Did any of you watch the CrossFit Games this past week!?
In-freaking-sane. I was on the edge of my seat eating kettle corn watching these superhumans do the impossible.
In other news…
Three of my high school dance company friends got together for a reunion at Bareburger. It had been forever since I’d seen Pam and Charli (I saw Susie not too long ago in the city), and it was so fun catching up with these girls! We’re all talking about our jobs and intense research projects these days. TOO MUCH (quasi-)ADULTING.
what radiant women
As Charli said, we came with our eager stomachs for some kickass burgers. Pam also spotted these incredible brussels sprouts on the menu that we shared. Get this: brussels sprouts with sriracha, blue cheese, pork belly, and butternut squash.
Whoever thought of this combo is out of his/her mind, yet so brilliant. For my burger, I got the El Matador: bison burger, queso fresco, pickled jalapeños, guac, pico de gallo, and green leaf lettuce on a sprout bun.
it looks like a guacamole sandwich tower at first sight, which is very pleasing
Demolished that.
Warning: the rest of this is going to be very first world problem.
When my family went out for our Groupon dinner (that was postponed last week) at North Street Tavern after Mass, I was not hungry at all. Lunch at Bareburger was fatty and filling, but it was also pretty late (we finished at around 3:30).
I could have eaten a salad at Bareburger, but I didn’t want to be “that person” to order salad at a burger place, especially while dining with good friends. Not that they would have judged me, but I knew that we chose this reunion to be at Bareburger for a reason (read: dang delicious burgers).
I also really wanted a burger because I had just worked out and I wanted hearty foooooood.
If I’m honest, I was almost…disappointed that I was so full by the time dinner rolled around. We were about to eat at this fancy restaurant, and I had zero desire for any food. This would have stressed me out to NO END a couple years ago.
“Why did I eat so much at lunch? I will definitely only have a salad now. Maybe I just shouldn’t eat at all. Should I just try to stuff all this food?”
crab cakes with mango salsa for the table to share ➔ 1/2 a cake for each person
But as intro anatomy taught me, rest and digest is the way to go. It’s easier said than done for some of us (trust me), but there’s no need to stress over food. In my recovery, there was a weird phase where I unsure whether I was stuffed because I actually overate or because I just needed to adjust to this new amount of food that I should be eating. This made me hyper-attentive to my stomach at all times, and I would stress about having to eat a certain amount for each meal, even if I wasn’t that hungry.
tuna tartare ➔ mom shared a bite with me
Sometimes that anxiety still creeps up on me, even though I’m certain that I’m eating a healthy amount overall. Or maybe it’s just anxiety that I need to eat all this good food while it’s in front of me. Either way, I’ve learned to CHILL.
mom’s fave: sweet potato fries ➔ I had a few of these
If I’m not hungry at all, no one is forcing me to eat. Don’t eat. If I have a few bites of food— because, hey, I’m at a nice restaurant with my family— that’s still okay. God gave us food to live and to enjoy, but He definitely did not give it to us to stress over it.
If you’ve struggled with food in any way, you know that it’s hard to naturally accept those thoughts “like a normal person”, but I can attest that it is possible to work through it.
Luckily for me, the rest of the family didn’t have nearly as much food as I did during the day, so they were ready for this meal.
my wood-fired personal pizza with roasted red peppers, mushrooms, ricotta, and basil ➔ 2 slices of this
As I relaxed into the meal more, I found that my appetite started to appear (it had been ~4 hours since I finished at Bareburger by then).
a bite or two of Ben’s lobster mac and cheese
I knew to save room for dessert, don’t you worry. This I finished all by myself.
carrot cake!
A few disclaimers:
- We ordered so much food because the Groupon was worth a LOT.
- Hooray for leftovers.
- We are humbly grateful to have so much delicious food available to us.
- We also don’t usually eat out every weekend, but I dunno, I guess we have Groupons to use.
Other eats at home have involved peanut butter and banana (but I didn’t need to say that).
overnight oat smoothie with blueberries added in
whole wheat banana pancakes for Sunday morning breakfast
topped with Greek yogurt, nut butter, and blueberries
I also taught Ben how to make and eat avocado egg toast. It is truly an art and a skill. Let me know if you want a tutorial.
I’d say the young lad needs a bit more practice, but not bad for a rookie.
Hope you all have an awesome Monday! Rest and digest.
So tell me:
Thoughts on this first world problem of mine.
What was your Sunday morning breakfast?
Did you watch the CrossFit Games?
What are you thankful for today? Well, if I do indeed wake up after I go to sleep tonight (typing this Sunday night), then I’m thankful for another day of life and for the opportunity to go a job that I find enjoyable and fulfilling.
