Far More Than Food

As you all know, some days I am pretty 'surface based' in what I talk about on here and other days I get a little deeper. Maybe it's because I had two snow days this week (with a full week off for students) and more time on my hands, or maybe it's because of other stuff going on in my life, but I have been in a very reflective, deep mood...thinking about life, health, happiness, friends, relationships, work, school, goals, ect...

Through all my reflections, I have come to the conclusion that life is pretty great. I am still navigating my own path and my opinions of which way to go change constantly, but I have to say I am good. Very good. Despite it not being perfect.

I also get in reflective moods from my blog reading, too. I have commented on here about my struggles growing up with eating disorders. It is something that I always have to keep in check since I tend to get obsessive/controlling about things, especially when I feel my life is not in my control. What frustrates me most, though, is hearing other people approach their weight/looks in the same way that I used to. I want to run up to them and yell, 'FOCUS ON SOMETHING ELSE IN YOUR LIFE! THIS ISN'T THE KEY TO HAPPINESS!" Regardless of if someone needs to clean up their diet with whole foods or exercise more, I hate how health and happiness so often comes down to weight when we know that they are not a perfect correlation. Especially working with so many women, weight is such a common topic and I find that very sad. We are SO hard on ourselves. 

I found a great post yesterday that I wanted to share parts of because it spoke so strongly to me:

It was on a morning run when the decision was made. We were running up a hill, feeling the burn in our thighs and a hunger for air in our lungs, when she mentioned her wild idea for the year. "I'm going to give up the scale." She says through labored breaths. I heard her. Offered a breathless "whoa" over out feet pounding on the pavement. The hill affords me some thinking time. It says I can do it too, give up the scale. I don't tell her because I don't want her to know I'm on board, I want to go home and see what my scale says about being on board. 

Twenty four hours later we're back on the roads, running, right foot over left. And I tell her I'm in. I share how I want to savor this year, savor myself and my food and my life and in thinking of savoring all my scale adds is guilt. So I'll join her. 

We weighed ourselves the last time on January 1st in her bathroom, sweaty and fresh off a run. And we haven't stepped on a scale in over a month. I miss it some days, when I feel tired and sort of confused about how my day has measured up against yesterday and the day before that and before that too.

I miss it because it told me how to measure my day. Days weren't good or bad. They weren't productive or restful. They lacked pride or frustration. Instead, they were a number. On light days, skinny days, better days, they were 130. Fat days, bad days, ugh days were 135. That scale told me good morning or not. It told me good afternoon or not. It helped me decide on dinner portions, lunch choices, breakfast options. It told me if I got that second coffee or not. It patted me on the back or kicked my knees out from under me. It said everything, until I said goodbye. 

And now, I decide between hunger and satiation. I let my clothes compliment me, instead of questioning their size. I measure my worth in action and deed, not weight and calories. 

Some days, I stand where that scale used to be and I look in the mirror. I look at myself, the curves and "trouble spots" and think I am beautiful because I'm me, not because of that measuring thing. I am beautiful because beauty happens everywhere, even inside of me. 

That mirror reflects my outsides, a part of me I'm happy with. I look and smile back at me, a genuine, bright smile. I am beautiful because beauty happens everywhere, especially inside of me. And that is a weight no scale is going to measure. 

So beautifully said and strikingly true in how weight can determine good or bad days. I hope that who ever is reading this can get themselves out of the "cycle of the scale" and focus on weight and food as being good or bad, and instead focus on themselves as a WHOLE person with a SOUL. Because no one will ever look back on their life on their deathbed and wish they had been able to lose those last 10 pounds. We will wish upon more time spent experiencing, living, loving and connecting with others. We need to put focus back where it is due- to people, bettering ourselves and our community and being HAPPY (whatever that looks like to you).

Have a great weekend!

Counselor Moment

Quick hello from Birmingham, Alabama! I arrived here bright and early at 8:30 AM this morning (that's right- left Richmond at 5:53 AM...got up at 4:15!) and am now chilling in my hotel room. I am here until Saturday for a SACES (Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision) conference for (PhD) school. I also really need to update you all on how school is going! I probably will do that this weekend after the conference.

Anyways, women talking about their body "imperfections" and "needing to lose weight" has really been bothering me for the past few weeks. It's been a common theme at work and with friends and makes me so frustrated! I found a great video that I wanted to share for you all to keep in mind.



Keep this in mind, ladies! Promote positive body image with your friends!

What do you say when people talk negatively about themselves? 

How do you promote a positive body image?

Racing Updates

I haven't talked about my running much lately because it is now such a normal part of my life that I don't feel the need to report much. I am still running 15-25 miles a week, which usually amounts to 4-5 days with a day or two of cross training mixed in, and am doing ab and/or strength work (mainly push ups, squats, lunges and tricep dips) every night. I am not currently registered for any races and have really enjoyed NOT training for anything the past 5 months. I basically run when I feel like it for however long works in my schedule. It is nice! I have joined in on some long marathon training runs with my friends who are training for races (I did a 9 mile run about 3 weeks ago), and I can still do the distance but I don't feel the need to do it all the time. My energy is good, I feel fit and I am not feeling like I need to rearrange my life to fit the runs in. It's great!

