Did I Mention the Pie?

Many of you got a chance to read my adventures this last week in Key West via my travel blog, but what you're really wanting to know is how did intuitive eating go? Meh.

Ultimately, what made it really difficult this last week was the forced meals...ok, "included" meals, if you like. I forgot that I wouldn't necessarily get a choice on when I felt like eating versus when it was dinner time. There was also included pie--key lime pie! When in Rome...right?

Our early morning on day 1, also made it hard to get back on track. After everyone else went to bed, I still had work to do. This just made it hard to catch up on sleep and really be conscious of monitoring my hunger. Also, did I mention the key lime pie?

No worries! This week is another week and chance to get back at it--also, February already! The one advantage of travel is that I log an average of 8 miles a day on my feet. 

This week also mark's the start of training for that 5k. It will be harder to train in the Michigan cold after the Key West warmth, but home is home. Also, there were key lime pie donuts too. #RunTheMitten

A Diet Riot...

This last week I spent some quality time evaluating my life--well habits anyway.

I came to a few conclusions: I can make really healthy and delicious meals (like the sumptuous shrimp stir fry you see to your right), I enjoy exercising (to an extent, I'm not sure I'll ever be on board with swimming for anything other than recreation--wet, meh), I have a pretty serious sugar addiction post kiddo, and I'm too tired to meal prep more than a day ahead of time (and seriously, I generally regret whatever I've packed for my lunch the night before...Tuesday Me doesn't feel like eating Monday Me's idea of a delicious salad).

I also had some thoughts on these conclusions and inadvertently did a little research (I know, most of you don't stumble into research, but hey, it can happen). Foremost, I have to figure out some way to eat better without diet guilt. What, you say, is "diet guilt?" Diet guilt is a term I just made up (because if George W. Bush can do it, so can I--I'm the decider)--n. the distraught feeling a person gets when they have gone off their diet, often resulting in complete nutritional sabotage.

A study I recently read, revealed that diets, in and of themselves, are unhealthy. Any longtime followers of my blog (and life) know that I agree wholeheartedly with this. All things in moderation. Carbs are not evil. etc. etc. This study proclaimed that when you restrict your food intake--whether by calories, carbs, whole foods, or whatever--you are more apt to break free from this restriction with major consequences--i.e. I already ate one cupcake that I shouldn't have...so I'll eat six more and start over again tomorrow. In doing so, you feel incredible guilt--diet guilt--and like a failure. 

This is the story of my life for the past few years. I stayed away from the wacky diet trends--because I know they're only a temporary (if at all) fix, and tried to focus on eating low calorie--but it was hard. I was thinking to myself, "Self...how did I manage to do this before and lose weight without starving?" The answer has two parts: 1) I was dedicated and it took me six months of being careful and exercising religiously to lose the initial weight, and 2) I eventually started running (like, a lot) and was able to eat more without thinking too much about that calorie count. Part 1 did allow me to focus on real food instead of the processed junk I was used to, and that was a good thing overall, but 2 made me feel good mentally and physically--and it wasn't about the calories.

So, I should know how to eat right, right? I do, but it's clouded by sugar cravings and tiredness (and I'm going to go ahead and blame my kid here, because keeping another person alive is more serious work than I realized, and I have never been so exhausted in my life--that's how kids change your life, right there.) What can I do? 

Eat more intuitively.

Huh? My research revealed that the answer to most people's dieting problems is

to get off the diets and eat. Eat when you feel hungry and what you really want to consume--if you don't love it, don't eat it. Stop. Think about what your body wants and needs, then decide what and when to consume it. Reading about intuitive eating was a revelation for me.  It should be obvious to us all, but we get sidetracked by modern life, the abundance of food here in the U.S. (what exactly are impossible burgers? veggie straws?), and our all too busy lifestyles--Americans are, in fact, the hardest working people overall in the world.

For most of my life, I think I've ignored the cues my body gave me about what to eat or drink and when. I snacked. I ate three meals a day. I skipped meals. I ate healthily. I ate not so healthily. Just what did I want to do? What out of the last 30-plus years did I really want to eat? Time to refocus.

So, this next week and beyond, I'm going to give the intuitive thing a shot. Stop, hey, what's that sound? It's my stomach rumbling. When I feel hungry I will eat something--something delicious and nutritious--until I'm not hungry anymore. It should be interesting because I'm headed on a work trip tomorrow to sunny Key West. (Follow my daily travel adventures HERE). Luckily, eating intuitively should work anywhere.

If Deana Carter and Bobby Flay Had a Baby...

Well, it's been a few years since I last touched base--and a lot has happened within that time! Reflecting on that the past couple of weeks, I decided to dig up the blog again and try to get it rolling. Let me know if you like it, and I'll try to keep it up.

When last we met, I had just run my first marathon in the spring of 2014--the Kalamazoo Marathon. Over the past five or so years I ran a second marathon--BayShore--up in Traverse City, and ran my first, (and maybe only) ultra--31 grueling miles in 90+ degree heat. I also did a Tough Mudder (not my favorite), and a Warrior Dash. I also lost a good running buddy, April, who I think about often, even more than a year after her death--and met a lot of really cool new running friends when I schlepped through the Ragnar Road Race just this past September.

I also dove into politics and won (and got re-elected) a seat on my local school board as a Trustee.  For the last several years I've also served as the President. I also moved almost right next to the schools, as we bought a house in town. Yay for sidewalks!

About three years ago, I started a new, full-time job at SVSU, where I serve as the director of their lifelong learning program for people age 50 or better. Which, in and of itself, has been an adventure. I've met so many interesting people along the way, both in our members and instructors and speakers; I even get to travel to far off places on occasion. I also have an awesome staff; we're small but mighty.

Finally, we decided to have a tiny person! "P," now almost two and a half is sometimes annoying, but always amazing.  I still can't believe I made him! He is always on the move, and it's pretty fascinating to watch him go from blob to walking, and from googling to talking. He keeps me on my toes, for sure. I'm also sure that being able to name all the characters on Peppa Pig is a valuable life skill to have, right?

In general, it has been a great five-plus years since I last posted, but how is the healthy part of me doing? Well, I've been healthier--I've definitely eaten better in the past and been fitter--but the reality is, hey I'm tired and I work full time. I try to make dinner most nights, but when P mostly sustains a diet of chicken nuggets, PB&J, and quesadillas, it's hard to find the motivation to get all Bobby Flay. I did keep up running while pregnant with P and ran a 5k every month before I had him. He was a might tiny though and had to stay in a tiny crystal palace for a couple of weeks in the NICU. I also had to take a break for about a month and a half after having surgery. Running has been touch and go ever since, and nothing regular.

I'm a little sad about this! Running was like, my thing. I just can't find the time though. I still exercise every day and walk Hudson every bearable day (it is Michigan winter after all), but there is something about the timing of everything and my place mentally keeping me from taking the plunge back into it.

Pretty soon, however, I won't have a choice.  I have promised my sister-in-law a 5k run before she turns the dreaded 3-0. "I still remember when 30 was old..." She has a list of things that should be done before then, and running a 5k is on it. What're 3 miles between friends?

So, it's time to get it in gear. Time to chug down some caffeine and shove myself out the door. I'll try not to trip on my own feet on the way out.