My body screams for ice cream at least three times per week. I can reject cake, chocolate and chips, but there is something about the texture and taste of ice cream that my body craves. When I give in to temptation, I eat the ice cream with a teaspoon to last longer and I usually eat it privately because people's comments about a personal trainer eating ice cream usually leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Some people, who we love to hate, can eat a magnum of ice cream and still stay skinny, but most of us can feel the cheat (or treat) settle in our stomach for a while before deciding which fatty deposit to inhabit. Just as we enjoy every bite of our cheat, so we must be aware of everything we put in our mouth, from the glass of wine to the mayo that is spread on our toasted sarmie. I have take to logging my exercise sessions and my food intake to be aware of my actions and meals.
Being a very active person, I often get told that I should be able to eat anything and I will burn it off. This is a lie, and the only burn that will get rid of a bowl of ice cream will be two hours of intense running, but then the leftovers of cholesterol, cellulite and guilt remain. Any athlete will testify that eating fried, fatty food will not enhance performance or provide energy. Recently I tasted some fried fast food (after weeks of salad, chicken breasts and fruit) and I was repulsed by the texture, taste and aftertaste of this meal. Eating healthily leads to cravings for fruit and balanced meals between the temptations for treats.
We must all live balanced lives and celebrate happy movements with champagne, break ups with ice cream (American television dictates this) and depression with chocolate, but there is no need to celebrate every occasion or mood swing with food. Other rewards such as a beach run or new clothes are satisfying. Changing our thought patterns and being more outward focussed takes the attention away from ingestion to improvement. New running shoes will make me want to exercise more and improve my running style as well as my fashion sense much more than drinking beer and shooters every weekend. I will be able to wake up refreshed on a Saturday morning for a run in my new shoes, without the sluggishness of a hangover, bad breath and a lazy body.
The endorphins and exercise benefits are negated by unhealthy eating habits. Apart from the fact that the calories taken in from food should balance the exercise output, there are other factors to take into account. Alcohol slows down metabolism and will affect exercise performance. Cholesterol and trans fat will damage the body in the long term. Bad carbohydrates provide short term energy and long term energy lows, while good protein sources will help to repair the body after exercise. Feeding our cravings does not help our performance or figure, but the occasional ice cream treat will build strong bones and teeth. Too much ice cream will build big bones.