That being said, I may still do the half marathon in Richmond in November, but I will register last minute (like I did last year when I registered only 3 weeks out!) if I feel like doing it. My issue with races is you have to register SO EARLY for them to get a good deal, but then you don't always feel like training for them or you don't feel good in the weeks leading up to the race. I get why races have the lower rates early on, but it does make it harder for me to register last-minute. I go through so many cycles of feeling GREAT and then struggling to run, that it stinks to have a race coming up when you just don't feel like it! Anyways, we'll see about the half and then I will have to wait on the Turkey Trot 10k I normally do on Thanksgiving, because it looks like we'll be out of town this year. I may try to find a local race once we know what city in Ohio we will be in:)

Something I also don't mention much on here is how I FEEL during runs. I am going to be honest: oftentimes I don't feel great running, especially the first few miles. I usually hit my stride AFTER 3 miles, but some days that is when my run has to end! I have enjoyed switching my runs to the evenings now that it is cooling down (sleeping in until 6:15 is such a treat after months of getting up at 5:30!), because I have more time to run as long as I feel like. This usually puts me somewhere between 4 and 5 miles, so I can get into a good rhythm. On Saturdays I try to pick that up to 6 or more miles, but it really just depends on how I feel and if I am joining in on a training run!

I will tell you that I do not regret AT ALL not signing up for the marathon this fall. Maybe since I am back in school and in a new job, but I feel fulfilled in ways that running isn't needed:) I find that I get more obsessed with running when other parts of my life aren't going as well, so it is a good sign I have other outlets and hobbies to keep me going, and I can still enjoy my running in less doses:)

Do YOU (and lay off the scale)

This post may garner some negative comments (if anyone ever comments on my blog), but I have to get it off my chest.

To all of womankind: STOP IT.

STOP obsessing/worrying about EVERYTHING- what you weigh, how you look, finding a husband, how many kids you'll have, when you'll have kids, what job you should have, what people think of you, ect.

I am so sick of women doing all of this. It is draining and not fun to listen to and brings EVERYBODY down. If one woman is complaining, others think they should do the same or feel the same way. It's contagious. And frankly....

WHO CARES?!

Who cares how you live your life but YOU. DO YOU. Do what makes YOU happy and fulfilled.

If dropping 10 pounds is gonna change your life- DO IT. If it's not and you're hungry all the time and cranky and depressed when it is hard and doesn't happen then DON'T. 

Get married if you find the right husband but stop worrying about everyone else and trying to KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES. No one cares if you get married/have kids/get divorced...BUT YOU (and maybe your mother...).

You need to do what makes YOU happy. So therefore, you need to figure out what DOES. Don't compare your life to anyone elses. Stop worrying about other people. Let them judge you- that speaks more negatively of them than of you. Why should what they think have any bearing on you and your happiness? It's the age old question: If everyone else jumped off a bridge would you, too? Be YOUR OWN PERSON.

STOP worrying. There are enough actual things to worry about in this life, and just think of what more we positively could do if we used the energy spent worrying, DOING.

And on another note...throw away your scales- no one ever has a good day after using one.

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Since spring is here and summer is approaching, a lot of people I know are trying to get back on the bandwagon of eating healthy. All the fresh in-season fruits and veggies are making it much more affordable! A few summers ago I read a lot of books about nutrition and the one that stuck with me the most is "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. I am linking the most important food tips from Mr. Pollan that I mostly follow (hey, not perfect over here!) when selecting what to buy and eat, especially when trying to maximize my healthy eating habits.

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

To medicalize the diet problem is of course perfectly consistent with nutritionism. So what might a more ecological or cultural approach to the problem recommend? How might we plot our escape from nutritionism and, in turn, from the deleterious effects of the modern diet? In theory nothing could be simpler — stop thinking and eating that way — but this is somewhat harder to do in practice, given the food environment we now inhabit and the loss of sharp cultural tools to guide us through it. Still, I do think escape is possible, to which end I can now revisit — and elaborate on, but just a little — the simple principles of healthy eating I proposed at the beginning of this essay, several thousand words ago. So try these few (flagrantly unscientific) rules of thumb, collected in the course of my nutritional odyssey, and see if they don’t at least point us in the right direction.

1. Eat food. Though in our current state of confusion, this is much easier said than done. So try this: Don’t eat anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food. (Sorry, but at this point Moms are as confused as the rest of us, which is why we have to go back a couple of generations, to a time before the advent of modern food products.) There are a great many foodlike items in the supermarket your ancestors wouldn’t recognize as food (Go-Gurt? Breakfast-cereal bars? Nondairy creamer?); stay away from these.

2. Avoid even those food products that come bearing health claims. They’re apt to be heavily processed, and the claims are often dubious at best. Don’t forget that margarine, one of the first industrial foods to claim that it was more healthful than the traditional food it replaced, turned out to give people heart attacks. When Kellogg’s can boast about its Healthy Heart Strawberry Vanilla cereal bars, health claims have become hopelessly compromised. (The American Heart Association charges food makers for their endorsement.) Don’t take the silence of the yams as a sign that they have nothing valuable to say about health.

