Running my First 5k on Saturday! (and Overcoming Problem Eating)

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pensmama87

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Hi all,

I’ve written on these forums before about my struggles with disordered eating. I began seriously attempting recovery in October and have been in active recovery for most of this year. I began running in March and am currently at the lowest weight I’ve seen for about 9 years. This Saturday, I’ll be running my first race.

There was a recent thread about overcoming problem eating, but unfortunately it was a troll so it got deleted, along with all my helpful advice. 😛 So I’m reposting what has worked for me in the hopes that it can help someone else.
  1. Prayer. I committed to a regular prayer life, and stuck with it rather than getting angry at God for “not listening” the first two or three times. I found this novena to St. Margaret of Cortona particularly helpful.
  2. A good counselor. I initially sought mine out for postpartum depression after the birth of my second child. I knew I wanted a Christian counselor since former counselors I’d had simply did not understand where I was coming from and suggested my problem was my faith. It took me about four months with her before I even brought up the problem eating. So even if you click with someone, it can take a while for the trust to develop, and that’s OK.
  3. Overeaters Anonymous. I did the online meetings and it was such a relief to talk with people who got exactly what I was going through. I eventually decided 12 step wasn’t exactly what I needed, but it did help me a lot in early recovery.
  4. Accountability. I had to open up the books, expose everything to my husband even though I was desperately afraid of rejection. I learned that if I had a way to get away with eating, I was going to take it. I also use a calorie counter as part of my food journal so I know exactly what I’m taking in, rather than pretending it’s not as much as it really is.
  5. Replace the negative behavior with a positive one - in my case running. I thought I would hate it, but I love it, even though I’m pretty slow. 😛 Now I’m thinking about taking up rock climbing too. I always thought I just had to tough it out through exercise but now I know I just had to figure out what I enjoyed and do that. It doesn’t make it easy to get up at 5am, but I know that if I was just trying to lift weights or something I’d never be getting out of bed.
I’m not at normal weight for my height yet but I’m getting there and I feel confident. The change was mostly spiritual and psychological, and then the physical effects came afterward.

I hope this is helpful to someone, and I thought regardless it would be good to share some GOOD news for once…😉 :o

I’d be more than happy to discuss more on this thread or via PM. 😃
 
pensmama87 said:
Hi all,

I’ve written on these forums before about my struggles with disordered eating. I began seriously attempting recovery in October and have been in active recovery for most of this year. I began running in March and am currently at the lowest weight I’ve seen for about 9 years. This Saturday, I’ll be running my first race.

There was a recent thread about overcoming problem eating, but unfortunately it was a troll so it got deleted, along with all my helpful advice. 😛 So I’m reposting what has worked for me in the hopes that it can help someone else.
  1. Prayer. I committed to a regular prayer life, and stuck with it rather than getting angry at God for “not listening” the first two or three times. I found this novena to St. Margaret of Cortona particularly helpful.
  2. A good counselor. I initially sought mine out for postpartum depression after the birth of my second child. I knew I wanted a Christian counselor since former counselors I’d had simply did not understand where I was coming from and suggested my problem was my faith. It took me about four months with her before I even brought up the problem eating. So even if you click with someone, it can take a while for the trust to develop, and that’s OK.
  3. Overeaters Anonymous. I did the online meetings and it was such a relief to talk with people who got exactly what I was going through. I eventually decided 12 step wasn’t exactly what I needed, but it did help me a lot in early recovery.
  4. Accountability. I had to open up the books, expose everything to my husband even though I was desperately afraid of rejection. I learned that if I had a way to get away with eating, I was going to take it. I also use a calorie counter as part of my food journal so I know exactly what I’m taking in, rather than pretending it’s not as much as it really is.
  5. Replace the negative behavior with a positive one - in my case running. I thought I would hate it, but I love it, even though I’m pretty slow. 😛 Now I’m thinking about taking up rock climbing too. I always thought I just had to tough it out through exercise but now I know I just had to figure out what I enjoyed and do that. It doesn’t make it easy to get up at 5am, but I know that if I was just trying to lift weights or something I’d never be getting out of bed.
I’m not at normal weight for my height yet but I’m getting there and I feel confident. The change was mostly spiritual and psychological, and then the physical effects came afterward.

