Operation back-to-normal

Life is back to normal. No more triathlon training, just "normal" workouts. Back to weightlifting (yay!), 20 or 30 minute runs instead of 90 minute run/bikes. Back to fitting in workouts where I can during the day instead of making them my top priority. Back to not enough sleep, too much coffee, work work work, and sweets.

In the week after the triathlon, where I took a break from watching what I eat and exercising, I gained 5 pounds. I ate a LOT of rich food because of visiting friends and birthday dinners, but I never felt like I was gorging. When I got back to tracking what I eat and exercising nearly ever day, I assumed that most of those 5 pounds would melt off quickly, that it was retained water and other "temporary bloat." But it didn't, and it wasn't. It was real gain.

So here I am kinda sorta back to full-on diet. I had a great workout last night where I really pushed myself during my run, but I also had a piece of cake with lunch. I try to listen to my body, eat only when hungry and avoid refined sugars that will only make me more hungry later, but it gets tiresome to deny myself food all the time.

The struggle continues.

This comment from a diet blog I read sums it up nicely:

Why does "life intervening" mean giving up eating healthfully and/or exercising? When life intervenes, do we give up showering? Brushing our teeth? I know it's the emotional component of life that intervenes and derails us, but why us? And why can't life intervening take away our appetites and make us want to clean obsessively, rather than sit on the couch eating bad food?