Hey guys! How’s your week starting off? Good I hope! Remember how I said that laughter is the best medicine? Well I’d like to retract my previous statement and replace it with a different one… Food. Food is the best medicine…
I woke up this morning with what I thought was a serious case of the Mondays. I wasn’t exactly grumpy, per say, but I wasn’t my regular annoyingly hyper Monday morning self either (yes, I’m one of those people). That and my stomach and head just felt… off. I really hope I’m not coming down with anything – there seems to be a nasty flu bug going around, and as tempting as it sounds, I think I’d rather not pick up a copy myself, thanks.
In any case, after a cup of tea, some goofy stomach noises, and a bit of blog reading, I was ready for some food…
Cinnamon Puffins – Blueberries – Enjoy Life Trail Mix – Milk [eventually]
… which definitely made me feel better… fooooorrrr all of about 30 minutes before the aforementioned nastiness began to creep back in. So it was going to be one of those days, eh? You know… the days where you eat only to be hungry again 33 minutes later? The days where you look at the clock and can’t believe it’s only 1:30 in the afternoon. The days where you and your jar of almond butter are attached at the hip…
AB, meet waffle. Waffle, AB.
Oh and for the record… Barney Butter? Not a big fan – the taste and texture just throw me off. I’m not used to my AB being so thick and having the added sugar and salt. I normally stock up with Maisie Jane’s, but after running out the other day, and the roads being the death trap they currently are, I decided that driving across the city just to pick up a few jars of my favorite AB probably wasn’t the smartest idea. I’m seriously starting to reconsider…
But I digress.
So yeah, today was one of those days. ‘Fine,’ I thought. ‘Two can play’ 😡 But no. No they can’t. There’s no tricking or outsmarting the body, and I think I’m finally becoming comfortable with that. Insatiable appetite days used to cause me a good amount of grief, and I’d do my best to try and ‘contain’ them with some of the classic tricks…
But now? Now I don’t really care. I’ll eat! I’ll eat just so I can avoid feeling like shi crap and get on with my day. I’ll eat so that I can make sure I stay in the lines when I’m painting my toes…
OPI’s Ate Berries in the Canaries
I’ll eat so that I make a coherent conversation partner when I’m on a coffee date [with my mom]…
I’ll eat so that I have the energy to dance around my kitchen while I bake more things to eat…
I’ll eat… just because it tastes good 😉
But most importantly, I’ll eat because I want to be healthy and I’ve learned that listening to your body is the only way to do so. I’ve eaten my way though countless insatiable appetite days, and you know what? Nothing bad ever happens. My clothes still fit, the crazy head/stomach go away (I guess I’m not coming down with anything after all), and everything is just better in general. The only thing that bugs me is the fact that I still somehow get to the point where my body has to give me a not-so-subtle nudge to eat more. It’s not even something that I’m really conscious of – I just don’t pay enough attention… which is actually something I wanted to talk about in a little more detail, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow because I think I’ve rambled on enough for today. Hope you guys are doing well! 🙂
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Are you a morning person? Or does it take you a while to wake up?
How often do you get sick?
What’s your favorite brand of AB?
I am definitely a morning person!! I love being up early and even more so when I have a cup of coffee in my hands. I used to try to fight the days where I was crazy hungry, but now I actually love them! Yesterday I had one of those..I ate three sandwiches throughout the day (on top of everything else.)
This was me Friday night and alllll day Saturday. The not-so-subtle hunger? Yaaa, talk about crazy, stomach audibly growling 24 minutes after my last meal, kinda hunger. And you know what? It was the first time in 3 and 1/2 (whaaaa??) years that I actually listened to my body and ate each time that I was hungry and just went with it. Whenever that happened in the past, I (like you) would gulp gallons of water, eat veggies, drink tea and if all else failed, grin and bear it. Ugh, not a way to live. I did do a bit of my ‘old tricks’ Saturday, I have to admit- egg whites and celery, anyone? But I also just did a lot of plain ole eatin’! Cookies were consumed along with Greek yogurt with dark chocolate, amidst other yummy things. And you’re right- I went to bed that night feeling a little anxious, but physically? I felt like a million bucks 🙂 Thanks for this post! <3
I’m really glad you said that about Barney Butter. I’ve been close to buying it a few times, but I’ll save my $$. I prefer to get the freshly ground stuff from the farmer’s market.
