OMG! Am I Having An Emergency?

by Kris Pitcher

What was that? I think I felt something...It was like a flutter, no - a pang! Did you hear that? I put my hands on my hips and dug my fingertips into my midsection but couldn't feel anything. There it was again! It was a rumble deep in my gut. I definitely felt that! OMG! I AM HUNGRY!

"Honey, I'm hungry." I whined after my set on the flat bench. "When did you eat?" Jacques asked. "At 3:00" I said, knowing where he was going. "How many meals do you have left?" He went on questioning. "Two, dinner and then my before bed meal." I answered. "Good, you've got plenty of food & you're right on schedule." He said. And with such finality. Boy, is he good in a crisis.

Get ready for this...hunger is not an emergency. You may be feeling this new, unfamiliar feeling for the first time in a long time if you've made some changes in your eating plan. There are some things we can do to minimize your chances of feeling hungry, but the truth is it's not an emergency.

If you have increased the frequency of your meals then good for you, and I'm doing a happy dance. Your body is getting the message that it can count on you. Your consistency in fueling sends the a-OK signal letting your body know fuel is coming in and it doesn't need to store calories as fat. It also increases your metabolism...which can increase your feelings of hunger. Don't panic!

Including protein and vegetables with each mini meal along with healthy fats will keep you fueled for success. Remember fiber is your friend, eat those veggies! Drink more water. A lot of times our hunger is more of a thirst trigger. Keep yourself on schedule with your meals and your hydration to ward of starvation (couldn't help that one).

The reason this method works is it helps to keep your blood sugar level...well, level throughout the day. We don't like big swings. Our bodies like things nice and even. If you still have candy hanging around from the holidays you need to throw it out unless you're a squirrel. Simple carbs and dumps of sugar spike our insulin and put us on the spinning wheel of carb craving, aka. HUNGER. Just give it up - remember just 100 gms of carbs puts your immune system at risk for up to 5 hours. Jumping down from soap box...now.

Stay on schedule with your meals, eat your veggies, and drink your water to keep from feeling hungry throughout the day. Simple solutions to keep you on track to seeing your success without feeling hungry. We don't want any emergencies here!