Yesterday I skipped breakfast. For lunch I had half a yogurt with granola, lemon cookies and a cadbury egg. For dinner I had a monster burger (from vinburger) and truffle fries and sweet potato fries. Then a few hours later I had a gigantic crumbs cookie dough cupcake with a tall glass of milk.
This is NOT workout food.
I'm trying to get in shape. I want to run a 5k for starters and then work my way up to a 10k and then a half marathon and eventually a marathon. I figure with training and eating right, given my capabilities (walk/run a mile in 13 minutes and then collapse on the couch wheezing for 10 minutes) that it will probably take at least 2 years to be marathon ready. Quite possibly longer since I don't love running.
I love cooking and eating. Now those are great stress relievers.
But running, it's a close third and certainly healthier than stress eating. Stress cooking is tranquil, it's cool logic and reason. It breeds patience.
Running is different. It helps get rid of the aggression, whatever anger I've been holding on to. Running is one foot in front of the other, watching the pavement disappear as you move forward, leaving everything else behind. As the air swirls around me, it feels like nothing can touch me. Nothing can catch me. As my legs pump and muscles work, burning, it's really like I can do anything.
When I don't feel like I can go anymore, the music pulls me forward. Just a little bit more. Just another few steps, to the next stop sign. And I go. I push. And the more I go, the more nothing else matters.
Now, the problem with this is that I put all of this effort into running and training and then I eat horribly. Which in the end makes training a lot harder. Like it or not, what you put into your body really does affect how you go through your day.
For instance... I had cookies for breakfast. NOT a good way to start. But lunch was better I had chicken on white bread with avocado, mayo and a coconut mango sauce.... It could have been healthier if I had cut the mayo out entirely and if I'd used wheat bread. But that's okay. At least it was mostly healthy with protein and good fat from the avocado.
Ok, so what should I be eating while I train? I'm sure we've all heard it before, but I'm going to write it down anyway.
- whole grains (great for long term stores of energy)
- lean protein (turkey, chicken, fish) (protein is very filling)
- calcium (greek yogurt, 2% milk, soy or almond milk)
- vegetables (think colorful)
- fruits (very colorful)
Honestly, I do really love all of these foods. I'm just really bad at forcing myself to eat right when I'm supposed to. There are so many other temptations, that aren't remotely healthy. Although I am really good at convincing myself that there are certain bad foods that are actually good for me. Except not really. Not if you eat them in mass quantities. Not if you eat them constantly. For example:
- Chocolate: I love dark chocolate. And it's actually good for you... in small doses. It's scientifically proven to be good for you... Unless you eat it all the time or excessively. Then it's not so good for you...
- Ice Cream: I am a FIEND for ice cream. Rich, Creamy, full of calcium! Except it's more full of bad fats and empty calories and doesn't have as much calcium as a glass of milk (almond or regular). I put strawberries on it, that makes it healthy right? yeahhh I'm thinking not so much...
- Sugar: O sugar. I love sugar. Cookies, cakes... 'nuff said. Temporary energy, I don't know if it serves any other purpose health-wise but it sweetens my life (cheesy... yet true).
- Coffee: On it's own, coffee probably isn't all that bad for you. Caffeine gives you energy, right? But drinking it with 3 packets of sugar and cream to the brim, probably not the healthiest thing to drink. That's of course how I take my coffee. I'm not a fan of bitter black.
- Wine: A glass of red wine a day is good for your heart... somthing about the tannins... However, in excess, lots and lots of empty calories...
Why does food that's bad for you taste so good?
I don't think the bad foods, the ones I know a lot of us love so much, actually need to be cut from our diets. They just need to be moderated. For example, I probably shouldn't have had 2 cookies for breakfast.
I should probably eat yogurt for breakfast with some granola for energy or eggs with canadian bacon and wheat toast. Lunch could be a sandwich on 7 grain (hold the mayo) and/or a salad with avocado, cranberries, pears and arugula. Dinner, lots of veggies with chicken breast or turkey or even a lean cut of pork.
And as a reminder to myself since I am such a horrible snacker.
I WILL NOT EAT CRAP...
At least not a lot of it...
So onwards and avanti! In a little while I'm going to go for a bike ride and a run. Then HEALTHY DINNER!
Good for you! I'm sure you noticed by now we are a huge proponent of eating wholesomely. We cook a lot of our foods at home and usually go out once or twice on the weekend. I've been eating a tad more processed foods since I got pregnant but I try to make sure it's not heavily processed. A good way to keep you on the right track to eat better is if the whole household does as well that way you know the only foods around are the foods you want to eat. You have a great group of family and friends that can help keep you accountable as well. And if you need an extra boost you could always message me. =)
ReplyDeleteThanks Susan!! It was so much easier to eat healthy in Florence. Almost everything was natural and I was cooking for myself most of the time. And it was really easy to be active since Florence really isn't car friendly... I rode my bike EVERYWHERE. So here, I'm very slowly trying to add in activities to keep me busy and active. The food is relatively easy here when I'm cooking for myself. Unfortunately I eat out here more and mom brings a lot of processed snacks into the house. Paul tried to get her to stop buying cookies and frozen foods when he was training for the ironman but he wasn't wholly successful which I find weird since Mom doesn't eat any of it (she's on her own doctor approved diet), so I need to talk to her again.
ReplyDeleteOn the bright side, I ran with my dog earlier today then I rode from Fort Lee to Leonia and I actually managed to go running as well. I made Cassy (Andrea's previous roommate's daughter) jog/walk around the track about 4 or 5 times. :D And then for dinner I had some pasta with a slew of sauteed veggies.