eating healthy – Masher Runs

Something I wanted to focus on this year, and specifically this training cycle was eating healthy. Something I didn’t want to do was diet. In the past, I’ve noticed that eating poorly quickly results in running poorly, or at least feeling miserable while working out. I’ve been fortunate throughout my life that I never really need to worry about my weight, thanks to good genes and spending half my life running. But that doesn’t mean I’m always happy about my weight or the way I look. I’ve never been able to hit my goal weight, and gaining pounds has always been a challenge. You may roll your eyes, or stop reading this post, but gaining weight is just as hard as losing weight, especially when you’re a runner.

I’ve always had a goal weight that I thought would be balanced with my slim 5’1″ stature. A pound here or there would show up over time, but nothing really stuck. I decided this year, I would make my goal weight and keep it on. I’m still struggling in the kitchen, but I’ve started to cut out what isn’t healthy and things my body doesn’t approve of.

Here’s what I’ve done so far:

Cut out dairy- My body just doesn’t take dairy anymore, so I’ve unfortunately had to cut ice cream. Luckily I can still tolerate cheese (the most important food group) but I’ve had to improvise with other dairy products. As an alternative I use Lactaid milk in my coffee and take lactaid pills if I encounter dairy in food (mostly pizza, I won’t give that up)
I pack my lunch- I only have 30 minutes for lunch, so by the time I got somewhere I’d have to head back to the office. By bringing my lunch, I’m able to bring healthier options to eat and have a place to keep morning/afternoon snacks. My lunch of choice in winter is soup, which can be healthy depending on the brand. Spring and summer I usually bring fruit, lunch meat or chicken salad.
I’m staying hydrated-During the week I drink a lot of water, probably more than I need to. But by drinking all that H20, I’m keeping my body clean and taking care of my skin. I’ve just recently started to cut alcohol during the week, which was by accident. I feel better, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll stick to it. Here’s my typical work day hydration:

Lots of hydration means lots of bathroom breaks!

Cutting out junk- This is more of a goal than what I’m actually doing. I’m a big snacker, and when I snack, I don’t eat the healthiest. My junk snacks include chocolate poptarts, Entenmann’s mini muffins, and candy upon candy. It’s my biggest downfall and I know it needs to change. I’ve started to switch some of the afternoon snacks with mixed nuts and when the weather gets warmer I’ll be eating more fruits and carrots when I get that 3:30 hunger.
Healthy dinners- This one is pretty much in control. We have chicken and steak at least once a week for dinner, almost always with a side of veggies and some sort of potatoes. It’s a lot better than my once pasta every night habit.
Body Fusion- Body Fusion has been more than just a way to cross train, lifting has helped me tone my body more than I would have imagined. I’ve always had leg muscles, but I’m noticing my arms and shoulders are looking a lot better than they used to. I’m no longer just skin and bones.

So I’m not perfect and I struggle finding clothes that fit just like every other woman. But I’m looking at ways to become healthier, because I can’t live off pasta and Doritos forever. Ultimately the goal is to eat better not only during training but for the rest of my life, and if I can look good and feel good while doing it, why not!

Do you switch eating habits during training? What are your tips for eating healthy?

I’ve never been one to do protein shakes, but when I was asked to try out a few of Premier Protein products, I was excited to give it a shot. I had no idea what to expect, but I was surprised by the combination of both protein shakes and protein bars. The package combined four protein shakes and six protein bars.

Fancy packaging

After separating everything, I had the following:

2 Chocolate shakes
2 Vanilla shakes
2 Double Chocolate Crunch bars
2 Chocolate Peanut Butter bars
2 Yogurt Peanut Crunch bars

One of each

Also included was a sheet of all the ingredients and nutritional values. Very helpful to learn more about this product and how it contributes to your daily intake of protein, calcium and all those other goodies. On the other side of the nutritional value sheet, Premier Protein lets you know that their products aren’t just for running, they can be used for athletic endurance, a way to combat hunger or an extra way to get your missing protein.

All the info you need

So what did I think? I was able to try at least one of each over the past two weeks. I’m looking at ways to eat healthier, so this was the perfect time to try them.

Chocolate shakes- Surprisingly not chalky (my biggest concern) Tasted like chocolate milk, yum!
Vanilla shakes-Pretty good, a strong vanilla flavor, a smaller amount is better for me.
Double Chocolate Crunch bars-Too much chocolate for me, and a little dry. I definitely recommend taking this with water.
Chocolate Peanut Butter bars-Almost like a Reece’s cup with more body to it. This could be a new favorite pre run snack bar.
Yogurt Peanut Crunch bars- Definitely tasted a toffee peanut flavor with this bar. I could probably add this one to my pre run snacks.

Overall, I liked half of the products. I’m always looking for the best pre run and post run treats. Without a doubt, I’ll be snatching up the chocolate peanut butter bars for some long runs. They were my favorite product and something I’ll incorporate into my running routine. I’ll try to have one of the chocolate shakes once a week, to cover all my nutritional bases. While the other flavors aren’t my favorite, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t for someone else. The vanilla wasn’t bad, but I think it was too much for me, a smaller amount would have been perfect. I think adding a Strawberry flavor could be a good idea for future products. Or just add some strawberry syrup to the vanilla 🙂

If you’re interested in learning more about Premier Protein, check out their website here.

*Disclaimer: I was given samples from Premier Protein in exchange for a product review. All opinions are my own and not altered from any outside source.