Heart Hunger

One of the main symptoms of heart hunger is wanting something but not knowing what you want to eat. So you open you fridge and peer in, open your cupboards and look around, and see if you can find something to eat.  The book says that most of the time you end up eating something soft like ice cream, donuts, or comfort food (ones associated with good memories).  "Heart hunger usually stems from empty emotions, such as feeling depressed, discouraged or lonely."  Feelings of boredom and restlessness come into play too.  Usually with heart hunger you feel like something is missing or lacking, and you try to use food to fill it.  That makes sense, and I can see where I use heart & head hunger.  Yesterday I was playing Risk and I got frustrated so I got up and crunched on some chips--totally head hunger. I wanted to punch the person I was playing with but I couldn't so I crushed the chips :) And I wasn't even hungry it was eating out of emotions. I def need to work on becoming more aware of these situations!

Good news is, is that I've been pretty good at watching my food intake (better than last week, but not perfect), and I've been sweating my ass off (hopefully literally) at DDR. I did try some jackets on at Ross and my arms fit it them..which is a good sign! Although I didn't get them :/ they made me lose my curvy shape...not cool. 

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." Psalm 150:6

Head hunger insteads

So today the book talked about what to do instead of giving into head hunger. It lists off a bunch of things to do once you've realized you want to crush something between your teeth in frustration :) I thought it was a good list. Going to keep the points in mind :)

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me.'" Hebrews 13:5-6

It was interesting to me that being free from the love of money is connected with God staying by our side and us not being afraid. The idea that money is associated with those worries never really hit me, but I guess they are. Many of our worries are about money and how we're going to survive and if we're going to get through and this and that...probably even moreso those days. hm.

ummm scratch that!

So I haven't really been losing weight like I've wanted to, and other than the eating, the only other thing that's changed is the working out. I totally stopped doing DDR everyday like I used to and I'm not losing weight as fast. Soo...I'm going to make it simple and start doing that everyday. I may or may not commit to doing Jillian every other day as well, but I'm gonna focus on the cardio so that I can continue to get in shape. So scratch that last plan...DDR makes me feel amazing and helps me lose weight...

Head Hunger

So apparently there's two types of emotional eating--head hunger and heart hunger. Head hunger is usually shown when you want to eat chewy or crunchy foods--chips, candy, anything that gets that "crushing" sensation. The book says you generally have head hunger when you are angry, frustrated, stressed, or trying to avoid an emotion like sadness. You also crave specific types of food. Interesting. I wonder what the symptoms of heart hunger are...

So I've decided to mix my exercise up. MWF--Jillian DVD, TRS--DDR I feel like Jillian is helping me to tone up (my abs are killing me today!) but the cardio is going to help me lose weight. So, we'll see what happens folks!

weigh in

What does a week of eating out plus eating half a pizza on Sunday get you? A weight gain! Sigh. I really hate admitting it but I gained .2 lbs this past week which means I'm at 219.8 lbs. Which, is not a huge gain, but it's a gain nonetheless. I have been working out, which is good, but I need to step it up and match my eating to my efforts. New goal is to lose 5 lbs by the end of April (it was to be in the single digits...bahahaha). Go Tiffany Go!

Jan 4th (start day) 246.6
Jan 11th (1st WI) 7.2 lost, 239.4
Jan 18th (2nd WI)2 lost, 237.4
Jan 25th (3rd WI) 1 lost, 236.4
Feb 1st (4th WI) 3.2 lost, 233.2
Feb 8th (5th WI) 4 lost, 229.2
Feb 15th (6th WI) 1 lost, 228.2
Feb 22nd (7th WI) 1.8 lost, 226.4
Mar 1st (8th WI) 5 lost, 221.4
Mar 8th (9th WI) missed...still 221.4
Mar 15th (10th WI) 4 lost, 217.4
Mar 22nd (11th WI) 3.4 gained, 220.8
Mar 29th (12th WI) 1.2 gained, 222
April 5th (13 WI) 2.4 lost, 219.6
April 12th (14th WI) .2 gained, 219.8

Food as the consolation prize

This whole section has been about emotional eating...which...is something most of us do. I find the emotion that sparks eating the most for me is boredom. Which is why on weekends when I'm relaxing and being lazy I tend to eat all day. I probably also eat when I'm stressed and tired too...which the go to food is candy/sugar on that one. Anyway, the chapter talks about how food is supposed to fill that need for fulfillment but really it's just a consolation prize. And oftentimes after you've filled yourself with food you don't feel consoled...you feel bad.

This sentence really hit me "Food simply provides a legal, socially acceptable way to escape from reality." In the same way that people use drugs, smoking, sex, games, or anything else, food can be used to cover up the real problem going on. I need to be actively aware of when I'm eating out of emotions, and ask myself "Is this an drug I'm willing to take?" When I think about it that way...it makes me hesitant to take part.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

Perseverance...not growing weary and losing heart...those are attributes that I'm definitely working on. I'm terrible at completing something (especially if it's on my own accord and nobody else is watching) if I'm losing or doing bad. I'd rather just quit and start over again. Maybe thats why the military lifestyle appealed to me...you can start over and not have to live with the decisions you make. But in reality, life doesn't work that way. Even if you're not around the same people, you still live with the decisions you make and what life throws at you...and that's where I need to persevere and not lose heart. I need to do so despite my own failings and shortcomings. I need to get up, dust myself off, and continue the race.

just to let you know

I worked out. I really, really, reaaaaaally did not want to. My mind's plan originally was to do the 30/20 workout with ddr & Jillian combined. When I realized I didn't want to do anything, I did the 20 minute work out. There was a chapter before that said that we should always find one thing to commit to...even if it wasn't for the targeted time, it would make us feel better to at least do that...So I've committed to doing the 20 minutes. Even if I don't do anything after that, I always do 20 minutes, and it really does make a difference :) Now, I can crawl back into my sweet little bed and settle down with The Wire. Someone finally got it so it would work the other night!