After the drag-my-ass-to-the-gym-and-do-my mile routine, I had my coffee and cream just before 5am.
I was hungry today and had a cup of the celery stir fry before 10.
Later I went out to the store to get ‘lunch’ – a pound of Boar’s Head lower sodium bologna. I ate more than a half pound around lunch.
Today I just couldn’t put out the fire – my hunger as all-consuming. We can’t blame our ol’ demon carbs here, folks – I’m in induction, remember? Your appetite is supposed to go down.
The only thing I can pin it on, other than a natural fluctation without causation – is exercise.
Here’s a wonderful article by Gary Taubes that is perfect for all you exercise-haters. It basically says that there’s no evidence that exercise helps in weight loss – and it can hurt because exercise is an appetite stimulant.
Note, however, that I am exercising despite this. See what I wrote about this last year when I first posted the article.
Anyhow – this was that type of hunger where you have food fantasies – where you imagine the plate of whatever you desire – you see it in your mind’s eye.
To me this is the most dangerous type of hunger there is – I feel it’s being expressed from deep within – not from some Freundian-crapola type of way, but from the recesses of our primitive brain – the unconscious beast we all are that resides behind our rational cerebrum, locked in by our rational mind, but still dangerous, and ready to escape if we tire or let our guard down.
Is there some nutrients I am deficient in that my body is craving? I did forget to take my vitamins twice already this week – could that be playing a role?
In the afternoon, this hunger-beast demanded the rest of the bologna – that’s a pound in an afternoon. I also had another cup of the stir fry celery. Then I had a few handfuls of macadamia nuts I keep in my drawer.
I then drank the bottle of mineral water I had – I thought that it might help eliminate the hunger, since all that food didn’t really do it.
I remained hungry for the next few hours, which is damn distracting when you know that there’s no real cellular hunger going on here – you’ve eaten enough for a day – and you are trying to do brain work that requires a clear head.
On the ride home, I ate one of the Atkins bars I have stashed in the car. I swore off them except for emergencies – I guess this was one. I wanted another, but didn’t. I also had a strong desire to stop at the local McDonalds I pass every night on the way home for some of their food-like consumables, but I didn’t.
When I finally got home, I had a large bowl of an Asian-inspired sour soup with pickled cabbage and pork ribs. Pretty darn good, but not sour enough for me – I added some malt vinegar – the kind Brits like to put on their chips (aka fries).
I also drank up another bottle of mineral water with lemon Crystal Light. I try to avoid the stuff because of the aspartame, but again, I’m really drawn to sours lately, and I understood that I had to give in to these urges somewhat, or there would be some horrible payback when the beast escapes. I had to keep him away from all the cookies that lie about, as well as the plate of pasta that my daughter didn’t eat that sat in front of me.
I finished up with some Swiss cheese and mustard. Went to bed early because I was just so tired.
The morning scale reported 207.0 – no surprises considering the day.
Update: an hour later the scale sez 205.8 – go figure.
Low Carb Confidential 
Exercise makes you healthy though, and that was the goal, right? 🙂
Yes, exercise for weight loss is over-estimated, but exercise for health can’t be esteemed highly enough. All of my health problems are caused by 20 years of non-exercise, not genetics, not bad nutrition, nothing mysterious. Just from not exercising.
If i could do it over again, i would certainly have been on that bike (matter of speech, i hate cardio) from day 1.
I couldn’t agree more, LOLFitness – I’m even willing to slow my weight loss because I think exercise is that important.
That being said, it’s misleading to tell folks who are really overweight that they HAVE to exercise to lose weight, when it is apparent, at least to me, that you don’t.
They’d be better served by telling them: lose weight, exercise if you can – if you can’t then just focus on the weight loss. When you lose enough weight to make exercise a real option, then do it.
I strongly doubt that walking one mile would stimulate your appetite to that extent. How much balsamic vinegar did you have in that salad? It’s possible you are sensitive to it. It has more sugar than other vinegars; that’s why I don’t use it.
Remember to HALT– it’s a trick that recovering alcoholics use to prevent relapse– you are most vulnerable to temptation when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. You have mentioned being tired lately, and going to bed early a few times. I know you get up at oh-dark-thirty (I do too, but not that early!), but you often eat dinner quite late, so I’m wondering what time you actually go to sleep. We would certainly be willing to forgo the pleasure of more extensive entries from you if you could try sleeping an hour more per day for a couple of weeks. This is the time of year when your body naturally needs more sleep. Depriving it will be like depriving your body of enough water. You can survive a while, but you will not function optimally.
If you undertake to continue your mile-a-day and to sleep an hour more per day, I will join you and make sure to sleep an hour more per day too. I think sleep deprivation is part of what is holding me back (though my scale was down this morning).
I also have an observation. You are often tempted by plates of pasta that your daughter did not eat. Do you really have to make pasta for your daughter? I’m pretty sure nobody ever had their children taken from them for pasta neglect, and if you don’t make it for her, she can’t not eat it and leave it there to tempt you.
