What to Eat . . . .?

Why on earth is it so difficult to lose weight or even just figure out what is best for our bodies. I am constantly trying to figure out a way to eat healthy. There are so many fads and diet “cults” out there. Let me preface this blog post by stating that I in NO WAY am judging what anyone eats or does. We all have to make our own decisions and conclusions of what is going to fuel our bodies. Those are the words that so often we don’t use when it comes to food, fuel. Ultimately the food we put in our body is supposed to be the fuel our bodies need to accomplish the work we need our bodies to do for us. For some people that means fueling your body to sit at a desk for 10 hours and then drive home to sit on a couch. For others it means fueling for the body to clean the house, run after the kids and entertain friends and family. For many of us it means not only fueling for the above activities but also those training runs that range from 2 miles to 22 miles of running/biking/swimming etc. For the athletes out there looking to drop a few pounds it becomes almost more difficult.

When I first started running the goal was to lose weight. So I jumped in full force with the running and signed up and loosely trained for a ½ Marathon. While that was the catalyst that got me running I am still struggling with the food aspect of this. Many people, myself included, eat food because we LOVE food, not because we NEED the fuel.  The other thing I didn’t realize was that as I started to run longer my appetite got bigger! My body needed more fuel.  I have always joked that I run because I love to eat. I used to get upset because my wonderful husband, who can get out and run an 8 min mile with no work and not seem out of breath at all, lost a ton of weight as we trained for that first ½ Marathon. He didn’t really need to and here I was needing to but I stayed the same (at least I wasn’t gaining was my motto). I realized after a while that his view of food was much different. He ate to LIVE and ran because he LIKED it. I ran because I LOVED to eat. Main difference is he looks at fuel as food; I look at it from a much more emotional point of view. Food is a comfort thing. I also love the different flavors and to bake in general. My main point in this rambling is that while I am running much more consistently and a little faster my weight is really not changed much in the 3 years.

I gave up on dieting a long time ago. I realize that “diets” don’t work. I am looking food now as fuel for my body. In the last year I have started to recognize that food is fuel. Don’t get me wrong calories in and calories out is still something I think about a LOT. However, I don’t really count them as much. I am trying to think of food as if I am hungry I eat, if I am not hungry I don’t eat. On the same vein what I am eating I am thinking about more carefully. I still eat junk food and processed food, but it is not as often. Before when I would see a cookie or piece of cake at the store I wouldn’t be that hesitate to buy it and eat the whole thing, then feel guilty afterwards. Today I can safely walk by the bakery and while it looks and smells good I don’t buy. Mainly because I am more aware of what could be in the processed cookies and cakes. I would much rather make my own with a few substitutions to make them healthier and less full of sugar and oils. Dieting may help you lose weight in the short term but they rarely help you keep the weight off. The key is to making healthier choices, fruits, veggies, all that stuff we know about.

This leads me to nutrition and running. I am sure most of you have heard it called rungry, it is horrible. I go out for a long run spend 2 hours running, I come home and drink my after run Chocolate low-fat milk and banana. Then finish cooling down, maybe eat breakfast with eggs, cheese, spinach (or other veggies) and toast. Then an hour later I will feel like I haven’t eaten in a week and could eat everything in the fridge. Rungry is not fun, and if the goal is to lose weight it is very frustrating. But I have started researching. As I start contemplating running a Marathon next January (2016) I recognize a few things:

1)      Food is fuel and your body needs it to operate properly and give you optimal performance. As fuel the more nutrient rich the better. This means shopping the outside of most stores and avoiding, for the most part, the inner aisles.

2)      Natural foods can taste just as good as the processed foods when cooked correctly!

3)      Not everyone needs the same fuel so don’t compare yourself to others

4)      Processed foods may seem easier, but sometimes it is faster and easier to just make food yourself

I won’t lie; I am researching different diets because some have some very interesting ideas. I have read books lately like The Fast Metabolism Diet, The Daniel Plan, The Whole Foods 30 Day Diet, as well as books and blogs about Paleo.  All seem to have the same underlying idea that the more natural and less processed the better. Don’t get me wrong they all have some major differences and I am not an expert on any of them to say one is not better than the other, nor have I tried to follow all of them.  I have just read the books. What I am learning in my research is what works for one person to fuel them and help maintain their goal may not work for the next. Everyone has different genes that play a role in how they process food. The basics are the same, but we need to educate yourselves and then do what is best for you. We also need to stop judging other people for doing it a different way.  If the goal is living a healthier life we will get there. It may take a while and we will always be learning, but even one step towards being healthier is better than nothing.

If you have any suggestions of healthy whole food ways to fuel during marathon training please let me know! I would love to hear what others do!