It all evens out

Last week I had one of those days where my appetite just wouldn’t quit.  I hate those kinds of days, honestly.  They either mean my metabolism is psychotically fast (here’s hoping!) or I’m nursing a tapeworm (shudder).  Unfortunately, I didn’t handle it in a healthy or mindful way.  My stomach seemed to be growling constantly, so I took advantage of it and (ultimately) went overboard.  I wasn’t going to blog about it (because, quite frankly, the actual eats weren’t exactly newsworthy), but then I realized how I reacted the following day was worth sharing with others.  I’m no role model, believe me, I just figured everyone (including myself) could benefit from a healthy reminder that a single episode of excess is no reason to throw in the towel.

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I think I’m starting to like the process of making coffee in the french press more than I’m liking the actual coffee.  Does that even make sense?

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The grounds are gorgeous to look at and the smell is utterly intoxicating.

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After one (yes, just one!) cup of the most beautifully pressed coffee, I moved on to breakfast far earlier than I typically eat.  Ok, I never rarely eat first thing in the morning.  My meal times are weird because my stomach is chief, so I merely follow it’s orders.  But for some reason I woke up starving.  Not hungry, starving.

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Rolled oats to the rescue.

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There’s nothing quite like stove-top oats.  Impatiently, I stood in my PJs at the stove, waiting for the water to boil, and finally added in the oats to do the damn thang.  On a (stomach-driven) whim, I bulked ‘em up with some egg beaters.

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A fairly odd choice, I’ll admit, but I wanted something with some real staying power (it was early yo!), and the combo of eggs and oats seemed like a good idea.

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I had a few clusters of grapes too.

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With the sun streaming in the windows like crazy, I decided to play with my camera’s macro settings.

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If only I knew what I was doing with this Powershot.

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I want a DSLR…(a girl can dream right?).

I did some errands around the casa, but soon enough the beast was growling.  Already?  What the!?!

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I had two apples, some more grapes, and an unpictured mug of green tea.

Lunch was a simple bread & burg duo.

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Costco’s own Don Lee Farms’ vegan burger on two slices of Orowheat’s 100% whole wheat bread.  Nothing gourmet about it, that’s for sure, but at least it help me over.

In the afternoon, I did Jillian Michaels’ shred followed by a 15 minute run.

Side note: Did you know that Jillian has a new DVD coming out soon (Sep 7th to be exact)?  Color me intrigued…I’ve had nothing but amazing results so far with the 30 day shred so I’m going to keep my ears open for the word on the street come September.  According to her website, this program focuses on adding in weights (a kettle ball – yikes!) to the circuit training to maximize calorie burn and build lean muscle.  I’m already scurrred.

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Later, I found myself on the couch with a crossword puzzle and a plate of vegan chocolate chip cookies.  As we all know, if you give a mouse a cookie…

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…obviously I needed milk, too.  🙂  [Cookie recipe to come in a future post, and that’s So Delicious coconut milk in the background]

Kyle and I hung photos and paintings on the walls, got our TV set up, and tackled several things on our pre-wedding to-do list in the afternoon.  We are hoping to come back from the honeymoon without any worries about apartment final touches.  There still seem to be things popping up left and right, but it’s all getting done.

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Having grazed throughout the day, I felt like continuing the tend with a snack-y dinner, so I made a bowl of guac with blue corn tortilla chips and veggies to dip in it.  Wouldn’t you know it, the chips were the hot ticket item, while the veggies sat neglected on the side.  So unlike me to leave the veggies high and dry.  Is it possible to OD on produce?

Anyways, once the chips were gone I moved onto french bread

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This is the only evidence of the loaf (yup, all 10 servings) I single-handedly dominated.  Classic Elise move, finishing the entire thing in one sitting.

Sigh.

The annoying thing is that lately (up until this hiccup) I had been doing so well listening to my body’s hunger cues and answering my cravings without abandoning the practice of moderation.  Here I thought I had myself all figured out…but apparently the days of polishing off two dozen dates with half a pound of peanut butter are back.

