Some days are just harder to stay motivated than others. Last week I shared that when I have to train solo, I find it more difficult to push myself to stick with my training plan. I also find Fridays to be particularly hard to get up when it's still dark outside and my family is snuggled so comfortably in their beds as I head out into the cold. This Friday was no exception. It was a day when I knew I had to swim by myself, so already my brain was working on excuses. I woke up a little before my 4:45 alarm, so I told myself that if my alarm didn't actually go off, I would allow myself to get some extra sleep. After all, that would be a sign that my body needed to rest, right? A few minutes later, my alarm began to scream at me. Excuse #1 down.
Next, I decided that if it was raining, I would go back to bed. My brain was thinking, "I am not really sure the pool is even open on rainy days--I don't want to get too wet." In addition, I have to drive 20 minutes to get to the local recreation center to swim. What if I went all that way and it was closed due to inclement weather? So I walked outside to check the weather, and not only was it not raining, the ground was absolutely bone dry. Why, oh why was mother nature not cooperating with my intense need to skip swimming and go back to bed? Excuse #2 down.
At this point I was going for the big guns. Okay, if my weight had gone up over the last week, then I would absolutely have to go and work off the extra weight. So I stepped on the scale, and I had actually lost a fraction of a pound. Technically I could go back to bed now, right? The problem was that at this point I was completely awake, and my brain was realizing what I was trying to do. So I reluctantly put on my swimsuit and forced myself to go do my swim workout. Excuse #3 averted.
Next, I decided that if it was raining, I would go back to bed. My brain was thinking, "I am not really sure the pool is even open on rainy days--I don't want to get too wet." In addition, I have to drive 20 minutes to get to the local recreation center to swim. What if I went all that way and it was closed due to inclement weather? So I walked outside to check the weather, and not only was it not raining, the ground was absolutely bone dry. Why, oh why was mother nature not cooperating with my intense need to skip swimming and go back to bed? Excuse #2 down.
At this point I was going for the big guns. Okay, if my weight had gone up over the last week, then I would absolutely have to go and work off the extra weight. So I stepped on the scale, and I had actually lost a fraction of a pound. Technically I could go back to bed now, right? The problem was that at this point I was completely awake, and my brain was realizing what I was trying to do. So I reluctantly put on my swimsuit and forced myself to go do my swim workout. Excuse #3 averted.
Rainy day hill sprints with my running buddies.
Luckily, at this point in my journey I rarely make excuses to get myself out of my exercise. I honestly enjoy it now and don't have nearly the energy if I skip my workouts. In fact, my running buddies will tell you that our rule is we run no matter what the weather--only lightening will keep us from our appointed route (funny how I have double standards for running and swimming). I just felt the above experience really illustrates how truly ridiculous I can be when I want to get out of something. Sometimes we work harder on our excuses to get out of work than it would have taken if we had just done the original task in the first place. A math teacher friend of mine shares that to avoid doing the difficult problems on her tests, the students will often do more math calculating the affect on their score if they skip the hard problems than they would have had to do if they just did the problems they are avoiding. But if we want results, we have to stop making excuses. Or as Mater from the CARS movie would say we just need to "Get'er done!"
And while I don't often make excuses for my training, I am a master at convincing myself that it is okay to eat food that is not good for me. It is really easy these days to justify why it is okay for me to have something sweet like chocolate or ice cream, or to tell myself it is okay to choose french fries instead of fruit. With all of my training I am losing inches, and for the first time in two years, I am even losing a few pounds. I am at the lowest I have been in probably twenty years. That's why my brain is telling me it is okay to have butter on my toast, to indulge in some fried foods, and even to put chocolate, which is a major trigger food for me, into my mouth.
In addition, I am burning lots of calories with these double workouts, so I am really hungry all the time. These days I almost think I know what it feels like to be a ravenous teenage boy. I will eat a meal, and one hour later I will be hungry. Again my brain is using this as an excuse for me to make bad choices--you burned a lot of calories, your hungry, so it won't hurt you to eat those mini Snickers bars, Hot Tamales, or a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
And while I don't often make excuses for my training, I am a master at convincing myself that it is okay to eat food that is not good for me. It is really easy these days to justify why it is okay for me to have something sweet like chocolate or ice cream, or to tell myself it is okay to choose french fries instead of fruit. With all of my training I am losing inches, and for the first time in two years, I am even losing a few pounds. I am at the lowest I have been in probably twenty years. That's why my brain is telling me it is okay to have butter on my toast, to indulge in some fried foods, and even to put chocolate, which is a major trigger food for me, into my mouth.
In addition, I am burning lots of calories with these double workouts, so I am really hungry all the time. These days I almost think I know what it feels like to be a ravenous teenage boy. I will eat a meal, and one hour later I will be hungry. Again my brain is using this as an excuse for me to make bad choices--you burned a lot of calories, your hungry, so it won't hurt you to eat those mini Snickers bars, Hot Tamales, or a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Love our 30 mile rides around Lake Elsinore!
Here's the problem--I won't be able to keep up this level of exercise forever. I am training for Ironman, but after that I will go back to a normal level of movement. If I get used to eating crap, once I cut back on my workouts, my body will still crave the unhealthy food. This will ensure that I will once again gain weight and go back to where I was before, and I NEVER want to go back to the old me again.
The other truth is, I should be eating more food. I am working out 1-3 hours a day six days a week, and my body needs more fuel to replenish what I burn. However, I should be eating lots of lean protein, veggies, fruits, and whole grains instead of replacing the calories with sugar, unhealthy fat, and empty calories. Don't get me wrong, my friends will tell you that I am the one that almost always brings a healthy breakfast and lunch with me to work, so I do eat healthy food most of the time. The problem is that sometimes I eat crap in addition to or instead of the healthy meals I bring. I need to remind myself than thinner does not mean healthier if I don't make good food choices.
So in the coming weeks I will be watching what I put into my mouth to ensure that it will be a healthy fuel for my body. No more excuses for making bad choices, no more excuses to get out of swimming, and no more using junkie foods to supplement my calories needs. In a revised version of an old Weight Watcher inspirational quote, "Nothing tastes as good as a healthy and flabulous me feels!" NO EXCUSES!
The other truth is, I should be eating more food. I am working out 1-3 hours a day six days a week, and my body needs more fuel to replenish what I burn. However, I should be eating lots of lean protein, veggies, fruits, and whole grains instead of replacing the calories with sugar, unhealthy fat, and empty calories. Don't get me wrong, my friends will tell you that I am the one that almost always brings a healthy breakfast and lunch with me to work, so I do eat healthy food most of the time. The problem is that sometimes I eat crap in addition to or instead of the healthy meals I bring. I need to remind myself than thinner does not mean healthier if I don't make good food choices.
So in the coming weeks I will be watching what I put into my mouth to ensure that it will be a healthy fuel for my body. No more excuses for making bad choices, no more excuses to get out of swimming, and no more using junkie foods to supplement my calories needs. In a revised version of an old Weight Watcher inspirational quote, "Nothing tastes as good as a healthy and flabulous me feels!" NO EXCUSES!
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