I know where you’re coming from though; it’s so hard to get out of the “human garbage disposal” mindset and make that leap to throwing food away. My husband leaves “shrapnel” that he considers inedible that I could practically make a meal out of, but he has no qualms about chucking it. You know, I am as worthy as he is and you are as worthy as your daughter is… if it’s garbage to them, it’s garbage to us too! I haven’t had to eat from the garbage since I was a kid, and you probably don’t have to either. I have tried to inculcate the habit of visualizing throwing food away over the last 14 months; maybe it’s time for a refresher course!
YIKES! It’s not the one pound of meat that’s a problem (I’m a veggie married to a serious carnivore) it’s the processing (not to mention the inhumane treatment of animals coming from factory farms- ah, but I digress 😉 ) that is of concern here. Have you ever tried just eating homemade whole foods using unprocessed meats? I have NO idea if it would help, but perhaps it would contribute to weight loss?
I have read that you love San Pelligrino because it comes in glass bottles. That’s great! If you get a chance to try Voss you should- I love their sparkling water.
Good luck to you!
Well BG, my response to a pound of bologna is YIKES too. I’d like to give the stuff up, but it’s a guilty pleasure that I’m usually drawn to in weak moments. And I am in total agreement about the inhumane treatment thing – but here’s the problem: I can buy the ‘beyond organic’ grass fed hamburger locally for about $9.00/lb – at an increase of 400%. My wallet would take a serious beating, so I have to settle for less. As a family, we try to buy the ‘beyond organic eggs’ – where the chickens actually get to express some sort of ‘chickenness’ in their lives – running around in a field, scratching for bugs – living it up – for a chicken.
The premium there is probably *only* 250% – we squeeze that in our budget as much as we can.
As to the ‘wholesome homemade’ – it’s my preference as far as time and money would allow. I believe it’s healthier, better for the environment, and just better for the karma – if I was rich, I’d only eat locally-grown beyond organic meat and produce, but I’m not rich, unfortunately, so my noble intentions fall short.
I have a great deal of admiration for the ideals of ethical vegetarians, but I am on Atkins – for goodness’ sake – so I have to resign myself to what I am and face the truth: I am a cow-pig-chicken-killer.
I’m not proud – just hungry.
Yes, it is much more expensive, which is a big bummer. I spend $$$ on whole foods for a myriad of reasons, and cut back on other stuff. However, I am not advocating everyone else prioritize their spending the way I do! Hopefully my “demand” will eventually help to lower prices for everyone. Most chain grocery stores are getting into organics, so that will help. Yes, I do realize that I am VERY fortunate to even have the choice to eat “beyond organic”.
If you haven’t already done so, you might enjoy reading Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma and An Eater’s Manifesto. Great reads!
Here is his open letter to our new President (it’s much shorter version of his books):
Of course his premise only works for everyone regardless of income if we change our agricultural policies. One day it might happen!
BG – I’ve read ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma’ and didn’t ‘enjoy’ it, but instead was so blown away by it that it has to rank in the top 20 books I’ve ever read. The man is an awesome writer – and the topic of the book, as well as his approach – is genius.
He is part of the reason why we occasionally visit our local ‘beyond organic’ farm and pay for ‘overpriced eggs’ – they aren’t overpriced when put in perspective. I just wish that more people understood this – maybe it would spawn more of these farms, help to lower the price, and make more available.
I encourage anyone to read the link you provided – I’ve read part of it, and intend to read the rest – he’s a great writer – and it’s a smart read.
I’ve heard that Obama has read it as well – maybe there’s hope?
Let yourself have high hunger days. Overeat if you need to. I have found with my diet that I can get incredibly hungry some days and have learn’t to just binge out on proper foods (so for you low carb). When I do this the next day I am hardly hungry at all. It all balances itself out so rather than feeling guilty about it just eat!!! Your not on a calorie restricted diet your on atkins so don’t worry about how much just low carb! I think if you try to hold back then you will remain hungry the next day but if you eat heaps you will find your hunger levels drop. Anyway YOUR the one who has lost all the weight so I should stop giving you advice.
Well Dr Dan, there’s nothing wrong with offering some advice – I certainly don’t have all the answers, fresh perspectives are always welcome, and old dogs can learn new tricks.
I think the idea is sound – if you are going to pig out, pig out within the constraints of the diet – these are strategies that low carb and low fat dieters can do – the low calorie folks are shut out on this, unfortunately for them.
The challenge for this, for me, is all the other tempting goodies that surround me. I wouldn’t drive to the store to buy M&Ms, but when the bag is right there, next to the fridge, open, waiting for a hand it reach in…
Yes, I’ve also read that Obama read the NYTs article- yet he chose Vilsack. Let’s not hold our breath for that change to come any time soon 😉