Crunch Time!!!

It's a boy version of me as an M&M!!!

Finals are here and that means one thing: Crunch Time.

Figurative meaning: My first exam is tomorrow so I am in the final hours of cramming and prepping for whatever essay hypotheticals my professor can create surrounding Sports Law and Regulations. I'm a good sport, so I'm game.  Hardy har har.

Literal Meaning: You've heard me say it before ... I get the munchies when I get stressed. Well, today is my day of vindication. Turns out, it's completely normal and necessary!!! Oh yes, finally(!), a food-related "issue" I don't have to solve.

"See, the urge to eat when situations get hairy is an evolutionary instinct triggered by certain chemicals," according to my daily Eat This, Not That email (delivering info from both Men's Health and Womens" Health). How do they know exactly what I need to hear when I need to hear it?

Thanks to the peeps over at Women's Health, I now have a list of things to eat (and drink) to handle various forms of stress. As suspected, fruit is a good one. But surprisingly so are M&Ms!!! Yeah, I bought a bag of the recommended peanut variety with lunch. Haha.

I also have a big bowl full of apples and oranges. Plus, a bunch of bananas. There might be some grapes left too ... those usually go pretty fast thanks to the same oral fixation that takes over whenever someone opens a bag of chips. 


Anyway, as part of the literal crunch time, that's all I have time to write. But check out the link for the lovely tips for boosting serotonin, etc!

Mulling my munchies

I have a big paper to finish by morning, so I'll be pulling an all-nighter. As such, I anticipate a bout of the munchies (lessons learned from many all-nighters) to strike as soon as I get settled to work. Back in the day, I would buy a 2-pound pack of Twizzlers and Froot Loops to get me through the night. But nowadays I'm trying to stick to healthy choices - even if today is Mardi Gras!

I have a box of celery sticks and some frozen butternut squash ready to be turned into butternut fries, but knowing me, this isn't going to cut it. Is this one of those tests that come along to measure my progress? If I plan for the munchies tonight, am I just giving myself a hall pass? Is that ok to do?

There are times when it's ok to relax and eat junk. Some say Mardi Gras (today!) is one of those days - you know, since it's supposed to be followed by 40 days of sacrifice. Birthdays are considered a day to chill out on diets because special food is a way to celebrate special occasions. Also, meals at a friend's house are given a free pass, too (politeness for a night trumps diets).


Generally speaking, relaxed standards apply in unique situations that have a higher public interest than healthy eating for one night. So, the question is whether the occasional all-nighter fits into this category. Let's think it through: First, all-nighters are unique occurrences; they aren't something I do every week. Instead, they occur more like 2-3 times a semester. Plus, a good grade on this paper is more important than tomorrow's weigh in. If getting a good grade is dependent on snacks, then it's worth having snacks on hand and planning for such in my daily food allowance. Thus, all-nighters are unique situations and lowering my diet standards will serve a greater public interest.

Now that I've decided it's ok to relax my standards a bit, I must qualify this. Relaxing standards doesn't mean throwing them away. We arne't talking a night of pizza and cookies. That would be dumb. Plus, if I plan out choices that are better than Twizzles and sugary cereals, then I'm still showing progress.

So, here's what I'm thinking:

1) Eat a light dinner in order to be full so I don't snack as much. Um, yeah right. If I stopped eating when I was full this wouldn't be an issue. Duh!

2) Skip dinner knowing I will be snacking into the wee hours. Clearly, the logical choice, even if it isn't the most nutritious.

I don't keep many snacky foods in the house for obvious reasons. So, I need to hit the store for provisions. What should I get?

1) My usual fare of Twizzlers and Froot Loops. Um, and that would benefit me how? It's nothing but sugar and junk.This isn't a pass for full departure of the lessons I've learned so I should go with foods that provide some nutritious benefits, right?

2) Fruits and veggies high in fiber and low in fat. This is the ideal solution, obviously. However, the cost is a problem for me. I honestly can't afford a bunch of fruits and veggies right now. I have some will certainly what have on hand - celery, cauliflower and butternut squash, but my their very nature (lacking food crunch and, sadly, sugar, they just won't be enough.

3) "Healthy" cereal. This is tonight's winning choice, I think. If I buy a small box of Mini Wheats then I'm getting fiber, which is filling and flushing, sugar, and some actual nutrients that usually come with dinner. Maybe I can even buy a bag of oranges if they are on sale.

Having this discussion with myself now is also a sign of my personal growth. I used to go by the feelings I had at the time I hit the store. Instead, I am being pro-active and planning my allotment of snack foods and creating a strategy to handle my inevitable stress-induced munchies. It was all about satisfaction in the moment - but that moment was followed by many moments of self-loathing. Thanks to this plan, I'm hoping tomorrow finds me pleased with my decisions, happy with myself, and done with my paper!

______________

Update: 6:15 pm

I am home from getting supplies. I bought a box of dried figs (lots of fiber!), a medium box of plain shredded wheat (even more fiber!), and a 2 liter of diet coke. I think I'm good to go.

I just finished a bowl of the shredded wheat with Splenda and cinnamon - SUPER YUMMY!

And now it's time to brew coffee and get to writing!!!

Today's menu

I can't stop eating tonight!

Oh my goodness, what is wrong with me?

There has been a chocolate cake sitting on the counter for three days - and today I finally caved.

I had 4 bites - two of which had frosting. And it was good.

TO be honest, I don't feel too bad about the foods I'm eating. While I have "the munchies" at least I'm ok with my choices (except the cake, but in my defense, I only ate a few bites!).

I'm stuck in the house, bored, and hungry.

This is why I didn't want to get obsessed with calories! I don't want to feel guilty about eating some cake every now and then. That, to me, is unhealthy!

I'm not usually that sensitive to sweets. Except ice cream. But the ice cream thing I have licked (ha!). McDonald's ice cream cones aren't that bad! If I have a decent day, I can totally fit one into the food list.

Also, I feel ok with eating a bit extra tonight because the past two days have 1. been full of physical activity and 2. involved me eating less than 1,300 calories.

This is the trick, right? Learning your own desires and figuring out how to make them fit into your diet without making you feel 1. guilty and 2. deprived.

Totals: 1,739 calories 237 carbs 55 fat 53 protein