When I lived in a state of morbid obesity or super obesity, I only felt the ill effects of too much eating, or of eating too much crappy food after a binge. It really took stuffing myself with massive quantities of food for my body to complain. My spirit, my head, my emotions suffered, but I was so physically conditioned to eating a lot that lesser amounts didn’t make an impact. Even if my lesser amounts would have caused gastric distress in a “normal-sized” person, they didn’t register.
Now that I’ve lost more than 180 pounds, my body is much more sensitive and aware. This is beyond my surgically altered stomach. I’m not talking about how packing too much food in at one time triggers me to throw it back up. I truly notice physical reactions if I eat too much in a given day — even spread out over several meals — or if I indulge too often in crappy or not-as-healthy-for-me food.
This past week was a perfect example of this new awareness. As I’ve shared, I was incredibly busy at work with three days of media filming that required longer days, largely spent outside. My schedule of eating was thrown off and it was more challenging for me to find time to sit down and eat one of my normally healthy meals. Add in the stress and, let’s face it, I ate more crappy food than I usually would in a month. Ok, ok, the occasional small serving of french fries alone wouldn’t kill me, but when combined with other food items that have too much salt, too much fat, or too many carbs over a few days, my body sent clear messages. Eat crap = feel crappy. I bloated, I ached, I felt sluggish so I had to work harder to muster the energy I needed for the job. I’m sure this all made me feel even more tired at night. Overall, I was just off.
Sorting through all of this, crystallizing the realization, and processing the experience helped me take action to feel better. I ate unhealthy for so many years. Now that I’ve made it a practice to make healthy choices — not only in quantity and selection but in the quality of the food selections, I know how much better healthy feels.
Yesterday and today I’ve consumed mostly vegetables, fruits, and yogurt while also raising my hydration level. I haven’t had overly processed foods, nor anything that salty. It’s amazing to me how much better I feel, and in how short a time. I just took the dogs out for a long walk and felt really connected to my energy again. Honestly, I could have gone longer but Pyxi is still building back up after her mild injury. I may pop in an exercise DVD just for the hell of it.
I’m psyched that I’m more in touch with how and what I eat affects me. I’ll take it as another sign of my ever developing recovery. I like that, for the first time in my life, I’m aware of my body’s signals rather than being numb and oblivious.
Weighty Matters 
Now that the diet bet I made with my sister is over, I am eating some sugar again. I had cake on Sunday… and felt *awful* afterwards. Sluggish and almost woozy. It’s amazing how your body re-calibrates itself when you cut out junk. Everything tastes so sweet now!
It’s amazing to feel the difference food choices can make, isn’t it? I just gave up the last of the artificial sweetners I’ve been using to combat my sugar cravings and I felt the change almost at once. Turns out the sugar alcohols in some of them was giving me digestive problems that are now 100% resolved.
I’ve also gotten into the habit of taking a lunchbag with me when I don’t think I’ll otherwise be able to stick to my regiment. Even if I just pack a thermos of my homemade herbal tea and a bunch of grapes or a banana for a snack, it’s reassuring to know I have my food on hand if I need it.
Lynn, how nice to see you. Thanks for coming by the blog. I’m working to wean myself away from all artificial sweeteners, or at least adopt the most natural of the sugar substitutes. At this point, I think it’s more mental than true taste preference that keeps me from giving them up all the way. Something else to work on.
I have been lurking in the shadows, keeping tabs on you ~ my specialty. 🙂 To get some sweetness without the additives I add fruit in my tea (usually thin slices of lemon or orange or chopped peaches or raspberries). Works best with iced tea; also tastes great in Perrier if you like bubbles. When my sugar cravings get very bad I’ll also break out the honey and let myself have a little drizzle as a special treat. No chemicals so 100% natural, too.