Racing Weight Notes

I must admit I've been slacking on my reading lately so I really don't have anything new to report on what I've learned from the book. However, since it is the eve of the day where more food in the United States is consumed than on any other day of the year I will post a few quick reminders of things that may help you avoid putting on too many extra pounds over the Thanksgiving holiday. Author Matt Fitzgerald writes in his book that weight gain is typically not a gradual thing. Many people in the U.S. believe they are bound to gain 5 lbs. a year as they age. They believe it is something that very gradually creeps up on them. Fitzgerald believes that weight gain is typically something that occurs quickly when overeating takes place followed by no change in exericse habits. He cites Thanksgiving to New Year's as the time when most people gain all the weight they gain in a year. Remember, if you overeat tomorrow, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll carry the extra weight into the race season if you recognize that you gained weight and modify eating/exercise habits to make up for it.

One trick Fitzgerald gives in the book to avoid overeating is to eat slowly. Try it out for Thanksgiving dinner and see if it makes a difference in how much you eat. He also suggests drinking a glass of water or milk before eating anything. That will start filling the stomach before the bad calories begin. Lastly, he suggests eating an appetizer and waiting at least 10 minutes before eating anything else. It takes the body about 10 minutes to realize how full it is; thus the reason why people who eat fast often overeat. Another thing to remember tomorrow is that it is okay to not fill the plate. Most Americans feel the need to finish everything on their plate even if they are already full. It leads to overeating. If you don't read this until after Thanksgiving and you feel guilty about how much you ate just remember if you pick up the workouts and are careful for the next week you'll more than likely lose what you gained.

Thanksgiving has never been a tough one for me to avoid overeating. For some reason I've never liked much of the traditional Thanksgiving food. I don't like Turkey. I despise mashed potatoes. I don't like pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, or cranberry at all. I will eat stuffing but it's not something I love. Fresh vegetables without all the garbage in them I like but I've never needed to worry much about overeating on Thanksgiving. As for my own update on getting to race weight I was 165 lbs. this morning which is 6 less than where I started 3 and a half weeks ago.

I would like to wish all the readers a very enjoyable Thanksgiving. If you're traveling drive safely. I have lots to be thankful for...an awesome wife and two great kids, a great job, great health, sponsors that believe in my abilities...and so much more. I was reminded in 2010 how lucky I am to be able to go out and train 20+ hours a week. Have an awesome Thanksgiving!! DREAM BIG!!