Friday, July 30, 2010

Food

I know I need to eat. It just isn't a priority. And that is the foothold of the problem with my relationship with food. It's not that I don't like food, or like too much of it. I know I need to eat.... and I go off and do something else.
I open my fridge and there is an abundance of fruits (washed) ready to be cut, peeled and eaten. I look further and I have little pre-wrapped baggies of nuts, yogurts, many different styles of greens to choose from..... and somehow, these lovely foods rarely get off the shelf. Somehow, i dilly-dally all day long and then ask myself what I want to eat for dinner..... and go get something else.

A lot happens between 5am when I wake to train and 7pm when I consider eating dinner. Much of the time, it has nothing to do with food.... but I need fuel to get me through the day.

So, today.... a-ha moment. FOOD IS NOT A PRIORITY IN MY LIFE.

That is a BIG problem. HUGE.

It is not that I am necessarily eating junk. Granted, when I put off eating I want the easiest thing available. The good news is that I don't like fast food and I get tired of walking to get chinese or pasta or something else.... So, when I am scrounging for quick and easy, I am usually pulling out spinach, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, broccoli, or some other veggie I can munch on for dinner.

The other problem has to do with the quantity of calories that I am NOT consuming. Food is not a priority and it should be. How can I possibly get the calories I need to ride my bike, run or swim, if I am not planning meals? How can I possibly be getting the nutrients I need if I am not focusing on getting a variety of fruits and veggies and lean meats in my system.

And so.......

I can now address a big problem in my training. And this needs to be addressed and corrected immediately. I do not want to BONK! (bonking is a state where the athlete uses all the muscle glycogen, ie: blood sugar and carbs, available to her in a training session or race, and suffers..... it is not a good place to be EVER!)

Granted, I tend to follow different principles.... like not eating processed foods (if it came from a plant and is not a plant), have a foundation of lean meats (although some of my friends call me vegetarian... i think they need to look at the definition), seafood, fresh fruits and veggies.... like eating 'live foods' (fresh fruits and veggies, with maybe some yogurt or kefir or an egg) during the day, and my cooked meal at night (ooops.... i just had an omelette and it is 2.30pm), and eating until i am more thirsty than hungry....
WOW.

--Not eating processed foods.... Watch the movie FOOD, INC., and I doubt you will want to eat non-organic/free-range food again..... after you throw-away your entire cupboard.
I have found I feel better by not eating junk.... cheetos, chips, cookies, etc... (Now today is National Cheesecake Day... made some fresh cheesecake). I also feel more satisfied by eating higher quality meats/fishes.... and I eat less, actually.

-- Predominantly fruits and veggies.... In the book, EAT TO LIVE, Dr. Joel Fuhrman talks about eating two large bowls (2 cups) of veggies a day (minimum)... well, that's a lot of leaves, greens, and other veggies.... if I am eating all that, how much room do I have for other junk?
A big trend is returning to the eating habits of the 'cave man'.... in reading The Paleo Diet for Athletes, Loren Cordain, discusses the needs of the endurance athlete and frequency of meals... and creating meals surrounding lean meats, seafood, fresh fruits, and veggies. If you read the Warrior Diet or the Spartan Diet, the trend is to eat live foods during the day, and your cooked meal at night. (My problem: I know I need to eat... I put it off).

--Eating until I am more thirsty than hungry..... When I first thought about this, I was like are you kidding me? How could you feel thirsty when you are eating? And I slowed down... eating is to be enjoyed, somehow in America we think it is a race.... and civilized people become human vacuum cleaners,..... and when I started to enjoy my food and slow down, I would know when I was satisfied. I was thirsty. I wanted water. And if I ate food then, I would feel overstuffed. ICK! (now, if i am still hungry in about 20 minutes, by all means I should eat again...)


Gaining this information is not valuable if I don't do anything with it. So, tomorrow I am planning my day.... I have errands to run, I am scheduled to bike 90 minutes, and I want to see if I can sneak 1600m swim in, as well as any other drama the day will bring. So, in the morning.... i am going to have a grapefruit (love the citrus in the morning)... and plan on some cherries and yogurt mid-morning.... and salad or other greens for lunch... and then a recovery meal after whichever workout... and dinner... greens and the crab cakes i have stashed in the freezer.
And sunday, I will plan Saturday night.
It is easier for me to plan the next day the night before.... b/c it is then I know what I am doing.... training/errands/clients/other..... And I can write food to eat in with the top six things I need to accomplish during the day.

This a-ha moment will shape my training and eating moving forward.



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