I’m generally a morning person, but sometimes it can be so tough to get up. But coffee + breakfast makes everything better 🙂 I always switch brands of ab, but i think my tried and true favorite is maranatha {crunchy}. I do love barney butter too though. Its a bit sweet, but it satisfies that sweet tooth of mine!
YUP. We all have those insatiable days, and I do the same thing now. When I’m hungry, I eat. What a shockingly simple solution haha. But seriously, your body is different every day. Sometimes you burn more energy than normal and are hungrier. I swear certain times of the month you’re hungrier. It’s totally normal. And nut butters are the cure haha.
Such a well-written post and very much needed. I always tend to feel guilty on the days when I eat more (and generally less healthy foods) than other days. Why? Who knows, because like you said, in the end it really doesn’t matter because every day is a new day. Thanks for the reminder to listen to my body!
I never used to be a morning person. I was one of those people who would lay in bed until 11-12 on the weekend. Now I still love to sleep in on occasion, but I definitely find myself waking up a lot earlier. I would say sleeping past 8:30 on any given day is considered sleeping in. It is kind of nice to wake up early and get things accomplished! Don’t get me wrong though, I definitely sneak in an afternoon nap when I can 🙂 .
Love this post! I struggled with ignoring my hunger on these days for the longest time! Now I know when my body is hungry it is telling me it’s needs fuel so I give it fuel! Simple as that : )
I’m a morning person for sure — love them — as long as I am sleeping.
(Love your reasons to eat…I need to make a list of my own. But…couldn’t we go on forever? )
Haha sleeping doesn’t count 😛 I’m pretty sure a certain level of consciousness is required.
Yep, Im a total morning person as well. Once I get my coffee of course 😉
Insatiable days seem to be happening much more often for me now. I feel like I am almost ALWAYS eating. Some days it does really freak me out, but most days I can just focus on my body’s signals, and I realize that it really is what my body is asking for! Just because it wants food doesnt mean I need to eat cake, cookies and chips. I just have to remind myself to fuel my body, and an occassional cookie every now and then too 😉
I literally had the exact same type of day as you did yesterday.
Sometimes, like yesterday, it just makes me feel pretty low and upset, but Im working towards getting rid of those negative self thoughts.
I learned two things from yesterday – It’s okay to eat more than normal sometimes, your body just needs it.
Also, my body hates yogurt! Man on man did I have a nasty stomach ache! Such a shame to because it is just so darn tasty
Oh man I am having a bottomless pit day too, today….but unlike before I am trying to embrace it! The way I see it is that my metabolism is revved up- not a bad thing! I remember back in the day, I used to prolong meals (or at least avoid eating before my standard meal time) because I didn’t want to risk getting hungry later. I can’t believe how much mental energy I wasted on contemplating hunger….it’s not the end of the world to have an extra snack when needed! Our bodies are smarter than we give them credit, so why fight it!
I only recently tried (and loved) almond butter so I guess my favorite brand is Blue Diamond by default. Until I explore other options, this one definitely makes me think twice about whether peanut butter is my favorite nut butter ;)! Have a great Tuesday, Amanda!
I was having an insatiable appetite day yesterday! I actually I’ve been having them for the past few days. I don’t know what’s going on, but lately I feel like I could just eat all day long! I seriously think my stress has kicked up my metabolism or something. In the past I definitely tried to ignore my hunger when it arrived at the “wrong times” – but now I just embrace it as an opportunity to have an extra scoop of soy nut butter, more handfuls of dried fruit and two after dinner snacks haha.
Oh darn I’m sorry you weren’t a fan of Barney Butter! I have a raging sweet tooth, so I really like its sweetness. 😛
I have a pretty serious sweet tooth too, but I think it’s mainly the salt that threw me off? That and the texture – I’m just used to my AB being more drippy I guess.
ah the insatiable appetite days. personally i really don’t like these days because they tend to hit me unexpectedly! and then i don’t have enough food at work and i end up hitting the vending machine or something ridiculous. i need to be better prepared!
I am a morning person but mainly after I have had coffee! I’m definitely getting the knack of listening to my body more, in fact I have just tucked into a large bowl of raisins because I was totally craving them, in fact I need to buy another bag.. note to self!
Why, oh why, can’t I “allow” myself to actually satisfy my hunger cues on those insatiable days? It’s so hard to deal with them for me because while I’m not undereating anymore I still try to suppress my appetite at times. Thanks for yet another inspiring post, though!
