Eat More to Weigh Less?

Sounds too good to be true, right? When you look at food more as fuel, and focus on not just calories, but also the nutrients you're getting from indulging in certain foods, you'll find you can feel fuller, eating more of what's good for you and recognizing many sweets and treats as the empty calories they are.

The holidays have wound down but somehow my sweet tooth is still around! Unfortunately all those holiday Hershey's Chocolate Kisses that seemed like a great idea before our Christmas party are still around, and are a kiss of death for my diet plan.

No joke they're everywhere. They're in the pantry, seemingly the perfect thing to grab when I want something to eat but not too heavy. They're on the kitchen counter, so I can casually eat a few while making dinner... or lunch... or breakfast. Shameless. They're on the table next to the couch in the family room, so I can mindlessly snack as I watch TV.

An easy solution right? Toss them out? Have the husband take them to work with them? Put them in a secret drawer? Problem is, I don't want to admit defeat. Just because it's Hershey's Kisses today, tomorrow it's cookies I made, or a cake my mother-in-law drops off, or something! So my real question is, how do I curb the sweet tooth?

I posed this question to Shape Magazine last week, when they were have a Twitter conversation with Elizabeth Ward, a dietitian and writer for Men's Fitness.

More protein! But that got me thinking about a bigger issue for me, at least, which is eating enough during meals and snacks period. When I "diet," (if you can call any of my couple days' attempts dieting), I jump in with both feet. I find myself attempting extreme diets, limiting my calories and inevitably, failing withing a few days. Something isn't working.

So, it's time to attempt a different diet approach. I'm going to focus more on having a fully defined meal each time. Rather than eating a little yogurt here so I can have an excuse to grab some chips later and maybe some cookies later on, I'm going to take the time to prepare a meal with all of the nutrition and calories I need. Here goes nothing... 

For your viewing pleasure, today's lunch: Tuna sandwich with celery, carrots and Special K Chips

Book Review: Born to Run

I finally got around to reading Christopher McDougall's "Born to Run!" It was fascinating, and I really think now, as I'm getting more serious about running, was the right time for me to read it.

The book is truly inspirational and centers around a common topic any runner has pondered: Why does my foot hurt? This leads to a quest to find the remarkable Tarahumara Indians in Mexico, the world's greatest distance runner, tales of (what I'd consider) super-human feats, and the conclusion: everything we're doing to become better runners is ruining us.

For a girl who has often scoffed at people running around in Five Finger Shoes while rocking my Asics with built-in arch support to prevent shin splints and other injuries, this came as a shock. But as I sat there curled up with this book, I found myself wishing it were warm enough for me to give this a try: running in grass three times a week to strengthen the muscles in my feet. Sounds crazy, but after this book, it seems worth a try.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a true believer just yet. I went to my local running store, Fleet Feet Sports, and had them run me through different tests to find the best shoes for me, settling on the Brooks Ravenna 4. But I'll consider incorporating some of the minimalist theories into my training plan.

There were so many quotes in this book that hit home with me, but one of them really rang true. As the author is lined up, about to embark on a 50 mile race through Tarahumara wilderness, his friend says to him, "Look, I got some bad news. You're not going to win. No matter what you do, you're going to be out there all day. So you might as well just relax, take your time, and enjoy it."

For too long, I didn't bother with road races, knowing that I wasn't going to be the fastest. I knew I didn't stand a chance, so I focused my energies elsewhere - giving up track and cross country for field hockey, soccer and lacrosse, where speed and endurance were just one tool in your arsenal.

It was just in the last two years that I've found my love of running. It sounds simple, but once you find your "forever pace," you can let go, enjoy the run and take pride in finishing the race. There's a certain freedom I've discovered by focusing on this. Dropping comparisons to others, and knowing that I'm better than when I started. Alright, I have to include another quote that goes right along with that idea...

"They were expected to accomplish nothing, so they could try anything. Audacity beckoned."

"Born to Run" is a must-read book for people in any stage of their running journey. You won't regret it!

New Year, New Resolutions, New Commitment

Well, my first attempt at launching the blog was a bit lackluster. I won't say failure, because I'm back and ready to relaunch.

Things missed in the past couple months - I ran two half marathons. One in Connecticut that I trained like crazy for, and one in Chicago that I... did not train as much for. And it showed. I was feeling good until mile 8, pushed through to mile 10, and then dragged till the finish line. But, I stayed under two hours (1:54) and finished, so I'll take it. Lesson learned as far as training though.

We bought our first home and moved in in November. The scale is already showing the effects of my cooking habits and my lack of a gym, so I'm ready to change that. I've been shopping around gyms, trying to find the right one that's close enough that I don't have any excuse not to go, and has the right combination of classes and machines. And of course, comes at the right price!

