OK, so maybe not starvation, but every time I sat down to eat, it felt like the first time in a long time. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that sleep deprivation equals one VERY hungry Karina. I have been ravenous for days, and it’s because my sleeping patterns are all over the place.
I used to mention this all the time when I wrote for Shape Up! : Lack of sleep messes with a natural appetite suppressant in your brain; and studies suggest that people who don’t get enough sleep are overweight. I believe it! My defenses were down all weekend. First, I opted for a bacon cheeseburger with fries on Friday evening. I was with a friend, it’s what she wanted, and I guess I wanted it too…do I get points for eating it without the bun? I think not. Sigh…And then I went to bed at 3 AM. Why?? For no good reason. I was just so worked up that I couldn’t get to bed. I fell asleep watching the latest episode of Monk on hulu . Horrible. Saturday I did OK. At least what I ate was not bad, but the frequency and amount I was eating could’ve been better. I guess I had lost my hunger signals by then. I also squeezed in a good workout: 30 mins treadmill, and 30 mins abs and arms. But yesterday? I don’t even wanna talk about it! OK, actually, I do. I had a great breakfast: peanut butter & honey on one slice whole wheat toast with half a banana and some coffee. (I measured out 2 tbsp of peanut butter and mixed in 1 tbsp of plain nonfat Greek yogurt to stretch it out a bit—it really did the trick!) After that, it all went downhill. Let’s just say that the rest of the day involved mini chocolate chip cookies, cheddar rice cakes, and pumpkin cheesecake. And to finish it off, I had some vanilla ice cream, before bed. At 1 AM. Ugh. Horrible.
I need to reel in this horrible eating streak I’ve been in for the last few days. I know it’s directly related to my lack of sleep, but my writing group is in the middle of putting together the Christmas production for our church, and we’re well past our deadline. There may be a few more sleep-deprived days ahead, and I can’t control that. But there are certain things I CAN control—i.e. eating and exercise. SO, I went to the gym earlier today and took a pretty challenging class using SmartBells . ‘Twas cool! I also packed lunch and all of my snacks for the day: An apple, a plum, a protein bar, some more of those mini cheddar rice cakes (couldn’t help myself!)
I feel pretty good actually. How about you? How was your weekend? And how many hours of sleep do you average a night? Tell me your REAL bedtime, and your IDEAL bedtime, please!
OK, so maybe not starvation, but every time I sat down to eat, it felt like the first time in a long time. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that sleep deprivation equals one VERY hungry Karina. I have been ravenous for days, and it’s because my sleeping patterns are all over the place.
I used to mention this all the time when I wrote for Shape Up! : Lack of sleep messes with a natural appetite suppressant in your brain; and studies suggest that people who don’t get enough sleep are overweight. I believe it! My defenses were down all weekend. First, I opted for a bacon cheeseburger with fries on Friday evening. I was with a friend, it’s what she wanted, and I guess I wanted it too…do I get points for eating it without the bun? I think not. Sigh…And then I went to bed at 3 AM. Why?? For no good reason. I was just so worked up that I couldn’t get to bed. I fell asleep watching the latest episode of Monk on hulu . Horrible. Saturday I did OK. At least what I ate was not bad, but the frequency and amount I was eating could’ve been better. I guess I had lost my hunger signals by then. I also squeezed in a good workout: 30 mins treadmill, and 30 mins abs and arms. But yesterday? I don’t even wanna talk about it! OK, actually, I do. I had a great breakfast: peanut butter & honey on one slice whole wheat toast with half a banana and some coffee. (I measured out 2 tbsp of peanut butter and mixed in 1 tbsp of plain nonfat Greek yogurt to stretch it out a bit—it really did the trick!) After that, it all went downhill. Let’s just say that the rest of the day involved mini chocolate chip cookies, cheddar rice cakes, and pumpkin cheesecake. And to finish it off, I had some vanilla ice cream, before bed. At 1 AM. Ugh. Horrible.
I need to reel in this horrible eating streak I’ve been in for the last few days. I know it’s directly related to my lack of sleep, but my writing group is in the middle of putting together the Christmas production for our church, and we’re well past our deadline. There may be a few more sleep-deprived days ahead, and I can’t control that. But there are certain things I CAN control—i.e. eating and exercise. SO, I went to the gym earlier today and took a pretty challenging class using SmartBells . ‘Twas cool! I also packed lunch and all of my snacks for the day: An apple, a plum, a protein bar, some more of those mini cheddar rice cakes (couldn’t help myself!)
I feel pretty good actually. How about you? How was your weekend? And how many hours of sleep do you average a night? Tell me your REAL bedtime, and your IDEAL bedtime, please!
Photo: Dreamstime