As predicted, it’s 1:45 PM and I’m dragging as a result of the Royal Wedding Watch Party.  Yawn.  Still worth it, though.  :)  Since so many of you voted YES for fascinators (AKA hats), here’s mine from my wedding:

hat

I only wore it for an hour or so during the reception as a nod to my British in-laws.  The rest of the time, I wore a traditional veil.  My whole family bought hats, too, to make the Brits feel welcome – check out this old post for tons of hat pictures, if you’re so inclined!

 

We should make fascinators cool over here in the USA, I think!

 

Anyway – I got through some work at the clinic without napping on the desk, and then I met DadHTP for lunch at a little diner called Fenwick’s.

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Fenwick’s is popular with the senior crowd. 🙂 And for good reason – the menu is packed with fresh takes on all the comfort food favorites.

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I got the Soup, Salad, and Muffin since their quiche-of-the-day (my favorite at Fenwick’s) wasn’t vegetarian.

 

The soup was Cream of Mushroom and Artichoke, but it was a very light cream-based soup with chunks of veggies.  Yum.

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Snagged a few fries from Dad:

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On our way home, I debated whether I wanted to swim on my lunch break or after work is over.   I couldn’t decided if I’d rather be tired as I swam or risk swimming on a full stomach. 

 

I did some Googling and discovered that the rule about having to wait an hour after eating to swim is a total myth!  I always thought it increased the odds that you’ll get a stomach cramp and drown to death.  Or at least that’s what my mom told me.  “Wait at least an hour!” she admonish. 

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Hot goggle marks, hollar.

 

Interesting facts about swimming on a full stomach:

 

  • In only 1% of USA drowning deaths did the victim eat a full meal before swimming (source).  However, a drowning has never been conclusively linked to a meal.
  • Alcohol is another story – 25% – 41% of victims are drunk at the time of drowning (source).
  • Swimming on a full stomach might increase the odds that you’ll get a stomach cramp because blood rushes to your muscles, not gut, when exercising.  Cramps can occur when muscles don’t get enough oxygen.  The odds that this cramp will be so painful that you cannot swim through it are small (source).

 

Old wives’ tale – busted!

{ 66 comments }

 

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat April 29, 2011, 2:09 pm

    I love how you go for regular lunch dates with your dad! I researched the same thing about eating and swimming a while ago. When I used to swim competitively, my coaches always emphasized that we should eat snacks between races at our meets, so it didn’t surprise me when I realized that what my mum had warned me about was just an old wives tale!

  • Victoria (District Chocoholic) April 29, 2011, 2:09 pm

    Glad you decided to go for the swim. That “don’t eat” thing is total rubbish. On more than one occasion, I ate in the middle of a practice – and at least once, it was a snickers bar.

    Goggle marks are sexy. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

  • Lisa Fine April 29, 2011, 2:10 pm

    One of my favorite lunch out combos is quiche and salad, but I think a muffin, soup, and salad could easily become the new favorite.

    Glad to hear the swimming’s going well!

  • Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin April 29, 2011, 2:10 pm

    Wow good to know you don’t have to wait a full hour! That soup does look delicious. I love creamy soups but sometimes they can be too heavy for my stomach, but that one looks light-ish slash perfect. Happy Friday!

  • Lisa April 29, 2011, 2:13 pm

    I HAVE to eat before swimming! If not, half way through my mile and a half I get insane hunger. I never ever get stomach or side cramps, either.

  • Freya April 29, 2011, 2:17 pm

    I think you are fabulous for googling the amount of people who drown from swimming on a full stomach!

    • CaitlinHTP April 29, 2011, 3:01 pm

      You really can google anything!

  • Holly @ The Runny Egg April 29, 2011, 2:20 pm

    I never knew what the deal was with the “wait an hour” thing. Although I have never been a swimmer — the most I do is sit in the hot tub.

  • Caitlin @ TPL April 29, 2011, 2:21 pm

    Running on a full stomach is a different story… for me at least!

  • Baking 'n' Books April 29, 2011, 2:21 pm

    I think the rule is more for a “common-sense/how you feel” thing…a lot of people just feel full after eating – I know I do! How long do you get for a lunch break?!

  • Mary @ Bites and Bliss April 29, 2011, 2:22 pm

    I can understand where the myth formed but I had heard it was false anyway. Maybe it was started by someone who feared the food bulge in a bathing suit. 😉

  • Sarah for Real April 29, 2011, 2:23 pm

    I bet it also depends on what you’ve eaten. I think a rule we can all agree on is, “Don’t Swim After Eating a Chili Cheese Dog.”

  • Christine @ Merf In Progress April 29, 2011, 2:24 pm

    Yours is beautiful. Princess Beatrice’s, um, no.

  • RunEatRepeat April 29, 2011, 2:26 pm

    I already sink to the bottom, I don’t need a belly full of food to make it worse…

  • Kelly April 29, 2011, 2:26 pm

    You fascinator is gorgeous!!!

