I sat before the t.v last night for too many hours. I have followed the U.S election campaign and like most people, I hoped for my favourite to win.
I sat in front of that t.v with eager anticipation and some nervousness as well.
And I wanted to eat. Not “good” and wholesome foods which were available in my kitchen steps away but chocolate!
It got me to thinking about why we reach for certain foods when we are anxious, bored or angry.
Usually it is high fat foods or high carbohydrate foods which do the trick.
They fill up that spot that is most vulnerable when we are craving something.
They also boost serotonin, the (happiness inducing) neurochemical which increases when we consume these high carbohydrate foods. Serotonin is the neurochemical implicated in depression when it is too low.
Chocolate releases this chemical as well. Funny, how your body seems to crave these things!
What I should have done, was exercise to calm my nerves and provide a natural boost of serotonin!
Exercise, as of late, has been questioned in the world of weight management.
For people looking to lose a small amount of weight( say under 25 pounds) or maintain their weight, exercise is very valuable. If you can create even a 200 calorie deficit by exercise combined with another 300 calorie deficit from food, per day, you would be well on your way to losing about 1 pound a week. At least until your body figures out what you are doing and adjusts how many calories you need to maintain your weight!
If you are a child, a healthy active lifestyle will help you to maintain your weight as you grow.
If you have a substantial amount of weight to lose, say 50 to 100 pounds or more, then it will be a lot more difficult to look to exercise to provide this kind of loss. You would have to exercise night and day! Which is not realistic or healthy.
However, there are still good reasons to exercise. The mood and serotonin boosting capabilities of exercise can help you to control your appetite and not eat election night chocolate. The better your mood, the less inclined you will be to eat high carbohydrate foods to make yourself feel better.
So next time I face a similar situation I will instead go for a little walk or better yet put on some music and dance! What do you think?