So, today's "I Can.." is kind of setting a theme for my post.
I've decided to let go of my obsession to weight loss.
Don't get me wrong. I'm still committed to a healthy life. But I want to put things in perspective. I'm 5'6". I weigh 160 lbs. Ideally, Shawn feels I should weigh about 155 lbs. That's five pounds difference.
I have made my whole life about losing those five pounds. I was starting to feel like a failure because I couldn't get those five pounds off.
And what was worse, as I got more and more frustrated about not losing those five pounds, I started indulging in self-sabotaging behaviour that would cause me to gain one or two pounds more, that I'd then have to get off.
Then I would take a couple of weeks and meticulously watch everything I ate and count every calorie. The extra pound or two would come off.
And my runs would suffer because I wasn't eating enough.
So I'd relax a bit and eat according to the amount I was working out. And then I'd get frustrated because I seemed to stall at 160 again.
And it would start again.
And then I stumbled upon this article. The idea was so simple, it was so elegant.... and yet I'd never thought about it: "Never run to eat - eat to run."
On days I run, I eat well. My snacks are meticulously timed. I don't overeat. I drink plenty of water. Why? Because I know how hard it is to run. I know I've gotta fight for every step of every mile. And I know it's going to take energy to do that. So I eat well. When I finish a run, I know I have to refuel, so I let my body tell me when it's full, rather than relying on some portioned amount. And I rarely go over what I'm expected to eat for a day.
So, I'm letting go of the "diet" mentality. I wish it was as easy as writing that, but I know it isn't. B ut I'm going to try. I'm going to step on the scale as a monitor only, and I'm going to just eat smart and I'm going to run. I'm not going to track my weight and my calories eaten and my calories burned. I'm going to log my miles and minutes run, and pounds lifted, and strides taken.
I'm playing by a new numbers game.
I've decided to let go of my obsession to weight loss.
Don't get me wrong. I'm still committed to a healthy life. But I want to put things in perspective. I'm 5'6". I weigh 160 lbs. Ideally, Shawn feels I should weigh about 155 lbs. That's five pounds difference.
I have made my whole life about losing those five pounds. I was starting to feel like a failure because I couldn't get those five pounds off.
And what was worse, as I got more and more frustrated about not losing those five pounds, I started indulging in self-sabotaging behaviour that would cause me to gain one or two pounds more, that I'd then have to get off.
Then I would take a couple of weeks and meticulously watch everything I ate and count every calorie. The extra pound or two would come off.
And my runs would suffer because I wasn't eating enough.
So I'd relax a bit and eat according to the amount I was working out. And then I'd get frustrated because I seemed to stall at 160 again.
And it would start again.
And then I stumbled upon this article. The idea was so simple, it was so elegant.... and yet I'd never thought about it: "Never run to eat - eat to run."
On days I run, I eat well. My snacks are meticulously timed. I don't overeat. I drink plenty of water. Why? Because I know how hard it is to run. I know I've gotta fight for every step of every mile. And I know it's going to take energy to do that. So I eat well. When I finish a run, I know I have to refuel, so I let my body tell me when it's full, rather than relying on some portioned amount. And I rarely go over what I'm expected to eat for a day.
So, I'm letting go of the "diet" mentality. I wish it was as easy as writing that, but I know it isn't. B ut I'm going to try. I'm going to step on the scale as a monitor only, and I'm going to just eat smart and I'm going to run. I'm not going to track my weight and my calories eaten and my calories burned. I'm going to log my miles and minutes run, and pounds lifted, and strides taken.
I'm playing by a new numbers game.
1 comments:
hi there :) I just through I'd drop in some encouragement: don't sweat the weight. Never measure progress in pounds - look in the mirror.
I bet you've slimmed down and toned up. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat in the same volume - if you're building muscle and burning off fat you can weigh the same but drop dress sizes. And, of course, the greatest benefit of all - a healthier lifestyle!
Keep at it!
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