Hunger Anxiety - Gone!

It is common practice for those who are training for any sort of fitness show, that you generally carry your food with you wherever you go. You always must "be prepared," as they say in the Boy Scouts, which I know because dad was Scout Master for my brother and I had to sit in the hallway of the elementary school dying a slow death from boredom as the Boy Scout meeting dragged on every Tuesday night.

In addition to my gym bag, I also picked up a smaller shoulder bag that perfectly fits 4 Snap Ware containers, my Nalgene bottle, and even a book if I want to throw it in there. So with the gym bag on one shoulder, the food bag on the other, it works well. Now, when I run to the grocery store WITH all of that, then I become that crazy bag-carrying girl on the bus. THEN I stop at the corner store for my bag of Diet Coke and Diet Sunkist Orange, and then I just look like a fool.

But the great thing about carrying my food around is that I'm never famished. I used to work out for a few hours, then be deathly starving, so anxious to rush home and eat something, so I'd often skip some errands that I really needed to get finished. When I'm hungry, I don't function well at all. I am one-track-minded to get home and EAT. And usually, it would turn into an all-night session of eating. So after the gym I'd rush to my corner store to pick up my diet sodas..... maybe a box of crackers, and a single-serving pack of Oreos, and a jar of Teddie Natural Chunky Peanut Butter to replenish the jar I polished off the night before.

But that's only after I stop at Boloco for my burrito bowl, which is VERY good for you, just very starchy, even without the tortilla. My custom bowl would always have brown rice, black beans, lettuce, mango salsa, regular salsa, cucumbers, and a dollop of their amazing guacamole... it's the only place I enjoy guacamole. All great, nutritious foods that no one should be embarrassed or ashamed to eat.

But eating like this wasn't doing my body justice. For some reason, my body wants to hold onto the calories taken in with this food. Who knows if I just stopped eating my Boloco Bowl if I'd have "extra" around my edges. I don't know, I never just had my burrito bowl; I always continued having some snacky snacks as I come home to "reward" myself for a long day and tough workout.

Now, after a workout, I eat in the locker room. Some people give me judgmental looks, but I don't care, there will always be those people.

As I open my locker, I take out my plastic tumbler, my plastic fork, and my snapware of protein shake mix. I head to the sinks, make myself a quick shake, stir it up with my fork, then down it. Then I just rinse off my tumbler, dry it off, throw it back in my bag.

Then I head back to my locker and eat whatever veggie I have on me. Last night it was broccoli, the frozen kind. (Tip: If you're going with frozen broccoli, buy broccoli crowns, vs just broccoli. It's so much better, as the stalks can be tough and tasteless.) It's so satisfying to fill up my stomach after a workout, so I can calm the heck down and just take my time and enjoy the trip home.

I love eating this way. I no longer have the outrageous "hunger anxiety" that has ruled my world as long as I can remember. It's truly liberating.