Ok, at what point did I start thinking of food as "fuel" rather than, well, food? I had a slight issue with my mild hypoglycemia this morning because of improper eating. As I was discussing it with a few friends afterwards I noticed that I kept referring to what normal people would call meals as fueling. Kind of mildly bumfuzzled on the way home I started trying to trace this back to its start and I DON'T KNOW! I've been doing it for at least the past year so I'm guessing that it started about the time I started seriously training for my first century ride, the Big Dam Bridge 100.
Since I was already on this train of thought, it took a mild detour into my eating habits. As I've gotten more fit and serious about training I've found that there a lot of foods that I no longer eat. Some are just no-brainers, cut out the majority of soda (it's now a treat rather than a habit), drink more water, eat less red meat. You know, just eating better foods. Other foods I just CAN'T eat if I want to run/cycle/workout because if I do consume them they will result in butt explosions. yeah, yeah, I know it's gross but it's also the most apt description.
But I got started wondering did I always have issues with these foods and I'm just now noticing the results. Or is it a case of my body just isn't tolerating them now. Hmmm, as the title states "Food for Thought."
Ice cream and milk I've always had trouble with but would put up with the resulting pain just because I wanted the instant gratification. Now, when I crave ice cream, I just stop and think about my workout schedule. If a run or cycle session is the next day I just ask myself is it worth a possible emergency trip into the woods. It's usually not ;-).
However, other foods are a surprise to me. Peanut butter is giving me issues (surprisingly I'm ok with Nutella, mmmm, hazelnuts!). I have to watch out for the overly processed breads. Artificial sweeteners are a sure way for my belly to resemble something from the "Alien" movie. Gu brand gels can cause my blood sugar to plummet resulting in the oh so fun shaky feeling. Spicy foods are on the do not eat the day before a run list. Fried foods (even my beloved fried okra) is becoming something I HAVE to avoid, not just should avoid.
Now let's go back to this morning. As I wrote earlier, I'm mildly hypoglycemic which means my blood sugar will drop too low if I'm not eating properly. This pretty much means I have to eat something, usually a carb/protein mix, every 2-3 hours. If I don't I get shaky, weak, and what I refer to as "hangry" which is hungry angry. When it reaches the hangry stage, watch out--I'm very bitchy, and most of the time I don't even realize why until I start counting back to the last time I ate. I've also passed out once due to the hypoglycemia, now I know the symptoms and will eat something pronto.
So the long way around ;), I'm one of those people that will eat before a race, even a 5k. I try to time it out so that any bathroom issues are resolved before race start and I always try to eat the same thing (McDonald's egg McMuffin, no meat, no cheese and 1/2 cup of coffee). I know exactly how my body will react and how long it takes to digest.
Life was so much easier when I didn't think of food as fuel but I must admit that I feel so much better now than 3 years ago.
3 comments:
Hahahahahahahaha BUTT EXPLOSION???????
Is that what the rest of us call
(scroll down)
flatulance? You thought I was gonna say something else, didn't you? Hahahahaha
Hyperglycemia is a definite problem if you're gonna run and run like you do, I would imagine! That is why you MUST consider food as a fuel, because without fuel your body (like the engine in your truck) will stop running.
The thing is with a big Cat/Cummins et al, you only have to bleed it and it will fire. If YOU go right out, no amount of "bleeding" will help, will it? You already know all this, so I promise you I am NOT giving advice - just thinking out loud as I type. This is a bad habit of mine and I suspect annoys the hell out of ........... some ......... or drives them nuts or bores the hell out of them, but that's me!
I enjoyed my read of this post but I wonder where a certain fast food chain managed to produce something ANYONE'S body that was being stressed could deal with! Even Harry The Hound refuses to eat that stuff ... and he will even eat lettuce!
Have more comments to make on other posts you've made! :-)
This time rhe word verification is "beaksme" - which kind of sounds like BEATS ME .... which is what all this running caper is to me! ROTFL
ummm, flatulence and worse sometimes.....
Eh, if you're picky about what you order it's not bad on the breakfast menu. Just avoid the cheese and sausage. Hard cooked eggs are hard to ruin (not impossible, just difficult) and it's usually quicker to go the drive thru route than to cook.
Time is limited on race days because they're scheduled so darn early and nearly all of them are at least 45 miles away. For example this last one would have been 150 miles one way if I hadn't been able to stop en-route with the big truck. Saved time, gas, and money by sleeping in my truck, woo-hoo!!
Speaking of dogs eating weird stuff, Elsie LOVES avocado.
I had a dog whom loved TOMATOES!!!!
But, back to the subject at hand. I have to think of food as fuel when dieting for weightloss. Otherwise, if I eat when I feel hungry, I can go all day without eating, which results in a slow metabolism, causing fewer hunger pangs.. Dreadful cycle. You would think someone who never eats would be tiny. I am proof. So, I think of fueling my body at regular intervals to increase metabolism..It works for awhile, until I fall back into the rut of only eating when I am hungry.
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