I’ve probably said this before but it’s really on my mind today: it feels amazing to feel amazing.
It feels so much better to make great choices I feel proud of than to make crappy choices I don’t feel proud of. The effort is worth it.
It feels so much better to take great care of my body than to neglect it.
It feels better physically, it feels better emotionally, it just feels better in every way.
This really comes down to perspective. When I would routinely overeat and binge, I’d focus exclusively on the short term pleasure of eating. I like food. I like to eat. That’s still true.
But what I’d choose NOT to focus on is how awful I felt afterwards. How I felt heavy, full, sick, frustrated & disappointed. How I isolated myself because I wasn’t comfortable in my body & I was ashamed of how I looked. None of my clothes fit me well and getting dressed each morning was stressful.
None of that was worth the few minutes of pleasure I’d get from overindulging.
Sure, I still love cookies & ice cream. A lot. They’re delicious. But I do not love the way they make me feel.
On the flip side, there are a ton of fat loss friendly foods I really love and also love the way they make me feel. That’s what I choose to focus on.
It’s a choice, after all. I could focus on how much it sucks to not be able to eat cookies and ice cream all day long, but really, it doesn’t suck at all. I hated my life and I hated how I felt when I did that.
I want better. I deserve better. I’m capable of better & I choose better.
Speaking of choosing better, I feel so great after today’s workout!
“Annie’s on the Run”
200 SU (single unders with a jump rope)
50 Sit-ups
200m Run
160 SU
40 Sit-ups
200m Run
120 SU
30 Sit-ups
200m Run
80 SU
20 Sit-ups
200m Run
40 SU
10 Sit-ups
200m Run
I loved this workout. It was the right amount of running for my body – it enabled me to push on pace of the jump rope & the sit-ups and still push on the run. It’s a great day for fitness! Plus, the sun was shining! It’s been cold & rainy in New England so that was a great change!
After the workout I did some work on my grip and back strength – hollow body holds, hanging knees-to-chest, ring rows and heavy farmer’s carry.
Throughout the day I hopped on my airdyne bike for a few slow rides (while watching TV) and a few fast intervals.
My body feels good today & that’s not by accident. It’s because I’m eating well and moving well.
Why? Because it feels amazing to feel amazing.
On the food front:
Instead of being staunchly attached to food rules like “I don’t eat before 10am”, I really try to listen to my body. If I think it would feel better to eat before my workout, I do. If I feel like I can avoid it, I do.
Today I wanted some fuel in my system before my workout so I made a really light shake of cold brew coffee, cacao powder, almond milk and frozen cauliflower. If you’re looking for something sweet, this isn’t it. It’s like an unsweetened iced mocha.
After the workout I had steak and veggies from Paleo Power Meals. It’s a pretty sizeable portion of steak so it held me over for a good few hours.
Around 1pm I had a cobb salad and, because it was so good, I had another one for dinner around 5pm.
When I can, I eat dinner pretty early because I feel best with a longer fasting window between dinner and my first meal the following day. I think I sleep better, too.
PS: If you’re new to these posts, listen to this podcast episode to get the scoop on what changes I’m making in my life and you can start back at my first daily post here.