Regarding the morning person question: I so am NOT one. Getting up early needs to have a seriously good reason like going on a trip to a great place or meeting somebody special. Or – seeing as that’s what I’ve been doing these past days – taking the extra time in the morning to read in bed for a while before “properly” getting up. I finished “The Art of Racing in the Rain” today – such a great story and thanks again for the tip. Which one would you recommend I start next :)? I have a hard time deciding and love getting inspiration from others.
It’s something that will probably come with time. I struggled with it for a good long while before finally getting frustrated enough to do something about it. It’s definitely scary, but feeling hungry all the time just sucks. As for books, I would definitely read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It’s a beautifully simple read with a lot of profound messages.
I’m most definitely an early morning person. It doesn’t take me longer than a minute to hop outta better. I’m not sure why, but I always feel at my best and so full of energy! I’m thinking next time I wake up at an ungodly hour Ill be making that chocolate chip pumpkin bread too!! 🙂 🙂
Aaaah, this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread looks so delicious, I want it now!! I am totally a morning person. I even do my workouts right after I got up. Therefore I am a ‘TV-sleeper’ 🙂 can’t get through a movie after 9pm! 🙂 I can not remember when I was sick the last time. I hardly ever get sick and sometimes I wish for it to just lay at home and watching TV all day, haha. Crunchy AB from Once Again is my fave! I need to order it from the U.S., believe me, it’s expensive but I want it so hard so I put up with that….
I have to say your eats for the days most definitely trump the glass of water and veggies. 😉 I’m thinking I may just have to come over and have you make my cereal bowls because no matter what I do they never look quite as pretty as yours haha. When I have those insatiable appetite days the cure is pretty much always spoonfuls and spoonfuls of nut butter. 🙂
Having an insatiable appetite day myself. It is so hard to satisfy our minds when our bodies so desperately want to eat but our minds play silly tricks on us. Thank you for the reminder that our bodies KNOW what they need and that our minds do not always know.
I can’t tell you how much I relate to this post, as well as so many others. I struggle with similar thoughts, fears and feelings and you are truly an inspiration. Today, for me, was also one of those, “I just can’t stop eating and I can’t get full” type of days. It’s still hard to give in, but I’m getting there. Quick question, what specific kind of Nature’s Path waffle do you eat? I eat Nature’s Path waffles every single morning, but I’ve recently learned that the kind I like is being discontinued :o(
Eep! I hate it when that happens. I usually get either the Homestyle or Maple Cinnamon… I hope those aren’t being taken off the shelves any time soon.
I am so NOT a morning person. I love waking up between 8 and 9 am and luckily I have a schedule that allows me to do that. But if I do have to wake up early, I’m usually okay for the rest of the day once I get going.
Those bottomless pit days are still a struggle for me…but not as much as the ‘no hunger’ days. Those ones make me consider just restricting or skipping meals because I don’t feel hungry so obviously my body doesn’t need food. It’s so hard to know what to do on hungry days and non-hungry days–I guess just listen to our bodies and still fuel ourselves properly even if we aren’t hungry for it.
My usual go-to almond butter is a Target brand, but those are still off the shelves because of salmonella (booooo!) so I’m sticking with Maranatha though because it’s perfectly creamy and fairly cheap with few added ingredients.
I think if you’re hungry 33 minutes after your meal, it’s because your meals are too small & insubstantial.
Hehe 33 minutes may be a slight exaggeration, but insubstantial is a definite possibility. It seems to have more to do with the day than it does with the meal though. Some days are fine, others are not.
I am so glad to hear that you have insatiable appetite days also! I have had two in a row now and am so confused, embarrassed, and worried. I guess I just have to keep in mind that, like you said, my body knows what it needs and I just have to listen to it. Hopefully you’re not getting sick! Maybe your body needs more fuel to fight whatever you might be getting so that you don’t actually get it.
