Eat This, Not That

While I recognize that I'm at least a week late on the Take It and Run Thursday topic from Runners Lounge, I figured I'd at least give it a go since the topic is near and dear to my heart.

When I'm able to be in control of my food, I've been able to eat healthy (at least since I started to eat healthy, that is).

Eat this

For breakfast, I'll often have:

• eggs over easy
• Weight Watchers bagels
• smoked salmon (for lox & bagels)
• oatmeal
• bananas

For lunch, I've been quite consistent:

• lean sandwich meat (chicken, turkey, ham)
• low-fat cheese
• high-fiber, low fat bread (Weight Watchers has a couple excellent variations)
• 1/4 cup of almonds (pre-measured and in bags so I can take it and go in the morning)

For snacks, I've been consistently going to chips and salsa. The Baked Tostitos are good and salsa is significantly low in calories. I eat this snack often as opposed to potato chips.

My normal dinner diet consists of:

• grilled boneless, skinless chicken (with some sort of rub)
• grilled salmon (often pre-seasoned)
• swordfish
• tuna
• shrimp
• turkey tacos
• lean hamburgers (90% lean or more) -- probably turkey meat

Like Leana, I've largely sworn off red meat, with the rare exception of a steak when I go out to a nice restaurant. I don't have red meat much more than 12 times a year. I just don't get a craving for it anymore. In fact, my body tends to punish me when I do eat it. I always wake up in the middle of the night sweating and I never sleep well after steak. I just think my body can't process it very well.

Not That

When I'm in control of what food is in front of me, I'm quite good at eating healthy. I know that my willpower comes at the grocery store, not at home, so I just don't bring bad food into the house, unless I'm hosting a party.

I have completely gotten rid of regular soda (though Diet Coke and Diet Sunkist still play a major part in my day). I have no taste for pasta and only have to eat it come pre-race fuel time. And when I do, I get the whole wheat stuff.

I substitute turkey meat for beef and haven't missed red meat at all. I substitute fat-free shredded cheese (for tacos, nachos, etc.) for regular cheese. I substitute Weight Watchers sandwich rolls for regular, heavily starched rolls.

For me, I ask myself one simple question: do I want to spend the calories I worked so hard to burn on a fuller-fat roll or a regular Coke? That's an obvious no. Do I want to spend the calories on beer or wine? That answer's not so obvious.