Training for the 2008 Flying Pig Marathon has gone exceptionally well thus far. I've been able to get my pace to 9:13 and hold it comfortably for four miles. I've really been watching what I eat, and I can tell a huge difference. I used to practically gorge myself after a hard run because I felt like I deserved it, but I've slowly moved away from that mindset. I heard an interview with Lance Armstrong after the 2007 New York Marathon and he said that he was seven pounds lighter than the previous year's marathon, and it made all the difference in the world for him.
After only a week of cutting my daily calorie intake practically in half, I already feel lighter on my toes. Here are some of my biggest vices:
- McDonalds: double cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, vanilla ice cream cones
- Taco Bell: Nachos Supreme, double decker tacos, 7-Layer burritos
- Starbucks: triple grande non-fat caramel macchiatos
- Red Robin: french fries, strawberry milkshakes
- Mr. Gatti's: sausage and green olive pizza
- Moes: "Joey Bag of Donuts" burrito, with chips and queso...and a cherry coke
- Peanut M&Ms
- Brownies with vanilla ice cream
This really could go on and on. In constructing this list, I realized just how often I've let myself eat these things over the past year. I mean some of these things have been staples of my diet! I've realized that if I let myself eat these things in moderation, then I'll enjoy them even more. I've also found that I don't crave these things anymore. I've been trying to incorporate more lean chicken, brown rice, black beans, etc into my meals and I've really cut back on portion sizes. It's amazing how much better I feel - but I also want to make sure I'm taking in enough calories so I don't get woozy during my training runs.
Anyone else have any guilty pleasures they are trying to cut back on in the new year?
