Hunger Pangs

I've been thinking a lot about how you know when you are hungry and how does your body tell you it is time to fuel it? For me hunger pangs can be mild or severe.

I remember when I was a teenager, 15 to be exact, I went through a time when I didn't eat properly at all. I was in love for one. I had just met my future husband (though didn't know he was "the one" at the time) and he attended the senior high school and I was only in junior high. Every lunch hour I would walk over to the high school to meet with him and then walk back to my school. Took my entire lunch hour to do so, and often I was late for my afternoon classes. Eating lunch was just out of the question. I had no time! I also didn't eat breakfast back in those days. I preferred to sleep, rather than get up in time to eat before school, so would always miss breakfast. I ended up getting these severe pains in my stomach that caused me to throw up. I'm sure my parents must have thought I was bulimic or something. I was also at my thinnest during this time. No wonder! Only eating one meal a day, and doing all that walking, definitely did something for my weight. I was in such agony though that eventually the doctors were getting ready to treat me for stomach ulcers. About a week before I was to go in for an x-ray of my stomach I decided to force myself to eat something small every time I had the burning, acid like pain in my stomach and throat. And the pain went away! And I didn't throw up! It was then that I realized I really needed to eat to stop that pain from happening.

Over the years I used this as an excuse to eat all the time. Every time I felt that little "nudge" of discomfort I reached for food. Now 30 years later, I suffer the consequences for my actions. Because I didn't necessarily reach for the right kind of foods.

I believe my body back then was telling me that small meals, many times a day was the best thing for me. However I didn't listen to it properly.

Reading through the Isagneix program I see the recommendation to eat something at least 6 times a day. Now with the 30 day cleanse that will be shakes and supplements and small snacks, and one main meal of the day.

I do worry about that burning pain though. I hate feeling it. Yesterday, after eating my healthy lunch, I found myself feeling hunger pangs while teaching my evening class. I wasn't able to eat anything until 9pm when I got home from work. My husband had made some stir fried vegetables for dinner for the kids and there was plenty for me to eat. But I'm not a fan of cooked veggies. I love salads but slimy bok choy and cabbage and broccoli just don't do it for me. So I made myself some cheese and tomato melts on whole wheat bread. And as I ate them I so enjoyed them. Unfortunately I made 4 slices, intending to share some with my husband but I ended up eating them all! That is my downfall. I did feel satisfied after the first two, but still hungry so ate the third one and it tasted so good that I ate the fourth!

I know my first step is to learn to stop at satisfied.

Each journey starts with a step. As I progress on this journey, pray that I learn to take it one step at a time, going slowly and not trying to rush. It is when I rush things that I tend to fall flat on my face.