Day 19: The best prescription

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Let's get straight to it.

Breakfast: Kashi GoLean, Almond Milk

Yep, I am back to my routine breakfast. The only change I made is, I ate more. The box previously had a "weight loss" recommended serving of 39 grams noted below the nutrition box. I noticed they stopped putting that on the box. Anyway, today I decided to eat the full serving, 52 grams. It felt like a lot but I'm wondering if I eat more at breakfast, I might not be so snacky later in the day. Don't ask me my reasoning on that one because I don't have any.

In fact, I ready a study on skipping breakfast. The "eat breakfast" proponents argue, among other things, that if you skip breakfast you'll get over-hungry and eat more later to compensate. This study found that to not be the case and at the end of the day (literally), the breakfast skippers consumed less calories overall because of the "saved" calories at breakfast.

Aaaanyway, I'm getting off track here.

Snack: Banana, rice cake, 3 inch square of pizza.

Pizza? What? Well, I was in the tech support office at work and an admin assistant went around with a plate of little pieces of pizza. Like passed hors d'oeuvres. What could I do? Pass them up of course. But no, I had one.

My lunch spot today - the driver's seat

Lunch: Salad bar salad from The Good Earth with lettuce, tofu and various other veggies.

Work was a lot of driving again today. Why do I get so tired from sitting on my rump all day? I felt myself dragging by late afternoon. Around 3pm I found myself in the cafeteria buying snacks...

Snack: chocolate pudding, a bag of WW Whitman's english toffee pieces (I think there were 6 in the bag)

Huh? Yes, more snacks. I'll tell you, I really like that I'm logging my food here. It got me to thinking. What sabotaging thought am I having that's leading to my non-goal-oriented choices. I did a little rewind in my brain and found this.

"If I eat this food I'll feel better and have more energy."

It doesn't make sense. It's not true. The food doesn't make me feel better and it never gives me more energy. Where did I get this idea?  Ok, so here's my response.

It's not true that I will feel better after eating this food. In fact, I almost always feel worse. And I don't get more energy out of it. It never gives me more energy. If I skip this snack, I will still feel tired, and maybe still not feel "good", but overall I will feel better for it because I'm not sabotaging myself.

I think another factor is boredom/stress. Work has been intense lately and I wonder if I'm not looking for a little escape or reward in the form of yummy food.

"I've been working hard and need/deserve a treat."

It's true I've been working hard, but sabotaging myself is not a treat. I will feel better if I find other ways to take a mental break and to acknowledge/reward my sometimes difficult work.

I'm putting these in rotation and will continue to tune into my thoughts. Obviously something's gone haywire in my brain with this snacking thing and it needs more attention. Less whining, more (thought) action.

Moving on... Even with my feeling so tired I took myself to the gym. I knew that was the only thing that could make me feel more alive. I got there late but my mom surprised the kids and picked them up early at preschool so I had time to stay later. I started with a 4.5 mile run outside, which felt great. I ran the route in 45:18, the slowest I've run it yet but still fast enough to make me happy.

After the run I did chest/triceps/PT&core exercises. I'm rotating out most of the PT stuff and rotating my previous core stuff back in. My back is semi-cooperating so far and I'm just hoping it continues to hold up. My hip is a different story. For some reason it's been hurting lately. I talked to the head trainer and he had some ideas. I have a training session on the books so maybe I'll use it to get some exercises I can use to strengthen whatever's weak and causing the problem.

Bottom line though, I was happy to have exercised and have the buzz I knew would carry me through the evening. Now that's real energy, and it makes me feel good. So good. 

So energy, lack of it, wanting it...where does it come from? Sleep. I need more sleep. At least 8 hours. Lately it's been more like six. Six hours sleep undermines my goals, leaves me feeling tired and uninspired (hey, that rhymes), and grumpy. Oh, oh, oh!!! That reminds me of a super cool quote I dreamed up on my way to the gym. You ready? 

Not exercising because you don't feel good is
like not taking an aspirin because you have a headache.

Bam! So true, right? I walked in feeling a bit grumpy and tired, I walked out feeling alive, happy and zippy.

Exercise and sleep. Got it. And with that, I'm off to bed. And I mean it this time.

PS - Dinner: Chinese food - chow mein and sesame chicken courtesy of mom.