This is an update on My One Word for 2012: Change. Periodically I will stay accountable by letting you know how I'm doing. The good, the bad and the so-so. No holding back.
Well. It's time to pick out a new food challenge. I went meatless in January, chocolate-less during Lent and salad-full in July.
For the rest of September and October I am going to try something that I think will make an even more drastic difference in my health. I'm going to go food-less after 8 p.m.
Let me tell you about my regular day and why this is going to be so freaking hard for me. My alarm clock (aka Alexa) wakes me up at roughly 7 a.m. every morning. We eat breakfast together at 7:30. We are both dressed and out the door by 10 a.m., when I begin the exhausting commute to work. When I arrive at 11, I pour some iced coffee and eat a snack. Around 2 p.m. I eat lunch. Then, it's deadline time and I put my nose to the grindstone till 6. After that, I usually succumb to a vending machine treat because I know I won't make it home till 8:30, which is when I eat dinner.
Yikes, that's late, right?
Even though I eat a light dinner, I usually find myself snooping around the kitchen for a late-night snack at 11 p.m. WHY WHY WHY. Because I'm soooo hungry. Or, you could say it's my body trying to trick me into eating so I will maintain my body weight (this is actually the biological explanation), which would be fine if I were not trying to shed a few pounds!
It doesn't help that these late-night choices usually are just ... bad. I'm talking Nutella on a spoon.
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If these were in my kitchen at 11 p.m., they would all find a home in my belly. Just sayin'. |
The challenge, in simple terms:
- Cut out the late-afternoon vending-machine snacking and instead PREPARE a second meal to take to work for a reasonable 6 p.m. dinner. Oof. Planning.
- Cut out the late-night snack altogether. Nada. No dice. You're hungry? Go to bed! You need more sleep anyhow, woman. Blogging can wait. "Pretty Little Liars" can wait (even if you're thisclose to being caught up on the series).
Pep talk time. I can do this! If my daughter can sleep 12 hours, essentially fasting from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., then I can do it, too, right?
This is going to be my most difficult challenge so far.
Encouragement and tips are needed!
I started the couch to 5k. Oh boy. It's rough. You can do this and that's a great plan.
ReplyDeleteV, I had this same exact scenario when I worked 12 hour shifts at the hospital. I would eat lunch around 1, snack at 4, and then dinner when I got home around 8:30. My body felt it for sure. I eventually pushed my lunch up to 11 and then packed a second lunch which I had for dinner at 5. I had a piece of fruit on the way home, around 7:30, to tide me over. Just making those small changes made a BIG difference, even though it was a biotch to pack 2 lunches.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't they just invent a magic pill to make all of these metabolism issues go away?!!
Good luck to you! Your changes are impressive! Diet is the one thing I'm just struggling with. So many obstacles in the way! I like your approach of tackling one issue at a time. I tend to go gung ho for a month and then am over it.
ReplyDeleteAyurveda tells us to fill our stomachs 3/4 of the way full, and then fill up on water. The idea that its possible to fill up on water is... inspiring. I'm not trying to lose weight, but I'm trying to cut out boredom-eating, so maybe it I just drink a lot of water I'll be too full to eat more. Something to think about.
ReplyDeleteDude, you have so much more self-discipline than I have. I'm in awe!
ReplyDeleteYou can do it, lady! I recently started my 2-wk protein shake fast that I'm required to do prior to surgery, which I was sure I'd fail at. And you know what? I'm on day 5 and haven't caved yet. Yes, I'm a little stabby...but still, I'm doing it. And so can you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement. I don't know how I'd do on an all-liquid diet. I tip my hat to you.
ReplyDeleteHeh, it's not all roses. Last night I snapped at H because I was hungraaaay.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I have definitely been taking this advice to heart. I'm drinking probably a gallon of water between 8 p.m. and bedtime. Of course, this just means I'm waking up in the middle of the night about a billion times!
ReplyDeleteStaying motivated is definitely difficult. If I had the answers to long-term willpower I wouldn't have to do these challenges. Hopefully I finish 2012 more enlightened and able to make better choices permanently.
ReplyDeleteThe magic pill = YES.
ReplyDeletePacking two meals is a total time suck! That's where I get behind. Wish me luck today; I had the foresight to get two meals ready last night that I'm taking to work. The hard part was being near food while preparing these meals -- after 8 p.m., when I couldn't eat anything. Grrrr.
The planning is the hardest part! Your body will catch up. Sometimes (when I'm not brain dead) I plan a weeks worth of meals with an online app and then use that for my grocery list. That way I know I have to prep those foods to ensure they don't go bad before the week is up. It kind of "forces" me to eat right. Good luck with this next challenge!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips! I went to the grocery store last night equipped with a meal plan, so hopefully this helps. (It DID stop me from buying random things that weren't on the list!)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was doing this same thing, I would drink hot fruity tea sweetened with a little honey in the late evening. It tasted better than water, cured my late night sweet tooth, and tricked my stomach into thinking I ate. Good luck! Sticking with your plan will yield results!
ReplyDeleteI have done this and it is so very effective! I lost 30 lbs a few years ago by just making this change. And recently I started jogging and eating less/healthier but what kicked it into gear was not eating after dinner.
ReplyDeleteSo, you can totally do this! If I can do it from 6 pm on, then you totally can! After the first three weeks or so, you won't be nearly as tempted. Though there will be days that you feel like it would be ok since you "have been so good for so long" but that is when you go into auto pilot and reject anything but water. Just shut off your brain (so you don't rationalize anything) and leave all the food alone. It will be delicious...IN THE MORNING! That's my 2 cents. Good luck! (You got this!)