Overtraining vs. Overeating

According to the Government's Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans--yes, there really is such a thing (your tax dollars at work)--my activity level should keep me pretty healthy.

In fact, they say if you do 5 hours of exercise each week, you'll have more health benefits than McDonalds has French fries. This weekend, I did 5 hours of exercise on Saturday, and then again on Sunday. And about 2 hours worth on every other day of the week. According to the Government, I should be one happy and energetic Adonis.

But all I am is tired. And fat. And aching all over.

I am happy, though. I really enjoy the exercising, even though it tires me out. On Saturday, I had the best 8-mile training run I've had for a while, then swam a couple of laps in the pond with my friends, and then had a wonderful bike ride through the Chatfield park. On Sunday, I jumped on the road bike again and cranked it up Deer Creek Canyon and took the CityView loop up to Pleasant Park. I'll admit that my body was a tad sluggish during swim practice after that -- but it was still fun. Working out, whether solo or with my friends, is among my favorite things to do.

You probably think I'm going to argue that the Government must be wrong in their workout/health calculations...especially since I'm always complaining about their idiotic fiscal and regulatory policies that seem so focused on robbing us of our money and freedom. But I can't honestly do that. Within the Guidelines, they also talk about how exercise is most effective when it exists in partnership with a healthy nutrition plan. And that's where my life takes a slight deviation from the recommendations.

I eat too much.

The weird thing is that I don't really care about food. I am not an epicure, and must admit that my taste buds are not highly refined. While some people can distinguish the subtlest nuances of exotic seasonings and will only dine at the finest restaurants, I seriously doubt that I could tell the difference between Del Taco and Taco Bell, nor between Chipotle and Qdoba. While some folks pay hundreds of dollars for quality wines, I couldn't tell you the difference between Keystone Light and Pabst Blue Ribbon.

OK, I can distinguish a York Peppermint Pattie from a Pearson's Mint, and an Oreo from a Hydrox, but that's about it. I don't watch cooking shows, and don't understand why anyone would want to pay to eat at Elway's when you can get the same calories at Wendy's for one tenth the price.

But I do enjoy my desserts. My main course is almost always healthy. I eat salads, drink green smoothies, and get plenty of rich nutrient goodness from other veggies such as beans and rice. But despite getting enough fuel from such healthy offerings, my brain doesn't accept that the meal is finished until my taste buds have confirmed the passage of at least one of the major finishing groups: peanut butter, chocolate, mint, marshmallows, or ice cream. Usually it takes a combination of all of those things to signal the completion of feeding time.

Up to this point in my life, my strategy has been to offset this excess consumption by burning the calories in exercise. But now that I'm over 30, I find that two factors are mitigating the effectiveness of this strategy. One is that my general metabolism has slowed; just being awake all day doesn't seem to burn fat like it used to. And the second is that I can't recover from hard training like I could in my youth. While I would love to exercise 5 hours every single day -- not only for the fat-burning benefits, but for the pure joy of the activity -- the fact is that after a few intense workouts in a row, my body requires rest. In other words, every minute of Ferrigno must be balanced by a few hours of Bixby. Sigh.

Yeah, I know, I could hire a hypnotist to curb my chocoholism. I could seek a 12-step program. I could get liposuction. Or...I could just be more disciplined.

We'll see. In the meantime, if you're curious why I included the two guys in the middle photo, I'll explain tomorrow. And despite the fact that I slept in and rested on Monday morning, I may try to drop by the gym after I pick up my mountain bike from the shop tonight. I'll have more to say about the new bike tomorrow, as well. For now, just let me know if you have any hints on the delicate art of balancing training vs. Peppermint Pattie intake, and have a great day!