109 days to go

Last night I opted out of running (Re: Monday night) and chose Spin at the gym - in a pleasant turn of events I ran into Sara & Dion and ALL OF THEIR GYM BUDDIES doing weights. I did maybe a total of 4 reps of nothing (because I hate weights and as RJ said "You look totally miserable down here...") and then convinced Sara to participate in my lovely Spin class (Marisa has been away for ages and I was getting lonely!) with me. It was a good class, hard teacher who likes keeping us at an EIGHT, but a good class.

Anyway - that was just an update, the real reason to post was I found this great article about eating healthy and curbing cravings on active.com called Healthy Ways to Handle Food Cravings.

That picture to the left is me (not really me, but basically what I look like stuffing my face). Ever since I really started running I haven't been watching what I ate. Actually, I think it was because I stopped Weight Watchers before going to Thailand and Vietnam and once I got back I just stopped caring. After that once I started running and working out I told myself I could just eat whatever I want because I would work it off later....which is bullshit. I make a really concious effort to eat healthy around other people because I find it totally mortifying to eat junk because I don't want to be judged, but let's be frank, if I had that pile of Cinnabons in front of me and I was alone - they would all be gone in a matter of minutes. Gross.

My big problem is that I have a craving for bread 24/7. Crackers or fruit or whatever else doesn't cut  the carb craving and I tend to nosh on a piece of bread while I'm making dinner or just sitting around or need a snack...or really, I don't need a reason, I just do it because it tastes good.  I also like bagels...a little too much. If I had my way I would eat a bagel for every meal with differents spreads. I'd never get bored and I'd be the happiest person on the planet. Normal people cannot do this as evidenced by my being a 35 lb over weight kid (don't ask to see pictures, you won't get to see them!). Anyway, this article raises a good point...

"The question arises: What's so bad about cravings in the first place? Is there really something wrong with eating what you truly want to eat? Cravings are not addictions. That is, if you crave a bagel because it tastes good, why should you not enjoy the bagel? When you eat a food you crave, your brain experiences a biochemical change that signals happiness. Can eating an appropriate portion (as opposed to overeating "the whole thing") be a bad thing to do?"

The answer commonly depends on if you are eating the food for fuel vs. mindlessly devouring it for its drug-like effect. If you find yourself on the verge of polishing off the whole bag of bagels, stop and ask yourself, "Does my body need this fuel?" If the answer is yes, you need to learn how to prevent the extreme hunger or deprivation that triggered the overeating.

If the answer is no, then ask yourself, "What am I doing with my feelings?" Over-eating a craved food can distract you from sadness, smother your emotions, and protect your from feeling alone and lonely. But you are using food for the wrong reason. No amount of bagels, chocolate, or chips will resolve the real problem: you are likely hungry for a hug.

In my case the answer is usually always no, I don't need the whole bag of bagels, but that doesn't make them taste any worse! I need to learn to curb my cravings and not have carbs with EVERY meal. I need to work lean protien (I suppose only fish because that's all I eat) and veggies back into my diet. I assure you it's going to be a real pain in the ass, especially when I like beer and pizza so much, but it will make me feel better. It will make me stronger and more able to push to my goal.

Which, after last night, is a possible Triathalon with Sara after the Half Marathon - which, we will see...

Anyway, the article is a good read and you should look into it. Sorry for the super long post, I just really don't want to get to work this morning!