3. Especially avoid food products containing ingredients that are a) unfamiliar, b) unpronounceable c) more than five in number — or that contain high-fructose corn syrup.None of these characteristics are necessarily harmful in and of themselves, but all of them are reliable markers for foods that have been highly processed.

4. Get out of the supermarket whenever possible. You won’t find any high-fructose corn syrup at the farmer’s market; you also won’t find food harvested long ago and far away. What you will find are fresh whole foods picked at the peak of nutritional quality. Precisely the kind of food your great-great-grandmother would have recognized as food.

5. Pay more, eat less. The American food system has for a century devoted its energies and policies to increasing quantity and reducing price, not to improving quality. There’s no escaping the fact that better food — measured by taste or nutritional quality (which often correspond) — costsmore, because it has been grown or raised less intensively and with more care. Not everyone can afford to eat well in America, which is shameful, but most of us can: Americans spend, on average, less than 10 percent of their income on food, down from 24 percent in 1947, and less than the citizens of any other nation. And those of us who can afford to eat well should. Paying more for food well grown in good soils — whether certified organic or not — will contribute not only to your health (by reducing exposure to pesticides) but also to the health of others who might not themselves be able to afford that sort of food: the people who grow it and the people who live downstream, and downwind, of the farms where it is grown.

”Eat less” is the most unwelcome advice of all, but in fact the scientific case for eating a lot less than we currently do is compelling. ”Calorie restriction” has repeatedly been shown to slow aging in animals, and many researchers (including Walter Willett, the Harvard epidemiologist) believe it offers the single strongest link between diet and cancer prevention. Food abundance is a problem, but culture has helped here, too, by promoting the idea of moderation. Once one of the longest-lived people on earth, the Okinawans practiced a principle they called ”Hara Hachi Bu”: eat until you are 80 percent full. To make the ”eat less” message a bit more palatable, consider that quality may have a bearing on quantity: I don’t know about you, but the better the quality of the food I eat, the less of it I need to feel satisfied. All tomatoes are not created equal.

6. Eat mostly plants, especially leaves. Scientists may disagree on what’s so good about plants — the antioxidants? Fiber? Omega-3s? — but they do agree that they’re probably really good for you and certainly can’t hurt. Also, by eating a plant-based diet, you’ll be consuming far fewer calories, since plant foods (except seeds) are typically less ”energy dense” than the other things you might eat. Vegetarians are healthier than carnivores, but near vegetarians (”flexitarians”) are as healthy as vegetarians. Thomas Jefferson was on to something when he advised treating meat more as a flavoring than a food.

7. Eat more like the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks. Confounding factors aside, people who eat according to the rules of a traditional food culture are generally healthier than we are. Any traditional diet will do: if it weren’t a healthy diet, the people who follow it wouldn’t still be around. True, food cultures are embedded in societies and economies and ecologies, and some of them travel better than others: Inuit not so well as Italian. In borrowing from a food culture, pay attention to how a culture eats, as well as to what it eats. In the case of the French paradox, it may not be the dietary nutrients that keep the French healthy (lots of saturated fat and alcohol?!) so much as the dietary habits: small portions, no seconds or snacking, communal meals — and the serious pleasure taken in eating. (Worrying about diet can’t possibly be good for you.) Let culture be your guide, not science.

8. Cook. And if you can, plant a garden. To take part in the intricate and endlessly interesting processes of providing for our sustenance is the surest way to escape the culture of fast food and the values implicit in it: that food should be cheap and easy; that food is fuel and not communion. The culture of the kitchen, as embodied in those enduring traditions we call cuisines, contains more wisdom about diet and health than you are apt to find in any nutrition journal or journalism. Plus, the food you grow yourself contributes to your health long before you sit down to eat it. So you might want to think about putting down this article now and picking up a spatula or hoe.

9. Eat like an omnivore. Try to add new species, not just new foods, to your diet. The greater the diversity of species you eat, the more likely you are to cover all your nutritional bases. That of course is an argument from nutritionism, but there is a better one, one that takes a broader view of ”health.” Biodiversity in the diet means less monoculture in the fields. What does that have to do with your health? Everything. The vast monocultures that now feed us require tremendous amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to keep from collapsing. Diversifying those fields will mean fewer chemicals, healthier soils, healthier plants and animals and, in turn, healthier people. It’s all connected, which is another way of saying that your health isn’t bordered by your body and that what’s good for the soil is probably good for you, too.

 

The pros and cons of logging your food

Today we’re going to talk a little about logging food and how it works for me and might (or might not) work for you. I’ve mentioned it before on the blog, but I use a great app to help me hold myself accountable- My Fitness Pal. (You can also use Spark People)

I don't use this app 100% of the time 365 days a year. I use it when I am finding myself "falling off the wagon" a bit in terms of portion control and overall healthy eating (darn, sweet tooth!) OR when I am training for a race and need to make sure I am eating enough carbs and calories (and not so much junk). I wanted to write this because I get mixed reactions from people when I tell them I log my food and exercise: “But you don’t need to keep track of what you eat, you’re already at a healthy weight”; “I thought you said you don’t diet”; “So, you gonna log that last slice of pizza?”; "why don't you just eat what you want when you want and stop when your full?"

