So I stepped on the scale this morning and found out that I actually gained about a pound this week. The small gain doesn't even begin to tell the story of how much I struggled with eating amid my workout success.
Yesterday was the toughest day I've had with eating in quite awhile. I normally fast on Sundays, and I did fine with other people eating around me at a church activity in the afternoon. Then, out of nowhere, I got assaulted by hunger. Food was, literally, all I could think of.
Usually I combat those feelings by drinking lots of water - because, as I've found out, those feelings we interpret as hunger are more often than not feelings of thirst - and praying my way through. Yesterday, though, the accuser wasn't having any of that. Before I knew it I was pulling in to Whole Foods to get something, ANYTHING, to eat.
I settled on a plate of celery and carrots and a couple of 8-ounce containers of Engine 2 Hummus (black bean and jalapeno cilantro). Which, I guess, isn't all that bad in the grand scheme of things. But one aspect of my food addiction once again reared its head as I ate the black bean hummus in the car on the way to the office. I struggled mightily with portion control this week, and this breakdown seemed like a fitting capper.
In the past I would have dwelled on this failure for the next couple of days, probably washing it all down with several meals' worth of unhealthy food. Today, though, is a brand new day. God's grace and mercy is made new every morning, and I'm taking hold of that promise with my thoughts and actions. This week I will acknowledge my need both for nourishment and self-control, and continue to challenge my physical limits with increased exertion both on the treadmill and with weights. The rest will take care of itself!