Run for Chick-Fil-A

Greetings from Murfreesboro! I've been traveling a lot for work again and I drove to TN this week. I got a run in the other morning, but I know from experience that there's no ideal running route near this hotel. No worries. I just started running through the shopping centers with the goal to run at least 2.5 miles before I stopped at the Chick-Fil-A across the street from my hotel. I made it 2.8 miles and ordered a chicken biscuit with American cheese and pickles. Best decision.

As we know, the Doubletree in Murfreesboro has the most flattering mirrors. They never disappoint.

Tex Mex Breakfast

When I was in Houston I had this most delicious breakfast from My Fit Foods, and I knew that I could recreate it at home. I prep white rice in my rice cooker and cook up a pound of ground turkey using Flavor God Spicy Everything seasoning. When I'm ready to eat this delicious meal, I heat up the rice and turkey in the microwave while I scramble an egg (or two). I layer the eggs on top of the turkey, sprinkle some Mexican blend cheese, and top it with 2 tablespoons of salsa. IT IS SO EFFING DELICIOUS. And it's filling, without being excessive.

Breakfast Portion

1/2 cup white rice

3 oz cooked ground turkey

1 extra large egg

1/2 oz Mexican blend cheese

2 tablespoons salsa

CAL: 418, P: 35g C: 25g F: 18g

Dinner Portion

1/2 cup white rice

5 oz cooked ground turkey

2 extra large eggs

1/2 oz Mexican blend cheese

2 tablespoons salsa

CAL: 613, P: 58g C: 25g F: 29g

Some tricks of the trade: Measure in grams whenever possible, otherwise use ounces. A half cup of white rice is approximately 100 g. This is a bajillion times easier to track using a food scale instead of a measuring cup. I track cooked ground turkey because it's annoying to cook ground meat in bulk and track raw measurements. An ounce of shredded cheese is 28 g so I weigh out 14 g for this dish. Two tablespoons of salsa is 30 g. I avoid using measuring cups and measuring spoons whenever possible.

Casein Protein Powder

I bought a 2 lbs container of Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Casein protein powder a few months ago. Casein protein is slow digesting and can provide your body with a steady flow of amino acids for hours, whereas the more popular whey protein is digested more quickly. This makes it ideal for nighttime consumption. I told myself that I'd drink a big casein shake each night before bed and reap the benefits. Slight problem. Turns out that I don't like to drink shakes before bed. I end up feeling more hungry, have trouble falling asleep, and then have to pee like 45 minutes after I fall asleep. No bueno.

120 calories, 1g fat, 3g carbs, 1g sugar, 24g protein per scoop

The casein powder is also pretty gritty and doesn't mix as easily as the Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey. I found that mixing one scoop of casein and one scoop of whey makes a less clumpy shake and tastes better too. I really like this shake when I train in the morning. I start sipping it on the way to the box, drink most of it during the strength portion of the workout, and finish it on the way home. The mix of fast and slow digesting protein made me feel fuller longer. This might be entirely psychological but I have a tendency to attack food all morning long if I workout in the AM and this shake kept me satiated until lunchtime. And I mean real lunchtime, not the oh wow, it's 11:07, totally time for lunch lunchtime.

Better Food Choices

I'm being smart and making better food choices at the beginning of the week and hope that I can keep it up through the troublesome days known as Wednesday post-volleyball happy hour, hungover Thursday, and dear Lord kill me now Friday - oh wait, shit it's already Saturday morning. These are actual days and times on the calendar. You just didn't know it until now.

One thing left over from my minor foray into Whole 30-dom is eating tuna fish for breakfast. I'm so used to it now that I kind of look forward to it. That being said, I'm thinking about reintroducing Fage into my life.

For lunch, my daily lunchmate and I went to Just Salad. I love Just Salad and have recently branched out past the Immunity Bowl. Today I had romaine lettuce with pesto chicken, turkey bacon (double protein, I know I'm living large), walnuts, green apples, red onions, and cucumbers with lemon vinaigrette.

Not as good as the arugula and watercress salad I had at Westville on Friday but still way up there. I went on a lunch date on Friday. It was fun but by that evening I had convinced my date that I am a sociopath and untrustworthy. He won't be asking me out again. I added grilled chicken to the salad.

I've got some tasty leftovers from La Mela last night. I think I will be enjoying some veal this evening with a side of lettuce.

Day 7 Whole 30 - Use a Plate

Last week I decided that paper plates were no longer going to cut it and found some cute Melamine plates at Target. I went to Target over the weekend and found similar plates on sale for $1.39!