Or when friends express interest in losing weight and I recommend MFP: “I don’t want to keep track of what I eat, I just want to eat better”; “That just seems too obsessive for me”

I have a slightly different philosophy when it comes to tracking my food. I don’t believe that logging food has to be the same as restricting food. My calorie range varies greatly depending on my exercise level. I’ve found over the years that I’m most comfortable somewhere between 1700-2000 a day depending on how hungry I feel and how active I am. When I am training for a half marathon, this can go upwards of 2500 calories a day! That is not restricting food.

Now, I’m not an expert in any way or a registered dietitian/nutritionist, but I do know what works for me. I also need to stress that what works for me might not work for you. That said, I want to address some of the comments on using a “calorie counting” app and use it to illustrate some pros and cons of this type of system.

“But you don’t need to keep track of what you eat, you’re already at a healthy weight”

First off, thank you for thinking so. Secondly, I’m not at this weight by magic, I promise you. No, I don’t follow a strict diet (well, I try to eat unprocessed and mostly vegetarian), but I can’t eat whatever I want all the time and stay my size. I love to eat and HATE being hungry. As I’ve gotten older my body has naturally changed and it takes work to maintain a weight that’s not only healthy and realistic, but that I feel great at. It does require effort to maintain a healthy weight.

PRO: Learn what foods give you the most energy and finding a calorie goal you can stick with comfortably.

“I thought you said you don’t diet”

I don’t diet. I log the pizza, the wine, the pasta, the bread, the cookies, and the chocolate (yup, everyday) . The beauty of tracking calories this way is that you can learn balance- no food are off limits, but you may need to make some adjustments later to stay on track and still indulge in things you love. Today, for instance, I had a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast, which is much more than my normal two eggs and a banana, so I made adjustments at lunch.

PRO: There are no “forbidden” foods or food groups

“You gonna log that last slice of pizza?”

Yep…..

CON/PRO: If you stick to it, you need to log everything. Accountability can be great, but it can also give you a rude reality check. My dinners are usually big like the one above. I make sure I save room for them!

“I don’t want to keep track of everything I eat, I just want to eat better”

Sadly, most people don’t know what that means. Just because you ordered a salad doesn’t mean you ate healthier than someone who ordered a steak. See this perfect example from the nutrition calculator on the Outback Steakhouse website:

Beyond the fact that the salad has more calories, it also has way more sodium and saturated fat. The steak, on the other hand, is higher in protein and fiber. Knowledge is power, people.

PRO: Using a tracking app can help you educate yourself about what you’re really eating.

It’s not about staying under the calorie goal. There will always be times when I go over, but the goal of using a tracking app (for me, at least) is to become educated about what I’m eating. Beyond just calories, I like to see if I’m getting enough vitamins, potassium, fiber, etc. It’s a lot easier to keep track of that stuff if I can log it somewhere and take a look at the end of the day.

“That just seems too obsessive for me”

And here enters the biggest CON of logging your food. For some people, logging your food can become obsessive and could turn into a real problem. I don’t recommend using MFP for anyone who has a history of an eating disorder or an unhealthy relationship with food. I have had eating struggles in the past, so I am very cautious and in tune with myself about how I am feeling when I log my food. If I ever feel old habits coming back, I stop. However, I have found that logging actually HELPS me NOT slip back into old habits because it is all scientific, creates balance for me (which helps prevent binges), and makes me feel very much in control of my health and food intake.

Logging my food is great for me because I LIKE numbers. I enjoy collecting data and figuring out what it means for me. Analyzing my ratio of carbs/protein/fat is interesting because it helps me make better decisions in the future, especially when I am training for a race.

The reason MFP works for me is that I separate the “numbers game” from reality. At the end of the day, food is just food. If I go over my sugar goal or calorie goal for one day, it doesn’t ruin my week. I’m not going to skip dinner because I met my calorie “goal” by  2:00 PM (however, I would be extra conscious to have a smaller meal meeting the nutrients I still needs that day). What it does, though, is help me to live a lifestyle that follows the 80/20 rule so I can be healthy, but also live a little. I still eat big celebratory meals on birthdays, special occasions and on vacations. I also still LOG my foods on vacations to make sure I don't go too crazy. This app has helped me stop treating food as a reward and more as a way to maximize my energy and my mood. 

I realize that many people might not agree with me on the validity or usefulness of tracking apps. I’m not affiliated with My Fitness Pal in any way, in case you were wondering. I think that using this app can help people get more in touch with their body through food and, in turn, help intuitive eating. I’m definitely interested in hearing your thoughts or experiences on logging food and/or counting calories!

What are your thoughts of food tracking apps?

*This post was copied and edited by myself from here*

Running Crisis

I am having a running identity crisis.

