Weighty Matters

Feeding is a very important ritual for me.  I don't trust people who don't like to eat.  -- Gina Gershon

Since the beginning of 2012, I have lost 40 pounds.  Good news - but unfortunately, these are 40 pounds that I put of during a rough period following an injury and a stressful time.  And a little more perspective:  husband and I first made a big effort at healthy eating/weight loss when our youngest daughter turned one.  At that point, I lost 40 pounds and was thrilled.  Shortly after that is when I began participating in triathlons and lost, with some effort, another 10-12 pounds.  I was at my fighting weight.  Then I got hurt training for and running a marathon and things spiraled down (or rather up) from there.  Now I'm trying to get back to my fighting weight.  I'm about 15 pounds away from that.

My family is not predisposed to thinness - it takes a lot of effort for me to lose weight.  Lately I've been following a modified paleo/primal diet:  I eat veggies, fruit, meat, and eggs.  I also eat dairy, beer, and wine.  And I cheat on the weekend and some other times.  It's working for me - and that's the most important thing when trying to decide how to eat.  It makes things a little tricky for eating at work or going out to eat (although I cheat sometimes then), but as long as I plan ahead, it seems to be working out OK.

I'm starting to wonder, though, how to eat while I'm training.  I'm not sure how to find the balance between losing the rest of that weight and making sure I have enough energy to train.  This week, I've been running a little low on the food front - I've felt hungry and have dropped more weight this week than I should.  It's an experiment.

And at the end of the day - I like to eat.  I don't trust people who don't like to eat.  I try to think of food as fuel, but food, for me, is also a matter of enjoyment.  Another thing to balance.  Geesh.