Photo courtesy of http://www.mrfridgesealman.com/services
But I’m Hungry by Stephanie Nickel
Last night I had grummlies in my tumbly, as Winnie-the-Pooh would say. Too often I give into these grummlies, even when I’ve had plenty to eat.
In this case, what did I do instead?
I did a super brief—five-minute—full body workout. (Combo exercises are great. With one, I worked my legs, my biceps, my shoulders, and my triceps.)
I then had a glass of water—instead of the Starbucks Iced Coffee sitting in my fridge calling my name—and headed to bed.
Now, I don’t necessarily recommend getting your blood pumping and those endorphins flowing right before trying to sleep, but it was a much better option than the alternatives.
And know what? I wasn’t hungry anymore.
But before we go any further, I want to issue a warning: Our bodies need adequate amounts of healthy food. We are not doing ourselves any favours—in fact, it can be quite dangerous—if we don’t eat a wide variety of nourishing food throughout the day. Never substitute any of the following activities for eating when you should. For most of us, the best thing to do is “graze” throughout the day, dividing what we would normally eat in three bigger meals into smaller portions. This also makes us feel full longer and less prone to giving in and grabbing an unhealthy snack when we get too hungry.
So, if you’re feeling peckish, as they say, and you’ve eaten enough food, what can you do instead?
Drink a glass of water – Thirst often masquerades as hunger. And if you’re like me, you won’t be tempted to eat if 250mL of water is sitting in your stomach.
Go for a walk – My hubby and I took the first couple of walk of the season over the long weekend. It was great and we explored a new paved path the city has laid next to the railway tracks.
Pop in an exercise DVD – Spending even 15 minutes exercising can take your mind off the grummlies and do you some good, physically and psychologically.
Exercise at your desk – There are countless reasons for walking away from your desk periodically throughout the day, but if you really have to stay close, there are exercises you can do right where you are. You may want to check out my post 10 Exercises to Do at Your Desk
Touch base with your accountability partner – Sometimes just chatting with a friend who is also trying to live a healthier lifestyle can be motivating. (Just don’t talk about food.)
Join an online healthy living community – There are several on Facebook and sparkpeople.com has lots to offer as well.
Head to the gym – Our local GoodLife has become a Fit4Less facility. Believe you me, for $9.00 a month, I’m definitely tempted to join.
And actually . . .
Eating when you’re peckish isn’t a bad thing. Just make sure to have lots of healthy snacks on hand, so you won’t grab that highly-sugared iced coffee and the last piece of leftover apple crumble pie. Oh, wait! That’s what’s in my kitchen.
Tweetable
Check out other posts by Stephanie
5 Ways to Handle Temptations to Overeat
13 Benefits of a Fitness Challenge
Want more articles by Stephanie?
Click the image below to access the collection
of over 60 links to health and wellness articles.
Steph Beth Nickel is an author, a freelance editor and writer, a labour doula, and a former personal trainer. She’d love to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter, on her website or blog.
Pingback: » 7 Alternatives to Overeating