right foot!! 🙂
Beautiful! So true. Good food really makes all the difference in the world. I’m so happy that you are finding what works for you, eating more and feeling better. YAY! It makes me so happy to see people truly nourishing/nurturing themselves and honoring their needs. You are an inspiration and I love you so much! Keep on shining and sharing your light, love <3
Sometimes I’m not hungry, per se, at least not in the “my stomach is growling” kind of way, but I can tell I need to eat because I suddenly feel like I have no energy and I’m crabby. Those aren’t the most pleasant signs to have to deal with but as soon as I notice either one, I grab something to eat. You rock, Amanda. I love your attitude and reading such honest and happy posts just makes my day 🙂
Couldn’t have said it better myself! 🙂 I swear when I eat a good breakfast I instantly have more energy and feel like I will have a wonderful day. And if I had that beautiful pizza and delicious looking ice cream throughout my day I’d most definitely be one happy camper 🙂
I love the mug pictured in the first photo! What an inspirational reminder to start the the day with. Where did you find it?
I’m all too familiar with hunger confusion…It’s taken me years to figure out how to best hone in on those signals–how to satisfy myself both physically and emotionally without going to extremes. While there’s been major improvement, I’m still working on figuring it out. 🙂 But one thing I know for sure is: a well-fed body = a healthy and happy mind, body and soul.
Happy Friday, Amanda!
That jittery, hyperactive feeling you described usually happens to me before bed. If I can’t settle into sleep too fast I know that its because I didn’t eat enough. Just this morning at 12:30am I fixed one of these http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2011/01/microwave-banana-oat-cakes-fave-banana.html to calm the sensation and finally fall asleep. And I thought I had eaten more than enough for dinner…but sometimes we misinterpret our needs.
I look forward to ALL of your posts.. you are really an inspiration to me. you have such wise words, (delicious eats!) , are funny, and beautiful! your posts are just “feel good” and honest..
love you
food = the answer to all of life’s problems. Haha, not really, but many of them! I can’t thank you enough for your posts. It’s so important to have people out there posting about the importance of eating enough. Our bodies work hard every single day and I don’t think very many people realize just how much fuel we actually need to thrive. My workouts are always wayyy better (and more fun!) when I eat well.
I’m glad that things have improved from eating more. Food is an amazing thing! I grew up eating in front of the television and to this day when I sit down to watch something I don’t feel right if I’m not eating. I used to grab something to snack on while watching shows even if I had just eaten a meal. I knew that wasn’t true hunger but wasn’t sure about other times.
Now that I’ve started eating small things every couple of hours I feel *so* much better! I don’t constantly think about food, I’m always satisfied and I feel happier.
First of all – I love your photography! Also? This absolutely looks like the perfect day to me 🙂
And when it comes to decoding “hunger” I usually don’t question my body. If I’m hungry, I just eat 🙂
Glad you’re feeling better! I tried switching up my breakfast the other day and it just wasn’t the same. This morning I made sure to start my breakfast off with my normal and I’m feeling so much better. I’ve noticed if I’m still thinking about food, my next meal, and when i can eat next it usually means I’m still hungry. Once I eat something I feel so much better and can actually focus
So true! Eating good food can always put me in a good mood. 😀 And obviously eating enough, too. I was always so cranky and depressed when I wasn’t eating enough (but actually that was because low fat diet = not enough fat to make certain hormones and neurotransmitters = depression). Now I still sometimes get cranky, but I know it’s not due to malnourishment haha! 😛
Amen to this Amanda! I think about food CONSTANTLY and I know it’s because I have spent years depriving myself of such an essential thing! I am working so hard to listen to when I am hungry and just eat… it’s as simple as that, and it can be done 🙂