Time to Fuel Up

By SHS Staff Therapist

Published June 8, 2021

At last!  The long weekend you have desperately been waiting for has arrived!  You’ve been looking forward to this for weeks.  You and your friends have big plans.  You’re getting out of Utah County to enjoy a change of scenery and a change of pace.  Each friend is taking care of a certain aspect of this trip.  Your job—providing the ride. You really need this weekend especially after the particularly long and grueling week you’ve had.  In fact, you were up until the early morning hours so you could take care of loose ends before leaving.  So it’s no surprise that you oversleep.  You frantically pull on some clothes, grab your bag, and jump into your car.  You buckle up and head down the road to go pick up your friend.  As you reach that first stop light, you notice that glow from the dashboard that lets you know you’re out of gas.  But you can’t stop to get gas, not now!  You have people to pick up!  You have places to go!  You have better things to do!  So instead of stopping at the corner to fill up, you keep going because you are in a hurry. 

 

How far is this going to get you?  You might get to the first friend.  You even might be able to pick up all of your friends.  But one thing is certain-- you won’t reach your final destination if you don’t stop to fuel up. And have you ever had the experience driving on a low tank in the middle of nowhere not knowing where the next gas station is?  It can create some truly unpleasant feelings.   

 

How often do you do this to your own body?  How often do you tell yourself you don’t have time to eat because you overslept, you have to get to class, or you’re just too busy?  How often do you tell yourself you’ll grab something later?  Did you know it’s recommended not to go longer than 4-5 hours without eating during waking hours?  And some people may need to eat more frequently than this in order to stay healthy and satiated.* Your body, like a car, needs fuel in order to reach its destination.  And don’t forget, it tends to be a more enjoyable ride when you’re sufficiently fueled rather than running on fumes. 

 

So next time you’re in a rush, don’t forget to fuel up.  And remember, it’s not enjoyable for you or anyone else around you when you’re hangry—especially when you’re in a car that’s run out of gas.   

 

 

 

* Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2017). The intuitive eating workbook: principles for nourishing a healthy relationship with food. New Harbinger Publications, Inc.