Meanwhile, I'll also be experimenting with some new healthy recipes, that are hopefully tasty too! I'll share those on here, but get ready - I've already had a few kitchen mishaps, including "purple chicken" and "pasta mush." Never a dull day in the kitchen with Katie!

Anyways, just a quick post to say I'm going to be back at it!

$1000+ raised for the Special Olympics!

Thanks to some amazing friends and family, I've raised over $1000 for the Special Olympics of Connecticut! I am truly just blown away by my friends' support and generosity in achieving this goal. I've never raised money for a charity like this, and would you believe, I set my first goal at $100! I kept increasing it as I saw just how generous people were, and how excited they were to help such an amazing cause.

With just two days left till the half marathon, I'm focused a lot on hydrating, which has always been an area of my life I'm lacking. I hate to say it, but my diet certainly could be better right now (having a lot of sweet tooth cravings!), but my hydration is something that I know I need to work on, especially for this race. I tried following Ericka Anderson's guide on "The Sweet Life with Ericka" of what to eat the week of a marathon (nevermind that I'm only doing the half!), but found it a little too hard with some leftover pizza lying around.

Tonight, Matt and I are off to the runner's expo to pick up our registration packets, and hopefully find some good freebies!

This was one of those mornings getting out the door for a six mile run was the last thing I wanted to do. Though the run is on Saturday, I thought to myself, "I'm already in shape. A six mile run today isn't going to make or break it for me." Luckily, the angel on my other shoulder chimed in, "You have three training days left. Why skip this time?" So I made it out the door.

I felt pretty good on the run, finished with an average of 8:21 min/mi. I'm nervous about my pace for this Saturday. Last year, Philadelphia had hardly any hills to deal with (except a slow slope at the end that killed me!), and I had a friend to run with to keep my pace, so I ended up thrilled with a finish of 1:53:22, or 8:39 mi/mi. I'd like to stay under two hours, and I'll be a happy camper. 

Couldn't help taking a photo of the beautiful sunrise at the halfway point of my run, the outrageous sweat marks on my elbow (I've realized I have unnaturally sweaty elbows... should I start using deodorant there???) and a sweet message I left for my husband on his back window. 

Three days till the ING Half Marathon!

"The hardest step for a runner to take is the first one out the door."

- Ron Clarke

You know those times in your life when you've heard a quote, you like it, but suddenly it just hits you that the quote is speaking to you right now? That's what happened to me today. I always liked Ron Clarke's quote above, and have used it many times to motivate me to get out there for my run! But as I sat here today thinking about creating a blog, I realized that that's all I've been doing - thinking about creating this blog for over two years!

Finally I decided to take the hardest step. Get out the door with this blog. And I guess we'll see where this journey takes me. 

I should start off with a bit of a biography... I grew up outside of Chicago, in Oak Park, with an amazing family. I followed the family route of attending a liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere (Colby College in Waterville, Maine for me). I played field hockey, made some wonderful friends and had great experiences including studying abroad in Botswana, but never really found myself. It wasn't until moving to Washington D.C., and getting involved in the Young Republicans that I really found my passion. 

That was another time this quote rang true for me - in college I was always nervous to get involved in politics. Part of this was driven by my "dirty little secret" - despite growing up outside of Chicago, in a comfortably liberal town that consistently elects Democrats with over 80 percent of the vote, I'd come to realize I was a Republican. I was hesitant to get involved in the GOP, both because of a feeling that I was abandoning family and friends with their liberal views, but also because of a fear of acceptance by the Republican Party, as a former Democrat. Well, I overcame my fear, went to my first YR meeting, loved it, and eventually led the D.C. Young Republicans as chairman of the organization during the 2012 election. Amazing opportunities. Disappointing results. Still, I caught the bug, and am starting to get involved in local politics here in Connecticut.

Running. I've always been fairly active. Ran around the neighborhood with my sisters and friends. Played field hockey, soccer and lacrosse in high school and went on to play a brief stint of field hockey in college. I'd continue to run 3-5 miles, mostly when my jeans were feeling a little tight, but that was really the only exercise I could do, or desired to do. Last year, a friend convinced me to run a the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon in Philadelphia and I did it! I have to admit, it was my competitiveness that motivated me more than anything. It really hasn't been until this summer, when I started training on my own for the ING Hartford Half Marathon, that I came to enjoy running on my own. It just provided such a needed outlet for me, especially this summer wedding planning and living with my then soon-to-be in-laws (who I love dearly!), to get away and just have time to myself to think. I'm so much happier now that I'm doing it, and know this is an important component of my physical and mental health.