It’s the weekend and while all of you are enjoying the beach or the bar, I’ll be working a gun show in Del Mar. Yep, you heard right. Let’s just say, I know people who know people in the ammunition business and every now and then, I work gun shows for extra cash. The opportunity has allowed me to learn more than I could ever imagine about ammunition and firearms and boy, do I get to meet some interesting people. Gun shows also mean tons of manual labor. Boxes of ammo get pretty heavy after a while. Even with a team of people working their butts off to unload and load thousands of pounds of ammunition and equipment, we all get a nice workout.
I FELL OFF THE WAGON!
The downside…gun show weekends can be disastrous for eating. For starters, it’s like working at the County Fair with all the chilli cheese fries, nachos, kettle corn and churros at every turn. The smells are intoxicating and if it’s a slow show, boredom will set in and even the strongest will power is futile. I will say, that I did not break down at the show…it wasn’t until AFTER the show that I fell off the wagon. The funny thing was, it wasn’t the dinner at the Mexican restaurant or the bags of chips and crackers at our booth that did me in. I broke down when I got home by devouring a sleeve of graham crackers and dark chocolate covered almonds! It was a very weak, humbling, human moment for me and I’m here to tell you all about my failed attempts to resist.
PHYSICAL HUNGER VS. EMOTIONAL HUNGER?
Hunger has both physiological and psychological bases. On the physical side, there’s the decrease in glucose (blood sugar), which initially causes you to feel unfocused and drained of energy. It’s even possible that your body temperature has dropped subtly as a result of several hours without food. When this happens, the hypothalamus in your brain sends chemical messages to your stomach and intestines to start the flow of acids and digestive juices. The release of the fluids and their subsequent activity are often what causes that your stomach to growl! When your stomach starts talking, it’s a sure sign that you really are hungry.
The stomach is usually the first one to say initiate the “full” feeling. Even if we’re technically full, doesn’t mean we’re fully satisfied. For instance, even though you just ate an enormous salad, that donut in the break room is suddenly calling your name. Two forces might be at work here. On one hand, there’s an apparently biological urge to satisfy the various “tastes” we have as humans: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (savory). Though cravings are mostly psychologically associated, some research shows that appetite satiety is linked to these tastes as well as to a rise in glucose and stomach expansion.
On the other hand, your hankering might have nothing to do with real hunger. The smell, sight, sound and even thought of particular foods have the power to trigger the chemical process associated with hunger. Though you just ate lunch and have no real need for that donut (Do any of us really?), the sight triggers an all-too-pleasant memory of its taste, smell and texture. Besides the sensory impulses, there are plenty of other external factors that influence a person’s psychological perception of hunger – and satiety. Source: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/hunger-cravings/
WHERE DID I GO WRONG?
For me, it was a little of both physical AND emotional hunger. I was definitely hungrier, possibly because my body is starting to freak out (which is expected when trying to drop weight). I was anticipating this would happen eventually and figured I would gradually up my calories accordingly. The part I messed up was not planning the calorie increase in time. The hunger totally crept up on me Saturday night and caught me off guard! A couple bites to satisfy true hunger turned into many bites to fulfill my psychological desire of taste and texture.
HOW TO GET BACK ON THE SADDLE!
1) Attitude is everything. Look, I’m human and I mess up but I can get over it! Resilience is key and beating myself up about it will get me nowhere. I have come to terms that the next 24 days will be a test of my mental strength and that it’s only going to get harder from here on out. I just have to be smart and make conscious decisions, as oppose to emotional, subconscious decisions.
2) If I’m truly hungry, I will load up on protein and veggies.
3) Know my weaknesses and have a plan in place. For me, it’s hovering over the fridge when I’m bored. Here’s a list of things I can do instead: study O-chem, wash the dishes, vacuum, play with Clyde, play my guitar, wash my car…yeah, there’s not really a shortage of activity.
4) I’m due for a weigh in tomorrow but for the sake of getting back on the wagon, I’m going to hold off. It will only frustrate me and send me on an emotional whirlwind. The last thing I need is for the scale to remind me of my bad choices! It’s time to move on, not dwell on the past.
All said and done, I’m looking forward to future successful posts and leaving this weekend far, far behind.
TODAY’S STATS RECAP
1. Workout: Moving lots of ammo, all the live long day.
2. Food: Calories 2,096!!!/ Carbs 335g (wow!) / Fat 57g/ Protein 47
…and that’s how Tia fell off the wagon 😦
Ripped In 45 Days 