I’ll get to today’s title in a minute…
I don’t know what’s happening peeps but #thestruggleisreal and I can’t seem to get back on track food-wise. Going off track food-wise is also getting me off track exercise-wise. This week, I didn’t have one good day; either I started well or finished well or had a bad day altogether. I feel I’m losing my edge.
Now to the title of today’s post and why it’s relevant… This week I started reading Touching a Nerve, the self as brain written by neuro-philosopher Patricia S. Churchland and it’s about how we (humans) are the way we are because the brain is what it is. It is a fascinating book. I am only half way through it and I strongly recommend it.
Anyhow… early in the book is a story about a man at an academic conference who in a middle of a fit starts screaming “I hate the brain” “I hate the brain” and I can’t agree more. We are incredibly complicated biological beings and our brains make sure that everything gets done but WE ARE THE BRAIN… or MY BRAIN IS ME? I don’t even know which way that goes now or if there is a difference.
What has become very clear from the reading is that my brain is not a magic ball. Last thursday, Times published the article Here’s how kids can get better grades which discusses the findings from a study that links physical fitness and academic performance. And a lightbulb went off! Of course! Physical fitness translates into healthy bodies which translates into healthy brains which translates into academic performance. This explains why everything falls to pieces when I don’t eat well and/or move less. This explains why my depression got better when I started exercising and eating healthy. It also explains why I’ve felt so blue this week. My brain is not happy… I am not happy.
I hate the brain… such a vicious circle: My brain is me… it needs good fats, vitamins, minerals, protein and carbs to work well but pleasure sensors go lovey lovey over ice-cream and pizza and burgers but that messes up my circulatory system and probably other things and so my brain get’s sad and I feel blue. I hate the brain!
I have to take over. I am the boss! It is my brain, it’s ME! Today was not terrible. I had a fruity breakfast, fish, potatoes, and a green salad for lunch, cherries and dark chocolate as an after workout snack, and perhaps not too good, no dinner since my snack was so close to dinnertime. I’m behind on my Couch to 5K program… I plan to be back on the saddle tomorrow. I only did 5 hours of exercise this week, well below my average (8-9/week). I’m looking forward to Fitbloggin next week and hope that I come back fully recharged. I know I can turn this around… now it’s a matter of will.
This week’s Weekly Words of Wisdom come to you courtesy of Touching a Nerve. I can’t lie to myself and hope that things get better, I have to make them better. Here’s for another week and another chance to get back on track.
The Extra Pounds 