The day I ran my 20-mile marathon training run I realized something: I was out of shape and it was weighing me down(literally). It wasn’t hard to figure out why I might have gained 15-20 pounds since November:
- It was the Holidays. Cookies, cake, and candy were always around.
- My dog dying in November led to major stress eating.
- I had gotten injured and stopped doing cardio altogether for 6 weeks, but don’t remember cutting down my actual portions during that time.
After that run I swore I’d get in better shape for the marathon; I knew I couldn’t undo 3 months of bad habits in 3 weeks but I put myself on a healthy track having the longer picture in mind. I was already interested in a plant-based diet and reading Matt’s e-book convinced me I should give it a shot with some slight twists.
First of all, this is not a low/high anything diet and didn’t focus on any numbers. Instead I focused on the type of foods that I ate. I also didn’t cut anything out completely, instead trying to limit myself to 1 serving of dessert a day.
Things I eat a lot of:
- Raw vegetables
- Greens
- Beans
- Fruit
- Nuts & Seeds
Things I eat in moderation:
- Fish
- Eggs
- Potatoes
- Healthy oils
- Sugar
- Cocoa powder(it’s really its own food group to me)
Things I eat very little of
- Red/white meat
- Soy
- Grains
- Dairy
As I got hungry through the day, I snacked on things like raw vegetables or nuts. I also got rid of a bad habit of a filling snack right before bed and instead learned how to fall asleep with a slight hunger.
As for protein, my philosophy was that eating enough real food throughout the day would lead to an appropriate amount. Beans, broccoli, and nuts may not be protein powerhouses on their own, but when you eat a lot of them it adds up over time. If I weren’t running ~30 miles per week and eating so much, I might need to add a bigger emphasis to protein. But this works for me at the moment.
So how has it worked? Well, I don’t own a scale but I definitely feel lighter. A week after I started I noticed my 6.5 mile loop being a whole minute faster, which felt like progress. Now, about 5 weeks later, my “comfortable pace” for long runs has dropped about 10-20 seconds/mile, which also encourages me to keep it up. And I strength train twice a week to make sure that I’m losing fat and building muscle, which I would recommend as part of any distance running program.
Disclaimer: I’m completely unqualified. For everything. It’s amazing I get out of bed and put my socks on both feet every morning. Do not assume that this is sound medical advise and that you can sue me. Besides, I have no money so the joke’s on you.
PS. Heather is having a raffle right now to raise money for Relay for Life and my outrageous triple chocolate brownies are one of the prizes. I suggest you pop on over and take a look at all the goodies over their and bid for a good cause.
