I’m Stuffed!

Lately, I’ve been eating too much at dinnertime, to the point where I feel stuffed! Tonight I can’t sleep, and I think it’s because my stomach is too busy digesting all my dinner! Not only am I eating too much, but it seems like it’s been happening daily! Every night my stomach’s bulging out, and I feel uncomfortable. What’s up with that? Why am I eating so much? Is it related to exercising more? Is it because we’re eating more home-cooked meals? Is it because I’m not eating enough throughout the day, so I overdo it at night?

I don’t think I’m eating too much at the time, but then I feel too full. I’m not paying attention to how much I eat because I’m always focused on getting my daughters to eat. I do focus on how much food I put on their plates (1 bite of each food, for each year in age), but not on mine. I think I’ve also been having seconds if it’s really good.

This is where it’s related to cooking more often at home. For the past several weeks, I’ve been making sure to make my menus and grocery lists so that we eat better at home and I cook several times a week. So we’ve been eating all sorts of delicious dinners lately, thanks to the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. Perhaps that’s been making me eat more, gourmand!

Because I’ve been exercising more consistently the past few weeks, I’m disappointed that I haven’t slimmed down as a result. Perhaps I’m just eating more to compensate for the additional calories burned. I feel stronger, but the belly-fat is still there.

That’s related to the possibility that I’m not eating enough throughout the day, so I over-eat at dinnertime. This is a problem lots of dieters have: they diet well in the morning and early afternoon, but are starving by mid-afternoon and give in to temptation. It’s true that I’ve been hungry in the late afternoon and sometimes snack while cooking dinner. I think that’s a definite problem too: if I snack on cheese and crackers while cooking, how many calories have I consumed before I even start to eat dinner?

So in conclusion, I need to pay attention once the late afternoon rolls around. Pre-dinner snacks need to be what I give my girls: vegetables. It’s great: they are starving and will eat anything! I’ve been trying to drink more water, too, and should do so while cooking. For dinner, I need to serve myself portions; fortunately, my main cookbook gives portion sizes and calories. Otherwise, diet and health-conscious sources always recommend ½ plate veggies, ¼ protein, and ¼ starches.