My post-workout smoothie / health food trends

This is everything that goes into my smoothie after a resistance workout.  

1. Frozen berries (strawberries and blueberries)

2. A whole banana

3. A full serving of Greek yogurt

4. A splash of Acai Juice

5. 1 cup of almond milk

6. Scoop of protein powder

7. A tsp of creatine 

So, with all of that fruit, this thing is loaded with sugar. But with many natural sources of sugar like fruit, that sugar comes with lots of vitamins and antioxidants and fiber attached, so I'm ambivalent on the threat there...if I was eating a ton of sugar exclusively from unhealthy, unnatural sources like soda...that'd be different. 

This thing is also loaded with protein, which lanky dudes like myself need right after a workout. 

The Acai is kind of a trendy food right now, as berries or a yogurt frosty type goo. I'm just using the juice to try it out. Lots of folks are dismissive of foods that are health-trendy, or even suspicious, like it might end up being really bad for you. My thought is that as long as I'm eating what is generally considered healthy, and I'm not eating it at every meal, my chances are better than if I'm eating what is generally considered junk, like fast food, chips, burgers, sodas etc. 

I do have creatine in this photo. I'm not a regular on this anymore, but a little does seem to help ease soreness. It's main purpose is to help keep muscles hydrated, and is found naturally in meats. 

Exercise has been going well the last few weeks. We are storing a friend's treadmill in our garage and I've been able to get some miles in, but I've shifted my focus a little to resistance training, it being summer and all. 

the dairy thing

Several posts ago, in my little diet manifesto I mentioned that I try not to take in any dairy.  Here's the deal on that:  I don't (can't) have anything high-lactose, without immediate - uh - unsettling results.  So this rules out cow's milk, and lots of cheeses (which I love), and absolutely no ice cream, etc.  There are dairy products with lower lactose, like Greek Yogurt, which I eat all the time.  I also eat some cheese "like a spice", in salads, as long as there isn't too much of it.  I do think there have been some benefits to this apart from eliminating the "unsettling results", namely in terms of sinus allergies and getting colds.  But here's the problem with not having milk:  It is extremely hard for me to gain weight/maintain mass without it.
Gaining weight is not what a great many people spend time strategizing.  I  have a higher than average metabolism, so losing weight is super easy, while keeping healthy weight on is very difficult.  Truth be told, trying to gain enough weight to not be in the "skinny" category has been a life-long endeavor/struggle for me, but not only because of my metabolism -- I'm also a very picky eater who tended to pick the most unhealthy options earlier in life.  So these things combined, left me the way I was: pretty unhealthy and bony.  As I got older, my metabolism slowed down, and my poor eating/drinking habits caught up really quickly...my weight stayed low but my body fat % increased.  But, of course, after healthy diet and exercise changed me, things resolved, and at one point I was able to reach 183 lbs with a low body fat% (when I graduated highschool, I was 6'2", and around 130lbs!  not good).  So here's where milk figures in...in order to gain that healthy weight, I drank a lot of whole milk.  A LOT.  Without it, I find it really difficult to get back to that weight.  I currently weigh about 170, with a low (healthy) body fat %, but would like those extra muscle-pounds back.  I've been doing my best, but cardio is too effective... it just pulls everything off of me.  So.  I'm taking a break from the cardio-focused exercise (i.e. running, T25, etc.) that has been my last 8 months, and going back to moderate resistance training.  Nothing crazy -- I don't want another hernia.

I was gone awhile.

We had a bit of an off-month here, and I took a break from eating well, exercising, and numerous other things during the second half of March -- the absolute least of which was blogging.  We had some stresses, and I had some large-ish opportunities spring up for work and I doubled my efforts in that direction.  Sometimes it feels better to focus on working than on other things.  It keeps the mind busy, and certainly passes time.  But, of course, there are sacrifices too.  All work and no play makes John a dull, dull boy with no ab definition or lung capacity.  Forgive me for being vague on matters work-related and personal -- I know that simultaneous blogging and self-editing is a rarity these days, but here it is.  This blog isn't for whining, water-cooler talk, or bragging.  SO:
A few whirlwind weeks later...
Today I'm restarting a 3 month training regimen, and it feels good to be back in saddle.  H is also starting up a 2 month regimen.  We feel relieved when we're exercising again, and making better food choices.  It's like doing your homework early and not having to worry about it later.  I've discovered the absolute hardest part of working out or running is just starting.  The rest is pretty easy, and I always (ALWAYS) feel glad that I did it afterwards.  On off days (and I've had plenty lately), the first mile is the worst.  After that is a breeze, and I'm better able to handle life's ups and downs when I'm taking care of myself.  It takes the edge off of a Monday when it's the start of more than just a workweek.

Back to it.

A week to go...

My first race is next Saturday in Little Rock. I have not yet decided on the 5K or 10K, but will probably do the 10 for the challenge. Today I ran a little over 5 miles (8K), and felt the week off from training every step. 

As evidenced by the map below, I do not have a route planned when I leave home to run. I need to figure one out...

After my run I was wiped out, so I went all out at lunch. I had a sandwich on toasted "HealthNut bread": roast beef with arugula, a little shaved Parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar. With that, a banana, and chocolate protein powder with almond milk. 

Weather, Comfort Food, Stress Fixes

The weather has been terrible up here for people with strict to-do lists!  We get cabin fever pretty easy, and the best fix I know of is to take a long walk. Yesterday, I walked the admittedly short distance to work (about a mile and a half probably) because my car got stuck in the snow. I was in a pretty grouchy mood, but a healthy dose of sun, improved circulation and endorphin really helped. And always does! If you can force yourself to be active, it will really change a bad mood. 

I haven't been able to run, but walking on this ice must be improving my reflexes...I did some unexpected triple salchows on my walk home. Dangerous stuff...MELT ALREADY. 

H found a great recipe for cold nasty days like this, or any other day really. Baked chicken nuggets that actually taste good. They're breaded with Italian whole wheat bread crumbs, Panko (?), and Parmesan.  Really good. They actually remind me a little of Wendy's. The link to the recipe is below. I only got a pic of three of mine, because I ate most of them before thinking to take a photo. 

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/healthy-baked-chicken-nuggets.html?m=1

Back in Saddle / Beef Stir Fry

Finally got to do a long run today. The weather was perfect, so we all went out to the Lake Fayetteville. The little dude got to ride around on his tricycle and I ran 6.25 miles in 50:30. New distance record for me, and I now have a baseline to train from. Just 4 more weeks until my first 10K! I've decided to take a break from P90X3 and focus on running until the race. After that, probably start over. 

Tonight we had one of our few Beef meals, a Stir Fry with mushrooms, bell peppers and brown rice. The sauce is really good. I can't find the recipe for this one online. We got it out of a bodybuilding cookbook, so it has more calories. We've made it with chicken too. Brown Rice takes a long time, but we prefer it. And I also wanted to mention...my wonderful wife makes many of these meals. This one we both make, but they are usually all her!

The Best Bad Decision

I've been in Chicago for the last 4 days, and have not been able to eat clean. I also only got one day in at the gym...I didn't beat myself up too much on that second one...I still did a LOT of walking, so that helped calorie-wise but will need to get my heart and lungs up and running again asap. 

The food thing: I heard someone say once it's about making "good bad choices". Stuck at a party with no healthy food? Eat the thing that is the closest to healthy. Stuck at a McDonald's? Try to find the healthiest thing there. Last night near my hotel I found this little Gem: a Mushroom, Goat cheese, Arugula and Red Pepper Panini. Bad picture, Good sandwich.