Running on - Nutrition...
This will not be the only post about nutrition as I move forward with this endeavor - a topic that intrigues me at the same time it scares me (so much information out there - who to trust, who to believe). I'll try to tackle all my questions and discoveries as they arise, but today is about the big change in my diet.
I have been tired for a very long time (that age when sleep quality is not the best), but not enough that I can't function day to day. I exercise, I never nap, and I don't fall asleep on the couch at night. In my head, I was fine. Just fine. Well, about a month ago I noticed that my fingernails were paler (paler than usual) and incredibly brittle. And my skin was paler (paler than usual). Now, to be clear - I am not a doctor, but I play one on the Internet...
My research suggested possibly an iron deficiency. Maybe even calcium. Then I started really looking at what I was eating and drinking. Hmmm...seems my iron intake is rather low (I had stopped eating cereal) and my usual 3 glasses of milk a day had all but disappeared over the years (also, I had stopped eating cereal WITH milk).
With my goal of upping the mileage, working harder on strength training, and being ready to tackle a big event in Oct., I knew I needed to look closely at how I was fueling my body. Last year (on a different 'project'), I was determined to eat as soon as I got out of bed (my bad habit of having coffee only had to go). Now that I have that firmly in place, I have changed my simple banana and peanut butter/pumpkin/oat ball (these are actually dog treats that I make for Zoe - but they are awesome) to either cereal with milk or oatmeal with milk and Greek yogurt and an orange. And, because I exercise on my lunch hour, I have a second breakfast (like the Hobbits) of toast, boiled egg and another piece of fruit so that I am not starving when I lace up the shoes. My banana and PB ball get scarfed down with a glass of milk after my workout (I never feel like eating a big meal after, so I save that for after my shower, when I'm back at my desk).
This, I am coming to realize, is a lot of food. But I will not let that worry me (oh how we are influenced by the media). My body needs the nutrition. My muscles need the fuel in order to recover and carry me further the next time. The calories I consume are healthy (with the occasional crap thrown in for good measure) and with my increase in exercise time, those extra calories won't get stored around my middle (oh how we are influenced by the media).
Confession - I am loving my cereal for breakfast and finding that my mood is much better throughout the day.
Happy eating,
J
I have been tired for a very long time (that age when sleep quality is not the best), but not enough that I can't function day to day. I exercise, I never nap, and I don't fall asleep on the couch at night. In my head, I was fine. Just fine. Well, about a month ago I noticed that my fingernails were paler (paler than usual) and incredibly brittle. And my skin was paler (paler than usual). Now, to be clear - I am not a doctor, but I play one on the Internet...
My research suggested possibly an iron deficiency. Maybe even calcium. Then I started really looking at what I was eating and drinking. Hmmm...seems my iron intake is rather low (I had stopped eating cereal) and my usual 3 glasses of milk a day had all but disappeared over the years (also, I had stopped eating cereal WITH milk).
With my goal of upping the mileage, working harder on strength training, and being ready to tackle a big event in Oct., I knew I needed to look closely at how I was fueling my body. Last year (on a different 'project'), I was determined to eat as soon as I got out of bed (my bad habit of having coffee only had to go). Now that I have that firmly in place, I have changed my simple banana and peanut butter/pumpkin/oat ball (these are actually dog treats that I make for Zoe - but they are awesome) to either cereal with milk or oatmeal with milk and Greek yogurt and an orange. And, because I exercise on my lunch hour, I have a second breakfast (like the Hobbits) of toast, boiled egg and another piece of fruit so that I am not starving when I lace up the shoes. My banana and PB ball get scarfed down with a glass of milk after my workout (I never feel like eating a big meal after, so I save that for after my shower, when I'm back at my desk).
This, I am coming to realize, is a lot of food. But I will not let that worry me (oh how we are influenced by the media). My body needs the nutrition. My muscles need the fuel in order to recover and carry me further the next time. The calories I consume are healthy (with the occasional crap thrown in for good measure) and with my increase in exercise time, those extra calories won't get stored around my middle (oh how we are influenced by the media).
Confession - I am loving my cereal for breakfast and finding that my mood is much better throughout the day.
Happy eating,
J
Love this! We do need to fuel properly to feel good - especially when we're training. Good on ya for listening to your body and figuring out what works best for you!
ReplyDeleteLet's hope I keep listening...even if the scale goes up a bit (which I think it will with all this food I'm eating ;) Thanks, Janice!
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