Daily Moves and Grooves 
i can totally relate to this first world problem. it’s a bit embarrassing, but i get very worried about eating when i’m not hungry or eating too much earlier in the day if i have dinner/lunch plans. but when i don’t have plans, i sometimes overeat earlier in the day… it’s all very confusing and a huge waste of mental space! but good for you – i’m glad you had a nice time with your friends and family 🙂 i didn’t have a special sunday breakfast but on saturday i ate a whole (mini) watermelon topped with passionfruit, followed by chia pudding and lots of almond butter toast! i’m grateful for SO much. my life, my family, my friends, my education, my health, and the opportunity to travel (i’m studying abroad in ireland now). sorry for such a long comment, have a great monday!
Please don’t apologize for the long comment— I love hearing from you! Oh man, that sounds like one epic Sunday breakfast.
Our mental space is so heavily influenced by our affluence, so it’s like…our fault but not..?
My first world problem is not knowing what to make when you’re super hungry because you’re totally out of what you usually make–aka sweet potatoes. LIKE NOOOOOOO. I’m getting more soon, which is awesome, of course! 🙂 Anyways, speaking of which, Japanese and Okinawan purple sweet potatoes have been my staples for breakfast! I also top them with cinnamon, turmeric and maca with PB2 or almond butter and have them with a side of fruit! Delicious!
Haha! Definitely a first world problem that I have too. I don’t think I’ve ever tried Okinawan purple sweet potatoes, but they always look so pretty!
You’re right–intuitive eating gets a lot more complicated when you’re eating out! It’s hard to balance when you feel like you SHOULD be eating something but at the same time you’re not hungry but you also might get hungry later if you don’t eat… it’s hard!
My Sunday morning breakfast was chocolate chip pancakes with peanut butter and syrup. It was a treat. 🙂
Mmm that sounds like the PERFECT Sunday morning breakfast!
I can relate more to this “first world problem” than I want to admit. As someone trying to gain weight, I’m often worried about eating enough and at the right time but not too much or it’ll upset my stomach, etc. Any tips that helped you change your mindset?
Eating more calorie dense foods (avocado, nuts/seeds, healthy oils, chicken thighs instead of breasts, full fat dairy, cheese, heartier breads, etc.) in each meal helps to easily up the calorie intake (obviously) without filling you up any more than usual! But definitely talk to your doctor/nutritionist before making any changes in your diet 🙂
I was addicted to the games all weekend! But with the time difference it meant I had to catch up on most of it – it was live in Australia from 1am – 10am!
Yep, I relate to this. I’ve stressed myself out way too many times about thinking I ‘have to eat’ after recovery, when I can just say, ‘I’m not really that hungry right now’ and I often do get hungry later, and I start nibbling. Thank you Alison for reminding me that God did not give us food to stress over. 🙂 And Sunday morning breakfast for me? I think it was yogurt and granola! 🙂
The crossfit games were insaneeee!! They are superhumans and have some serious talent. This is such a great post and I think you hit on a very important topic- to just CHILL! Those pancakes look super delish too. I had waffles the other day, but I need to step up my pancake game! I just suck at flipping them lol
Waffles are amazing, but I do love the stack-ability of pancakes 🙂
I almost forget, too, that I don’t necessarily HAVE to eat, just because I love eating and always look forward to it! But occasionally, I AM still full. Working on the “eat when hungry, stop when full” thing, too. Eating…such a simple (seeming) thing but it somehow gets complicated by us!
Seriously though— it’s great that we have such complex brains, but sometimes those brains are our own worst enemies!!
I can totally relate to the not feeling hungry thing. It’s almost a bummer when I’m about to eat a big delicious meal but I just don’t feel hungry because I think hunger makes you appreciate the food more and feel satisfied…if that makes sense. I think I had eggs and sweet potatoes on Sunday. Honestly, summer days just morph together, and I lose track of time.
Today I am so very thankful for God’s perfect timing 🙂 Thanks, as always, for your wonderful insight.
I completely understand that, Evangeline. God’s timing is indeed always perfect, and thank you for reminding me of that 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
That carrot cake looks AMAZING 😀 Hope you have a great week!
Can you please teach my sister to eat avocado toast too?! And yay for Groupons!
I feel ya. It’s also difficult for me when people make food specifically for you. I hate feeling obligated to eat whatever they cook even when I’m full because I don’t want to hurt their feelings. These emotions make me restrict my eating rather than listen to my body’s signals. So it’s inspiring to hear how you were able to find balance.
Happy weekend, Alison!
Should I do private avocado toast lessons?? 😉 Hope you have a great weekend, Kaylee!
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