After my lackluster half marathon (not lackluster by my time, but more of how I felt during it) I have not enjoyed running. Granted it has not yet been two weeks and the weather has been cruddy (again), but I got new shoes and have run maybe 4 times and only 1 of those runs was good. And it was my first morning at the beach this past weekend, so obviously it would be good:).

I have a race coming up this weekend, and it is typically my favorite race (the Monument 10k- the race that is why I became a runner), but I am just not excited about it this year. It may rain, and my body is not feeling good or fresh. There are also many races coming up in the next two months that I typically enjoy, and I don't know if I should sign up for any of them.

I am hopeful that more spring-like temperatures will change my mood, but I am realizing the difference between running to run versus running for a race. I tend to get obsessive about things and all these recent races have made me treat running more like a chore and less like something I enjoy. I get stressed if I don't run X amount of mileage in a week or have a few bad runs in a row. I enjoyed my long runs with groups while training for my most recent half because they were slow and with friends. Perhaps I need to cut back on my speed to get back my running joy. It is hard, though, because I have PR'ed so much in the last year that I keep pushing myself to keep up that trend.

Health is a fickle thing. You're told to do this and not that and have to figure out what works best for YOU. However, to keep up your improvements you have to keep doing what is working and upping the intensity of your workouts. I did a random P90X 30 minute video off of youtube on Sunday and I was SORE. It got me thinking about health and exercise...how often should I be sore from exercise? If I don't get sore will I not see the best results? Would I even want to exercise as much as I do if I was constantly in pain? I can tell you now that I wouldn't- I don't mind being sore once in a while, but I want to feel good as the result of working out and not be in pain. Exercise to me is more a mental release than anything else. I obviously enjoy the health benefits, but I know I wouldn't keep up with something that was killing me. I am a chronic cardio person with a little of abs and arms/weights mixed in, but cardio doesn't typically make me sore unless I am upping my long distance runs. Maybe I need to change up my routine more and incorporate more weight bearing exercises.

So who am I and what should I do? Am I a runner?  A racer? An exerciser? A health nut? I don't know. I am going to attempt to listen to my body and my moods the next few weeks and not commit to any races until closer to their date. It is more expensive to register last minute, but I am ok with that if it means really committing to the races. Perhaps I should join a gym again to change up my workouts, too.

Has anyone else had a crisis like this? Tips? Advice? Meds? Should I just increase my wine intake and chill?:)

Richmond Half Marathon

Wow.

Wow is the only word to describe the feeling of being not only proud of your yourself and your race time, but proud of your friends and your city and feeling a rejuvination of the human spirit.

And all from a run!

I cannot begin to tell you how motivating yesterday was. Despite the rain (and, yes, it did rain for a few miles), the Richmond HCA 8k, SunTrust Half Marathon, and Anthem Marathon were a great set of races in the capital city. The spectators were incredible all throughout the race, despite not ideal watching conditions, and the attitudes of the runners were contageous.

Best sign right at the turn to mile 11.

Runners are a crazy, fun bunch. I commented that to my friend Kate at mile 3- people were cracking jokes, thanking policemen and spectators, and talking amongst other runners. It is such an interesting and wonderful experience to be amongst a pack of runners in the middle of an intense race because despite the sore muscles, tired feet and poor weather conditions, runners are happy and great spirited.

As for my race, I am happy to report that I made a PR and ran the half in 1:58:03 crushing my time from March by 7 minutes and with minimal training! I think fresh legs are the key when you know you can do longer distances and a great route and running buddy help too!

The finish line was a glorious site from a .2 mile downhill sprint!

My friends and family commented how happy I looked along the race route. I saw friendly faces at mile 3, 7, 11 and the finish, so that was great motivation! I admit I felt good the whole way (sans the last 4 or so miles...my speed caught up to me then) and really enjoyed the route through the Northside of the city. My final mile pace was 8:58 which is crazy for me for a half! I guess running really is my favorite hobby, because I enjoyed myself the whole way and can't imagine a better way to start my weekend, despite some nerves and tummy issues the day and morning before.

It's crazy that I love running now as much as I do. It is the most challenging, frustrating, comforting, and rewarding thing I have ever done. It is where I am at my best and feel my best (or worst on some days). It gets me through struggles and stress and is where I do my best thinking. It wakes me up for the day and energizes me. It makes me better in all areas of my life. It makes me love my body not for how it looks but for what it can do.

Happy smiles after some food and re-hydrating!

When I run I know I can do anything I set my mind to. Just put one foot in front of the other.

Perhaps a marathon is in order...?!

Thanks for all the sweet comments the last few days! You all rock!!!

No Processed: Update

Ok folks, we're halfway through November, so it's time for an update!

I have done pretty well on my challenge for the month! Mainly, I have been cooking so much more and eating less sugar (besides at work...grrr). I still have eaten candy bars and gone out to dinner, but most of everything I have made myself follows all the rules.

It has been easy overall and I like that I don't worry so much about how much of this or that is in the foods but instead the ingredients. It makes eating much simpler, I listen more to my body, and I feel better. My energy has gone up along with my mood!

