Tuesday, January 24, 2017

BOOOO to biology!

"As soon as temperatures drop, our appetite goes up for high-calorie, high-carbohydrate foods -- stews, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese -- the dishes that make us feel warm and cozy," says Barrie Wolf-Radbille, MS, RD, a nutritionist with the New York University Program for Surgical Weight Loss.

For those of you who have read this blog for any amount of time, you know how I struggle with depression during the winter months.

While here in Northern NY we have largely and blissfully for the most part dodged the extremely cold temps that often plaque us here in January, we have NOT in any way dodged the oppressive cloud cover that descends on us in winter.

This year, having actively sought a new attitude and having a new puppy in the house, I have for the most part been able to avoid that feeling of utter despair and blackness that often settles over me in January.

But the constant lack of sunshine is really starting to grind on my nerves and has started to stick even worse to my hips! Every. Single. Day. has been dark grey. It is dark grey when I get up, dark grey every time I look out the window and it is a miserable dark grey as I drive home.

And it’s moist. That cold, wet air that just hangs. It’s chilly and depressing. I have no idea when the sun was last out. I religiously wear sunglasses and I have no idea where my are because it has been weeks since I’ve needed them.

I’ve been trying to get outside and get any amount of natural light that I can. Even though it was still pretty cool on Saturday, I forced myself outside so that Archer and I could do a nice longer run of 10 miles. It felt good to be off the treadmill and out of the basement, but the air was wet, thick, heavy and it just kind of sucked.

So you take the emotional aspect and combine it with biology. As the quote from the nutritionist says above, cold dark days trigger the primitive part of us to EAT! Like I need any encouragement in that realm, right? And no, the body does NOT say “Oh my, we better stock up on carrots and apples!” Hell to the no - the body wants us to eat high fat, high carb goodies.

Resistance, as the Borg say, is futile. I am fighting against biology and emotion and I don’t appear to be winning any of these battles.

Yesterday I had to work in the office that is about 45 minutes away from my house - I drove home in almost a trance. I wasn’t tired, per se, I was just done. Completely devoid of any energy. I envisioned coming home and, instead of making the boneless pork chops and lentils that I had planned, and doing a few miles on the treadmill, of getting into my flannel PJ’s, having Marc make his famous pancakes, slathering them in peanut butter and syrup and eating myself into a food coma.

I resisted this urge last night, but I’m not sure I’m going to be successful for the rest of the week. I mean, it’s only Tuesday.

Someone promise me that the sun has to come out and the temps have to warm up soon, right??!!

3 comments:

  1. I really think you should consider moving to Texas. It is warm and sunny here all year round. My children don't even own coats. They just wear hoodies on "cold" days.

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  2. How are you? You haven't posted in a long time!

    ReplyDelete