So, eating too much definitely isn’t any good, just like eating the wrong things will make us gain on weight too. Then there’s the “not eating” enough part, against which we’re regularly warned by many books and articles… and now I think I’ve just fell into that this week.
Not by choice, mind you. I’m not deliberately starving myself in the foolish hope of losing faster or whatever, but the fact is, it just… happened. I blame this on the weather, though, as the past days have been really hot, and I’ve never been a huge eater on very hot days, even when I was still used to eat way more, so I know it must have something to do with the weather.
I’ve actually realized this pattern I’ve been in while I was logging my food intake in FitDay today (a habit I’ve taken, I normally don’t focus on calories, but I keep this log in case I’d really sidetrack, so that it can warn me of potential real excess); the last four days have been spent living on, like, 900-1000 calories a day - this on days when I’m also exercising, not staying with my shiny bottom on my desk chair - and now I’m afraid that I may be screwing up my metabolism. Hey, isn’t this ironic - I may have to force myself to eat in order to not make things too weird for my body!
But the fact is, I am not hungry. I eat between four and five times a day. I eat veggies, fruits, eggs, yogurt, meat and even frigging pasta, it’s not completely unbalanced either. Granted, the quantities aren’t huge, I simply can’t eat more all at once. I surprised myself feeling already full after only two slices of bread and cheese on a breakfast, and this had never happened before (it was white bread, even). I basically eat when I’m hungry only, hence why I snack between meals when I do feel the stomach grumbling… yeah baby, I splurge on *drumroll* raspberries! Super-caloric food, really, especially that mine are frozen, so I can’t eat them fast unless I want to be really sick and have my teeth scream at me. Perfection of the frozen fruits used as snacks!
But I’m not eating enough, and I don’t know how long this will last, nor if doing it for “only a few days” would have bad side effects, or not have any influence on my body whatsoever.
Well, I guess I should make an effort to eat more fruits perhaps. This at least would feel refreshing!
June 23rd, 2005 at 21:54
Kery, the not eating enough is very common among women who are busy mothers (I’m talking in general - not so much about your situation). Many women tend to simply stop eating which just becomes a habit.
It’s interesting to note that eating disorders are becoming increasingly common among women aged 30-40. It’s hard enough trying to feed your little ones, let alone make yourself eat.
Who knows how much it messes with metabolism?
June 24th, 2005 at 10:03
Aye, I’m not a mother and not busier than usual, so I bet it has nothing to do with it
What I’m really wondering though is if it’s a “normal” signal, if the body really needs a little less, or less “filling foods, such as fruits, during summer months (contrary to winter, when I tend to be ravenous for warm foods). After years of eating the wrong way, it’s extremely difficult to recognize normal feelings of hunger and such!
Is it so common that women tend to stop eating like this? I mean, I was rather under the impression that being busy led to the contrary, to eating wrong foods, at the wrong moments, due to the lack of time to cook and shop properly.
June 26th, 2005 at 21:16
I think we all have different stress/busyness responses. Some people hit the fridge with a vengeance - and others stop eating. My wife was recently interviewed by Parenting magazine - on that very subject. The people at Parenting magazine are noticing how many mothers are having eating problems… (i.e. not eating).