Saturday, September 12, 2009

Mmm, Wheat Germ!

Yeah, right. Like I'll ever say that.

But, this does bring me to an important subject: Nutrition! Yes, believe it or not, how you eat does affect your training--and it is important to understand why certain food groups are going to become more necessary during my training process.

Now, for those of you who aren't as familiar with my fabulous self, know this: I love food. I love cooking and baking and trying new recipes and restaurants. I enjoy a gourmet meal just as much as I do a microwaveable corn dog (somewhere, my vegan sister just began weeping).

However, with all the working out and running I'm doing, my body is going to require certain foods that don't necessarily rhyme with schmambuger. In order to make myself as prepared as possible, I looked up the Runner's Diet on www.runnersworld.com. They recommend a 50-25-25 plan, where half of your day's calories come from carbohydrates, one quarter from proteins, and one quarter from fats.

Good carbs include whole wheat breads and pastas, fruits, and low-starch vegetables; good proteins include egg whites/substitutes, low-fat milk, and low-fat hot dogs (yes!); good fats include olives, peanut butter, and avocados. For the full listing, check out the link!

It's actually not as difficult to adjust to as you would think. For breakfast this morning (when I got back from the gym), I had a bowl of instant oatmeal (carbs) with Egg Beaters (protein) that I had cooked in some olive oil (fat). A lot of it is coming down to planning, making sure I have enough fruits and vegetables to grab for a snack or having frozen veggie sausages that I can nuke in a couple of minutes.

This isn't to say that, come Thanksgiving, I'll be ditching the pie--it'll just be a matter of remembering moderation. My pre-Thanksgiving run with my sister (we'll be at her place) will make the meal all the more satisfying, knowing that we earned it!

And as soon as we've finished the marathon? Hide your corn dogs, Disney. I'm coming for them.

No comments:

Post a Comment