Running does a body good: TOLT

~ Chocolaterunsjudy

I’m Thinking Out Loud about body image, and a lot of other very random things today. I think 50% of my readers will nod their head and totally get it; and the other 50% (you lucky ones) will just say, hey, you look great, why are you so hung up on it?

The truth is I am both hung up on it and not hung up on it. Like most people, there are times I am happy with my body, and times I am not so happy with my body. Of course being healthy is the most important thing, and I am always grateful that I am.

Body image effects our confidence and our moods. And sometimes the only way to have a good body image is to love your body for what it does, not for how it looks. That’s the beauty of running, my friends — if you keep at it, even if you never race, it will improve how you feel about your body. It will teach you you can do hard things. It will improve your confidence. It will teach you to be grateful for what your body can do, not for how it looks.

And that will spill over into all areas of your life.

Body Dysmphoric Disorder
Sometimes I wonder: do I suffer from this? So I looked up the definition this week:

pathological preoccupation with an imagined or slight physical defect of one’s body to the point of causing significant stress or behavioral impairment in several areas (as work and personal relationships) <People suffering from body dysmorphic disorder perceive themselves as ugly, fixating on a slight abnormality or an imagined flaw

Okay, no, while there may be parts of my body I’m not overly fond of, I definitely don’t focus on a “slight” physical defect.

And most of the time I’m pretty happy with my body and where it’s at today.

On the other hand, I have, on more than one occasion, had people call me “tiny”, and they’re not just referring to my height (although there  is that).

That I don’t see. Perhaps having spent a large part of my adult life overweight I’m never going to see that. It’s very difficult to get that funhouse mirror out of your mind. It’s not that I’m not happy with what I see most of the time, but I just don’t see myself as “tiny”, either.

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I might have felt “obligated” to run after eating this dessert

I’ve fueled; must run
I practice a very loose carb cycling eating plan — I eat more carbs on the days I run. A lot more on long run days!

But somedays I’ve planned to run and I don’t really feel it. Yet if I’ve carbed it, I sort of feel like I have to run. I’m a little tongue in cheek here, folks, but there’s a kernel of truth to that too.

So instead of making sure I have my clothes laid out to motivate me to move (although I do that too), sometimes I just fuel to motivate myself. And then motivate myself with what I’m going to eat after my run.

Don’t judge me!

Over the sales . . . or am I?
The constant salespitches that come into my email box at this time of year start to get old pretty darn quick. There’s more to life (and holidays) than shopping, right?

And yet I continue to indulge in said sales. I might be talking the talk and not walking the walk.

Now really don’t judge me!

Coming clean about sugar
I have a real problem with “sugar free” recipes on Pinterest when I click through to them and they use Splenda. I’d much rather have a little sugar in my life than artificial sweeteners, with the exception of just a little stevia in my tea — occasionally.

I know that technically they are correct in labeling such recipes sugar free, but somehow it really rubs me the wrong way. Am I the only one?

And speaking of being rubbed the wrong way . . .
. . . am I the only one that gets annoyed when my neighbors are having work done, and their contractors park in front of my house? Sometimes said contractors make a real mess, but most of the time it’s just a car parked outside our house.

Please tell me I’m not the only one annoyed by this. I don’t see myself in the role of grinch.

Notice Lola using Bandit as a head rest?

The sock thief
And that would be Bandit, of course. At least his previous owner actually did warn us about that one. Now that he’s more free in the house, he likes going into our bedroom to see if Mr. Judy has left him a sock again.

One day I found him busily eating one on the couch. Thankfully it didn’t seem to really bother him, although I did have to let him out when I got up, and most days he doesn’t go out until after I’ve had my breakfast.

Talk to me. Tell me in the comments:

What’s the weirdest thing your furkid ever ate?

Is it sugar free if it uses artificial sweeteners?

Do you think you suffer from a poor body image?