I have made homemade pizza twice, two crock pot chicken dinners (each of which last me 4 meals or so), quinoa, pancakes, bread, smoothies, overnight oatmeal, and various forms of spaghetti squash (a la spaghetti and as a baked dish). I still have my crystal light "cheat" beverage but have only had one soda and am mostly drinking water. I eat dates and larabars for my desserts at home instead of cookies and ice cream...but I still enjoy fro yo on occasion:) My fuel for long runs are dates and gatorade (which is technically processed but is mostly sugar water), and I limit those as well.

Overall, I probably follow the rules 70 percent of the time. Hopefully for the next part of the month this will get even better!

No-Processed November

Happy Holiday Season!

I heard Christmas music (as a joke) on my way to work this morning, so I am getting excited for the holidays! The extra daylight in the morning doesn't hurt my mood either (I LOVE more sunshine before work)!

Anyways, I spent this weekend away visiting a friend outside of D.C. and then my bro and sis-in-law at their vineyard. One of the great things that came out of this weekend (besides my butt becoming larger from a hike at Harper's Ferry) is that I left motivated to do what I had been contemplating (thanks in part to an awesome homemade pancake/bread tutorial from my brother)...stop eating processed food!

This does not limit my life at all, but instead expands my cooking and making of food, which I need to incorporate more into my daily life. So, for this month, I am challenging myself to eat only foods in their natural state. The rules of No-Processed November include (from an awesome blog you should read, 100 Days of Real Food):

What you CAN eat:

1. Whole foods that are more a product of nature than a product of industry
2. Lots of fruits and vegetables 
3. Dairy products like milk, unsweetened yogurt, eggs, and cheese (I like coconut milk)
4. 100% whole-wheat and whole-grains 
5. Seafood (wild caught is the optimal choice over farm-raised)
6. Only locally raised meats such as pork, beef, and chicken
7. Beverages limited to water, milk, all natural juices, naturally sweetened coffee & tea, and, to help the adults keep their sanity, wine and beer!
8. Snacks like dried fruit, seeds, nuts and popcorn
9. All natural sweeteners including honey, 100% maple syrup, and fruit juice concentrates are acceptable in moderation

What you CANNOT eat:

1. No refined grains such as white flour or white rice (items containing wheat must say WHOLE wheat…not just “wheat”)
2. No refined sweeteners such as sugar, any form of corn syrup, cane juice, or the artificial stuff like Splenda
3. Nothing out of a box, can, bag, bottle or package that has more than 5 ingredients listed on the label
4. No deep fried foods

 Doesn't seem too bad, right? My only caveat is I am not really focusing on my drinks- I will still allow myself my daily crystal light with energy because it makes me happy and my pack-a-day gum habit because I don't swallow gum and still need to be a happy person!

To start off with this great event, I have made some awesome foods the past few days! Cooking has actually been fun:)

Friday night: Butternut Squash with Quinoa

Saturday night: Hobo's

Sunday snack: Banana Berry Smoothie

Sunday night: Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Alfredo

Monday breakfast: Overnight Oats - this is my new favorite breakfast!!!

My lunches are usually dinner leftovers or meat/veggies that I prep the night before. I also love eggs, nuts, cheese, almond/sunflower seed butter and dates as snacks or add-ons to meals. YUM.

Tonight I am becoming really ambitious and am making my own pizza- dough included! I got some tutorials this weekend at my brother's place and am excited to start making my own bread! Granola bars are on my list of things to make next week.

I bought a lot of general ingredients to prep for all this cooking- flour, baking soda, yeast, plain greek yogurt (Fage), coconut milk, vanilla, brown sugar, honey, and various spices. I try to be as organic as I can but sometimes my educator salary does not warrant the organic brand.

Obviously this is not a primal or low-carb plan, but my view on carbs is different now that I have a half marathon in two weeks AND I simply just like to eat them and think when you eliminate anything completely from your diet that it limits your ability to stick with it. Also, I believe that if I can only eat carbs that I make, I will naturally eat less and they won't have all the crap in them (i.e. store bought bread, cookies, cakes, ect). Balance!

Wish me luck! I know I won't be prefect, so I am hoping for an 80% success rate this month! Join me!

I Hate Going to the Doctor

Ugh. It's been a not-so-fun past 48 hours!

I have been getting not-so-fun cuts on my legs do to improper shaving (I won't go into details) while I was traveling. And me, being the 5-year-old that I am, just kept messing with my cuts until they became inflamed and, worse, infected!!!

I have NEVER in my 27 years had an infected cut until the past two weeks. While at the beach, I had a pretty nasty swollen cut on my leg (that was probably infected), but it ended up healing pretty well after a few days. In the meantime, I also got an eye stye and many more little cuts all over my leg, including blisters that popped up when I woke up every morning. However, the most recent cut that lead me to finally get treatment did not start to heal after three days of it's inception and resulted in my whole lower leg being swollen and red, but it still took me being convinced by three of my friends (apologies to my mom who told me to leave my cuts alone and go to the doctor a long time ago) while at the pool yesterday to actually go to Patient First and get some medicine.

