It won't be easy, but it will be simple.
That's what I keep saying to myself.
I had my first meeting with my nutritionist this week.
Leading up to the meeting, I had to track my food for a few days. First, there are a few things that I loved about her right off the bat.
No calorie counting.
No weighing myself on the scale. I can if I want to, but I don't. I hate the scale. As I've gotten older, I know that due to those crazy hormonal fluctuations, I have about 2 weeks of the month where I can get a pretty good weigh-in. The rest of the time, I can go up as much as 3lbs in one night. Excuse me, but I don't need that kind of stress in my life.
I signed up with a nutritionist for several reasons.
1.) I want to lose that 10lbs that I put on.
2.) I want to know how to get the best out of my nutrition now that I'm heading into long course.
3.) I want to make sure my race and training fueling are where they are supposed to be. (How can I improve my race day fueling?)
We talked for an hour. I thought I knew a lot about nutrition.
Then, she started talking.
My world was turned upside down.
The first week, we're restructuring what I eat and when I eat. It's about making my body more metabolically efficient, burning fat at a higher rate than before. This isn't a low carb/no carb nutrition. It's about timing my intake of carbs to maintain steady blood sugar and giving me fuel for my workouts.
Honestly, there are quite a few changes that I need to make.
Yesterday was the first day I was on my own. (She and I talked weekly, and I email her with questions).
Yesterday was a disaster. I didn't eat enough. I thought I had it when we got off the phone on Wed. Sure enough....I didn't, and it cost me a run. No big deal. That's why I'm doing this during my off season, and I'm not even "training" for anything right now.
I woke up this morning with a renewed sense of making this work. Rome wasn't built in a day.
I figure if I can get it 90-95% right, I'm already WAY ahead of trying to do this on my own without a nutritionist.
Today, I nailed it. I couldn't believe how good I felt all day. I went for a swim and felt great. My mood was awesome. My blood sugar was steady all day. I had none of those mood swings because I wasn't eating right. I wasn't tired at all during the day. My energy has been better than it has been in years. Best of all, last night, I was out cold.
I felt great. Technically, it's only been one day, since I messed up the first day.
It's not easy. It takes work. It takes focus. It takes dedication. It takes discipline.
It's not really any different than training.
I can say feeling as good as I did today, kinda makes this whole thing easier. I won't be perfect. She doesn't want perfection. As she says, "Food is meant to be enjoyed. Don't give up the things you really love."
If I can get it right 90% of the time, I'm in a pretty good place.
It feels good to feel good.