Food looks better and more appetizing on a plate. After spending time to buy and prepare my paleo meals, I want my meals to look like something I actually want to put in my mouth.

breakfast of granny smith apples and prosciutto di san daniel

dinner of salmon and broccoli rabe

Also a Target plate, but it's not Melamine.
This is one of the plates I have at my apartment.

lunch of coconut chicken breast and iceberg lettuce

I'm enjoying my stylish plates and my colleagues are definitely envious.

Day 4 Whole 30 - Breakfast Panic Attack

I don't like to leave food in my refrigerator over the weekend, so I refused to go grocery shopping last night. I also finished the last of the eggs. I don't know how delusional I was this morning thinking that I would just pick something up to eat on the way to work, but clearly there is nothing that I can order to my office that I can eat that is remotely appetizing.

So I freaked out and guzzled coffee all morning. I've been drinking the hazelnut.

I finally couldn't take it anymore so I threw together things I had in my desk or in the work fridge - half an avocado, a tuna pouch, and pecans. Surprisingly amazing. It had the consistency I always liked about eating yogurt and oatmeal in the morning, including the pecan crunch I crave. I'm going to keep this in my back pocket every time I need a quick and easy breakfast.

I'm really over eggs right now. I had to make myself choke down dinner last night even though it tasted really good.

there was bacon but I ate it before I could photograph it

I didn't want to find myself scrounging for dinner, so I researched paleo chicken options during my grant writing conference call. And I got busted. I had no idea what the question was, but at least I knew I was having paleo coconut chicken for dinner.

Now that you have shamed me, I will not listen AT ALL!

I was actually emailing my mother the ingredient list when I got caught not paying attention. When I got out to Long Island, the sainted woman had already prepped my ingredients*.

cauliflower fried rice ingredients

To make the cauliflower fried rice, grate raw cauliflower, chop a yellow onion, and buy pre-sliced Shitake mushrooms. Cook the onions in coconut oil, add the mushrooms, wait until the onions are translucent, add the "rice" and let it cook through.

*My mom saved me a piece of cauliflower so I could practice but then I almost cut off my finger so she did it for me.

 I used this recipe for the coconut chicken. Thanks Paleo Plan.

Surprisingly easy to make.

The meal was delicious. Just as a heads up, I pounded the chicken breasts so they'd be thinner and fry more easily. I was also thrilled to eat vegetables that weren't green. The next time I make this rice, I'd consider using sesame oil instead of the coconut to add some variety to the dish.

Westside Walk

I really had no intention of working out today because the never ending week is in no sight of ending. Around 7 PM, I made an appearance in the ladies' bathroom and spotted my Favorite Work Friend's striped socks under the handicapped stall. She was obviously conducting a debrief from her cell phone while changing for a walk along the Westside Highway. My FWF kindly invited me along. Thank goodness I keep a desk drawer full of workout clothes.

Favorite Work Friend

FWF walks with her friend from her old job regularly. They frequently walk the Highline but unfortunately it closes at 7 and we didn't leave until after 7. We had a nice brisk walk along the Westside Highway instead. We turned around when we got past Chelsea Piers and headed back. It was unseasonably warm today and a little windy. Great walking weather - especially when you are being entertained with slightly insane stories about former co-workers who are pathological liars. The hour we spent walking passed quickly.

Favorite Work Friend's Work Friend

I received a comment on my post about Trish Stratus' Yoga Warrior Goddess routine today that asked me to look up the specific moves. I obviously did (I love my readers) and decided to do it when I got home. I feel pretty accomplished since I hadn't planned on do anything but freak out and work.

As promised, I did eat better today. I ate oatmeal with Fage 2% Greek yogurt, frozen peaches, and chia seeds for breakfast (okay, closer to lunch) and a salad at 3:30 (house mix with green apples, garbanzo beans, red onions, mozzarella balls, chicken, walnuts, and balsamic vinegar.) Then I ruined it by eating a chocolate-covered marshmallow Santa Claus. Booyah!

Apparently the work fridge is set to "aggressive" because I definitely
found frozen yogurt in my Fage container today.

Clean(er) Eating

You can't out-train a crappy diet. I am proof of this because despite my summer/fall running schedule, my buffalo wing and beer habit forced me to buy bigger jeans. A crappy diet also leaves me feeling crappy. Go figure.

In an effort to return to my former glory (hello visible abs!), I am committing myself to eating cleaner. Conscious decisions and more mindful habits will hopefully get me back into my tiny ass running shorts by March. I also want to be realistic. I'm not going to refuse tasty (and free) food from my friends and family because it does qualify as eating clean.