See, I hate going to the doctor. I love the dentist (that is like my social hour because the dentist and my hygienist are super fun to chat with, and I don't have too many dental issues), but the doctor is a whole 'nother story. First off, I can never get an appointment when I want to (and even if I can, I end up waiting a long time), so it always takes too long to get in, and they are always so rushed when I go there. Half the time I make an appointment to go the issue I am having is gone by the time I can get in! I had an especially bad experience with a dermatologist about a year ago who was just typing into a little computer the whole appointment and barely looking at me or letting me explain what was going on. I always feel they rush to diagnose you or make your symptoms seem not a big deal. I actually prefer going to my gyno over my general practitioner, because they are usually on time and really listen to my concerns. I also hate the copay fees and the money you fork over to medications because usually it ends up being more than I expect (Me: Hi, my name is Robyn and I am cheap... You: Hi, Robyn).

Surprisingly, I had a great time at Patient First yesterday. The wait time was low and the doctor was funny. He really took the time to chat with me and take care of my wound. I also got really cheap meds ($8 for TWO antibiotics) and the copay was smaller than expected as long as I don't get a bill from my insurance in the next few weeks which I probably will...

And I learned my lesson to leave my cuts alone....maybe. We'll see how long until these antibiotics kick in!

UPDATE: It was Staph. Yup, I had it for about 2 weeks before I finally got treatment. Thank goodness my leg was not cut off.

'Lazy' for Two Years

I have been a 'lazy' vegetarian for two years now!

What does that even mean?!

That means that, while I do not cook or purchase meat for myself, I still will eat seafood or even chicken/small amounts of beef if I am served it while out if there are no other options (think dinner at people's houses or parties). This probably happens once every two months or so. Luckily, my stomach has not had any adverse reactions to any meat I have occasionally consumed. I also have only been sick a very minimal amount since going vegetarian- I think consuming less hormones is a big part of that (and my increased vegetable intake). I like that I am not so strict and limiting with myself that I can still have meat if I am craving it or in a situation where it is the only option- that way I can listen to my body and ease any cravings (though I think in two years I probably have only craved chicken or turkey a very few times and when I did it was mostly due to the sauce the meat was in)! Some vegetarians probably don't agree with my philosophy, but it works for me and that is what matters. I feel I am still doing my part.

Here's to many more years of the same!

Intuitive Eating?

Since summer is a time where I can't really work on making running strides due to the heat and humidity (I have been consistent in my morning runs, but my distance is typically only 3-4 miles), I am going to work on "intuitive eating." I follow a lot of running blogs that talk about how they don't monitor so much what they eat in terms of calories and fat but more so listen to their bodies and stay in tune with what their stomachs are telling them. The main premise is you eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full regardless of what you are eating. Sounds so easy right? The hard part is re-learning when you are actually hungry and what a normal amount of fullness feels like. I thought this seemed like a good idea to practice in the summer since I am more active during this time of the year and since my cravings and food needs change with the heat and my activity level. This also as a way to to get more in tune with myself. Since there are more weddings, vacations and cookouts in the summer, eating healthy is not always easy, so if I challenge myself to listen to what my body is telling me, I should make better decisions.

Spaghetti squash with shrimp and spinach. Yum. I had this while visiting my friend Sarah in D.C. on Monday night.

I am hoping this intuitive eating will help me cook more and make meals based on what I want to eat and not necessarily what I have (thankfully, I have time in the summer to go to the grocery store daily...we'll see if that actually happens). I work many evenings at the pool, but I have the options of healthy salads and vegetables there if I can keep myself away from the fries! As for vacations- I am hoping to be able to cook while at the beach and listen to my body while I go out to eat.

So we shall see how this goes! And I promise it is legit- there are books about this method! Maybe if I get the hang of it I won't eat like I am a third world country starving child at weddings...perhaps only a child who hasn't eaten much that day:).

In the meantime, I will be at the pool getting rid of my lifeguard tan lines or watching "Boy Meets World" from 7-10 am every morning on ABC Family:) Summer break, anyone?

No Way, May! Recap

So when I went about this whole 'take-two-weeks-off-from-running' business, I had no idea that it would actually turn into three weeks. Due to unforeseen circumstances- not feeling well and the pool opening (which I am managing this summer), causing me to go from work at school directly to work at the pool- I went one week longer than anticipated. And, I tell, ya, it got HARD. I missed the feeling of a run and really working up a good sweat (before it got too hot, anyway). The walking was fine, and I even enjoyed it at first, but walking 3-4 miles takes a long time. It takes about 1.5 times longer it takes to run that far. So while I saved on showers and laundry, I did not necessarily save on time. I was able to add some elliptical workouts in, but they are not the same as a good run.

Cardiovascularly, I have no idea what running will be like when I start again. I am sure it will take me 2-3 weeks to get back to my peak, but perhaps the walking/elliptical has kept my muscles stronger than I realize. I did not gain any weight during this time off, and actually lost some (go figure, right?), but I am sure my muscles have shrunk a bit.

