Read and weep: racing weight

I read a book and it changed my body....
 
I wish it were as simple as that. Last week I was writing about a book which I really enjoyed reading. Let me continue with books and mention another book that I immediately wanted to read as it was brought to my attention a few weeks ago. It is called "Racing weight: How to get lean for peak performance" by Matt Fitzgerald. Unfortunately the book does not seem to have an electronic edition. At the time I was about to move and I could not wait for a hard copy to arrive, so I gave up on reading it for the moment.

Since then, though, I have been thinking about these issues and discussing it with friends. Loosing a few kilos is already on my list of this year's goals, and I am finding more motivation to do so. I have recently read that without any improvement of form, one can in average run every kilometer 3 seconds faster per lost kilogram. So, losing 5 kg means 15 seconds faster per km. That is immediately more than 1 minute faster 5k, and more than 5 minutes faster half marathon. Just like that! Of course this only applies to runners who have excess weight. If you get too light, it probably means that you are losing muscle mass, which might ruin your form.

As I was expecting, it turns out to be much easier to eat right when I'm on my own. There is no chocolate, ice cream, sweets, crisps or nuts in the house. Only healthy, lean stuff and fruit. So whenever I am craving for something naughty, it has to be something right. I have for example yogurt and feta cheese which both make perfect deserts with a little drizzle of honey on top. An apple cut into cubes with a lot of cinnamon is excellent as well... OK, excellent is a big exaggeration, but believe me: when there is nothing else it really feels wonderful. The most important: I am able to avoid alcohol when I am alone. This is perhaps my biggest weakness. Hmmm... now it sounds like I am an alcoholic. It is fortunately nothing like that. But I really really enjoy a glass of wine or beer in the evening. The best would be not have at all in the house, but I do have a couple of bottles. The trick is not to open them. As long as they are unopened, I am able to stay away from them.

And I must just mention my lunches once more. I cannot describe how happy I am about the food that is served at the university cafeteria, samples of which you can see in the pictures here. At least three different hot vegetable dishes everyday. Note that I am not saying vegetarian, but vegetable. Unfortunately vegetarian dishes usually contain a lot of carbs, like potatoes, rice, pasta or grains. Here the dishes are pure vegetable, like a casserole of squash, or spinach, or leeks, all so extremely delicious. This is the kind of stuff you can eat almost as much as you like because it is so nutritious and has so little calories, and it fills your stomach and keeps you full and content for so many hours.

As well as I am able to behave when I am on my own, I am terrible when Frank is here visiting or when I am with friends and family. Then I really let go of all the barriers and eat and drink just as I like. I have to find a balance in that. In the beginning I was thinking "come on, it's all the stuff that I've been missing for so long" but now it is time to be careful also when I am enjoying myself.

A challenging thing, which might turn out to be a disaster or a blessing, is that I don't have a bathroom scale yet. I have been without a scale since I left Bergen over three weeks ago. It is the first time during the last 30 years that I have not weighed myself for so long. From previous experience I know that it is easy fool oneself if one does not go on a scale. "Oh, I'm running so much; I'm sure I'm losing weight". Wrong. Eat a couple of pieces of baklava or a bag of pistachios, and the run is gone, at least in calories. On the other hand, this time I have the feeling that not having a scale is giving me the opposite effect. I am more cautious. And the belts are looser. Fingers crossed!

Let me find that book...