  • Angela (Oh She Glows) April 29, 2011, 2:26 pm

    My mom used to tell me that all the time!
    When I swam regularly last spring, I find I felt best when waiting 1 hour, but I sometimes did after a half hour too. Good for you for getting active even when tired!

  • Jennifer@ knackfornutrition April 29, 2011, 2:27 pm

    I like your hat! Haha that sounds weird but it looks very classy.

  • Kim April 29, 2011, 2:28 pm

    You must live in my neighborhood because you’re always at all of my local haunts! How have we not met in person yet?! Happy weekend!

    • CaitlinHTP April 29, 2011, 2:59 pm

      Charlotte is actually such a small place, isn’t it???

  • Anne G. April 29, 2011, 2:29 pm

    No eating before swimming is a myth invented by parents who didn’t want to watch us kids in the pool or lake right after dinner. My parents totally abused it!!!

    • CaitlinHTP April 29, 2011, 2:58 pm

      Hahah good point. I think you’re right 🙂

  • Katie @ Nourishing Flourishing April 29, 2011, 2:30 pm

    Aw, that’s cute that you wore a fascinator at your wedding for the in-laws. Very diplomatic! 😉

  • Leanne (Bride to Mrs.) April 29, 2011, 2:32 pm

    I love the little hats…… so wish that was a trend here.

  • Angela April 29, 2011, 2:35 pm

    I guess it depends on how much you have eaten. After a large lunch I don’t think I’d want to be bobbing around in pool for fear of throwing up!

  • Kate April 29, 2011, 2:41 pm

    How sweet that you wore a hat for part of the reception as a nod to your husband’s culture. I wish hats were more popular here! That is one of the main reasons that I love Kentucky Derby weekend – because I get to wear a hat!

  • Ash @ Good Taste Healthy Me April 29, 2011, 2:46 pm

    Interesting! I totally thought that still applied! lol

  • Ellie@fitforthesoul April 29, 2011, 2:50 pm

    haha this is so funny! You look beautiful Caitlin! I love the make up detail on yourself. 🙂 those hats are so interesante…

  • Brie @ Brie Fit April 29, 2011, 2:50 pm

    I wore a feathered fascinator for our wedding and I LOVED it. We’re not even British.

    Pics: http://www.brie-fit.com/2010/06/wedding-recap-part-1-getting-ready/

    • CaitlinHTP April 29, 2011, 2:58 pm

      Oh Brie, I loved your ENTIRE look for your wedding. It was all beautiful, especially the sleeves on your dress.

  • Jen April 29, 2011, 2:51 pm

    I have found that places popular with the seniors have some of the best food!!!
    I totally watched this morning and loved it 🙂

  • Caitie April 29, 2011, 2:55 pm

    Do you ever hesitate to order soup at restuarants bc of animal based broths if they are not labeled as vegetarian? Even if a soup is cream based, I still get paranoid that there will be broth it so I never order soup (and I dont ever feel like asking)

    • CaitlinHTP April 29, 2011, 2:57 pm

      Yes I do hesitate! I always ask. I don’t mind asking. 🙂

  • Lili April 29, 2011, 2:55 pm

    You look gorgeous + amazing + adorable + classy in your wedding hat and wedding gown! Loved that pic. How fun 🙂

    • CaitlinHTP April 29, 2011, 2:57 pm

      What a sweet comment, thank you so much!

  • Lacey @ Lake Life April 29, 2011, 3:02 pm

    A fascinator is defined at a “headpiece”, not a hat. I loved yours!

  • Joanne April 29, 2011, 3:13 pm

    Both my parents are English. Born in Leicestershire. But we’ve never been a hat family. I’ve never seen my mum in a hat. My dad…on occasion. As for me, the only hat I ever wear is a visor for running.

  • Shannon April 29, 2011, 3:23 pm

    I always used to eat something before swim practice. It actually made me feel better & swim faster

  • Nancy April 29, 2011, 3:29 pm

    The one-hour rule does matter– CPR efforts are significantly hindered when a person has a full stomach. I was a lifeguard, swimmer and coach for years and knew someone who was unable to save a child because they had eaten before swimming.

    • CaitlinHTP April 29, 2011, 3:34 pm

      REALLY? I’ve never heard of that in connection to CPR. How does a full stomach impact CPR efforts exactly? This wasn’t mentioned in my class (but it was a total crash course).

      • Lacey @ Lake Life April 29, 2011, 11:11 pm

        That’s kind of like saying someone shouldn’t eat before breathing. Procedures are always more successful when the patient hasn’t eaten. Unfortunately, in emergency situations, that’s not an option.

  • Becca@start over from scratch April 29, 2011, 3:45 pm

    I love Fenwicks! It’s owned by Chef Raab, one of my instructors at JWU! She is going for her Masters in Wine, a british Wine Certification equivalent to a Sommlier! Next time youre in ask for her and talk to her about wine!

