We all know how to eat well. The fact of the matter is, however, that we often choose not to. And even if we think that we’re eating relatively healthy, we can always do a teeny bit better. Well, lately, I’ve been eating like crap. I don’t really get the same enjoyment out of cooking as many others do, but I’ve decided that enough is enough with this nonsense. After speaking with one of my other cross-country/track buddies tonight, here is just one sample of what a healthy diet should look like:
*It should be noted that Karen is a vegetarian.
Breakfast:
- all natural cereal w/ milk
- fresh blueberries
- banana
- raisins
- pineapple
- walnuts
- almonds
- orange juice
Lunch:
- whole wheat sandwich w/ cheese or hummus, lettuce & tomato
- grapes
- blue corn chips
Snack:
- carrots
- crackers
Dinner:
- mixed green salad (carrots, broccoli, peppers, tomato, onion)
- sauteed boneless, skinless chicken breast w/ brown rice & veggies [this is my addition for an option]
Ok, now that you’ve seen a sample of what someone else eats, here’s what I have been eating lately:
Breakfast: 2 cups of cereal w/ non fat milk, one lowfat yogurt, 2 cups of tea
Snack: one yogurt, one slice of bread with butter on it
Lunch: one yogurt, 2 cups of tea and/or water w/ lemon in it
Dinner: 97% lean burger with yellow onion sliced on top, tater tots on the side
Late night snack (after 8pm): something usually high in sugar like cookies- though not all the time
Sometimes the choice for dinner will vary depending on where I am though. In the past few weeks, I was astonished to see that I had been eating out more than I thought- stopping in at fast food restaurants with my boyfriend (who is a personal trainer, mind you!), and even though I am choosing grilled chicken sandwiches at these fast food establishments, I could probably stand to not eat the sandwich with the bread, french fries and soda that comes with it.
You Know Your Body Better
I know better. And I’ve never eaten this poorly in my life, so what gives? Eating well and taking care of your body takes discipline. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how counterproductive it is for me to go and run for an hour only to then turn around and stuff my face with something that is unhealthy only hours later. The problem lies in the fact that I don’t like preparing meals. In my mind, it seems like preparing a meal takes more time than it does to actually eat it.
My Solution?
Come up with a written meal plan. Talk to other people who exercise like you do and find out what they are eating. Get an opinion. Visit a few supermarkets, compare prices and compile a healthy shopping list. GET IT IN WRITING. Depending on the type o f person you are, it may be easier for you to stick with something if it is written down. Eating healthy is challenging in the fact that you have to have the mental discipline to absolutely refuse to eat the things that you know are bad for you despite the fact that they are downright d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s.
But enough talk. Tomorrow is a new day, and it is never too late to make a change. The hardest part is getting started. The thing about my diet is that it’s the little things that need to be changed. My diet isn’t horrible; it’s just not great. I’ll be documenting my diet as I progress, this way we can all sort of see how a diet can affect or effect athletic performance, if at all.
Runners just do it- they run for the finish line even if someone else has reached it first.
-Anon.