I’m linking up with Amanda at Running with Spoons for her:

Thursdays are for thinking out loud

14 thoughts on “Running does a body good: TOLT”

  1. I think if one has been overweight for a while it is hard to see it differently. I still can’t believe how tiny the pants are I now fit in … it feels like they can’t be my pants … Maybe it changes after a couple of years …

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  2. I agree with you, if you are going to have sugar, have proper sugar! Your body knows how to deal with it. Sugar substitutes made with fructose may bypass the insulin system, but they go straight to the liver where they get stored as fat, causing fatty liver. Much better to have ‘a little bit of what you fancy’ ! I never thought that I’d be able to drink coffee without sugar, but I stuck with it and it tastes normal now. So yes, I too am irritated by the sugar free labels😊 Sadly I am obsessed a bit with my body image. I gained a couple of pounds when I was ill which is disappointing because I know how difficult it is to lose it- it takes consistent effort to avoid the junk and keep up the exercise. But there are so many temptations around and I do like the treats around at this time of year! I know from past expereience that the ‘what the hell – a couple of weeks won’t matter’ isn’t good- last year I think that I over indulged and gained quite a bit so I’m trying not to go mad this year!!! On the bright side however, last year I lost about 1lb per month steadily. I know that I wouldn’t get any prizes at weight watchers for that, but at the end of the year I have lost just under a stone and kept it off. If I can do the same agin next year I will be very pleased! But I also agree about ‘how you feel’ . I’ll probably write a post of my own about that!😄

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      1. Lol! After writing that I went to check my figures! Only 8lb that year but 15lb over 2 – I’m happy with that! But the stuff I’ve seen in the past from weight watchers aims to lose 2lb per week. Although I’d like to lose more and more quickly, I’m happy that I’ve lost fat not muscle and it’s staying off!

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  3. Those of us who were grossly overweight, whether we lost weight recently or a long time ago (I fall into the latter category) will probably never see ourselves as small, or tiny in your case. Like SlowRunnerGirl above, often when I take my own clothing from the dryer I think, “That can’t possibly fit me!” But it does.

    I may have told you this before, but one day I was walking downtown and saw a woman in a store window. “Now THAT woman is slim!” You guessed it: It was I. Body image and our psyches is a fascinating topic to ponder or discuss.

    I am with you on the “sugar-free” gambit. Technically accurate, it’s misleading. Again like you, I’d much prefer a bit of the real deal than lots of fake food. I don’t use margarine, either, or other butter substitutes. There is nothing wrong with a dab of real butter, or sugar, or fat or any other real food.

    I love the photo of Bandit and Lola. So sweet. His growth is miraculous.

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    1. I’m with you on fats, too — they’re actually very important for us. I use real butter & mayonnaise. I think it’s one area where WW falls down — even my leader is always so proud of how she no longer uses butter — and there’s nothing wrong with it — in moderation (or if you’re a vegan).

      Ah, Bandit is still back & forth. He still has some learning to do, but he’s coming along.

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    2. The real reason the sugar free recipe label bothers me — there are REAL sugar free recipes out there, the ones sweetened with fruit, for instance. And that’s what I’m on the hunt for sometimes. Some sugar is ok, but too much isn’t, so sometimes I like something that still tastes sweet but doesn’t actually have sugar in it.

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  5. Just wondering how much slower my metabolism will get and how much weight I will gain as I age. Both menopause and running started around the same time. Hopefully it is not related to running. Would love to be skinny again but it ain’t happening because I love to eat out. I guess I will just buy a bigger size. LOL.

    I hate artificial sweeteners. I prefer to add the real thing.

    I have one cat that eats anything paper. Toilet paper is her favorite.

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    1. Darlene, you really still are pretty darn skinny. I wish I had your arms (I’d probably have to take up tennis, and even then, probably just not in my DNA).

      The weirdest thing Gizmo eats is bread — occasionally. Not too often. But you have to be careful not to leave it on a counter. Luckily I don’t eat bread much anymore.

      I wonder how much my metabolism will slow, too, as clearly I am not post menopausal yet. I love to eat too — I think I’ve amply proven that — but I do have to be very careful about it.

      Maybe we need to get together with Barbara for lunch at some point next year? I haven’t seen her in a while. Or maybe we could get together with Alyssa, since I haven’t met her (and Barbara, too).

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