After my 3-week hiatus, I returned to my personal trainer and have now had 3 weeks of consistent exercising and writing. I exercised 6 days during the week of June 1; 3 days during the week of June 8; and 6 days this week, the week of June 15. Upon returning to my trainer, I also made some grand proclamations about what I would do on my own. My solo training goals have become pretty ambitious, and I haven’t quite nailed a full week of achieving them yet. This is particularly true when it comes to wanting to develop a daily yoga practice. I’m just going to keep at it. Beyond that, these past three weeks have driven home for me (again!) the importance of eating well.
I remain convinced that working out to look a certain way can set us up for unhealthy cycles. If we understand that exercise is good for us, no matter our size, then we’re more likely to have a healthy attitude toward our bodies. For me, that often means focusing more on what my body can do than on how it looks.
Still, focusing on what my body can do places a spotlight on food. Just a little self-awareness makes very clear that what I eat matters.
It is simply true that avoiding sweets and processed food allows me to
- think more clearly
- write more clearly and concentrate for longer
- exercise harder with less effort
So, understanding that I can’t “compete with what I eat” is a great reminder that I shouldn’t be trying. I should be kind to myself by eating only in ways that actually benefit me. When I know I want to write consistently and clearly and that eating well actually helps me do that, why be mean to myself and create another barrier to the writing productivity I seek? When I know that my bike ride or run or rowing session will be more enjoyable when I have eaten well, why rob myself of the pleasure and make my exercise sessions into more of a struggle than they need to be?
As my friend Michelle, who is also a life coach and personal trainer, says: “Think of food as fuel. Make choices that will propel you toward your goals.” For me, that means eating with writing and running in mind. Let’s do this!!!
