Reminder of an important lesson today:
Don’t let yourself get insanely hungry!!!
I found myself in that place we have all been… sooo hungry that you surpass cranky and move into irrational! I call that Starvin’ Marvin Mode.
I had a flat out day back to teaching at uni and missed lunch. This resulted in me being pretty hungry by about 2pm when I was on my way home. I got caught in extensive traffic delays because of a bad car crash. At that point it was around 3.30pm and I started to get sleepy and then progressed into cranky! I had nothing in the car – no museli bars or apples. Not even a peppermint or gum!! Arrrgh! I had run out of water and my tea thermos was empty.
No Food = Feeling Stabby
Eventually I got through the traffic delay and was back on track to get some gift shopping and some groceries before heading to next appointment. I had partially forgotten how hungry I had been as I was focused on what I had to do at the shopping centre. I got stuck into my chores and part way through I became insanely hungry again and remembered the plan had been “Food First!”. I told myself I had to finish what I was doing then grocery store & food was the next chore. I sped passed tired and cranky and quickly into stabby! Which helped me get the shopping done fast in Kmart at least!
Feed me Seymour!!
Eventually, when I was standing in the queue to pay I was in that EAT ANYTHING NOW mode.
Of course the checkouts were full of chocolate bars! Eventhough I have never eaten snickers bars even at the height of my junk food inhalation days (I don’t like peanuts & frankly I think my body really hates them) I was extremely tempted to buy one. My brain and body were just in that “FEED ME SEYMOUR!!” mode – screaming at me like something out of Little Shop of Horrors!
I resisted the chocolates and made myself wait. Walking through the centre to the grocery store I was so tired and hungry that I really thought I was going to cry! Haha! As irrational as that was… in my head I was saying just chill and once you get to the supermarket you can buy something but physically my body was running on empty & physiologically my brain was saying “Glucose STAT!”.
By this stage it was after 4pm. I went into the supermarket to get the few items I needed, bought the Carman’s museli bar I planned to get and calmly ate it as I found the handful of other items on my list.
The relief was instant – the alternating feelings of wanting to go to sleep, stabby-ness and wanting to cry dissipated! So – a happy ending!
However, it could have just as easily gone the other way. Almost certainly it is MORE likely to go the other way – grabbing that snickers bar or bag of potato chips and scoffing them to get out of the Starvin’ Marvin Mode.
Our bodies do NOT like it. They aren’t designed to go that long without fuel for long periods… especially when over time I have been working to feed my body more nutritious food, MORE OFTEN and at regular times. My body & brain had an absolute tantrum on my this afternoon about the lack of fuel to the point where they were screaming for any kind of fuel ASAP!! Even things I never have eaten, like snickers bars!
So – a reminder to me to keep some museli bars and protein bars in the glove box of my car and handbag like I used to. In hindsight I realised that part of the reason I missed lunch was because I was out of my usual routine – I have had 4 weeks off teaching on Thursdays and in that time I have stopped drinking coffee so instead of arriving at the campus, heading for the coffee shop & refectory to make a tuna & salad wrap I just went straight to the classroom. Then as the day got busy I didn’t get time to buy lunch, didn’t give it a thought. Whereas in the past I made that wrap in the morning when I arrived and was able to eat it during class as soon as I felt hungry.
I can laugh about it now, after a great dinner and feeling all fuelled up once more! But I was not laughing this afternoon, that’s for sure. Definitely won’t be letting that happen again any time soon!
How about you? What happens when you go into Starvin’ Marvin mode? Does your brain turn on the “Feed Me Seymour!” routine like the plant in Little Shop of Horrors?? What do you do to prevent this? Do you keep snacks in the car or your work bag? Would love to hear!
xx Ange
I try to avoid situations of having nothing on hand to eat because I know with absolute certainty that if I go without food for any length if time I’m ready to inhale whatever is available. Even food I’d never usually eat! getting home after a gym workout & beforevive prepared dinner is when I’m vulnerable so I snack on carrot sticks until the meal is ready.
Yes!!! I have been known to say to David “Don’t stand still or I might eat you!”. Hahaha. Sometimes that potentially gets a smart ass response…
I experience the same as you – so hungry I could inhale the contents of the fridge! I am learning to keep snacks around…. in the glove box, handbag, gym bag. Even just having a spare container of protein powder & shaker in the car is helpful!! xx
I get pretty scary when I’m hungry, I turn into this snarly, snappy biarch from hell. If I know I’m going to be out for any length of time I try to carry around a Slim Secrets bar or something along those lines but I have been caught out before and while I always have good intentions of grabbing something healthy I often shove the first thing I see down my throat.
Haha! Yes! I have not tried the slim secrets bars… I will give those a whirl. It’s terrible the effect that being starvin’ marvin can have on us – turns us into ravenous lunatics!!
Giggled at and with you when reading this post Ange. In our house, the Starvin’ Marvins are called being “aungry” (half angry, half hungry). Along with the anger, I get the shakes and heightened senses. It ain’t pretty. Thanks for the reminder of being prepared.
Aungry!! Baha!! That’s so true! I have heard of “Hangry” as well for hungry + angry. We have to become girl scouts “Be Prepared”. LOL
What a great post, I was getting caught up in the angst while reading it. Been there and yes have sadly gone the other way, before 12wbt, but haven’t let myself get to that stage since 12wbt, now I’m worried how I would cope with it. I shall remember this post and draw on your actions if I’m in a similar situation.
Thanks Carol! Museli bar in the glove box is a great trick