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It just goes to show you, the temporary absence of a bad habit (like eating an entire loaf of bread in one sitting) doesn’t mean it’s gone forever.  Sometimes you have to work at healthful behaviors and (as with everything else in life) there’s always room for improvement.

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Rather than dwell on one day of excess, I decided to make sure to check my bags at the door the next day.  No sense in dragging the previous day’s drama into a completely independent scenario.  New day, new dollar.

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Venti necessary.

Because we were out and about, my AM snackage of two apples went unphotographed.  The way I see it, unless they are sliced on a pretty plate, there’s no need to give them much face time with the camera.  The same does not apply for bars.

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Is it just me or is this Apple Pie Larabar on the smaller side?  I still haven’t seen the new flavors yet.  Cookie dough?  I’ll believe it when I see taste it.

For lunch I had leftover beer pizza and spiralized zucchini pasta.

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The “sauce” I added on top was a cashew/nutritional yeast concoction:

  • 2 tbsp raw cashews
  • 2 tbsp nooch
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • water (to thin it to the right consistency)

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It was the perfect crunch to accompany the deliciously chewy pizza dough (how is it that pizza leftovers are even better?).  I had my pizza warm though.  I know there’s a big cold pizza crowd out there, but it’s not my thang.  Some like it cool, I like it hot.  Are you a cold or warm leftover pizza person?

After lunch I felt energized, so I began more wedding tasks.  Let me tell you, arranging tables, and doing seating is a serious feat.  Because I was in my groove, I opted to skip the day’s workout and continue with the wedding shenanigans.  That’s right, I’m two weeks away from what is arguably the most important day of my life and despite overeating the previous day, I decided to nix the cardio.  It’s not that I didn’t crave the endorphins, it’s that I don’t want to (no, I refuse to) associate my food with my fitness.  I love running, and I love eating.  But I don’t want to link the two.  And I don’t think it’s a good practice to compensate for a bigger-than-normal meal by increasing your exercise routine.

Rather than work out, I had dinner.

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How’s this for a random dinner?  Crunch.  Carbs.  Cacahuates.  Done.

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Please note that this peanut butter-y dish was in complete moderation.  Like I said, a work in progress…

The hardest thing for me is to separate a new day from the previous.  Ideally, I’d like to think that each day should be independent from the one before it, but I’d be lying to myself (and to you all) if I said that were the case.  I’d love to start each day fresh without taking the previous day’s eats into account, but I often do when I know they have been less than stellar.  Subconsciously (and a bit consciously) I try to balance out heavier days with lighter ones, or make sure I eat more greens after days of eating processed crap (cereal, chips, etc.).

How many times have you finished a heavy meal and thought to yourself, tomorrow I’m definitely eating better/lighter(whatever).

I can’t decide if that’s a healthy mentality to have or not.  Bethenny relates eating to spending money and describes your body like a bank account…so if you spend a big chunk of change today, keep things cheap the next day.  Likewise, if you eat a loaf of bread (as a snack, no less) one day, eat a salad the next day.  Is this a good philosophy or not?  Thoughts?

I guess my ramblings have gone on long enough.  The only thing I’m trying to say is that as neurotic as we food bloggers can be about what we eat, it’s ok to acknowledge that there are days that just plain suck in terms of exemplifying how to maintain a healthy attitude about food.  If I listened to my body’s desires 100% of the time, I would likely be 400 pounds.  That said, if I practiced moderation with every bite of food, I’d be totally psychotic (and no fun).  Balance is quite an art form, but in the end, I do think it all evens out.  Sometimes I need reminders that this is the case, though.  And other times I manage to remain relaxed about my approach to balancing the ups and the downs (like this time).  I’m just trying to find a way to master that without adding to the chaos in my head.

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Comments (44)

  1. Carbzilla

    Great post! Not to get in your head but do you think your mouth/tummy had a little two week freak out? I mean, you do have something super substantial happening in less than 15 days. Just sayin’

    I do think the bank analogy is apropos (coming from someone who was not a happy camper on the scale this morning after eating salty chips at a new Mexican place last night). Today I will make sure I eat a lot of foods with a high water content to flush out my body.

