Sometimes, I'm such a food hypocrite. Generally I endeavour to buy local, avoid stuff in packets and cook from scratch. Also, I prefer to shop frugally. But sometimes, I do my organic shop rounds and this happens:It's a complete mystery how I went out for swede, parsnips and bananas and came home with...
Awaken Bars
A $25 jar of Australian dandelion coffee
Balsamic vinegar from Italy
American sauerkraut (which probably had the lactobaccillus irradiated out of it when it came into NZ)
And.. this stuff, which claims to be 'vegan parmesan' from Eternal Delight
It was yummy. Not parmesan, but still delish.
Obviously, I'm not immune to organic shop psychology. I walk into Piko and it's so very relaxing and zen that all my inhibitions go out the window. Needed it though, every single thing.. ;-/
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Yesterday I mentioned that I'm refocusing on my health. It's not because I'm falling apart, but because I've let things slide a bit in terms of exercise (both regularity and intensity), nutrition and just plain old time-management. Letting life get on top of me is a sure way to stress and random attacks of caffeine consumption, followed by insomnia and overeating.
The last few days were a wake up call. First there was the shock of realising I couldn't sprint from one end of the airport to the other without passing out, and then there was the shock of realising that my skinny jeans are a bit skinnier than they used to be.. particularly around the waist. Time to take action before it becomes a slippery slide to lethargy, more bad eating and an arthritis or depression relapse.
I already caught myself in a familiar pattern of 'I must start a diet soon, therefore it's totally ok to pig out now'. Luckily I got a grip on that shit after a couple of days and was able to reflect on how terribly fascinating that old habits are lurking, just waiting to be activated by the right set of circumstances.
So, what to do? Well, nothing crazy because that, my friends, would backfire like an old Hillman Hunter. My nutrition is pretty good, except I've been eating more carbs and less greens, especially salads because they require preparation time. We have eaten out or ordered in more than usual too due to my disorganised schedule. I've been mindlessly snacking more often, just because assignment writing gets boring and food is fun. The plan is to refocus on plant foods, stop mindless munching, schedule my life better and make time for food preparation.
My training program, which has lately consisted of short bodyweight interval training sessions (a'la Bodyrock), is not really working. I don't seem to be getting gaining much muscle strength, nor cardio fitness, which indicates a need for change. I'm going back to a cardio/upper body/cardio/lower body split, which allows me to work those systems and body parts more intensely. I'll keep yoga a couple of times a week, because it does great things for my sense of control.
I'm sure you'll be hearing about my progress and hanging on every word.. (or, doing something else, it's ok, I understand).
It's not unusual for healthy people to have their less-healthy past make an unwelcome visit.
When was the last time you had a run in with old bad habits and had to shake it up?
"would backfire like an old Hillman Hunter" classic my dear friend ... just classic.
ReplyDelete:D Everyone had one in the family, right?
DeleteHappens to me when life gets super busy beyond my control. I've been able to retrain my brain, though, with practice practice and more practice. I've accepted the fact that it's just in my nature to tighten up my eating when I'm stressed or go on a binge when I'm feeling sad. Now I can almost always recognize those feelings and direct them positively and productively rather than let them take hold of me. I truly feel like I've made peace with that subtle eating disordered hum that is always lurking in the back of my mind. We somehow have a harmonious coexistence, if that makes any sense at all, and stay out of each other's way for the most part these days.
ReplyDeleteYes, nicely put. That makes perfect sense to me. It's like, I KNOW if I gain a bit of weight or feel emotional, I'm going to have to deal with a small case of the food crazies, but I also know it's probably not going to veer off into a complete breakdown. It's there, sometimes it bothers me, but mostly, we coexist in harmony.
DeleteWell, I would have said "a Hillman MINX". Because I had one. Couldn't have killed that thing with an axe. Ah, nostalgia. (It was a horrid old piece of crap if I'm honest, but let's not allow reality to get in the way of a good old walk down memory lane)
ReplyDeleteOld lurky-lurky habits are hard to kill, aren't they? Being stupidly busy, stressed or sad will send me careening off on a path of slack eating and skipping training, because it all seems too hard on top of whatever else is going on in my life. Of course, the reality is that exercise helps with stress and swapping veggies for cake only makes me feel lethargic, squishy and miserable. The trick is to catch yourself before you fall too far...
One of my flatmates when I was in my 20's had a Hillman Minx. It was the most pampered car in the universe. Best memory: having to bail out when it couldn't make it up one of Dunedin's hills with four people inside!
DeleteI understand about the lure of Piko. I'm sure they do voodoo to make you subconsciously fill your basket with expensive stuff. I only go there on weeks that the finances are looking great.
ReplyDelete