A quick post about my progress

I'm taking the focus away from blogging about training and exercising this week, because I've spent a good hard look at my eating habits, as you can tell by my post from yesterday about veganism.  You'll be excited to hear that, although Steph was going to try this on her own, I've challenged her to try going Vegan for a full week and then do a guest blog on the results.  I can't wait to hear!  Steph gave up meat a few months ago after reading a book on the animal food industry and its disgusting practices.  Although I support the free range movement, as a lot of once vegan enthusiasts have made the switch post-free range miracle workings, I haven't made the switch over as free range meat is really expensive.

Well, this blog is not about trends in the food market and best practices.  I've set it up to help others to find what healthy things can work for you.

You may be wondering if the title of this post was going to be about weight loss, and although losing weight while training would be awesome and help to improve my pace, I'm more talking about how I've actually been cooking.  Well, let's loosely use the term cooking.  More like adding a lot of premade ingredients together to make tasty, healthy, and delicious meals.  Lets talk about breakfast.  Although I didn't take a picture of it, I started my day with a bowl of Quaker Oats...the original kind.  I added in: boiling water as well as a half a handful of almonds, vanilla and almond extract, banana (whole) slices, a scoop of my light butter (ahhh 50 calories a serving and not that yucky I can't believe its not butter kind or anything like it.  Balade.  Its the best), and a scoop of my pumpkin/apple butter combo that I had in the fridge from the holiday season.  Toss in two splenda and we have ourselves a runner's dream breakfast.  Carbs, protein, potassium, and taste!  Let us now move into lunch...

Ok, so I'm not to the point where I make extravagant meals from scratch, but I'm about 500 times more improved from my days of ordering meals and eating cereal.  Since I had a snow day, I had time to make some food.  I put together some simple ingredients.  Mushroom Risotto from Trader Joes (150 calories per serving.  3 servings per bag).  I added in frozen broccoli as well as cut up butternut squash to bulk up the meal.  FYI green and orange veggies are SUPER important in your diet.  Read about it here.  So you then throw them onto a stovetop pan, cover, and intermittently stir for ten minutes.  The end result was: Perfection!  Look!

I tossed in a Sweet Apple with Maple Syrup Chicken Sausage from Trader Joes (120 calories per sausage.  5 sausages per container) for some protein kick and here is the final result!

OH MY GOODNESS.  It was so delicious and I'm so impressed with myself.  Again, it has a runner's favorite foods: carbs, veggies, protein, and flavor!  The meal was roughly 325 calories altogether, which is perfect for lunch.  Not only did I make myself this lunch for today, I was able to come up with two more servings for another day (although I ran out of sausages and am thawing some Trader Joes chicken breasts instead, mostly like 3 oz serving per meal).

Come on.  Who wants to give me a high five?  I know you do.  Honestly, who am I.  Where did I come from with all of this know-how? I mean, I came up with this meal all on my own.  I might actually be able to feed my family without poisoning them someday or making them feel sick, which is how I felt every time I used to cook for myself.  Fingers crossed.

Well readers.  This should be a testament that if I can do this, then anyone can.  I'm serious.  I might be awesome, but cooking has always blown my mind.  I have faith in you!