Tonight, as I was walking on the treadmill, I paused for a moment in appreciation for the fact that I was at the gym.
I joined the YMCA just about a year ago, and it’s been a long road to getting into a routine. I’ve gone through phases where I’ve gone every day, phases where I haven’t gone at all. Now, I’m pretty steady with my daily dose of cardio.
The thing that’s crazy… is that without working out, I know I would have packed on some pounds at this point. And, I’m ever so thankful I’m working out as I do.
Why do I think I Would Have Packed on Pounds? Well, I’ve been feeding much more than my hunger lately. I’ve been absolutely insatiable. I eat because I’m physically hungry, of course… but I’m eating all the times inbetween as well. I’ve found myself having that extra granola bar, or that extra bag of Popchips. I’ve not allowed myself to pass up much over the past few weeks. I hate the way it feels to be so “hungry” all the time.
This is going to sound super lame, but I’m pretty sure I’m eating…. BECAUSE I AM BORED! I’m typically a busy-body, but lately, I’ve just been kind of bored. Productively, I’ve been tasking myself with projects at night, just so that I don’t eat. But after the project is done, it seems that there is always a few moments available for a snack.
Today, I hit a breaking point. On my way home from work, I decided I “needed” a snack. By snack, I mean one of those 250+ calorie items that you get through a drive thru. This had been my prior M.O. – – One I can very easily slide back into if I do not have things in check.
So, I decided to pull into a Wendy’s and get a Jr. Hamburger. I mean, I was HUNGRY afterall… I needed it. I pulled into the parking lot to find that Wendy’s was busy, but pulled up to the drive-thru menu just the same.
Then I realized what I was doing. WHAT THE HECK! Here’s where it got good… I told the guy that I changed my mind, and then tried to devise an escape plan. I couldn’t go forward and around the cars in front of me, but I could creatively back out of the curvy drive-thru area… which is just what I did.
Now, you can’t tell this from my blog, but I’m HORRIBLE in reverse. I don’t have the best vision and I haven’t had much practice with this… but I made it out of there safely and without burger. Phew! One point Kelly, Zero points fast food.
I drove the rest of the way home sans burger, to devour a Fiber One bar when I got to my place to soothe the hunger. Now, that was only 140 calories… and a much better choice than the greasy, ketchup-y burger that I was about to inhale moments ago.
After I ate my snack, I threw on my workout clothes and headed to the gym. I didn’t make it to work out in the morning, so an evening workout made sense.
I have to tell you… the evening workouts feel better to me. It’s what I’m used to. It’s what I do. When I work out in the morning, I’m much more likely to graze at night and take in too many calories. I’ve got to figure out something else to do with myself and my hands at night. I’ve been craving some new knitting projects and some blog enhancements…. maybe now is the time to do this. I seriously have to come up with something more constructive.
I walked on the treadmill tonight… and I completely loved it. I just started re-reading my all-time favorite book, which I’ve read more than a half a dozen times, and I got lost in my steps. I love it when that happens… then it doesn’t feel like work.
I ended up walking for an extra ten minutes than I intended because I got lost in the book, and more importantly… tonight, I realized the power of working out.
I feel better about myself and my health when I workout. I feel a sense of accomplishment every time I complete a workout. I have made maintenance a reality by working out consistently.
Also, right now, I’m realizing that working out is keeping me from eating excess calories… and it’s keeping me busy. I need that right now, since my appetite is strangely enormous. I’m still working to figure out why the heck this monstrous hunger arrives out of nowhere and how to satisfy it in non-food ways… but until then, I’m going to walk. I’m going to lift weights, and I’m going to keep myself busy moving.
I know that I will have to workout in order to maintain the weight I’m at. Being at the gym about 5 days a week will be part of my life for the long haul. I am thankful for great books, for plentiful cardio machines, and for a gym that’s less than 5 minutes from my house.
I’ve needed it this week!
How do you curb that “appetite” when it comes about? Any suggestions for taming that “boredom” hunger?