Contrary to popular belief, I am not perfect when it comes to all things food. An interesting thing occurred to me this evening after my workout, which consisted of running ONLY because of a severe case of tennis elbow. I crave sweets all day! Well, let me clarify. The insatiable craving occurs from about 11 a.m. to post-workout, whatever time that may be. After the workout, the cravings are gone unless I eat. Once I eat (anything), the cravings begin again. What is this?! Now that I've identified a problem, it's time to find the answer.
I've been reading The Anti-Inflammation Zone by Dr. Barry Sears (don't judge, you know I love that man) and am becoming more and more concerned about the inflammation that is lurking in my body that I know is there and that which I do not know about. He calls this screaming pain inflammation and silent inflammation because that associated with pain means there is enough localized inflammation to trigger the pain sensors. This I have and am very aware of! The silent inflammation is a kind of low-key response that does not initiate a pain sensation but is found all over the body especially inside the circulatory system and is ultimately going to kill us all! Anyway, I'm not very far into the book, but I know that diet plays a huge role in the presence of inflammation and I am desperate to eliminate mine. Inflammation, that is. So maybe I should eliminate all nutritional intake. Okay, I'm not going anorexic or anything, but I just want it to be EASY!!! It's so not! I want to be strong, lean, and healthy. I don't want injuries and I don't want to feel like I'm as big as Gloria (the hippo in Madagascar).
The other revelation you might not be aware of is I'm lazy! Yep, I said it. I'm notoriously lazy and I fight the urge to do absolutely nothing every single day. That's why I thrive when I'm on a schedule. I need structure to be productive. I need timelines and deadlines to accomplish goals. Am I the only one with this secret? I think not. It's an epidemic and it's called Chronic Laziness Syndrome. I have it, countless friends have it (they're all in denial :-); I notice more every day. My digression here is to give you an idea as to why being perfect nutritionally is so far out of reach for me. I don't want to cook enough chicken to last for 3 days. I don't want to prep endless amounts of broccoli that will last for a week. I don't want to portion out everything healthy into little rubbermaid containers that are divided like the plate of a 5 year old. All this requires hours in the kitchen on any given day (I know, because I have done it) and my sinful self says "I don't want to!" But! I do want to increase my mental acuity and fitness level and reduce injuries. I also want to get lean so that my jeans don't make me have a muffin top. I want to boost my immune system and reduce screaming pain inflammation. So how do I get to where I want to be if I'm lazy? I acknowledge that I have a condition and resolve to overcome it. Then I make a plan and practice self-control by implementing the plan.
Run with me, all you who are lazy and procrastinating! You'll be better for it!
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