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MissMorrigan -> RE: The Cycle of Hunger (3/3/2009 2:54:03 AM)
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Studies show a correlation between poor sleeping habits and obesity. I guess that's tied in with the hard-wired reaction of feasting after fasting - the fasting, in this case, is a night's sleep, so when the body keeps waking up, I presume that's the trigger to eat again and it becomes a cycle. For some it becomes so disruptive that they begin sleepwalking to the refridgerator and feasting during slumber.
My issue with weight began due to long periods of steroid use due to my asthma. The steroid use finished years ago but the issue with excess weight remained and it's something I work towards controlling especially as it becomes more of an issue when middle-age hits, as it has with me.
I can't sit down to big meals, I feel overwhelmed when faced with a mountain of food. I like to browse, ie eating when hungry, the problem is when we have tricked our bodies into thinking they are hungry all the time and it's no longer a physical issue of what the body needs.
One thing I never did, but have trained myself to do and which was the hardest thing to do, that's have breakfast, a healthy breakfast that correctly kick-starts the body and the best kind of breakfast which is slow-releasing is either porridge (oatmeal) or muesli... I abhor the latter unless it's coooked otherwise I'd be masticating all morning long to get even a small bowlful down. A nutritionist once said that twenty-five minutes is more than ample time to chew and intake enough food that the brain recognises its had and the body needs to sustain it. If food remains after that time, leave it and that meal sizes should fit into two hands put together in a bowl-shape and at a 45 degree angle. The most weight I lost was on my own five meal a day plan and by cutting out most sauces/fats as it's usually not the foods themselves, but the crap we plaster all over them that cause the issue.
Breakfast would be porridge made with skimmed milk and with fruit added to it for flavour
Mid-morning was either a yoghurt, a piece of fruit or two rich tea biscuits, the light variety (reduced sugar).
Lunch: Salad bowl with lean chicken or prawns and lots of lemon juice/herbs, a banana or apple to finish
Mid-afternoon, same as mid-morning but if I had biscuits mid-morning, then I'd have the fruit or yoghurt mid-afternoon.
Evening: Fish poached or grilled or turkey, jacket potato and low-calorie dressing or butter, unlimited green vegetables and a small helping of butter beans or any other type of pulse.
A must was lots of water - I generally loathe drinking water, but forced to drink at least five glasses a day in addition to other non-carbonated/non-sweetened drinks and found that I actually did feel so much healthier, my skin began to bloom, it no longer looked sallow and 'old', but plumper and healthy.
I never denied myself anything, if I wanted a cake or chocolate I'd have it, BUT, I would set aside a day to do this, ie a Friday for instance - that was the only area I was very strict in. If I allowed myself to vary days when I had my chocolate or cake, I'd be more likely to say 'sod it' and include it on yet another day. If I didn't have it on that Friday, I didn't have it on the Saturday as I knew then that come Friday I would have had it twice in one week.
And moderate exercise, it doesn't have to come in the form of jumping up and down like a lunatic, as long as you're active regularly. I have a propensity to be sloth-like, I try to kid myself that I'm really a book-reader, or avidly interested in documentaries, in reality, while I do like those things they should not take up a large proportion of one's day and even though I'm asthmatic, I CAN exercise. It's important, even if it is to go for a walk.
Sorry for the long-winded post lol
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