Making A Molehill out of a Mountain

Sometimes the ripple effect of honesty is modest, and other times, it can be the first snowflake in a snowfall revolution. After reading Jenna's post on her own experiences with injury and life change, I thought to myself that perhaps it's time to get down one level lower and talk about some of the peripheral but very real aspects of injury.

So, let's all leave our berets at the door. Grab a cup of something delicious to drink and let's talk shop, ladies and gentlemen.

I have faced the injury demon before, but something I have learned (through unfortunately too much experience) is that the more you "battle" and vilify your injuries, the harder it is to heal. But pure recovery aside, I think that for a lot us (myself certainly included) is contending with inactivity and the feeling of lethargy - maybe even a modest snugness of the jeans - and feeling OK with that. Now that, my friends, is tough(er) stuff.

I can tell you this: as recently as a year and a half ago, I would have let this injury turn into an excuse to regiment my eating (to offset the caloric surplus from rest) and felt powerless over my body. It is so easy feel that way! In fact, I think that is exactly the way to emerge from an injury none the wiser :/
As Jenna mentioned in her post, active or not, a great quality of life is worth the extra couple of lbs you might gain. I could not agree more. Sure, I feel a bit "closer" to my jeans after 2 weeks of no exercise, but I also feel like continuing to eat great, nourishing food and occasional treats in good company is a blessing. I feel that telling myself that I should somehow restrict my food intake is like punishing my body when what it needs most is care! Sure, I often wish that I could get out for a long, sweaty yoga session or a heart-pounding session in the weight room, or even just a nice long walk, but I (sometimes with difficulty, other times without) remind myself that the real rewards of rest require patience.

You know, I live with someone who has fairly significant energy needs and from time to time, I forget that I have my own metric for fullness and just eat alongside him until well beyond my comfort zone. When I am training 2x a day and competing on weekends, eating beyond my limit is no better/less deceptive than doing so when I am mostly inactive. The point I am making is that I have always been able to justify making food choices based on my activity level, but now I want to continue to make choices based on my moment-to-moment needs. I realize how floofy that sounds, but much like my deliberate non-diet leading up to my wedding, I am similarly choosing to acknowledge the challenge of viewing food and body in the present moment and not letting exogenous variables (like intensity of exercise) dictate my choices, or override my intuition. In fact, I am taking a cue from Miss Jenna and making a conscious choice (yet again) not to change anything about my way of living that feels good in the best of times. So yes, I am definitely still eating oats in a jar, at every possible opportunity!


This won't be easy (not the oats - I could eat those at every meal, I am talking about the metaJaya stuff), but I am really committed to emerging from my injury empowered. It is hard to abstain from what you love, but it is even worse to spend that time lamenting your circumstances. I am really proud of myself for moving through these weeks (and the 2 weeks ahead before I can do any exercise) with a heart full of self-love. Of course there are times when I wonder if I should have eaten something really treaty, or when I think that I should have just had more veggies, but I continue to return to a great lesson from my friend Alison: true health is being able to find balance and knowledge within you, when everything around you feels upside down. Another question I can turn to when I feel a bit turbulent inside is, "how would I care for a child in this situation?" This usually (but not always!) saves me from overeating, under eating or mindless eating.

It used to be that since sport was the focal point of my life, when it was down, my whole self and life felt down. Now, I feel that this is just a small set back that affects a small part of what I do and how I spend my time, and not only does it provide me with more time and energy for loved ones, school, leisure, etc., but whether I emerge from my injury at +/- 5lbs, I will not have sacrificed any of the special moments that helped me get through it. Does that mean eating all of the sweets in sight? No. It means not missing out on celebrating life with the best quality of food possible, and surrounded by great people.. whether that means sharing carrot sticks or carrot cake! Being good to your body on a daily basis means (by definition and extension) that you never have to "off-set" or "compensate for" anything! Erm, I know, easier said than done, but I am more than halfway from fake it to make it, so I'm going with it!

I know that time off is hard... believe me, I do. I am sure that I will return to this sounding board to vent about feeling soft, or having restless energy, but we will get through that when the time comes. In the meantime, let's raise a cup of tea to the good life; one that moves through and with the tough stuff.

What is the hardest part of dealing with injury or set backs for you? Do you revert to certain behavior patterns or thoughts?