First, a note to the few who have asked: I do yoga at my gym. I can bring a guest anytime, so let me know if you want to check it out. Studio-quality instructors, for sure, but not a studio. Sorry 😦 I also do yoga at Lululemon on Sunday mornings, though!
So, I’ve made an appointment with a sports nutritionist. Basically, I’m paying $90 for someone to tell me exactly what to eat and when to eat it. At least I’m hoping she’ll do that. Usually nutritionists tell me to “start where [I’m] at” and to put greens in my oatmeal, and one in particular told me that I could survive on 1600 calories a day if I really wanted to. What about marathon training? I asked her. It doesn’t matter, she told me.
First of all, I’m not putting f-ing greens in my oatmeal, ok? That is disgusting. I don’t care if it’s really not; that is not “where I’m at,” and I will probably never be there. I had to teach myself to love oatmeal, but teaching myself to love oatmeal with lettuce in it is just a bridge too far, my friend!
Second of all, I CANNOT SURVIVE ON 1600 CALORIES A DAY. I’ve found that I get wicked headaches if I get less than 1900. That nutritionist gave me a sweet meal-planning spreadsheet too, which I was really excited about, until I realized that a “meal” consisted of 1/2 english muffin, dry tuna, and a pear or some other food things that I probably have in my cabinets but have no intention of eating, let alone all at once.
What’s for dinner today, meal planner? Great! 3 crackers, one slab of tofu, and a cup of spinach. Mmmmmmmm!
For my appointment on Monday, I’m supposed to bring a 3-day food journal along with me. I’m curious to sit down and see exactly what it is I do eat, because I have a long list of foods I don’t, and it goes well beyond spinach mixed with oatmeal. It includes meat–I guess that’s the big one–and onions, peppers, and cottage cheese. I’d say I’m open to everything else, though I don’t really love tofu, and I can’t drink soy milk straight.
But I am a creature of habit. I find some things I like, and then I eat them every. single. day. until I can’t eat them anymore. Case in point:
I like CVS brand Fruit and Nut Trail Mix for a number of reasons. 1) They sell it at CVS, which I can easily get to from my office, where I spend most of my time. 2) It has less fat and calories than mostly nut and chocolate mixes. 3) Dried pineapple 🙂 But I don’t really like all the raisins they throw in there, and it’s harder to eat them when they aren’t accompanied by m&ms, so I inevitably end up with a bag of raisins that I feel guilty throwing away. But I need to eat something, so I go back to CVS and buy another bag.
Anyway, what do I eat? So far this week I’ve had smoothies, fistfuls of Tostitos, and Indian food from Naan & Beyond every single day for lunch. I’ve taken to having smoothies for breakfast because I’m currently sick of oatmeal and egg sandwiches, which are my go-to breakfasts.
When I’m in a pinch, I eat cereal at work, because I can buy it and milk at CVS. But I’m a sugar-cereal kinda gal, and I’ve done so much work to cut it out of the rest of my life, that I just can’t bear to part with it in my cereal yet. So I usually have Frosted Mini Wheats, which are the healthiest sugar cereal they have. In my opinion. It is, at the very least, extremely high in fiber, if you catch my drift.
So yes, my nutritionist and I will have a lot to talk about. But she’s already working–this morning I really wanted Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which was buy one get one free at CVS! But I didn’t get it, because I didn’t want to have to tell someone that that is what I had for breakfast, and yes, I want to lose 10 pounds and be a badass triathlete and marathoner.
What do you guys eat for snacks? How do you make time to pack enough food? Should I just look for a job closer to a supermarket? (That is a brilliant idea.)
Lizard Runs 