It’s happened to all of us who drive at some point or another. The gas light comes on, and you know you’d better find a gas station soon to avoid being stranded on the side of the road. The gas light is a sign that your tank is nearly empty and time to refuel.

Some people don’t let the gas light come on. I know one person who reaches about half a tank and is already thinking of filling up just to be safe. Imagine a person who fills up the car with gas and then as soon as the needle moves off the “F” on the gas gauge, he/she fills up immediately again. Wouldn’t that be a waste of time? Why fill up again when the tank is nearly full?

Yet when it comes to food as fuel, this is exactly what I used to do. I never waited for my gas light to come on. I ate meals/snacks out of habit. It’s 11:00 AM or 11:30 AM? All right then it’s lunch time. Never mind that I might have a had a big breakfast and may not even be hungry. It’s 8:00 PM and I’m watching a movie. Time for popcorn or chips! (By the way, nowadays I would never start a movie at 8 PM since night night is around 9 PM every single night.)

Part of Project Food as Fuel is to pay attention to my body. I need to realize that it’s not necessary to fill the tank until the gas light comes on. In other words, eat when I’m actually hungry. I am learning what true hunger feels like, which is the body’s sign that it’s time for more fuel.