    I think you’re overall “shrug it off and move on” mentality is what works best. And I think you’re allowed a little freak out!

    It’s gonna be great, and you’re gonna be gorgeous!

  2. Kate

    My goal is to listen to my body more. I’m unhappy when I eat a lot out of habit, or socially, when I’m not very hungry. Hunger fluctuates from day to day and week to week. And trying to impose a strict standard on myself that disregards my body seems pretty….out of touch. Or something.

    Also, your cutting board definitely has your blog name on it. So cool. I want a cake platter that has my blog name on it 🙂

    By the way, my fantasies about moving to CA are getting stronger and more persistent.

  3. Maggie

    You’re totally giving me the creeps. I’ve recently been battling my own case of ‘stomach eating the spine’ syndrome and these same thoughts have been going through my mind. How did you know that?

    I’ll eat an absurdly huge breakfast and an hour later my tummy starts making Mufasa-like noises. Let’s go with the raging metabolism theory, shall we?

    I LOVE how you refuse to associate how much you eat with how much you work out. We eat to nourish our bodies, we exercise to stay fit. We shouldn’t be exercising to justify eating. I need to get better at that myself.

    As far as keeping in mind what you ate yesterday when choosing what you eat today…well that’s a slippery slope. If I’m not careful I get a little obsessive about it so I like the whole ‘it’s a brand new day’ approach. Easier said than done, though.

    You make sense, girl.

  4. Jessie (Bites and Pieces)

    There is nothing as good as coffee straight from the french press! It is one of my favorite kitchen tools for sure. Those vegan cookies look delicious too. 🙂

  5. Sarah @Gluten-free tries Vegan

    I love your honesty in this post. And I love that you don’t want to associate food with exercising.

    However, maybe you’re being too hard on yourself?
    I think health food bloggers (I probably include myself in that) are sometimes our own worst enemy. I do think it’s ok to stress eat every now again. It’s not the same as it being a real issue. The worry that it is an issue can sometimes highlight a tricky relationship between us and food, or other aspects of our lives. I know I over-analyse what i’ve eaten on some days. And when I do it’s more because i’m stressed about something else (uni deadlines etc).

    Also, I wonder if the days when our appetites are voracious are indicative of us not giving our bodies enough fuel previously? That’s what I tell myself anyway! And wedding planning burns serious calories- I’m yet to meet a bride who hasn’t lost weight without trying from all the stress.

    Gosh, I didn’t expect to write so much! I hope I haven’t been inappropriate. These are just some thoughts that are rolling around my head. And don’t forget- you’re awesome, you’ll be a beautiful bride (regardless of what you eat or how much exercise you do before the day), and I love your voracious appetite- it’s inspirational! 🙂

  6. Yolie

    Dude, I love your blog and I always read it, but I’ve never commented before…until now.
    thank you so much for this post, it really spoke to me, and, well, I was just thinking about this this week.
    I don’t really have an answer to your question but I totally get your point, and wonder that myself, and finding myself reacting like that too. Not in a really unhealhty way, just in a gentle note to myself to rein it in a little the day after a heavy day of grub.
    But you know…i’m sure i’ve never had a lighter eating day and thought “oh i need to balance that out with a day of eating lots and lots”, lol! 😛
    Random eh, how we girls think?! 🙂
    Oh and I have exactly the same notion as you of separating food and fitness though, its soooo much nicer that way 🙂
    Anyhoo!
    Take care, and have a gorgeous day! 😀 xyx

  7. Nicole G

    This was a great post! I really like how you spelled out that you don’t equate food and exercise. I feel like people usually just say that as a disclaimer – like “I happened to overeat yesterday and just WANTED to exercise for 2 hours extra today, but I didn’t do it on purpose” – when its obviously not the case. You have a wholesome approach to food and I admire it ALOT.

    Thanks for setting such a great example!
    Nicole G

  8. Amy

    love this post, love you. especially this:

    “If I listened to my body’s desires 100% of the time, I would likely be 400 pounds.”

    but really, this was a very honest and real post and i appreciate it! clearly others do, too.

