to those of you in the know, i've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian since i was 12 years old. it is with great shyness that i inform you of my decision to expand my options and go pesco-vegetarian. the term refers to a "vegetarian who eats fish", which seems somewhat contradictory but alas, it is what it is.
i'm doing this mainly for health reasons. it's taken me a long time to understand that a healthy meal should be built on the basis of protein. for years i thought a plate of whole wheat pasta with a side of broccoli was good for me. now i see that this meal is completely void of protein, the most important part of an athlete's diet.
since i've been trying to lose fat, i've been reading up on some basic nutrition and trying to get a feel for what my diet should consist of. i came to the conclusion that, when i'm making a meal, i must first pick a source of protein, then design the rest of the meal around it. instead of 2 cups of pasta and veggies, i should eat tofu with 1/2 cup of pasta and veggies or a salad. tofu smoothies, seitan, protein shakes, yogurt... this has been my diet for the past few weeks. since i started eating high protein, the biggest change is that i don't "crash" like i used to after a long workout. this is huge; those crashes cost me heaps of productivity time. so i'm convinced to keep with it.
but let's face it, tofu and protein shakes can only go so far. aside from getting boring, soy protein doesn't live up to its meaty counterparts. fish presents me with an opportunity to get some good stuff in my diet like complete protein and omega-3 fatty acids. It's been shown that the incorporation of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids into an energy-restricted, fat-reduced diet has significant beneficial effects on glucose, insulin, and lipid metabolism:
[Researchers] discovered that these [essential fatty acid's], particularly those of the omega-3 family, play essential roles in the maintenance of energy balance and glucose metabolism. In particular, they observed a phenomenon known as ‘fuel partitioning’, whereby dietary EFAs were able to direct glucose (from digested carbohydrates) towards glycogen storage while at the same time directing other fatty acids in the body away from triglyceride synthesis (ie fat storage) and towards fatty acid oxidation! In addition, these studies suggested that omega-3 fatty acids have the unique ability to enhance thermogenesis (the burning of excess fat to produce heat), thereby reducing the efficiency of body fat deposition(2-7). In simple terms, this fuel partitioning phenomenon appears to conserve carbohydrate while simultaneously shedding fat – exactly what most athletes would give their right arm for!
[from Peak Peformance]
the first fish-steak i ate was pesto grilled salmon. it was actually good and i was relieved to not be grossed out by the experience. i must have taken to fish quite well, because i massively pigged out last night at Kenichi, a sushi restaurant here in Austin (the outing had little to do with health and fitness, as the empty sake bomb glasses can attest to). the goal for this week is to learn how to cook fish in my own kitchen.
i was dead set on getting up before dawn this morning. i knew that tim and i would be running no matter what, and i can't deal with running in the sun. the oppressive austin sun: it makes my head feel like it's going to explode.
the alarm went off at 6am. there were a few snooze sessions, but i finally came to at around 6:20. the pizza i so stupidly chose to eat at 11pm last night was still making it's way through my body. UGH - what a horrible idea. i love the parlor but if i'm going to eat something that's not full of fat and carbohydrates, i'd rather have it be something nicer and more moderate. i'd have felt much better this morning if i'd gone out for pasta and had a couple glasses of wine instead of going out for pizza and beer. why is that? i guess i'm more apt to binge on pizza and beer. when tim and i were playing pool last night, i felt like i could stay out all night. bars suck me in like that.
but back to this morning.
we got to town lake by 7am... a little late but the sun was still low. i barely noticed the run because i was focussing on not thinking about my creaky innards. i thought about shopping - how girly of me! but it worked. turns out we did really well. i think tim and i are starting to pick up the pace. it's been three weeks, and i think we're ready for some new challenges.
Tim found this beginner's training schedule at the Runners World website. We'll be starting at the week three point. The program looks fun, incorporating speedwork and fartlek!
It's been a long week of running...
I started on June 20th, and have run ten times since. Is that all? Time goes really slowly when I'm waiting to capillarize!
Last Sunday, Tim and I spent about a little over an hour at Town Lake, spending 42 of those minutes running. I'm pretty proud of myself - that's my longest run yet! Longest in time, that is. I'm not focussing much on distance yet. Right now, it's all about pacing.
On Tuesday, we did 30 minutes at Town Lake. After that, I was incredibly BEAT. Tired all day. Didn't go into the gym for my weight workout. I don't know what was up.
This morning, we took an easy 20 minute run around the intramural fields. Well, it should have been easy, but it felt like a bitch. This freakish Austin sun makes everything harder. Oh, but I bought a VISOR, which helps tremendously. I'm so cool.
I've registered for my first 5K!
These days, I seem to be eating one of these every morning. They make for an especially satisfying meal when I'm eating 5-6 meals per day. Many thanks to Mike C. for implanting this idea into my feeeeeble brain!
6 oz silken tofu
1 ripe banana (or other fruit of choice)
2 scoops (60g) of GNC Vanilla Whey Protein powder
1/2 cup juice (I use Central Market's fresh squeezed Red Delicious Apple juice)
A handful of ice.
You know the drill: throw it all in the blender. Blend. Pulse pulse. Blend.
Serves 2.
Calories: 310
Fat: 8g
Carbs: 30g
Protein: 31g
Not only is this soup incredibly easy to make, but it's also healthy and so very yummy!!!
4 cups vegetable broth
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
8 oz seitan, chopped
1 cup cauliflower
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green beans
1/4 cup sliced green onion
celery salt
2 cups cooked brown rice (optional)
Put the broth, tomatoes, and all the veggies in a big pot over hight heat. When it starts to bubble joyously, turn the heat down and cook until the cauliflower is done. Add celery salt to taste. Serve over rice or with a tasty piece of whole wheat bread!
Serves 4.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training is a great way to both train for the apocalypse and help raise money for a good cause. According to their website...
By helping to raise funds for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma research and patient services, you'll receive:
-Personalized fitness training by certified coaches for a period of four to five months
-Training clinics
-Your own personal Web site for online fundraising
-A supportive group of teammates
-Lodging and airfare to more than 60 accredited events in the United States and abroad.
Sounds like an awesomely fair exchange! This November 20, Team in Training comes to austin for the Motive Bison Stampede Half Marathon!
