This is a question I’ve been asking myself for a while. 

Firstly I need to eat, everyone does. But there is more to it for me. My weight and fitness is part of how I see myself.

I often feel hungry but that doesn’t always encourage me to investigate the kitchen.

I see eating as necessity, not just for sustenance but to allow me to ride my bike either for fun, to get places or to visit people.

It means I can run. Another fitness tactic, and distraction from life’s stresses.

Finally walking; which is my default mode of transport.

At times being active is the only reason I eat, or at least that’s what it feels like. If I don’t consume I won’t have energy to power my efforts.

Recently I pulled a muscle whilst running. It meant even walking was a little painful, luckily cycling was okay. Did I spend more time immobile? 

No.

I strolled around my local roads, and it gradually became less uncomfortable. I didn’t reduce the sessions, only the intensity. Frequently testing myself to see if I could start running again. It lasted for a very long month.

When I got a cold, I again dialed back the exertion not the time. 

I couldn’t stop completely. This meant I could keep eating enough that hunger pangs weren’t too much of an issue. And it was good for me mentally. When I broke my hip I had to stop. Even then I did as much of the routines suggested by the physio’s as I could.

Stress seems to cause weight loss, as levels rise I find
it more difficult to maintain. If I look back at a period where I’ve
lost kg’s it’s been during a time of disruption and lack of sleep. When everything is under control and I get more shut-eye it builds again.

I’m aware of this and need to keep it in check.

What I’m saying is that my relationship with food isn’t straightforward.