  • Amanda- The Nutritionist Reviews April 29, 2011, 3:48 pm

    I love your little hat! So cute : )

  • Charity April 29, 2011, 3:57 pm

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE your wedding dress!

  • Jess@atasteofconfidence April 29, 2011, 4:32 pm

    Yup – definitely a huge myth! I think parents made it up, personally. haha.

  • Christine @ Burning It Off April 29, 2011, 4:38 pm

    Haha, I used to break that rule all the time as a kid and it never did me any harm… I can definitely see some merit to the don’t drink and swim rule though 😉

  • Emily April 29, 2011, 4:52 pm

    I don’t like to swim with a full stomach, but agree its a myth to have to wait all that time. I like to eat before I leave the house, and by the time I am at the pool and changed my stomach has emptied a bit.

    My housemate and her husband make amazing hats and fascinators, vintage style with lots of feathers and pearls and stuff sewn on. They are very beautiful!

  • daniella @ runner at heart April 29, 2011, 4:55 pm

    I always felt my mom told me that because she hated to watch me in the pool, mainly because once I was in I never got out. Thanks for putting out the truth!

  • Paige @Running Around Normal April 29, 2011, 5:27 pm

    I love that hat, and find all the British traditions so fascinating!

  • chelsea April 29, 2011, 5:42 pm

    I love your hat! Even if you only wore it for a few hours at least you did something British! When we use to go to the beach as kids my mom never lets us back in the ocean after eating until an hour had past. I always tried to tell her it was ok….but I always knew the risk!

  • Christine April 29, 2011, 6:27 pm

    Your “fascinator” is beautiful- understated and classy. I think swimming on a full stomach is like running on one- uncomfortable!

  • Kara April 29, 2011, 7:11 pm

    Once you finally satiate your baby fever, you’ll look back on how tired you are from a 5am wake up call and laugh. If I can get my little ball of energy to sleep until 5:30, it’s a good day. According to everything I read, that’s more normal than a baby who sleeps in.

    I really like your wedding hat, I would have worn that all day!

    • CaitlinHTP April 29, 2011, 7:45 pm

      hahah that’s pretty much what Liam’s mummy Kate said to me!

  • Mary April 29, 2011, 8:26 pm

    Love your hot goggle marks! I looked just like that when I got out of the pool today. We went out to dinner right after and I swear I could still see them a little even after we got home. I unfortunately did not grab a snack before my workout and I was starving after. I don’t worry about that 1 hour rule myself, but I just forgot to grab a snack today.

  • Rebecca @ How the Cookies Crumble April 29, 2011, 8:59 pm

    What an awesome fascinator! Glad you got to sport one at your own wedding!

  • Emma (Namaste Everyday) April 29, 2011, 9:04 pm

    my friends and i were joking that if we were at the wedding, we would wear the biggest, brightest hat of all so that we could easily be spotted on camera!

  • Jena April 29, 2011, 9:13 pm

    Great link to the old post! It makes me so sad that you and Meghann aren’t friends anymore 🙁

    • CaitlinHTP April 29, 2011, 9:16 pm

      Meghann and I are still friends 🙂 We talk almost every day!

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin April 29, 2011, 9:31 pm

    Great hat! I love it when weddings include cultural traditions. 😀

  • Jenne April 29, 2011, 9:38 pm

    I did know about the myth of waiting to swim after eating, and yet I do find that I feel unbearably nauseated during my swim if I eat beforehand. Not sure if it’s the buoyancy of swimming or the horizontal position. Either way I do try to wait a while after eating to swim!!

  • Becky April 29, 2011, 9:40 pm

    I love the tradition of hats at British Weddings. So Chic! I missed the wedding coverage as I was running outside at that time and had no idea it was happening then 🙁

  • alli April 29, 2011, 11:20 pm

    interesting! i was always told not to because it would make me throw up!

  • Jamie April 30, 2011, 12:58 am

    I absolutely cannot exercise for 2+ hours after eating, so I’m jealous you can!! I have GERD which affects digestion, so my food feels like it’s sitting in my throat for hours after I’ve eaten- yuck. Since going vegan a few months ago I’ve noticed the problem lessening (yay!) but it’s not gone yet. Actually had to quit my college swim team because of the waiting period, and I couldn’t swim without being properly fueled. 🙁

  • Khushboo April 30, 2011, 1:54 am

    I think this whole eating and swimming deal is more with digestion than cramps! However the cramping bit definetely applies with running too soon after eating! I used to have a stomach of steel but now I feel so bleh running with food in mah belly!

  • Amber K April 30, 2011, 10:55 am

    Now the one you’re wearing is pretty! I tried to avoid royal wedding stuff, but I still saw pictures of some of the insane hats they wore. Now that is a trend I just can’t get down with, but small, understated cute things are fine!

  • Allison @ Happy Tales May 3, 2011, 4:53 pm

    Aw, I totally love your wedding attire! Do you still have the hat?

    • Caitlin May 3, 2011, 4:57 pm

      Of course!

      Waiting for your recap!

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