[graycyn]

Originally Posted by lorigaud

LOL about wanting to eat... yeah, I've been having that feeling. Like Cynthia, though... I really am HUNGRY a lot more these last few days. I think for me that's mostly because I've been stepping up the exercise more than I had been since I started working with my trainer again.

I think the added training would surely increase the hunger!

Just doing my regular water aerobics and with mild walking after and a little bit of stationary bike probably burns close to 800 calories. HRM gives me about 100 calories per half mile o' walking and 200 for the 15 minutes of easy bike. The HRM doesn't work consistently in water, but I tried it a while back and got in the neighborhood of 400 for my water aerobics class. So you add that in on top of a 900 calorie deficit and suddenly, you have a 1700 calorie deficit for the day. WHEW! Well, that's why I kept my weekly cheat days in for the challenge. And also why I'm doing different milder activities rather than swimming a half mile after class!

Overall, I've felt that this challenge has been a wonderful experience for me. It's taught me a lot about myself and what I'm capable of. In all honesty, I really haven't followed the *traditional* OBM idea by eating the same thing all day long, nor have I always prepared everything ahead of time, but for me the key has been PLANNING what I was going to eat and following through with that. That's something that I've never managed to do consistently before, and now I realize just how easy it makes things.... so why haven't I been doing it all along?

I'd say it's been wonderful for me mentally... not quite so much physically, thanks to the headaches. The mental part and discipline is the toughest, so that's why I like these kinds of challenges. And I agree, though I've not done the OBM, the meal planning has really been a help. I have it printed out, in the kitchen and I know what I'm eating. And I still double-batch cook a lot, because that saves me time.

I've also discovered that I really don't need nearly as much food as I thought I did, and that food does not have to be the center of my existence, kwim? For a long time I've felt as though I am constantly waiting for the next meal and that I spend way too much time thinking about food.... but now I don't find myself doing that nearly as much. I truly am listening to my body's cues about when to eat and for the most part only eating when I can't hold off the hunger any longer. I'm not eating so much out of HABIT as I am out of HUNGER. I love it! I'm so thankful to Leigh for running this challenge, and it's been a great experience sharing it with all of you!

For me, I do need more food, my body is just not in sync with the calculated level of the challenge, but calculators are averages, and one can't always count on them.

But I think I could do with less food than I had previously thought. And I have learned that I can live with a bit of hunger. It's not been a bad thing to know that!

Still and all... I'm looking forward to the end. Hubby and I like to go to a special restaurant for our anniversary and we put that off, so I could keep on track for the challenge. So once the challenge is done, I will figure out what I need to do to put my cheat day on a Wednesday one week (since the restaurant is closed Mondays), and we'll go feast in fine style. I actually usually find that I choose something pretty healthy anyway, like their Indian Salmon (w/spinach, tomato and huckleberry puree) and their desserts may be rich, but they are TINY! Although, just checked the monthly entree menu and pistachio encrusted halibut with cranberry mustard is sounding REALLY good!

OK, enough with the food talk, I'm making myself hungrier, LOL! And I still need to do a bit of exercise and some food shopping.

Cynthia