Addictions and Distractions

Yes. I know.  I need to be better at writing up here.  But, I have really bad excuses for not doing it. "Tomorrow" "Nothing good to write." "blah blah blah."

Anyways.

So, the last couple weeks I've been in training for work.  Basically 8 hour days in front of a computer in a hot conference room.  Sitting around eating bad foods and coming out totally unenergized.  So, I have not ridden my bike.  I have not ran since last Wednesday.  I did partake in some Dragon Boat races on Saturday though.  So I have not been a complete slug.  I was suppose to run 4 miles Monday, but did not as I was suppose to head to Clear Lake for a birthday celebration, but did not because traffic was horrible.  So instead, went for a burger and beer.

Yesterday I was suppose to run 4 miles, to make up for the four missed on Monday, but got out of training zombiefied and so, I didn't.

I've been eating like crap because it is free food and well, free food when you are low on money is a good thing!  This week I have been making better choices (no chips, extra fruit cups) but I still find myself buying and eating sugar loaded pies, cakes, what have you with out thinking about it until after the fact.  This is something I continuously fight with.  I keep trying to find that zone that I was in several years ago when I did not have any sugar related items for a couple of years, but it continuously eludes me.

I keep trying to get on the Paleo Diet which I have done before for a couple of months and had great success with it, but then I fell off that fairly hard and just haven't been able to get back on there. Right now, the hard part is because of these distractions at work of free meals.  But luckily for me they end this week and I can get back into a schedule next week that I'm familiar with for work outs and eating.

The title is "Addictions and Distractions"  and I have discovered they go hand in hand.  My addiction to sugar is amplified by distractions to being healthy.  The less active I am and the poorer my food choices are, the more I crave the sugary, chocolaty foods.   Right now my distractions in life are this this training for work.  It will end soon and I can better refocus myself against the addictions again.  I will also attempt to get back on the Paleo wagon again once I have time to start cooking and getting things ready.  I have always been trying to do it cold turkey.  Cutting out the dairy, grains and other processed foods all at once, but this time I am thinking about doing it in sections.  Cut out dairy first, then grains, then processed foods (or some order of the three.)

Right now I have been doing "enough" to maintain my weight, which is not a good thing, as if I cut out the extra calories I mindlessly consume (damn you chocolate fudge pies!) I would probably drop weight very fast, with the running I am doing.

Speaking of running.  That has been going not too bad all things considered.  I have been fairly good at being consistent with it (up until the last two weeks) and so my distances and speeds have improved quite a bit.  I have been happy with it and am looking forward to getting back into it so I can continue to improve.  The running goal right now is to get up to 15 miles for two long runs, then I can ease off and reintroduce resistance training.  I feel this will help me maintain the distance and speed and also rebuild some lost muscle mass, which will in turn help me burn more fat in a healthy manner.  Plus, 15 miles has always been my goal distance to have at a moments notice.  "Want to go run a 25k this weekend?"  Sure! I can do that without thinking!  So, we shall see how that goes over the next month as I'm about that far away from getting there!

Until next time (hopefully much sooner than last time!)