Diet versus Exercise

The weekend has passed and I feel pretty confident about my weekend efforts to lose weight and my quest for a healthy lifestyle.  While I did splurge a bit, I feel confident with what I ate and the amounts that I ate.   It was hot outside but I managed to get out there and be a active also with some running.  As is many times the case, my brain went into overdrive during one run to bring me clarity about my actions and beliefs about exercise versus diet. 

Food is lost in the kitchen and not the gym!

Yesterday morning I posted David’s success story right before I went out for a run.  So it was natural that my thoughts went to that post during my run. Most specifically my thoughts focused on the fact that he achieved his goal with little or no exercise. This in itself was not surprising, after all I’ve written on here many times (or at least included a meme) about how exercise will not negate a bad diet. What was interesting about my thoughts on this run were the depth and direction that these thoughts took.  I was running and my first thought was, “why am I putting myself through this ‘torture’ if it’s not really where the weight loss is happening?”  Exercise is not something I regularly crave!  So why?  I immediately had my answer.  There were a few answers.  

**The first reason is that the exercise gives me the wiggle room in my eating routine to have a wee tiny splurge and not be so regimented and militant about my calorie count.  I still need to watch my intake of food. But I don’t worry as much about making sure I measure every drop of ketchup that I put on a burger or that every dollop of cream cheese I add to a chicken enchilada is exactly one tablespoon.   

** The next reason is simply because I like the euphoric feeling I get at the end.  It’s a sense of pride.  I pushed my body to do something and I did it.  I might hate every second of the actual run....but I like the exhilaration of being finished.

** The third  reason and possibly the most important reason that became clear to me during my run? I’m doing it to make my body strong.   When my beloved Zumba ended it took about a year but I saw a dramatic decrease in my fitness levels!  When I wasn’t running as much I saw another dip in what my body was able to do.  A random hike became difficult.  An occasional bike ride became brutal. I could see how my body changed and I didn’t like it.    I want a strong body!  I want to be able to do things, flourish and thrive in this thing called life for as long as possible.  Exercise helps make my body strong and more capable!  The extra bonus for being more physically fit... It helps tone up and eliminate the flab....it gives a body cleaner and leaner lines.  

Exercise?  Sounds like a no brainer to me...

Heat wave running

I got outside this weekend for some running.  It was hot! But I did it!

 On Saturday,  I made my normal lap, and even added the extra section to make it a bit longer.  (But was still short of what I was hoping for!). Have I mentioned how hot it was?

By the time I got back to our place I was really in need of some water.  Like, dangerously in need!  As I sat on the couch downing a bottle of water, Jason casually remarked, “I should have asked you to run by Giant (grocery store) and run in to grab me a caffeine drink while you we’re out.”    That sounds crazy but a half mile down the road there is a grocery store and I actually was somewhat near the store when I was out and about.  I thought for a few seconds and laced back on my shoes. The water had totally revived me and I felt good.   Why not do a quick mile...if I felt good I could run...but if I didn’t I could walk.  (Jason tried to tell me not to go but I was all in!!)   I ran to the store....literally.
On the way back though I did more walking than running.  

I didn’t let my double run on Saturday deter me from a run on Sunday.   It was still hotter than blue blazes, but out I went.   And I added even more into the loop that I’ve been running.  

Did I mention it was hot?  I did walk most of the last half mile....it was hot!

My take away from running is that I need to sit back and just run.  I need to stop thinking about the distance I used to run.  I need to stop thinking about the pace I used to run.  I need to just run the best I can at the point that I am at right now and be happy that my body allows me to accomplish that!

Eating and Diet

As I said at the beginning of this post, I feel like I did pretty good with my food.  My intake has been roughly right at 1300 calories.  I have fit in a splurge, I have made it work for me.  My calories through the weekend remained in line. The top graph shows my actual calorie count.  You can see that Sunday was a bit high (right at or right above my high end in the range of calories..1500).  The green graph accounts for exercise added in.  I feel pretty good about it all.  My weight stayed exactly the same..and for a weekend with splurges that is awesome in my book.  

Fun Stuff

Have I mentioned that it was hot?  We did our errands and just relaxed on Saturday.   On Sunday we relaxed and ran a few more errands.  I printed some copies of some writing that I have done that hopefully will someday be a book. (Yeah, I sooo need to buy a printer...and I almost bought one on Saturday, but remember I’m saving for a bike!) and we hit up some antique shops.  This feathery hat is sooo me...maybe I should go back and buy it! 

Ok, maybe I’ll leave this one there on the rack!  We also hit up a trail outfitters store.  That was enough heat for us.   We headed for home to watch movies in our the nice air conditioned place. 

We blinked and the weekend was over!  But I believe it was a totally successful weekend.  I managed to find balance with my eating.  I managed to get in some running.  I even managed to have some deep thoughts about what exercise means to me.  I don’t want the weekend to end, but at least this week I have off on Wednesday for the Fourth of July!