All in all, it wasn't as bad as I realized and I felt fine mentally, but my body did continue to crave a tough workout, so I never felt physically as good as I do when I run. However, I do think I will run less during the summer and incorporate more walks into my weekly miles. I do believe that less is more and I have some big plans for races in the fall (and maybe a few hot ones this summer)!

And one more Prom pic a coworker took from last weekend:)

Until June (I can't believe it's here again)!!!!

No Way, May!

I thought of a great "theme" for this beautiful spring month of May! I am taking a month "off" from my normal lifestyle.

As a runner and a person who lives a generally healthy existence (despite my rampant sweet tooth), sometimes I get bored or tired of the same old lifestyle. The same foods, same running routes, same routine to every day. I actually like routine, but breaking away from it once in a while is not only invigorating, but healthy, too!

I read this article, which talks about runners needing to take breaks from running and training for races. While I am by no means of the marathon caliber, I still have not had any big running breaks since my half marathon in March, which I started training for in late December. I semi-trained for the 10k in April (and walked miles and miles around Spain for 10 days), and I have another 10k coming up this weekend that I have been working towards. My body has really not had much time to heal from running and the stresses that puts on my joints. This is what the article says:

I see a bad habit forming in many runners: the lack of a recovery cycle after their big races or racing seasons. Today, far too many are simply finishing one race (often a marathon) and immediately starting to train for the next one. You can get away with this a few times, but usually runners get burned out and leave the sport for new activities after doing this too often. The grind of always "training" weighs you down. Runners may also reach a performance plateau after a few races and fall well short of their true running potential, simply because they don't allow a proper recovery phase.

In fairness, I understand this drive to move from one race to the next. I love running, too, and there is nothing better than being fully engaged in training for a big race. But never taking a break ignores one of the most important principles that we learned from great coaches and athletes over the last century: Top runners require a regular, full recovery cycle.

Great athletes build annual breaks into their training year. Not a reduced week or two of training every now and then, but weeks of complete rest. They don't only rest, but they gain weight, too. Some add 5 to 15 pounds to their normally light frames while they enjoy time with their families, take vacations and generally do things they normally can't because of their training.

How can they do this? How can great athletes allow themselves to get out of shape? How can they tolerate the downtime without worrying about the competition?

While we worry about losing our fitness level, or that the competition is training and we're not, these athletes know that planned annual breaks rejuvenate the body and mind in ways that outweigh losses in fitness. The worriers who plow through often take similar breaks, but rather than planned vacations, they are mandated by injuries, overtraining and burnout. Planned breaks take the pressure off -- you don't feel that your training is never-ending, jumping from one goal to the next. Science is discovering that the chemistry of the brain, the hormonal system and the immune system are compromised during hard training. Breaks rejuvenate these systems, allowing us to train better, more consistently and with more zeal across the next training plan.

Will you lose fitness? Yes. How much is hard to calculate and will depend on how long a break you take. But it's not about how out of shape you get, but about how recovered you are and how ready to attack the next training cycle.

Remember that the recovery phase isn't just the downtime, but also the time needed to rebuild mileage and pace. Many runners fail even when they do take time off, because upon their return, they jump right back into full training -- again feeling the need to "get in shape." You'll need to plan on three to five weeks of rebuilding to your full training load. I usually start at 50 percent of full mileage, then increase 10 to 20 percent each week (with a recovery week of lower mileage every two to four weeks) until I'm back to 100 percent. Use common sense and build back slowly.

In the end, what's the rush? A few weeks of downtime never ruined anyone's running career -- quite the opposite.

COACH'S NOTES

I took nearly a month off after my last marathon. I gained a few pounds. I enjoyed some new hobbies and time with family. But most of all, I rediscovered the desire, motivation and passion that drive me as a runner, and I couldn't wait to challenge myself to do better. The next training cycle went even better than expected because I carried all the fitness from the previous cycle, plus my recharged motivation. I was able to run 2 minutes faster in the 15K than I had the year before. I'm convinced the recovery phase played a large role in this breakthrough.

Here is how my mileage varied before and after my recent marathon:

Greg McMillan is an exercise physiologist and USATF-certified coach who helps runners through his website mcmillanrunning.com.

I am taking this advice to heart, and following my 10k this Sunday, I will be tapering my mileage next week before taking TWO WEEKS OFF FROM RUNNING! Starting Sunday, May 12th until Monday, May 27th, I will only allow myself to walk for exercise. No runs, no elliptical, no biking... nothing! I will also, during all of May, be following an intuitive eating meal plan, where I will stop tracking my calorie and nutrient intake each day (since I am not running it won't be as important to keep a close eye on my intake) and will instead practice listening more to my body and eating mindfully. I am hoping that by taking time off from exercise I will become more in tune with how much and what kinds of food my body needs while it recovers from a long 5+ months of training. I will not step on a scale for the entire month either (get it, "No Way Weigh, May!")?

I, obviously, will be documenting this endeavor, including how I am feeling without being able to use exercise as a mental and physical release, but also including some new hobbies and activities I will be able to participate in. I will be starting my summer job around my running break period, so that will fill up a lot of my time.

Anyone want to join in with me? It should be a good mind-body experience:) Or any tips from those who have done something similar?!