YES! today was one of those bottomless pit days for me too. Except it got REALLY bad because I didn’t think I’d be that hungry (wasn’t really in the mood for my post-workout breakfast – obviously I ate it anyway but normally I actually am hungry for it), so I didn’t pack many snacks….And then I got so b*tchy that I had to leave work and drive home and pick up a box of annie’s bunny grahams haha. I agree about Barney Butter btw, I hated it! I like my nut butters a little more on the natural side – and for some reason I like the drippy kind, when you have to stir in the oil 😀
I’m a morning person, for sure. I try to get up by 6:30, and can’t sleep past 8:00 am these days. As far as “sick” goes with nausea, flu, virus kind of stuff…it just doesn’t happen to me. Ever. Even with all the other negative side effects of ED, my immune system stayed in tip top shape. I was the most frustrated as a kid- never getting to stay home from school lol
My fave brand of almond butter? Maranatha Creamy for sure. But I think the AB gods are displeased with me or something, because I’ve been trying to buy some for WEEKS, but every store I’ve gone to has been out. Every. Single. One. Luckily, I love all natural pb so I’ve been making do, but crap do I miss that stuff.
Oh yeah, and I wanted to tell you something as well. Since your blog’s been responsible for really inspiring me to take steps towards recovery I thought you might like to know….I recently made an ED ‘bucket list’ for myself where I wrote down all the things I wanted to be able to eat and do again with no ED fears. And tonight…I made one of the meals for dinner. Corn pancakes with smoked turkey sausage and egg whites… and hot damn was that stuff good! My emotions felt torn between feeling slightly guilty…but it was also pretty liberating. I haven’t actually really, truly ‘enjoyed’ a meal for months and months and months- but you better believe I enjoyed this one. It wasn’t easy, but I did it. Hopefully it will get easier for me to become braver and be able to cross more and more things off my list. I’ve got 40 goals left (I know. A lot, right? I’ve got so much ‘catching up’ to do, I’ve gone without so much for so long) Knock on wood and say a prayer for me, will ya?
I just wanted to thank you for inspiring me to take this first step towards my recovery. Really. You had a LOT to do with this. You inspire bravery and courage. You’re changing lives. You’ve certainly changed mine. <3
Jess
!!!! Thank you SO much for sharing, Jess! Omigosh… hearing stuff like that makes me ridiculously happy. Your meal sounds delicious, and despite the guilt, it felt pretty darn good, right? Riiiight? 😉 I can definitely relate to the mixed emotions when facing a challenge like that, but in the end, the freedom was always the best part. Your list might be long right now (mine was too!) but over time it’ll get shorter and shorter, and each challenge will be easier and easier to face 😀
I can’t decide if I’m a morning person or not…if you wake me up before 6 am, I will not be happy with you. But if I can sleep in until 7:30, I’m generally pretty cheery. I’m not a super-loud-in-your-face morning person, but if I have tea and a fuzzy robe on, then mornings are just fine with me. 🙂
Ohh, the bottomless pit days. I had one of those last week! Basically, I chalk it up to a really good workout or muscle development or something along those lines, and just listen to my body – it knows what it’s doing.
I’m pretty sure the only almond butter I’ve ever tried is Maranatha – it’s the only affordable one around here! But I definitely plan on hunting around in Chicago (leaving in less than 12 hours! Eee!!) and seeing what I can find. 😀
EeeeEEE! I hope you have an awesome trip girlie! Make sure to hit up WF and TJ’s 😀
I didn’t like Barney Butter either! I really love Trader Joe’s Raw Crunchy Almond Butter the most. Also, their AB w/ Flaxseeds is amazing too! I don’t have too many days when I can just eat and eat, but when I do I know it is because my body is finally healthy again and can tell me what it needs and I can listen and feed it, or give it rest or whatever it tells me!
I am a morning person….on the weekends. I actually like to get up and start off my day doing stuff on my own time (as opposed to getting up early to work for someone else). And my absolute most favorite brand of AB is Maranathna Organic Raw Almond Butter. The only ingredient is dry roasted almonds. It’s so perfect… Not too thick, not to runny. And makes my crazy cravings cease with a spoonful right out of the jar.
i’ve come to realize that when my hunger is off the charts, it’s because i have wacked it up somewhere. lack of nutrients, sleep, stress, etc. Boy, i better listen or else i will fail miserably at living life. And dancing in the kitchen, yes.
I’m not a morning person, but I’m not a grouch either. I’m just quiet. I get most of my work done in the mornings though! I hate those insatiable hunger days!! I have been having way too many of them! But, our bodies do know best… don’t they??
