Checking In On How I'm Feeling (In Regards To Nutrition)!

Happy Friday-eve! I thought it would be fun to check-in and let you know any differences that I’ve felt thus far when following a vegan diet for the month of February (think of it moreso as an elimination diet of sorts) and what I’m typically eating throughout the day. I’m always super interested to get a sneak-peek into how other runners are fueling, so maybe someone else is too? IDK. I’m really just doing this for selfish reasons to document and write out my thoughts anyways.

Friday- DAY ONE: Didn’t really feel any different. I was honestly so busy that I don’t think I noticed! Easy dinner of rice/ brussel sprouts/ potatoes/ sauteed spinach with lemon juice over it all.

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Saturday- DAY TWO: Only “craving” that I had was for a meatball sub and that was spurred on by a commercial I saw. Otherwise, no real cravings going on here! Amazing Tempeh Chili for dinner

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Sunday- DAY THREE: I did a BUNCH of meal prepping today for the week ahead and it actually got me really excited to eat it all. Some of my favorite recipes came from the Run Fast Cook Fast cookbook series and the roasted chickpeas are seriously amazing. I’ve also cooked with Tempeh a bit (had it in chili the night before) and surprisingly really loving the texture/earthy taste of it. It’s super high in iron/ protein/ magnesium, which is great for any runner’s diet (to repair those muscles!).

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Monday- DAY FOUR: Had some cravings for those Utz Cheeseballs that we have at home (we bought one of those ridiculously giant tubs at Wal-Mart like a month ago), but managed to carb my cravings with a handful of chickpeas (seriously they are amazing-> crunchy like chips, a tiny bit of kick to them, salty). I haven’t really noticed whether it’s affecting my sleep or energy levels- I actually have been sleeping pretty crappy (lots of life stress at the moment, so I think that’s a big reason why). Running hasn’t felt different at all, but I have felt (in general) stronger- not sure if that’s the vegetable diet or just training in general taking effect.

Tuesday- DAY FIVE: Really felt strong on my marathon-paced miles this morning and never hit a ‘bonk’ wall that I’m used to. I know it can definitely NOT be contributed to my sleep because it’s still suffering, but I want to believe that my diet has had a huge effect on that. I have also began meditating again (determined to do it the entire month of February also), which I have noticed has really been a huge help in staying present, in the moment, and mentally concurring a run. Still craving those darn cheeseballs or a nice omelet (something I honestly never had when eating meat/dairy/eggs).

Wednesday- DAY SIX:

Some of my favorite meals/snacks thus far:

-Recovery Quinoa Salad from RFES (run fast eat slow cookbook)

- Tempeh Tacos

-This pancake recipe

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-Roasted Chickpeas from RFES. Such a good snack option!

-These as a nice little afternoon ‘treat’

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-Homemade Ginger Molasses granola and almond milk yogurt from RFES

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Ever experimented with various nutrition lifestyles? Anything you took away?

One meal for the rest of your life? —> All I can think about is those stupid CHEESEBALLS!

Training Tuesday: What I Ate In A Day

Happy Tuesday! How’s your week going? I’m so excited that we’re finally almost into February! January is definitely my least favorite month.

I wanted to share with you what my typical food looks like when training and working a 9-hour day. I documented what I ate last week when I had 30 minutes of strength training & 9 miles on the treadmill (with middle 6 at goal marathon effort- 8:20).

I woke up at 4:15am and had two slices of sourdough bread with almond butter and a drizzle of honey.

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Also- a cup of coffee ( a must ).

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I replenished & fueled my run with a gel (~40 minutes in) and electrolytes (~every 5-10 minutes while running and then I make sure to drink the remaining after I finish while stretching).

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My first ‘real breakfast’ or second breakfast (however you want to look at it) happened at work shortly after 8am with the Can’t Beet Me Oatmeal II from this cookbook (I make a few servings of it at the beginning of the week so I can just pop it in my bag before I leave in the mornings), another cup of coffee that I brought from home (with one scoop of these collagens), and a banana.

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I try to snack every 2-3 hours, so I had orange slices and a few handfuls of trail mix (from Natural Grocers) around 11am.

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I had lunch around 1pm. This week, I made a big batch of the GImme Veggies Fried Rice (from this cookbook) and added a few slices of cooked chicken (also prepared on Sunday). Also with the remaining half of Kombucha and carrots/hummus.

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Around 3:30pm (right before I leave to go teach skating at the rink), I had this almond butter bar (so tasty!). Normally I love something like PB & apple slices, almonds, or small thing of popcorn for my snacks- today I was craving something a bit chocolatey.

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I got home shortly after 5:30pm and arranged our salads for dinner. I had already pre-diced the veggies on Sunday and cooked/sliced the chicken breast (on Sunday as well), so getting them together was super easy. I topped mine with a bit of ranch and Frank’s Red Hot for dressing.

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I’m all about an after-dinner snack, so I had a bowl of popcorn and two of Justin’s Dark Chocolate Mini PB cups. Along with a cup of Throat Coat Hot Tea with two tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar and a drizzle of Honey (it doesn’t taste the greatest, but I swear that adding Apple Cider Vinegar has helped stave away any colds or sinus infections this year thus far- I’m normally always sick through winter and I haven’t had one niggle since November).

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Sometimes I’ll eat more than this or sometimes less, I just really try to listen to my body and go with what it is craving (to an extent). If I’m extra hungry after a run, I’ll grab a Breakfast Sandwich at Starbucks. I almost always try to eat every few hours to keep myself from bonking or making a bad decision later on. I also never cut-out certain food groups because I truly believe that everything in moderation is the healthiest way to live. HOWEVER, I do know that my body feels its best (and mentally I feel my best) when I eat generally well so I keep that in mind as well when reaching for ample sour candy.

I also always drink at least 96 fl ounces of water, plus more if I’m running longer than 6-7 miles.

Here’s a daily cuteness for you. This was taken directly before he turned very naughty.

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What are your favorite snacks throughout the day?

Favorite way to unwind after a long workday?