  9. Ashley

    Love your cutting board. so cute!

  10. Adam

    Haha oh man. Just to let all of you ladies know, it is not just girls who suffer from the guilt of a day of excessiveness! I am proud to say that gone are the days of polishing off entire loafs of bread after training runs or eating my way through a box or organic corn flakes as a “snack”… I would love to say that my life is ALWAYS balanced and i feel great about everything that ends up in my bottomless pit, and i do (95%) of the time, but i totally agree that it is NEVER worth beating yourself up about the next day/week/month… All in all, your body is seeking nutrients and ultimately; a loaf of bread, a half pound of dried fruit, 9 apples… Did you go to an all you can eat rib joint and close the place down? Probably not. Are you still the same person/athlete/friend/co-worker/boyfriend/girlfriend you were the day before, Definitely! The way you view yourself after such indulgences in life is completely under one person’s control and one person’s control only, your own! I think you are so awesome for posting a “flaw” that most bloggers would never think twice about talking about, and you have most certainly mastered the way you feel about yourself and are 100% honest, which is the most important quality i feel a healthy individual can possess. I stress this to anyone that comes to me for nutritional advice when i am training them, it is not about calories in, calories out (blah, blah), it is how you feel about yourself and wanting that healthy feeling! Sorry for the extremely long comment, but you look fantastic and i’m sure you are proud of the progress you have made recently (fitness-wise and lifestyle-wise) CONGRATS! 🙂

  11. Katie

    I love bethanny and her philosophy. It really works for me. I also LOVE hungry days…I just roll with it and eat to my hearts content. All your food made me drool since I am currently sitting at work HUNGRY and I’ve already eaten my lunch. Boo. I wish I could reach through the screen and eat either your cookies of your zucchini pasta. Either one. Or both.

  12. elise

    thank you for such a thoughtful response…im truly blown away by everyones comments and its just nice to know that others either share similar thoughts, have dealt with the same issues, or are working on these things as well…im glad that being honest is so appreciated (and embraced, no less!) because its always a risk putting yourself out there for the rest of the world to analyze/judge/etc. plus, its nice to know its not just a female thing 😉

  13. elise

    thank you SO much. its heartwarming to have such positive feedback on posts like this.

  14. zoe

    you know, this is how i view it: some days, i’m just going to be hungrier than usual. and to be perfectly honest, it’s not like you were stuffing your face full of processed foods and refined carbohydrates. your body knows what to do with all the food. so you ate a little bit too much? oh well! one day will NOT cause an inevitable downfall. you said it yourself: it all evens out! bethany’s philosophy is great. just don’t beat yourself up for it, there’s absolutely not reason to. that is, unless we want to associate negativity with food which, at least in my personal experience, only leads to more “bingeing” because, suddenly, that food is “off limits.”

    i totally feel you on the moderation, too. everyone struggles with it. no worries girl, you got this!

    oh, and i totes love my 30 day shred DVD! i most definitely do not do it every day but when i do, i actually find it kind of fun! even though i want to punch her in the face sometimes 😉

  15. elise

    thank you thank you thank you. i truly appreciate the kind feedback more than this simple response can show.

  16. elise

    you make a good point! i definitely don’t think, hmmm, yesterday was fairly light, let’s make up for it with a box of cereal today…haha. anyways, im really glad that my post resonated with you. it makes blogging so worth it when my musings actually mean something to people other than myself. i really appreciate your kind comment…it makes the risk of feeling analyzed/judged/whatever by others so worth it.

  17. elise

    thanks sarah. youre right in that i AM overly hard on myself. its something that ive done since i was young in all aspects of my life…the woes of being a perfectionist (sarcasm). but seriously, i agree so much with your response. theres a very fine line that food/healthy living blogging tip-toes on…and its difficult to not over-analyze things at times. but i agree that stress is probably the root of most of these “episodes” (for lack of a better word).
    there may be something to your theory of not getting enough fuel the day before? but who knows, my appetite seems to be all over the place lately. no doubt, wedding planning has definitely been an unforeseen source of this. but anyways, i really appreciate your response (your comment was so thoughtful and sweet and definitely not inappropriate).

