One of the most dysfunctional relationships around is the one that affects every woman, every day. It's the relationship women have with their own bodies. I have certainly had days, months, years when I didn't like the way I looked. I over-analyzed every little inch, and compared myself against the air-brushed images we see daily. Sometime after college I managed to find a balance of eating and working out that allowed me to eat what I want (for the most part....certain foods are just off-limits, and I try to eat healthfully more often than not), and stay at or around the weight I want.
I think that the relationship that female athletes have with their bodies, and with food is particularly interesting. For women who are burning 500+ calories on a regular basis, it seems that weight should be a total non-issue. Alas, that is so not the case. While my own experience is just that -- my own -- I figured I'd share a few little tid-bits, that could hopefully help anyone who may be struggling.
1. Think of the amazing things that your body CAN do. Your legs can push you up hills, and take you across miles and miles of terrain. That's a victory in itself. While running up a hill on Lenox Road in Atlanta I had the epiphany that instead of beating myself up over not looking a certain way, I should embrace the body that I have that enables me to do a lot of pretty terrific things. Somehow doing that freed me from obsessing over how my body looks (ie: wishing it was more gazelle-like, less work-mule-like....ha, I kid), and encouraged me to do the right things for my own body's health.
2. Food = Fuel. Eat and drink to keep yourself going. Eat a balance of foods....veggies, fruits, protein, carbs (yes, carbs!!). Pick foods that have some positive nutritional value. Perhaps this helps to explain why I feel like cheese and peanut butter are totally acceptable, healthful foods (hellooooo calcium and protein!!)....when consumed in moderation. Oh -- and drink water. I am terrible at remembering to do that - but it is definitely good for you.
3. Cut yourself some slack. Try to cut out the junk, but don't beat yourself up if you need some sugar or fat every now and then. There are times that I feel like I run solely to indulge my sweet tooth without as much guilt. If you have a "bad" day, then turn things around the next day, or work out a little harder to burn it off. Just avoid tearing yourself to shreds over a piece of cake, or whatever.
If you feel like you're doing everything right, and your body still isn't reacting the way you want, there may be a rational medical explanation. This month's
Health magazine ran a story about "4 Surprising Reasons Women Can't Lose Weight." Most of these things have symptoms that could seem random, and not necessarily indicative of a bigger problem (I guess that's usually they case). Here they are:
- A sluggish thyroid -- hypothyroidism. Symptoms: weight gain, fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, joint pain, muscle weakness, heavy periods, increased sensitivity to cold, even depression.
- Out-of-whack hormones (potentially caused by ovarian cysts)
- Trouble-making foods.....ie: food allergies, celiac disease, lactose intolerance, etc.
- Pills that pack on the pounds...an unwelcome side effect of some drugs, including anti-depressants, steroids, and birth-control.
Check out the article to learn more about how these conditions could affect you, and how to best treat them.
All in all, the message today is to be good to yourself. Your body IS a temple, and if you're an athlete, it's also a bit like a machine. If you treat it well you should see the results you want. If you don't, work with your doc to determine if there's something else going on that's out of your control.
