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 lunchtime. Never mind that I might have 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.

5-21-20

A few weeks ago, I was at a friend’s house and we were walking out to my car as I was ready to leave. His neighbor walked to his car parked next to mine and mentioned he was going on a food run. It was 8:30 PM. We had a chuckle thinking about the good ol’ days making food runs late at night. That’s a young person’s game for sure. Nowadays, I’m sliding into my pre-chilled bed (courtesy of the Ooler) at 8:30 PM, and the last thing I’m thinking about is food.

I have to remind myself daily to check whether my gas light is on. The problem with being stuck at home so much is that the temptation is within arm’s reach. Sure, you can stock the refrigerator or pantry with all healthy items, but eating too much or at the wrong time is still a possibility. I’m pretty good when it comes to mealtimes, so it’s really the snacks I need to keep a watchful eye on.

As I have started to work out, I notice more hunger signals. I’m sure it’s the body saying hey, time to add more fuel for all this activity. I can still get by without consuming a lot more calories. There is plenty of fat left to burn off.