  18. elise

    THANK you so much for your response. it’s a relief to know that others are able to relate.
    i agree so much about the slippery slope that goes with blogging…and thus knowing exactly what you had the day before. it can lead to some over analyzing for sure…the brand new day approach is brilliant in theory, but definitely more difficult to actually practice. baby steps…

  19. Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen

    Thanks for the honesty! 🙂 I definitely have a lot of “how did I just eat all of that peanut butter” type moments…

  20. julie

    great post girl 🙂 i bet it helped a ton to just get it all out there! i know it totally helps me when i have a bad day just to come out and say it and this is a no judgement zone anyways so it’s all good.

    maybe you’re just stressed for your upcoming HUGE EVENT. and your body is on overdrive? or if you’ve been working out more then your metabs is prob getting a solid kick! either way whenever i have a bad day i try my hardest to not dwell on it the next day. the way i see it is that one of my bad days is probably another person’s good day. and its totes the same for you.

    lately my appetite has been off the hizzy! and the thing that happens to me which blows majorly is that i’ll be starving so then i’ll get to cooking and by the time i finish cooking i’m not even hungry anymore! the nerve.

  21. blissfulbellas

    this post was like reading my mind! i think about this a lot…a lot of times i just am hungry the whole day despite how much i eat and i just dont know why and it ends in me going overboard which frustrates me to no end. I try to tell myself to listen to my stomach and eat and not worry bout it but after i go over the days eats in my head i get really crazed and annoyed and the next day i tell myself to do better. Most of the times the food i eat is healthy just probably not a healthy amount of it. I look at some of my friends who could down 5 slices of pizza, 2 slices of cake and 5 cans of soda and not think twice about it. I dont envy their unhealthy eating habits but i do envy their ability to not be selfconscious about it and not let it bother them. I like your line about leaving baggage at the door and let each new day start afresh. Thanks for this post! It made me realize im not alone and that im not crazy. I know im not completely over my ED but I also know that the feelings I feel about my eating is not always because of my ED but everyone im sure feels this way once in a while ED or no ED.

    i love the honesty of this post. Thanks!
    -Lena

  22. Jin

    No matter what you say, you are still my no.1 healthy food blogger to live by.
    You are so real. No one else will even remotely contemplate to post about their not-so-perfect day but you, gosh I can’t even begin to describe how thankful I am!
    I definitely have days when I’m constantly hungry and thus overeat to satiate it, only to feel yucky all night and throughout the next day. I’m so hard on myself and sometimes I wonder why that is. I constantly associate exercise with food. I’m trying so hard not to but I can’t help
    It!!!! I wish I had your mind set elise!

    Really, thank you so much for this post!!

  23. Yolie

    Aaaah, that’s rad!!! 🙂 thanks a million for your message elise, and thank you so much for your blog and for putting your thoughts and musings out there, its nice to relate! big smiles and best wishes 🙂 xyx

  24. Pingback: Cheesy Spinach Dip: a photo recipe « hungry hungry hippie

  25. Angharad

    I have to be honest and say that my first reaction was “what’s the problem? it’s a loaf of bread, not a pizza and three baskets of fries”. Which is dumb. Everyone has their limits and everyone knows their usual levels in terms of what is normal eating. When you overstep the line, it’s hard to not feel bad about it.

    I don’t really associate exercise with eating, at least not on a micro level. At a broader level I definitely am conscious of the fact that being active 3-4 days a week probably means that all the pizza and beer I consume doesn’t have as negative effect on my overall being than it would if I did zero exercise. But I’ll never try to “run off” a meal or a day of overdoing it. If anything, like you said I’ll try to take it easy and just give myself a break.

    But I do think it’s a massive challenge for a lot of us not to feel guilt when we over do it and I really appreciate this post!

