Life, Nutrition

Eat to Run, or Run to Eat?

This past week really sucked for me for nutrition.  I was horrible and used every excuse in the book!  Food should primarily be looked at as fuel for your body and what you want your body to do for you.  At least that is how I have been trying to look at it.  Don’t get me wrong, I doubt most people would consider my regular menu as “clean” or “pure” eating.  I cut out a lot things that were bad for me, but also made sure to enjoy the food I eat.  The fact is, I really do enjoy eating what I consider clean, for me.  Others may not consider it clean, and I know it could be better but it is working.  Well, it was until last week!

It all started Monday, Halloween.  At work they provided lunch from a Pita joint.  Could I have eaten just the chicken and fixins?  Sure!  Did I? Nope.  I had a half a pita.  I know that doesn’t sound horrible but I have been so good about avoiding breads.  Not horrible, but not a great start to the week.  My excuse?  It’s Halloween and I won’t eat any candy!

It was Darin’s birthday on Thursday so we went out to dinner.  I wish I could report that I had a nice steak with baked sweet potato.  Wishes can come true but not today….  We went to Flannigan’s and I had…. RIBS!….and FRIES! – UGH.  We were so near our new favorite ice cream shop, so we went to Phenomenom and I had….. Nutella Ice Cream! – Double UGH.  Felt like crap immediately after that.  Lesson learned? Perhaps.

Perhaps not.  Saturday we had the 5k with the old Home Depot gang and I was famished after so I hit Dunkin on the way home.  Had a sausage egg and cheese on a croissant.  We worked on our construction project, renovating the bathroom, and treated ourselves to our favorite wing joint for lunch, curly fries and all.  That night, we celebrated our accomplishment with BurgerFi, and while I went green style (no bun), I still ate some fries!  Oh, and you cannot be within 1 mile of Phenomenom and not have it, so…. ice cream!!!

Sunday was a little better, until dinner.  We went to Bonefish and I had the lamb, which was fine, until the evil waitress set the dessert menu down and we opted for the pumpkin crème brûlée, because pumpkin crème brûlée.  What the hell!?  Where did my killer nutrition go?  I will tell you where it went… to Sugar Town!  It was really hard to quit the carbs and sugar, but once I did I was doing really well.  I never would have expected to go downhill so fast because of sugar.  I immediately became re-addicted to it and that is so scary!

This needs to be my wakeup call.  What I eat should fuel what I do!  I had my party week, I at ice cream and crème brûlée, I devoured my french fries!!!  (Lordy, my mouth is watering just typing this – what have I done!?)  It’s time to get back to reality.  This week is going to be different.  I’ll allow myself the french fries once this week, but nothing more.  I am not falling into this sugar trap again.  It’s going to be a tough week this week, but I need to do this.  I can’t go into the following week this weak sapling for sugar!  We go on vacation, and I struggled last time.  I can’t let that happen again.  This is going to be the first vacation where I am successful.  I will allow certain indulgences because it is vacation, but nothing like last time, or last week for that matter.  I have my second triathlon in a few weeks!  I’ll report back about vacation nutrition, let’s hope I don’t embarrass myself!