In Tune With My Body

One of the things I have found as I continue to modify my diet and eat healthier is how much more in tune I am with my body.  In the past, my high sodium and high fat diet would leave me achy and lethargic on most days.  But, I got so accustomed to eating that way that I really didn't remember how my body felt when it was feeling good and functioning properly.  It didn't take long for my body to start feeling better.  Now, I know when I am putting something unhealthy in me because I feel it so rapidly.  Even if I wasn't tracking everything I consumed and it's nutritional data, my body knows.  Because of this, I find myself looking up this data on meals before I even eat them to make sure I am careful about these numbers. 

Not that anything I am about to tell you is earth-shattering news or unknown to most of you.  But, I doubt I knew the true impact of certain foods.  Probably the biggest eye-opener has been the way my body reacts to too much salt.  Sodium has become my biggest nemesis!  And, it's not just about water retention either.  When I consume excessive amounts of sodium, I can feel it in my joints.  My knees, ankles, elbows, shoulders all get a little bit achy.  I can feel my hands and feet start to swell.  I can almost feel my body drying out despite all of the H2O that I have been drinking daily.  I feel bloated and my skin feels tight.  I can feel it when I workout.  I went with a co-worker the other day to Mongolian Grill.  While I did good putting ingredients in the bowl... about 70% veggies, 20% noodles, and 10% chicken... the problem started when I added generous amounts of Siracha sauce (an Asian hot sauce for those not in the know).  I love Siracha sauce and I always overdo it.  So much so, that my co-workers make sure to give their food to the cooks before mine so that the hot sauce and copious amounts of jalapenos do not get mixed up with their dishes.  Both Russ and Jay have been on the unfortunate end, no pun intended, of having their meal cooked with my meal and paid for it for most of the day and beyond!  That sauce, combined with the soy sauce I put in my soup was way too much sodium.  I felt it almost instantly.  I felt crappy througout the afternoon.  And, I knew when I went to bed that I would be looking at a weight gain in the morning.  Unfortunately, I was correct.

The other obvious culprit is fat.  Obviously, my body does not react to fat in the same manner as sodium, but it can ruin an afternoon just as quick if not quicker.  I find myself so utterly lethargic when I eat anything that is heavy in fat content, especially anything with cheese.  I love cheese.  But, I keep reminding myself that I love working through the afternoon without having to fight off the desire to take a nap at my desk even more!  I have found it much easier to avoid fat than it has been to avoid sodium. 

On the flip side is the way I react to getting plenty of water.  When I get busy at work and forget to drink my body reacts almost immediately.  When I am drinking lots of water throughout the day, I can almost feel it flowing through my body.  Like an oil lubricating my joints and skin.  Like exercising, I am lucky that I really enjoy water.  I stopped drinking soda some time right around or before this blog and I don't miss it.  Probably because the only time I am really tempted to have a Pepsi is when I eat pizza, chicken wings or Mexican...  and, other than chips and salsa, I haven't had any!  lol.

On all but a couple of mornings, I have done a pretty good job of estimating what my weight would be.  But having said all of this, there is a certain irony regarding how wrong I was this morning.  My lunch yesterday consisted of plenty of sushi and the obligatory soy sauce... and yes a ton of wasabi.  What can I say?  I like my food spicy.  So, I was expecting another bad weigh-in this morning and was pleasantly surprised by the pound I had lost. 

I also find it very hard to predict how I am going to feel at the club.  There are many nights I am anxious to get there only to struggle through my workout.  Then there are days like today where I feel exactly the opposite.  Not enough sleep.  Feeling a sinus infection coming on.  Came home tired after a Period Close and a long day at work.  My head was pounding... that irritating sinus pain that sits right behind one of your eyes and makes you feel like you can't even keep them open.  I didn't feel like going and wondered if I was better off resting.  But, fortunately, it has become a habit now.  My workout ended up being my best of the week!  I walked 3.63 miles, though I could have gone far longer.  Not my highest of the week, but I felt so good at the end.  I made myself stop only because I really want to fight off this infection.  The weights I put up were the highest numbers since I started.  Once my head stopped hurting, I was in a zone and I feel ten times better now than when I left for the club.  That is why I go.  Even if it's a high from the workout, I will take it because it beats the way I felt when I got home tonight.  Here's to being in touch with your body... and actually listening to it when it's telling you something...