Fueling The Machine

I'm nearing the end of my second week of my full commitment to training and nutrition, and I'm feeling pretty good. I've hit all my scheduled workouts and I'm still enjoying them. That's a good thing.

And the nutrition? That's really made a difference for me. I've made some pretty drastic changes and I don't know that I'll continue them long-term, but they are helping me as I train for my marathon, definitely.

I know that I need to track my food consistently if I want to lose weight. This training evolution, I'm relying completely on my FitBit and logging every single thing I eat. It was a bit cumbersome at first, but I tend to repeat meals often and it gets faster to log things as I build up my own list of "recent foods."

Overall, I'm not having any problems staying within my allotted amount of calories. That's because FitBit calculations automatically adjust all day to reflect the extra calories I've earned through exercise and motion. Of course, I realize that these numbers are all estimated, so I want to make sure I am burning more calories through each day than I am taking in.

Here's what the last two weeks look like. It doesn't appear that I am taking in nearly enough each day, and that is also a concern for me. Starving and depriving myself isn't a healthy way to lose weight, because the body needs fuel to perform. So I need to eat more, which is kind of cool to discover.

Notice that there are two days when I splurged a bit on the calories. In week one, I indulged with a bacon cheeseburger and bacon cheese fries. Week two, I ate a ham & pineapple pizza and sweet potato french fries.

Neither of those meals put me over my calories allotment for those days, because I had plenty of extra activity to cover them. They were little rewards and I earned them. So I don't feel bad at all about them.

I am (once again) discovering that if I choose the right foods, I can eat a lot more of them. For example, I was craving a salad yesterday afternoon, so I decided to make one myself instead of buying one out somewhere.

And that matters. Not only did I save a lot of money, I also was able to control exactly what went into my salad. There were no hidden calories and I was able to track it exactly.

I started with the basics - yellow pepper, carrots, and a cucumber. I used a huge bowl and a big pile of spinach leaves, and the salad looked big enough to feed a family of four. But no, it was all mine.

I added seasoned croutons and an incredible, low-calorie pear gorgonzola dressing, and my lunch was complete.

And here's the calorie count. Considering how much food was in the bowl, I'm super happy that the whole meal was under 400 calories. 

I also discovered yesterday that I can make my own fruit smoothie at home using Silk soymilk, frozen bananas, and fresh strawberries. Talk about a winner! I absolutely loved it. I made one for breakfast with vanilla soymilk and a smaller one for dessert with the chocolate soymilk. Both were right around 200 calories and worth every bit of that.

And I'll end with a positive note. I blogged earlier about how easy it is to drop into a slump. One bad choice leads to another, and another, and before you know it, your entire workout and healthy eating routines have fallen off.

But the reverse is true, too. One good choice can be the inspiration for the next, and after a few good choices, you're back on the right track and ready for more. That's where I am right now. I am wrapping up week two of my #LongRoadtoLongBeach training and nutrition plan, and I already feel better.

It's not about the pounds. It's not about the number on a scale. It's about feeling stronger, healthier, and more in control of my life and my actions. That's how I feel right now, and I want that feeling to continue. So the good choices I've made over the last twelve days are now motivation for me to keep making those choices today... and tomorrow... and on and on.

I'm feeling more like me each day. And that makes me very happy, indeed.

Revel Ready Challenge - Nutrition Plan

Yesterday I shared the highlights of Captain Awesome's Revel Ready Challenge. Today, I'm going to share the details of my nutrition plan.

I start, though, with a disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist. I am not a doctor. And I am not making recommendations for anyone. This plan is what I believe will work best for me over my thirty day challenge.

For breakfast during the week, I go with the easy meals. My calorie limit is 350, which is actually a lot if I make healthy choices. I can have oatmeal, fresh fruit, and coffee, and I'm still under my max calories.

On the weekends, when I have more time in the morning, I can be more creative and make a real meal. I whipped up a scramble with a couple of whole eggs, lots of eggs whites, bell pepper and red onions. It's a lot of food and totally filling.

After breakfast, I have 100 calories set aside for a morning snack. It's not a lot, but it's a chance for a little fresh fruit or veggies that can tide me over until lunch. I haven't been taking consistent advantage of these morning snacks, and I will need to do that to make sure I don't get too hungry and respond with a fast-food binge.

Speaking of lunch, I am opting for convenience over perfection here. I have allotted myself 400 calories, and I am choosing frozen meals over fresh food. Yes, I know that these tend to have elevated sodium levels, but that's a trade-off I am willing to accept in return for a quick and easy low-calories meal.

After lunch, I have another 100 calorie snack allowed in the afternoon. I haven't been eating anything then, either, usually opting for a Diet Coke, instead. And that means I am super hungry by dinner time, so that is something I need to remember. Eat your calories, John!

Dinner time means 550 calories, and that is plenty if I make healthy meal choices. It takes a bit of measuring and prepping, but I think it's worth it to make the time.

For the challenge, I am crediting myself with one point for each meal and then one more point for the day's total calories. I do that to make sure that I don't let one bad splurge take over a whole day. Just because I eat an extra 100 calories at lunch, I can offset it later and still be within my goal for the overall day.

Breakfast - 1 point
AM snack - 1 point
Lunch - 1 point
PM snack - 1 point
Dinner - 1 point
Daily total - 1 point

And lest I forget, I also earn a point by drinking sixty-four ounces of water each day. I hit that without even trying, since I drink water all day long. But hydrating makes a big difference in everything, so it's worth the point.

I will increase my daily calorie count after my 30 Day Challenge, because my increase training levels will require more fuel. But for this kick-start, I can get by on fewer calories.

Like I said, this eating plan isn't for everyone. It isn't even for me for long-term. But it's what I think is right for me for now.

And here we go!