They definitely do! Sometimes we just need more. I blame the cold weather… my body is prepping for hibernation or something 😆
Funny how our bodies know best. I had a similar situation this weekend. I went to a wedding and felt off. Nauseous. I just wasn’t feeling good right? Maybe the drink upset my stomach, I ate something bad earlier. No way I was just anxious and hungry. Sat down for the meal, started to eat, guess what. All that pain went away. Hmm guess I was just hungry and “someone” was trying to tell me otherwise.
And guess what, I ate the wedding food with no guilt, no remorse and same as you, woke up the next morning and clothes still fit fine.
I however happen to love Barney butter, send it my way 😉
I used to be a morning person but now it takes me so long to wake up that I don’t tend to get up until 10! But I’m going back to work soon so I’ll have to get over it haha. I don’t often get sick but I’m so run down from my exams that I’ve come down with a cold. So lame.
I’m not a barney butter fan either! It just can compare to the good ol plain churned fresh stuff 😀
This post is so refreshing– LOVE it. During the worst days of my ED, I used to literally stand in my kitchen battling my mind over whether or not I should eat more. Looking back now, it’s SO freaking creepy how much power I gave that voice. Reading this made me appreciative for how far both you and I have come. 🙂
Oh and this: “I’ll eat so that I have the energy to dance around my kitchen while I bake more things to eat” HECK YES!!!!! Now that’s what I’m talkin bout! 😉
gosh please please let me tell you how nice it is to hear this post. something I learned the hard way in recovery was what to do with the i’m hungry thoughts. I think it was so hard for me at a time to give into what I really wanted, making it almost worse rather than just eating it. Yes, the best lesson was those days that I was extra hungry and I ate more and gasp I was the same. that was so nice for me, so nice because it made me realize i can trust my body.
That’s definitely the best part – realizing that your body isn’t trying to screw you over. It’s hard to give up that control, but once you do? Heaven.
I’m not the biggest Barney butter fan either – I recently tried the crunchy version and it reminds me of Kraft PB. I love Blue Menu brand crunchy AB – it’s so drippy.
Now that I practice healthy habits, I get mildly sick 1-2x a year, but only for a couple days. I used to get sick every few mos before I cleaned up my diet & started taking care of myself.
First things first.. that bowl of cereal looks really good 🙂 and I’m also not a fan of barney butter… I have a jar of it in my cabinet but it tasted to “rubbery” for me– if that makes sense lol I like Maranatha 🙂
I’m a morning person now… ever since College I think. Tell my high school self that and she’d probably smack me lol
Rubbery! YES! That’s seriously the perfect way to describe it. 😆 Gah! Thinking about it like that is going to make it even harder to eat.
I’ve always been a morning person – my favorite part of the day especially with a cup of coffee.
I MUST make that pumpkin bread – either that or you’ll find yourself with an unexpected visitor!!
Today was definitely an insatiable hunger day for me – that reminds me – time to eat again!! 🙂
You’re welcome to come over any time, girl! Just warn me in advance so I can be sure to have something baked up 😉
I can’t express in words how much I love your blog. I appreciate your positive outlook on what many blogs term as”healthy ” eating. You are a beautiful person in and out, and really down to earth. Every time I read your posts it’s like I know you lol. I agree with you on the Barney nut butter ehhh not really up my alley. I am definitely a morning person, I never dread waking up early and because of this I also find myself in bed for sleep at 9 P.m -_-. I hardly get sick because I guess I have a good immune system, and I eat alotof healthy foods too. My favorite brand of almond butter has to be Maranatha raw Almond butter,just almonds and salt….enough for me;) hope you have a wonderful evening!
Awwr thank you so much for your kind words, Daybelis <3
I’m definitely a morning person. The earlier the better!! I have an uncanny penchant for being lively at 4am more often than not. And I love that about me. 🙂
Oh man. Insatiable hunger days still freak me out. I just don’t know how to handle them. I’m getting MUCH better. And thankfully I’m not ravenously hungry ALL THE TIME any more (I think that my body is FINALLY starting to realize that I’m not going to toss it back into starvation mode, victory!!), so these days are fewer and farther between. Congrats on listening to your body.
And way to make me nearly jump out of my chair when you mentioned coffee date before my eyes caught up with the end of the line. Jeeeeeepers, girl!! <3
Hehe yeah they don’t happen to me all that often anymore either, thank goodness, but they’re kind of a pain in the butt when they do show up. One more day, girlie…. ooooone more day before he comes back 😡 I’ll be writing you back soon <3
My week started off great because I was off work 🙂