I've said it once, I've said it 1,000 times. I love food that is not good for me. I'll be honest and say that I do indulge more than I should, but I will also say that I am not a glutton. :)So, marathon time, right? The week's training has gone pretty well and I'm heading out on my first 10 miler in some sweltering North Carolina heat tomorrow.
I've really contemplated going on a junk food fast for the marathon. Hrm. Contemplated would be the word I would use. I've done it twice in the past few years and the benefits have been amazing but I'm not sure I'm willing to take the plunge, well, because I love junk food. So then I think I'll strike a balance and say treats only on Saturdays after runs, but then Saturdays turn into Sunday and I've got a tummy full of ice cream on my Monday morning run. Then it goes down hill from there.
So my question to you is this: how do you find your balance? Not necessarily just in running and exercising, but just in life? I'm really an all or nothin' kinda girl and I'd like to move towards balance in my life.
Have a great weekend everyone. Go for a run and you Cali girls, enjoy that cool morning weather for me, ok?
** Disclosure. I am not happy about this heat and running in it. Just in case you couldn't infer from my previous complaints in this post and others. Just sayin'. I'll be a big girl though. I can do it. Right? Right. Right.
OH I'm in the trenches with you! I'll either be running this evening or tomorrow morning. Can't decide: After work will be hot but I can sleep in tomorrow. Or tomorrow morning will be cooler but I'll have to get up early? Second thought...heck way am I running I don't even have a race scheduled?!?! Oh well...just remember...I'm there with you! NC summers will make us stronger!
ReplyDeleteI've never quite understood this. Is the no junk food thing to help performance? Or to lose weight? I've never understood depriving myself of such goodness. The longest I've gone is 2 weeks when we lived in Seattle. I think I did lose some weight, but I'm not sure it was worth it, really. If you say you are not a glutton or binger, I see nothing wrong with treating yourself to a sugar kick, and some extra calories when you're working your butt off almost every day of the week. So if it's because you feel like you're working out is to maintain/lose weight and sugar is affecting progression- if you have the power- get rid of it. If the benefit is menial- I say don't deprive yourself of a little piece of heaven even a couple times a day. ;) Can you tell I'm an advocate for sugar and somewhat addicted!! :) This may be my longest comment ever! :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with heat running. I'm definitely not jealous. I probably wouldn't go. It's nice you are so driven and disciplined. I'm excited to get back in the mix in a couple months!
I'm working on finding that balance right now as well! I will usually let myself have one SMALL treat a couple times a week. When I want to over indulge I've been practicing telling myself that the food will still be there tomorrow. It seems to be helping, then again, it's only been 2 weeks!
ReplyDeleteI have an addictive personality. I'm afraid I would be an alcoholic if I ever let any touch my lips. If I tell myself I can't have something, it's all I think about. So, in order to eat healthier, I just make the healthier food much more accessible. I stock my fridge with fresh goodies, leave some on the counter to enjoy. That way, when I walk into the kitchen, that's what I see. So that's what I eat. :)
ReplyDeleteIn life I find a pretty good balance. I'm not a perfectionist in ANYTHING (other than wasting time on the computer). I dabble in many things. I'm a dabbler. But that also means I don't have have sufficient time to put into the important stuff (like seeing friends regularly enough).
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to junk food I have no balance. I eat it. It makes me feel sick. I eat it again. It's bad. Some weeks I overdose and eat healthy for a while. Then I get a bag of candy and eat it all. Not that I binge--it's not to that level even remotely. I just eat a lot of sweets. So I know how you feel and I have no advice...
Now wasn't that helpful? Hahaha.
Oh! And let me add my answer to Lindsey's comment.
ReplyDeleteLindsey--if you were asking me that question, I'd say that my reason for going off sugar is that I don't eat it in moderation. I eat too much and then get a horrible sugar low. Makes me very tired. Sometimes makes me feel sick. Sometimes makes me very irritable. So for me it would be to even out my energy levels since sugar makes my energy levels dip and can ruin my day. That would be a pretty good reason to learn how to moderate my sugar intake, wouldn't it? Sheesh. I need to learn moderation.
so i'm addicted to sugar too girls! i'm totally with you, julia, on that all or nothing thing. i can't tell myself that i can just eat sugar on the weekend, because i just end up eating it all week long. i've done some junk food fasts too before races and i can tell the difference, but i have to be totally on board with the plan or i won't stick with it.
ReplyDeleteand lindsey, my reason for going off of sugar is the same as molly's... because i absolutely cannot control my intake amount when it comes to sugar. so sometimes i just have to cut myself off so i can give myself a little perspective. :)
Lisa: NC summers DO make us stronger. That's right, girl. :)
ReplyDeleteLinds: I think the no junk food thing is for performance and if weight loss happens, that's great. But it's really for performance. I completely agree that it's extreme and that we should be allowed to indulge, and I do. But the problem is I over indulge and it affects my running and esteem.
Amber: KEEP AT IT!
Mare: That's what it has to come to at our house too. Jona hates it, but that's just the way it is. If it's not in the house, we won't eat it.
Molly: Actually the most helpful. It's nice to know I'm not the only one. :) I think you and I are on the same page.
Whit: I'm glad you've been able to tell a difference in your running. It gives me a boost to try again!
i'm sorry. i HATED training in the texas heat! good luck with the treat thing. i haven't figured out how to have balance either.
ReplyDelete