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Friday, 6 May 2016

Ghrelin - more like Gremlin!

6th May 2016
Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.
Morning, what wonderful weather - at last!  So yesterday was a learning day for me, I had a particularly noisy meeting on the morning, the kids were too lively and I felt I wasn't giving good service because I couldn't focus on my members and the feelings that were going on in the room, especially as I could see one member was feeling very emotional and the conversation couldn't get to that depth because of the atmosphere in the room.  Anyway that's not the important bit, what happened next was!  Once everyone had gone, I felt tense and wound up, somewhat stressed about the situation I'd just been in and suddenly I wanted to eat, I was hungry, but because I was about to start my next meeting I couldn't.  I know if I'd been at home, I'd already have been in the kitchen eating anything I could get my hands on. 

This was wanting to emotionally eat at its finest, and my trigger was stress and tension, I suddenly realised that emotional eating is a physical feeling not just an emotional one, I had a hollow feeling in my stomach and a knotty, tightness in my chest, all of which reminded me of that hungry feeling.  I had a compulsion to eat but I couldn't because I was stood at the scales, it wasn't a pleasant feeling, it was uncomfortable, unpleasant and almost painful. 

Guess what - it passed!  Instead of feeding the emotions, I felt them, as uncomfortable as they were, I felt them and they went away!

One of the reasons we do emotionally eat is because we're not encouraged to have certain emotions so we do what we can to quash them.  For example, how many times have you hear, "stop crying", "cheer up", we're not encouraged to show anger either, it's not the "done thing" to be anything but happy and nice!  Well you know what, we wouldn't have the ability to feel these emotions if we weren't supposed to!  And trying to distract yourself from feeling them by eating just creates a whole load of other problems.  The next time you feel sad, allow yourself to feel sad, cry even, it'll do you more good than grabbing a big slab of chocolate, so what if you end up with red eyes and a snotty nose, it's better than gaining a few pounds eating food you didn't even taste.  The next time you feel angry, go up the garden and have a good scream, why not, it works for 3 year olds, you don't see them comfort eating, if a kids angry and can't express how he/she feels, they through a wobbly, they cry and scream and rant, they don't go in the kitchen and check the fridge!  I'm not suggesting you throw yourself on the floor and start screaming and crying in Asda because you've had a bad day, but why not go up your back garden or in the bathroom and do it where it doesn't matter who hears.

Did you know there's a hunger hormone, guess what it's called Ghrelins (that sounds like gremlin to me!) this hormone stimulates appetite, increases food intake and promotes fat storage (yep GREMLIN is more apt!  GREEDY GREMLIN at that).  Guess what happens when we're stressed?   Well it raises the levels and fuels the desire to eat, and that is why yesterday when I stood at the scales, suddenly I was HUNGRY!  I need to remember that in future, if I've had a good meal within a couple of hours, I can't possibly be hungry and if I am, then I'll make sure I have a piece of fruit in my handbag from now on for such an occassion, apples and satsumas travel well!

So there you go, Friday education ;) I'm ready to have a good day today, it's my weigh day, I'm not too hopeful, had a few blips, but what will be, will be, I'm back on it now, I went to the Hollybush nursery greengrocer hut and bought me lots of fruit and veg with my 10% discount.  Had a good chat with the chap, told him I'm not really fussed by fruit so he got me to taste a white strawberry (yeah white), they were good, so I had me a punnet, then he peeled me a small orange, they were delicious, so I've got me some of them and the grapes are almost golf ball size!  So today I shall be having fruit for breakfast I think as I'll be eating out at lunch, but I'm either going to do No Count and have gammon and a jacket or try the superfood pasta for 14 Smart Points, either way I'll be on track.  I'm going to go shopping for a few things too and I hereby to solemnly swear to have a good week this week, I want my 5% certificate and I've been doing the weight loss cha-cha for too many weeks now!  So here's to success at the scales next Friday if not this!  I will get it and if it's next week, it'll be in time for my new meeting open at Essington, only 7 days away now.

Right I'm off, mom wants another cuppa and some breakfast, here's to a brilliant day for all.

Oh I need a recipe for ya, hold on....

Bubble & Squeak with bacon & poached eggs
SERVES 2 ~ Prep time 5 mins ~ Cook time 10 mins ~ SmartPoints 3 per serving ~ No Count recipe

Bacon and eggs don’t have to bump up the SmartPoints!  Just use trimmed bacon, and pair them with lots of lovely veggies.

250g leftover mixed roasted root vegetables
75g boiled Brussels sprouts, chopped
10g wholegrain mustard
Calorie controlled cooking spray
4 rashers Weight Watchers Unsmoked Extra Trimmed Back Bacon
2 eggs

Roughly mash the root vegetables together, then stir in the Brussels sprouts and mustard.

Season to taste with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Mist a pan with the calorie controlled cooking spray and add the vegetable mixture.

Fry, making sure to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan, for 10 mins, until heated through.

Meanwhile, grill the bacon for 6-8 mins, turning once, until browned.

Heat a pan of water until bubbling, then crack in the eggs. Cover with a lid and simmer the eggs over a low heat for 6 mins, or until they are cooked to your liking.

To serve, divide the bubble and squeak mixture evenly between 2 plates, then top with the bacon and poached eggs.

That' makes me want to do a No Count day!

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