Today I started off with a piece of Ezekiel 4:9 toast with fresh-grind peanut butter and a little honey. I also had a cup of black coffee. (I like my coffee like my kickboxing instructors: tall, dark, and strong. Cue the cymbal.)

Later on at work I ate a clementine as a snack. I ate a pouch of chunk light tuna with a McIntosh apple and Laughing Cow Light cheese. I frequently eat huge lunches but don't feel satisfied because I scarf them down. Slicing the apple and eating the tuna with a fork forced me to eat more slowly than when I inhale a sandwich. Less food, fewer calories, more satisfied.

After attending the awesome C9 by Champion for Target event at Flywheel, I ate some pineapple and an Archer's Farm strawberry-pomegranate granola bar because I was feeling lightheaded. You should have seen how psyched I got when they were handing these out. They are my favorite flavor. (I am obsessed with all things Target if you haven't figured this out yet.)

LOVE Archer Farms products.

Since I would be staying at the office late to compensate for the two hours I spent at Champion C9 event, I packed dinner. I had left over lasagna my mom made for me. This was definitely not clean because my mother doesn't believe in reduced-fat cheese. I had it with a side of steam-in-the-bag frozen green beans. I think the green beans made up for the calorie-loaded lasagna and that my meal was pretty dang good for me.

I spend way too much time eating at my desk.

Clean eating can get expensive. It can also drive you crazy if you eat with non-clean eaters a lot. Two years ago I would have said to avoid these dishes at all costs, but now I think we have to pick our battles. I also kind of agree with my mom about that reduced-fat cheese thing.

When to Break the Fast

I'm never quite sure when to eat breakfast on the days I work out in the morning. Should I wake up extra early and eat a full breakfast? Should I eat something light? Maybe I should wait until after. How much time will pass between the end of my workout and my arrival at work? Should I eat at home before work? Maybe I should just bring a bar in my pocket and eat it while working out if I get hungry. Is eating bars instead of real food the best idea for my body?

Yeah. It's enough to drive you crazy. I don't normally eat before a run unless I wake up feeling very hungry. Then I go with toast with peanut butter and honey. This is also my go-to breakfast for races these days. I switch up the bread I use and right now I'm using Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain bread.

Maybe I'm always late for my run because I take photos of my food?

T and I ran the 5 mile loop in Central Park this morning. Overall, I ran 8.12 miles.

73rd Street. These lights are up year round.

When I eat a pre-run breakfast, I usually eat my real breakfast once I get to work. Lately that's been thawed frozen peaches with oatmeal, 2% Fage, flaxseed, and crushed pecans.

Do you eat before your morning workouts? What's your go-to breakfast?


And on a completely unrelated note, I am forced to wear my hood on the M79 bus because water is coming through the ceiling.

My Take on Biggles' Breakfast

T and I met at the park at 6 AM for another run. We did the 5 mile loop. We had barely gotten started when we realized we had meant to bring up the same point: we only run the park counterclockwise. Running a route in only one direction can develop imbalanced muscles. The counterclockwise loop explains the awkward feeling I get that my right leg is becoming shorter than my left. Once you start thinking about uneven running surfaces, it's all you can think about. I could feel my right leg muscles shortening with every stride. No more. From now on we're alternating directions.

The run was pleasant if uneventful. I realized I had absolutely nothing to eat for breakfast, and to avoid another Fat Kid Friday situation, I needed to go grocery shopping before work. Luckily the Fairway on 86th Street opens at 7 AM. I exited the park at 6:57 AM, bid T farewell, and ran uptown.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 7 AM

I picked up raisins, Fage yogurt, and this Paul Newman cereal I found. I decided to take Biggles' advice on yesterday's post and eat cereal flakes and raisins with my yogurt.

No fructose corn syrup.

I used my food scale to measure out one serving of cereal, a little less than one serving of raisins (about 2/3 of a serving actually), and 8 grams of pecans. Food scales make eating a healthy portion of higher calorie foods easy. I bet you have no idea what a serving size of cereal, raisins, or pecans looks like and I challenge you to find out. This article from the New York Times explains the merits of using a food scale for cooking and baking. I don't do either, but I can pour dry ingredients into a to-go container and I love my scale. I use one made by Taylor.

I ate breakfast at my desk while managing struggling to tame my Outlook Inbox. It was absolutely delicious. I recommend sprinkling the cereal mix on top of the yogurt and eating it off. Continue sprinkling and eating. I don't like when crunchy things get soggy and I have found this to be a practical solution.

Tasty treats. Nasty Inbox.