Monday, May 23, 2011

Another Food Post

With my unintentional detox continuing, it's time for another post about food.

Deep dramatic sigh.

My "commitment" to the Racing Weight plan lasted until I got onto the plane to Missouri with my kids last month. Since then, I haven't been eating my worst ever, but it's not my best either, and my once-more plateaued weight has reflected that.

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm down two pounds from that plateau thanks to last week's stomach virus. But stomach viruses aren't a long-term solution to food issues.

So I'm trying a different tactic: the 10-Day Sugar Free Challenge co-sponsored by Amanda at RunToTheFinish.


What's different about this? For one thing I won't be doing it alone. For another, it's simple: watch out for sugar; other than that, everything else is good. And for a third: it's time-limited. 10 days, June 1-June 10. I can do almost anything for 10 days. And if going sugar-free feels as good in the end as advocates say, perhaps I'll even find it easier at that point to continue, and to make other healthy changes.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like getting my weight down is absolutely essential to achieving my Boston goal. I've even resorted to checking out diet books, which I hate. I had one under my arm to return to the library in disgust this morning, and I found myself trying to hide it from my co-workers. I get sick of both reactions I get when people see books like that in my possession. They want to know either a) why someone like me is reading it in the first place ("Are you anorexic?") or b) why I'm not reading this other great weight-loss book I should be reading (in other words, or so I take it in my insecurity, "You need some help, chunky girl").

Both camps mean well. But I'm an adult, and this is a matter I consider private. Food, like politics, isn't something I like to discuss or obsess about out loud. I only do it on this blog because it's so intertwined with running and because I know most of the people reading this know I'm not anorexic or truly overweight.

I just want to be faster!

Here's hoping the Sugar Challenge will be a step in the right direction. God, would I love to stop talking about diet! It's just....boring, and embarrassing. Talking about running is much more fun.

NPR Recommends....A couple of running books here. I'll definitely be picking these up.

3 comments:

  1. Best wishes on the plan. I need to eat LESS sugar, but that being said, bread seems to add the lbs to me. If I watch the bread intake (i.e. only one Subway sandwich per week instead of 7-8) I do okay.

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  2. I hear your pain, I'm back on my pop addiction and trying to wean off with iced tea before its time for my marathon training program, sigh ... Yet Hal Higden does approve of a prerace Coke, love that guy!!!
    I saw the same NPR article, looking forward to the three books.

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  3. Sugar is brutal when it comes to weight. I am super mindful about how much sugar I eat. My rule of thumb is not more than 7 g per meal, including my two "snacks". It's a guideline. I gotta say, cutting down my sugar really helped me in the old ab area.

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