Since I officially began triathlon training, I have been hungrier than I ever remember being when I was pregnant. Which is saying something because I gained 55 pounds with my 1st pregnancy and 48 with my second. I wish I could claim with any integrity that it was mere water weight. Truth is, it was girl scout cookie weight and scrambled eggs with cheese and avocado weight.
Obviously, I need to honor my body's new demands for nutrition and fuel. However, I'm not so sure that ingesting half a loaf of garlic bread or a bag of sour cream and onion chips after a long run is helping my body in any way whatsoever. Not so sure ice cream or massive amounts of Costco trail mix fit the bill either. I should be eating salmon, edamame and non fat yogurt. Chicken breast, black beans, brown rice. Things with fiber and vitamin C and potassium.
Instead, I grab whatever I see that's easy and eat it on the fly. Today, I actually stuffed trail mix in my pockets and ate it ravenously as I sped to pick up the kids from school. I spend time cooking the right meals for my family, packing healthy school lunches, and restricting the junk food intake of my kids. But, lately, in terms of nutrition, I'm skipping right over caring for myself. My needs, because I'm a mom and am always so busy taking care of everyone around me, get put on the shelf. Then, I hit a wall in a training session, or feel totally depleted of energy in our family time at night because one just cannot expect results when eating whole bags of sour cream and onion chips.
I'm ready to feed myself, to really nourish myself. The extra 10 minutes it takes to really eat something worthwhile are worth it. And, I'm important enough to spend those 10 minutes on. Chances are, I'll be a better mom, wife and friend for counting my needs worthwhile enough to be met. Maybe the laundry can wait another 10 minutes. Maybe the dishes don't need to be done right away. Maybe, just maybe, it's OK to occasionally rest.
Am I alone here, people? Do you ever find it hard to care for yourself? I'd love your feedback.......
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Ummm...yeah. I love your description of ravenously eating the trail mix. I feel like all my food is consumed "ravenously" these days. I believe my breakfast this morning was part of a toaster waffle that I crammed in my mouth (with no butter or syrup), and half of a saltine left on a plate from YESTERDAY. Oh yum.
ReplyDeleteI can so relate to this post for many reasons. The main one is not making myself a priority. It's way too easy to take care of everyone else except for me. Thankfully I just did something yesterday that puts myself back on my radar.
ReplyDeleteMy weight has gone up and my self esteem down. So I am trying to be more conscious of my actions and to honor my needs because they are important to.
Thanks for this post Jodie, it's so nice to know were not alone.
trail mix in your pocket...awesome!
ReplyDeleteI am totally with you on this Jodie - I consider it one of my biggest life challenges to stay consistent in taking care of myself. It takes every ounce of discipline I have to pack a lunch everyday, haul my carcass out of bed at 5 a.m. for a workout (cause experience has taught me it just isn't going to happen after work), and take 30 min or so on the weekend to plan what we are going to eat for the week so I shop for the healthy food I need instead of the bulk "dinner in a bag" stuff you can get from Costco (even though that food still makes it into my freezer on occasion:)).
ReplyDeleteI've often wished there was an easier way...I sometimes feel like the "bag lady" when I go to get in my car for work (gym bag, purse, lunch, laptop). I don't think I will ever enjoy getting ready for work in a locker room, although I have learned alot about womens bodies and how to accept my own through that process (i.e. almost everyone has stretch marks, sketchy shaving habits, jiggles/rolls, horrifying underwear, etc).
I do think that the nutrition/food part is the hardest piece of the puzzle, though...I've learned that when I focus on really nourishing my body with what it needs (vs. what I want), the other "take care of yourself" habits like exercise are a little easier...
Thanks for an awesome post!