  26. elise

    thank you from the bottom of my heart jin. you are so sweet to say that and i am so relieved that others can relate…the fact that my honesty is so appreciated lets me know there are others out there facing the same thing…and (if nothing else) thats comforting to know.

  27. elise

    thank you lena for your sweet comment. its hard to be totally in tune to what our body wants or needs without going overboard because in the end our bodies are suited for survival and fat storage. im no 15th century hunter, so im not sure why my body is set on making me eat enough food to get through the winter…
    like you said though, its the quantity not the quality thats the issue. i dont eat sh!t food, i just eat a sh!t ton of healthy food (which therefore negates the whole “healthy” thing)
    also, i know exactly what you mean about watching friends carelessly eat crap without a second thought. i have no interest in following suit because thats just not me, but at the same time, i do envy their ability to eat without any concern. of course who knows, maybe they do have the same inner struggles and battles that we all have, they just deal with them later in private (or not on a blog for all the world to read about). and you are right about it not being an ED thing because while having an ED heightens your awareness in all food related topics, theres something about the female population as a whole that just makes us non-rational about eating. sometimes i wonder how boys are so carefree, but then i also realize that there isnt the same media standard for their physical appearance, and they have completely different metabolic rates, yadda yadda…women definitely got the short end of the stick in the biological department.
    anyways, i got WAY off topic there, but i just wanted to say thank for the thoughtful comment.

  28. elise

    yes…its SO therapeutic to just get it all out there and be done with it. i also think youre probs right about my body being stressed to the max and so ill cut myself some (extra) slack for the next week.
    i 100% know what you mean when you finally decide what to eat and then it takes so long to make it, by the end of it youre like, dang, i dont even want this. blah.

  29. elise

    man, the peanut butter is like my moderation adversary. its the ticking time bomb in the pantry…i swear for every four normal sized meals i eat using PB, ill have one that is way out of control (that it may as well have been four servings).

  30. elise

    register for one!! and then move to CA.

    ps out of touch is exactly what it is. i agree, no standards please and thank you.

  31. elise

    yeah, i think a freak out would be the most logical explanation for my tum going haywire. and like the other 75% of the female population, i turn to food in times of stress…and as much as i’d love to be easy on myself, im too much of a perfectionist to do that. which is why i have to literally talk to myself (like a lunatic) and tell myself that its normal to have ups and downs, and that its not worth it to dwell. just pick up and move on. its annoying that this is not a natural reaction, that i have to consciously communicate with myself to prevent an (unwarranted) overreaction, but at least im preventing the overreaction…baby steps, right?

  32. Kailey (SnackFace)

    OK, about the Bethenny thing and the bank or whatever (I love her so much but I disagree)….I think it’s a horrible idea. It’s almost like punishment, at least for me. The mentality after a breakdown/food hiccup should not be treated with such haste. We should be polite to ourselves. Maybe we need to come down from our eating high (or low) gradually.

    Thank you for sharing something so intimate and personal. I struggled with weird ass binges my first two years of college. I’d wait until I was alone and eat a whole box of cereal, then move on to whatever else I could find. The next day, I’d figure that I could eat solely celery and carrots. It was quite sad.

    It’s horrible, but all I can say is that it takes time and practice to find whatever “balance” means to an individual.

  33. Catie

    I’m a new commenter but I had to comment on this one. I had the same kind of day yesterday and had a friend basically talk me into the whole treating each day as a new day. Reading it here and knowing that I’m not the only one the struggles with these issues really helps. Thanks for your honesty!

