{"id":9778,"date":"2009-12-10T10:03:55","date_gmt":"2009-12-10T14:03:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foodembrace.com\/?p=9778"},"modified":"2009-12-10T10:03:55","modified_gmt":"2009-12-10T14:03:55","slug":"learning-to-fuel-myself-a-work-in-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/2009\/12\/learning-to-fuel-myself-a-work-in-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning to fuel myself, a work in progress"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am in a different state of existing that has left me challenged in new ways.\u00a0 It’s a little confusing at first but I’m starting to get the hang of it.\u00a0 I just need to start paying better attention to myself and my needs.\u00a0 More specifically the overall picture and not only day-to-day.<\/p>\n

I’m referring to fueling and refueling my body so that it performs the best that it can and so that I’m not doing damage to it without realizing it.\u00a0 We hear and read a lot about how important it is to fuel your body when it comes to working out and exercise.\u00a0 If I’m going to be completely honest, I sort of only half paid attention to this.\u00a0 Because to me I equate properly fueling yourself with living healthy and well.\u00a0 For example, you can’t expect your body to perform and be in top shape as you are scarfing down tons of processed foods and eating fast food for meals.<\/p>\n

No shiz, right?\u00a0 I mean that’s a pretty basic concept and while it is true, I have also realized that properly fueling yourself goes beyond that.\u00a0 It’s not just about eating well but also eating enough and eating the right things for you and your body specifically (I say specifically<\/em> because everybody is different and will respond to different things.).<\/p>\n

This is the currently state of existence I was referring to in my first sentence.\u00a0 I am at a place with my health, my training, and my weight where paying proper attention to how I fuel myself is key.\u00a0 It’s important.\u00a0 It’s number one on the list.\u00a0 The times where I have slipped, have resulted in much unpleasantness on my end.<\/p>\n

If you recall my small issue of being laid up not feeling well<\/a> and praying to the porcelain god for an entire day, I believe that to be related to not fueling myself properly.\u00a0 With as sick as I was, Scott is also convinced that I did catch something, so my illness was a result of the most awesome timing. I have that knack.<\/p>\n

That day, I ran seven miles and did not eat a recovery snack\/meal afterwards.\u00a0 I went straight into having Sunday Breakfast (a OHC weekly staple).\u00a0 I didn’t think anything of it.\u00a0 I was eating so I must be refueling, right?\u00a0 It wasn’t long after breakfast that I felt hungry again but was trying to hold out for dinner.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 I don’t know.\u00a0 I guess I didn’t want to spoil my appetite.\u00a0 I did have small bites of stuff here and there but it didn’t help.\u00a0 I was terribly hungry, weak, and nauseous.\u00a0 When I did eat, my body couldn’t handle it and back up it came.\u00a0 Rinse, repeat for the entire evening.<\/p>\n

That sucked and I don’t ever want to have to relive an experience like that again.<\/p>\n

Where did I go wrong?\u00a0 On a normal Sunday long run, I come home and have yogurt and granola.\u00a0 I’m hungry and need to eat.\u00a0 Protein, grains, and fat help me recover and keep me full.\u00a0 Yogurt and granola is all of that.\u00a0 Then a few hours later, I have a big Sunday Breakfast.\u00a0 All of these foods and calories help replenish my body.<\/p>\n

Skipping the yogurt and granola step, means I missed:<\/p>\n