The Issue: Eating

Hey, all! I know the title of my post is a little drab, and I in no way am trying to indicate a problem with eating (disclosing that first and foremost!). I love eating, I love everything about it--the tastes, the textures, from the steam rising off my hot oats in the morning to the creamy and smooth smoothie I knock back after workouts. I am having a little trouble though and I'd love every one's advice.

Lately I have been hungry. Not just hungry, but HUNGRY! Can you see the difference. Actually, I won't lie to you all. I'm not all that hungry, I just want to eat...it seems to be spiraling out of control lately and it's scaring me. I remember myself overweight and so unhappy during my high school years and I never want to go back there again. I love looking in the mirror and feeling fit and confident. So if I feel this way when I look in the mirror why do I run to the kitchen, feeling like I have been in starvation mode, making 3 bags of popcorn and shoveling them in my mouth like an uncontrollable beast?

How do you deal with hunger? How do you practice healthy eating? I have been such an extremist (in every aspect of my life) and have gone from binge eating to hardly eating (I don't want to get back into that either). I'd love any advice how to deal with these feelings, or how to figure out this whole "eating" process, it truly has me stumped.

5 Things...

It's early, I'm awake and ready to take on the day! While I used to dread having such an early internal-alarm-clock now I kind of like it...I feel like I get so much accomplished while others are still sleeping. I have a ton to do today and this is just a little post paying tribute to 5 things I am loving today!

1.  Rachel Bilson for Madison Magazine. She is the cover girl for the March 2011 issue and I love her laid-back California cool style. (Check out a behind the scenes video of the shoot here)
2. Cute Valentine's Day card from my friend Christina...I'm in RI and she's in PA and we still make time to write to each other...I love handwritten notes! (Hey Pen-pal you have a card coming your way!)
3. My pretty notebooks that I use to organize absolutely everything in my life: internship notes, regular day notes, monthly calender, daily calender, food log (a bit obsessive but I'm a Virgo, I think it's part of my zodiac sign to be a tad OCD!)
4. My nalgene water bottle! I am so excited to break a sweat after I eat my nice big breakfast, which leads me to...number
5. Kashi Honey Sunshine Cereal...my favorite cereal ever! And with that said I am off to enjoy my power breakfast: 3/4 c. Kashi cereal, small pre-packaged cup of strawberry yogurt, chopped apple, 1/4 c. blueberries, 1/4 c. pumpkin (heated in microwave), dash of cinnamon...all mixed together into a lovely parfait (served in my favorite paisley bowl *from Target* haha)

Have a great Saturday!

PS: I love making these little collages...I want to take some Digital Art/Design classes...anyone have any recommendations where to start?