  34. elise

    You know, I wish that I could agree with you 100% but I just don’t know if that’s realistic. Ideal, yes. But let’s be honest with ourselves about how we truly feel. I’m not talking about the extremes (binges that leave the pantry empty followed by days of celery sticks). I agree with you that that’s definitely both unhealthy and sad. However, I do think there’s a middle ground that’s still not “punishment.” As a person who is committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, I think more often than not, I try and balance the kinds of foods I eat so I get enough of everything…I make sure I eat good fats, I make sure I interrupt my pretzel and hummus marathons with the occasional veg, and I make sure to add a mountain of nooch in every once in a while to get my B12…in the same way, I think my stomach can only handle so many consecutive days of overeating. It’s not me being controlling or worried about the effect the calories will have (I’ve moved way past that point in my life)…it’s more how crappy I feel after I polish off entire boxes of cereal or loaves or bread. As in GI crappy, as in I’ve actually put more stress on my body and digestive system because of my actions, which is what I’m ultimately trying to avoid. This is not a mental thing, this is a physical thing. And it sucks. Granted sometimes I don’t feel full at all, and those are the days I have no issue with it (clearly my body craved it). But after certain snackathons when I’m left feeling gross, I think wow, now I’m uncomfortable, I’d like to avoid this feeling…thus leading to a lighter day in reaction. So yeah, as much as I’d love to adopt the each day is a new one, let’s get on with it and forget the previous day’s eats, I’m not sure it’s entirely realistic. But I’m trying to make it be… Anyways, I just realized this stream of consciousness response probably makes no sense, but whatever. Thanks so much for your honesty Kailey. I love your badass self. If anyone can demolish carbs like we can, God bless them!

  35. elise

    Thanks you so much for commenting Catie. I’m glad you have a good friend like that and that my post helped you.

  36. elise

    Most days I am like “what’s the problem”…but sometimes my GI system gets all out of whack and I think to myself, I really just did more harm than good to my body in the name of “listening to what it wants.” It’s a balance. And a work in progress, too. Thanks for sharing your two cents though 🙂

  37. annie

    Hey Elise,

    Thanks for sharing! It’s obvious that many people benefited from your courageous voice. I live a fairly healthy lifestyle but I have my own issues with food and I find a huge part of my yoga practice is FORGIVING MYSELF. Over and over and over and over again. It’s so important that we love ourselves no matter what we do; even if we hurt ourselves (or hurt others). If we can be less hard on ourselves then the world is only going to get better, because love is what makes the world go round!

  38. elise

    Thanks annie. You are so so right and it (unfortunately) takes reminders to remember that. What’s important is that I’m blessed to have family and friends (and readers too) that give me the support to keep my head up and cut myself slack. “Perfect” is a myth. I love who I am regardless of external factors. Thanks for the wise comment. Elise

  39. Gena

    I don’t really like the bank account metaphor, because a bank account is not a living being with physical needs. I tend to assume that, if you’re ravenous, there is a reason. Your body wants or needs something–a vitamin, a mineral, calories, sugar — and it’s asking you please to give it what it wants. Whereas a bank account is just a repository for inanimate things.

    Translation: I don’t like the bank account idea because a) it promotes the whole “I ate a lot yesterday, so today I’ll restrict my meals” thing, and b) it ignores the fact that intense hunger usually stems from some sort of biological need, which we should all heed.

    Just my two cents!

  40. elise

    Well said. We are humans with needs (which sounds so primitive…so let’s just include cravings/wants/desires as well, because we should honor our body beyond the bare basics of survival “needs”. Because of this, I too, disagree with the bank account analogy…I understand the logic behind ups and downs. On a logical level it makes sense. But like you said, more-so for inanimate objects. My appetite fluctuates hourly/daily/weekly/etc. but to try and keep track of these vacillations and impose some kind of balance – well that seems like the opposite of balance. That seems controlling. So yes, I agree that it’s a health(ier) attempt at listening to your body, while maintaining a bit of moderation, but still isn’t quite honing in on the fact that our bodies may be trying to tell us something. Countering an “off” day shouldn’t be a necessity afterwards. It should just be ok. Idealistically.

  41. Carly

    I know this is a REALLY old post but do you seriously have a recipe for beer pizza? haha that sounds intriguing, (I figured you have deleted those older posts cause it said the page didn’t exist when I clicked on the link)

  42. Elise (Post author)

    hi carly – the beer pizza link should definitely work…it worked for me. i double checked all the links in the post and they were all fine, so let me know if you try again without success…the beer pizza recipe is SO worth trying. its the easiest thing youll ever made 🙂

  43. Elise (Post author)
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