Small Victories

    Here it is, about three weeks past the Holidays. I did have a few days of post-holiday letdown, which may or may not have been due to a little holiday weight gain and too much sugar. There is a cure for that though: cut back on the sugar and carbs. Simple enough. Mostly. I have felt a bit out of control over the last month or two, and was beating myself up over it. One negative effect of self flagellation is that it causes more stress, which can lead to stress eating, which leads to more self flagellation, and the cycle snowballs until it is gigantic and gaining speed as it careens down the mountain of guilt and frustration. Fortunately, I caught it before it got much larger than a dwarven snowman.
    A few weeks ago I modified my eating just a bit. Nothing drastic or dramatic, just a few tweaks to bring things back in line. I have cut back the carbs some, not all (I do love my carbs). Went back to my previous dairy restrictions, cutting back on the Greek yogurt now using it mostly for salad dressing and as a mayo substitute. I am not putting peanut butter on everything, as is my wont, but not cutting it completely. Avoiding anything that are empty calories, except for a smidge of raw sugar in my coffee and tea. On the flipside of these minor restrictions, I am letting myself eat as much fruit and veg as I want, which is a lot.
    I don't believe in extreme diet changes or restrictions. They are hard to maintain over time so it increases the possibility of failure. I have done plenty of extreme diets in my past, so have learned this the hard way. I eat clean as habit now, avoiding high fructose corn syrup like the Black Plague. I always eat plenty of fruit and veg, no meat, no fast food, no processed foods. This has been my standard for years now. Which does make it frustrating that still have to watch my weight. But, that is a fact of getting older. Our metabolism changes, we have to eat a little less and exercise a little more. This is just the way of it if we want to maintain our health as we age. Of course, I do refuse to act my age and still have the mentality of a 12 year old boy.
    With the few tweaks I've made I feel like I have taken back control of my health and wellness. I'm down a few pounds and back to pre-Thanksgiving weight. Now, the goal is to get back to where I was 5 years ago when I was going through Fire Academy and training for long course triathlon.
    I am hoping to get back into endurance events this year. I am taking it slow and steady, paying close attention to my knee health. Knee injuries have been my nemesis these last few years, killing my ability to enter any but the simplest of events. Strength training will play a big part, as will getting my weight down so my knees take less abuse. So, down a few pounds and increased training are making me happy with the small victories.

Post-Holiday Kick In The Ass

    After far too long away I figured it was time to dust off my rusty journaling and get back on the air.  It is the New Year. Every year I make a point of NOT making resolutions. I think having hard and fast resolutions is setting myself up for failure. I'm not saying it doesn't work for a lot of people, I just choose to not be one.  All that being said, it is time for the Post-Holiday kick in the ass.
    Most of us overindulge during the month long stint from Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve. I am no exception. I've never denied that I do love sugar. I mean Love sugar. I have a nigh on impossible time turning my back on delicious sweet snacks. This love of sugar has led me down the path towards obesity, degrading health, inflammation, joint pain, as well as a certain amount of self-loathing. Yes, I can be harsh on myself at time. I have tried a number of ways to kick the sugar addiction to the curb: Whole30 (vegetarian style), sugar substitutes (most of which I think are more harmful than white sugar), low carb, kicking cold-turkey. None really seems to be the path I need.
    What has worked for me comes back to Moderation in All Things. Moderation is relative, of course. What is a huge serving of one thing, sugar for example, is a small serving of something else, such as water or broccoli. Moderation. I am not going to give up all sugars. Carbs are sugar. I won't give up my complex carbs. Love me some baked yams. What I do plan on is increasing my already decent intake of vegetables and fruit, while decreasing my intake of sugars and simple carbs. Moderation.
    On the flipside of this, I will increase my training.  Plus, I won't lie, it is a lot easier for me to workout harder than it is for me to restrict calories.Calories In vs Calories Out. I want/need to get back into some level of competition. I want to be able to run again for trail runs and triathlon. I have spent the last 3 years on the injured list, feeling like a loser. I need to make this happen. I need to force myself to Make Haste Slowly. I get impatient and push my poor knees too far too fast and then pay the price for months. Slow and steady wins the race... okay, that's bullshit because slow does not win races. But it will, hopefully, let my rebuild my Base Fitness over time.
    I haven't been negligent. I have increased my strength training this last year with focus on a performance specific regiment. My shoulders are about as buff as they have ever been, and my quads and glutes are pretty respectable. My cycling has remained strong, though my swimming is sadly lacking. But I have made excuses to not get my running level back up to decent (for me) mileage. I have never professed to being a running fanatic. I don't particularly like to run on a daily basis. But I like where it can take me. I like how it can make my body feel. And I really like being able to do a trail run with a solid effort. Plus, as always, there is Triathlon. I miss the fun and thrill of triathlon. And as we all know Triathlon = Swim/Bike/Run.  It is well known that inn order to do decently in Tri you have to focus on your weakness. My weakness is running. Always has been and likely always will be. But if nothing else, I am stubborn. I refuse to give in to aching knees and lack of motivation.
    Now, back to where I started with all this. It is time for the Post Holiday Kick In The Ass. Tweak my nutrition: more fruit and veg, less sugar. Kick the training up a notch (did I mention I got a new treadmill? I am vowing to use it almost daily). Go slow enough to avoid injury, but strong enough to build my Base. I am not looking for perfection, or even a PR. I'm just looking to get off the injured list and back into the thick of things.
    Okay, that's all for the moment. But it's just the beginning. A new beginning.

    P.S. Never underestimate the motivational power of new running shoes: Saucony Freedom ISO for roads and treadmill, Saucony Xodus ISO for trails.