I hope this is helpful to someone, and I thought regardless it would be good to share some GOOD news for once…😉 :o

I’d be more than happy to discuss more on this thread or via PM. 😃
Click to expand...
Awww. That’s wonderful.
 
Good advice. 👍 My wife just took up running, too. She thought she’d hate it and she always used to think it was the silliest, most boring form of exercise. But she started because her friend was doing it and now she really enjoys it. Go figure!
 
Awwww! You go girl!

I’m not trying to overcome an eating disorder but I have been trying to lose more weight since I almost failed my last PT test in the Air Force. I was 6 months PP from baby number two and the weight seriously creeped up on me over the course of my pregnancies.

Eating healthy is the challenge. Exercising can be fun. When I first started running before I joined the military, I hated every second of it. But, once you start a routine and get into it…it becomes a welcomed break from life. I really enjoy running now and my husband and I take turns doing our 2 miles every other day. One walks the kids while the other runs.

Good luck in the race. I haven’t run a 5k in several years but that is a goal my husband and I are working towards again.

You are AWESOME!
 
pensmama87 said:
This Saturday, I’ll be running my first race.
Click to expand...
:clapping:

I’ve run about half a dozen over the past few years, and have had a lot of fun every step of the way. The people along the routes are always marvelous supporters for all the runners.

Good luck!
 
First race went very, very well. It was a lot hotter and more humid than I would like, but I still set a personal record on time (I think having the other runners around helped, I picked a group to stay near and their pace was a bit faster than what I do by myself.) With about half a mile left to go, I thought I was being totally ridiculous to ever, ever want to do this for fun. Then I saw the finish line and sprinted for it, and there was a really great natural high once I crossed that line. Having my husband and kids there with surprise signs they’d made that said “Go Mommy!” was sweet, too. 😉

So I’m hooked. 😛 I have one more I want to do this year, then I plan on training next year for a 10k and maybe a half marathon, if we don’t have another baby.
 
:bowdown2: :clapping: :dancing: :tiphat:

Congratulations, pensmama! That is quite an accomplishment! Good luck in your future races!
 
pensmama87 said:
First race went very, very well. It was a lot hotter and more humid than I would like, but I still set a personal record on time (I think having the other runners around helped, I picked a group to stay near and their pace was a bit faster than what I do by myself.) With about half a mile left to go, I thought I was being totally ridiculous to ever, ever want to do this for fun. Then I saw the finish line and sprinted for it, and there was a really great natural high once I crossed that line. Having my husband and kids there with surprise signs they’d made that said “Go Mommy!” was sweet, too. 😉

So I’m hooked. 😛 I have one more I want to do this year, then I plan on training next year for a 10k and maybe a half marathon, if we don’t have another baby.
Click to expand...
:extrahappy:
 
pensmama87 said:
First race went very, very well. It was a lot hotter and more humid than I would like, but I still set a personal record on time (I think having the other runners around helped, I picked a group to stay near and their pace was a bit faster than what I do by myself.) With about half a mile left to go, I thought I was being totally ridiculous to ever, ever want to do this for fun. Then I saw the finish line and sprinted for it, and there was a really great natural high once I crossed that line. Having my husband and kids there with surprise signs they’d made that said “Go Mommy!” was sweet, too. 😉

So I’m hooked. 😛 I have one more I want to do this year, then I plan on training next year for a 10k and maybe a half marathon, if we don’t have another baby.
Click to expand...
Awesome. 👍👍

Nothing like runners high. Endorphins: God’s natural drug to keep us happy!
 
pensmama87 said:
First race went very, very well. It was a lot hotter and more humid than I would like, but I still set a personal record on time (I think having the other runners around helped, I picked a group to stay near and their pace was a bit faster than what I do by myself.) With about half a mile left to go, I thought I was being totally ridiculous to ever, ever want to do this for fun. Then I saw the finish line and sprinted for it, and there was a really great natural high once I crossed that line. Having my husband and kids there with surprise signs they’d made that said “Go Mommy!” was sweet, too. 😉

So I’m hooked. 😛 I have one more I want to do this year, then I plan on training next year for a 10k and maybe a half marathon, if we don’t have another baby.
Click to expand...
As one runner to another, 👍
 
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