Competitor Blog: What if I don't eat on schedule?

I am an eater. I love to eat. All the food all the time is my preference. But sometimes I make really terrible and stupid decisions. Not just about what I eat (because chicken nuggets doused in sauce ARE life). But also about the frequency in which I eat.

My body requires a fairly steady state of consuming fuel. The work week for me is easy-peasy; breakfast at 7:00, snack at 10:15, protein shake after the gym 12:30ish, lunch after that 1:00, snack at about 3:30 and then dinner about 6:00. I have the blessing of food prep assistance from my husband during the week. But once the weekends come I am usually more on my own. I don’t have lunch prepped out for me and sometimes I am in charge of the meals. I hate being in charge of the meals but it’s fair, I digress. On the weekend I can get SUPER lazy. I don’t want to fiddle with snacks because I am bored of them, nevermind shakes. I am not that creative or good of a cook. So I find myself slipping into not eating on a schedule like I should.

I happened to do this recently where I ate within my macros but definitely not how I should be eating. I should be eating with mindfulness, thoroughness, and consistency. Instead I was hoovering in a half a chicken breast off a fork while trying to gather myself to leave the house. I left the house with no snacks and vowed it would be fine.

Decidedly it would be less than fine. My day stretched on and I was getting hungrier and hungrier. I managed to refrain from eating the smorgasbord of snacks and delicious treats that were strewn about the event I was attending. I carefully checked the nutrients and made sure I could fit the impulse buy of food that I picked up from the store on my way home. I consumed my newly acquired snack with scary speed which helped to dull the pain in my stomach. Once I got home I quickly made dinner and finally sat down to eat.

I did not feel well. Even after I ate I did not feel well. I felt shaky and ran down. My stomach hurt. I had a headache. My body was aching and I could NOT get warm. It felt as if I had a virus all because I didn’t eat with the frequency that I should have. I know my body. I should have known it would react poorly to such little food with such haphazard consistency. I have a stomach condition which complicates things. I get blood sugar dips that make me sick. I get headaches from lack of food (or just breathing sometimes it seems). I know better.

This was a kick in the pants to pay attention. Food is fuel for your body. If you don’t fuel your body well it’s going to make you pay the price. I vow to do a better job of planning my weekends. I can still be a lazy slug but even slugs are eating.