This is the year I train to complete Ironman Cozumel. I am incredibly excited and nervous. Technically, I started preparing to train last summer. In preparation, I’ve eliminated sugar from my diet, for the most part. Last June, I got a full physical. Except for my heart rate and weight, my doctor was happy with my results. His words to me were, “keep doing what you’re doing.”
Since I recently enrolled in my company’s insurance, I have another physical scheduled on Friday. I’m getting the physical so that I can get a 5% discount on my family’s insurance. However, I’m curious to compare my new results to the results I got 6 months ago. In June, I weighed 180lbs and I still was just progressing off sugar.
Now I weigh 169lbs and I’ve limited my sugar intake a lot. However, I’ve concurrently increased my fat intake. So instead of eating cereal or a muffin for breakfast, I eat eggs or leftover meat and a salad. Instead of eating a sandwich with potato chips for lunch, I usually eat a mixed greens salad with eggs, olives, assorted vegetables, cheese, and olive oil and red wine. For dinner, I eat some sort of mean – chicken, beef, fish – and some sort of starch and/or salad or vegetables. For snacks I eat lots of assorted nuts. I also only drink three things, for the most part – water, coffee, and beer. I’d like to know if my cholesterol numbers have increased since I eat so much fat now. Or do I?
Eating this way has balanced out my blood sugar. I don’t get “hangry” anymore. I don’t get so hungry toward the evening that I can’t workout and can’t get filled up. It’s a novel and happy feeling to be able to feel normal in the evenings even if I’m sort of hungry. It’s also awesome to be able to jog a few miles without feeling famished during the run because I’ve run out of carbs or something.
Now, to be sure, I am not trying to lose weight. I am, however, trying to reach my Ironman goal. So this way of eating helps a lot.