BALANCE
…is my word today. Body Balance, Life Balance, Food Balance. One of the BCs asked me:
“What the heck do you MEAN by tummy/gut balance?”
ALERT answer may be TMI, so feel free to scroll past.
Basically, when I overeat, or am more inactive than usual, yesterday’s meal sits below the belly button in my “gut”, while my “tummy”, the above the belly button portion of my digestive track feels empty. It is HARD to feel hungry when the gut is full, but I’ve learned it’s best to eat a little in the AM anyway to balance out the feeling and get the gut back to its business.
When I have a good balance between the two, I’m not conscious of this great divide. When the gut has just enough to work with, I’m not conscious of it. That is also when I am most in tune with my natural hunger/fullness cues. Identifying this feeling is helping me determine the portions of the day. Also, which foods add to or make tummy and/or gut distress. Sometimes it’s the food in any amount for me (like shrimp), sometimes it’s the amount of a food (like whole wheat pasta). 1/2 cup is fine a whole cup disagrees with me.
My Body Balance number today is again 8. 8 is great! Good sleep, tummy/gut playing nice today. Breakfast I was hungry to 4 and ate to 6 and was very satisfied. I had an egg today. That tends to keep me fuller longer. On bike days I have fruit/nuts/yogurt as that gives me massive long lasting energy for my ride, but burns off too quickly for a sedentary day like I’m having due to my injuries.
1-10, 10 is full of energy, feeling great 1 is OMG I’m tired, cranky, stuffed and/or empty and weak, overall crappy as I can feel in this bag o bones
My injuries
For those who have asked and WANT to see, here are the links to my beautiful world of bruises.
- Poor left knee – took the brunt of the fall
- Nothing racy, but the next bruise REALLY isn’t pretty. So skip if squeamish. This injury is the biggie that is determining my pain level and my ability to move around.
- Poor right chest was slammed at full speed against the handlebar when the bike came to a sudden stop in the dirt to the side of the path. This pain is what knocked me breathless and caused me to fall vs. place my foot down.
Life Balance and Bravery
I’m going to a local meeting today to discuss if the person’s organization might like to book me for a talk or a series based on this podcast and blog. I’m still a bit nervous and trying to figure out how MY story might be translated into a helpful evening. Any thoughts on THAT would be welcome. 🙂
SOOOO Awesome Laurie, on the meeting, and doing some talks =-) that’s super!! Think of all the people you can and will motivate, support and INSPIRE with your super self, and all you have to offer.. SO proud of you! hope its awesome, and works out for something, and I too hope your not nervous, tho for some reason, I don’t seem to think you are or should be, you seem to talk well =-) way to go!!!! just talking ‘freely’ like you do will be plenty enough!!! people can and will relate, be yourself, that’s what you EXCELL at
Thank you Dawny, I sure feel good now 😉 I’m not too nervous, but we’re just trying to think how to describe the group so that anyone with eating issues might dare to go! It’s one thing to read a blog or listen to a podcast, it’s another to risk being known and putting your tush in the chair, if you know what I mean? I’m pondering what would that look like? I suppose we might get one or two who are brave companions, but I’m not betting on it.
Hi Laurie!
I’m a bit of a newbie and still listening to the older podcast so didn’t see/hear that you’d had a bike accident! So sorry to hear – but I’m glad you are doing better. I’d also love to hear more about the meetings and the group you mentioned. I have felt so helped and encouraged by your podcasts – especially by your straight from the heart truth even when it feels uncomfortable. Oh if we could all learn that who we are is ok!!!! Warts and all!!!! Like I said when I called the Bravery Line a few days ago……..your story resonates SO much with me! I’m beginning to feel not so messed up and alone! Thanks for being my new ‘walking/hiking’ buddy. Good luck with the new adventure – but I am sure you will be amazing!
Cathi (from Connecticut)
Hi Cathi, well you are putting yourself on the bravery report ALL over! In fact I played your call for the lady I was meeting with to demonstrate some of the response the podcast gets. So you already helped me with getting the group off of the ground! It will also be on Day 66 when it comes out. I went bike riding today and did ok. My bruises are healing and so far, I’m not in any extra pain, a wonderful sign. The group will be an in-person support group where people can just listen (you KNOW I can talk for an hour if need be), or participate. There will be no diet, program, or feeling about what is the correct way to do anything. I’m hoping this will be a live version of the brave companions, where people can find out they aren’t alone, yet are free to be where they are and feel how they feel and say so, or not, in an atmosphere of respect. The big questions is whether folks who have these issues will be willing to attend. That can be a very scary thing. I’m hoping it may start small and grow. Support has always helped me, and as you say, I think everyone can take steps to improve as they’d like, when they feel heard and understood. Time will tell if this is an idea with wings. I hope so! I would also like if every couple of weeks or once a month the live group would walk or hike together and just chat. I’d love if this model could expand all over and brave companions could meet up and feel what I’ve felt with the support of all of you. hugs and THANKS for being brave. PS, I’m so glad you wrote, because I didn’t know how you spell Cathi to put it in the show notes when day 66 is released – probably on July 31 or Aug 1. I have to be up to walking enough to go record!
Hi Laurie, The support group sounds really wonderful! Wish I were closer! Maybe something to think about doing near me……not sure I’m THAT brave yet. I especially like the open nature of the group structure – ‘no diet, no scales, no right or wrong way or place to be’. I’ve been mostly scale free for many years now – but of course get weighed at medical appointments, etc. which has, off and on, pushed me back into the trap of focusing on the scale. It ALWAYS sabotages me! If I’ve lost, I want to celebrate (with what else but food!), if I’ve gained I want to comfort myself (nothing better than sweets for that!) I’ve also been discovering in therapy that I have some pretty serious fears about becoming thin………..maybe a better topic for the anonymity of the hot line. Many thanks for being there and connecting! Your one of my heroes!
Thanks Cathi! You know one of my dreams is to travel and speak and meet up with brave companions to walk, hike, or bike and generally spread BC love and fun. Maybe once your group is up and going, Mark and I can stop by to walk with you and I can meet and speak with YOUR brave companions. That would be really cool. We are planning on purchasing a small motorhome next year because we want to see the country. I’m hoping if I can make a little bit of a business out of this, I can write off some of the expense on my taxes and visit even more BCs. But it will be what it will be. I can tell you that NOTHING has made me happier, and when the time is right for you to share with your group, I think you may find the same. Let me know if I can help in any way!
Hugs,
xoxoxox
PS, if you don’t start a group, I would STILL love to walk with you if we are in the area. But no worries, really. It’s all good, and we are learning and we are connecting and nothing is better than that!
I really like the idea of a meet-up once a month for the group to walk together. Walking has been such a big part of your own success that it seems only natural you would include that aspect in it. How often are the meetings scheduled for?
Hi Cheryl, just now doing my OODLES of show prep for Day 66 – the cost of being off my feet for more than a week. Our support group proposal is weekly right now. But details and dates still TBD. Will post more once I know more specifics.