hungry

finallyfull · Post by **finallyfull** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 2:24 pm

It's been about 3 months now, and I have noticed something important: I now have a pretty good idea how much food fills me up, and how much is too much. So after my one plate (or lunch bag), I may still want more. MUCH more clear to me now than ever before is the realization that, because I am so certain that I am not physically hungry for food, that I am hungry for something else.

Now when I want a sweet or a snack or a second, I say to myself: "I am hungry for something that's not food. Hm. ?"

I don't know the answer: some days it's a phone chat with a friend, a walk, a book, a prayer, a nap, a cry, a laugh, or some days I just don't know. But I am happy for this clarity. Regardless of my ultimate slimness or lack thereof, I now see I need to "feed" myself more.

(okay and for those scoring at home, I have lost no weight. But I am gaining good habits, personal wisdom, wonderful, peaceful sanity, and I bet you ten bucks by this time next year I at least won't gain the five to ten pounds I would have gained otherwise.)

finallyfull · Post by **finallyfull** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 2:26 pm

Just to add to that: the subtle difference is that instead of thinking so much about "resisting" the food, I'm thinking about what the hunger really means. Subtle but huge.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 6:42 pm

The bottom line is that you do something else with your time (not snorting cocaine or slashing tires, of course!) besides eat and that is a reward in itself- it has been to me.

I used to think I had to find the perfect activity to replace the food. I felt if I wasn't doing something to achieve something great or finding the love of my life or something really big what was "worthy" of giving up the food, I was just going to go ahead and eat anyway.

I've found that isn't true, though I'm not always elated with the options. As you say, I often don't even know what the perfect thing to do is and it can be very simple. I can't always get something I might want or feel I need at that moment. I'm just clear that eating won't make be feel any better, either, and eating more will likely leave me feeling too full. I just didn't like that feeling anymore and it was worth doing almost any piddling thing instead. That was a big breakthrough for me.