I'm going on week 6 of my marathon training program and so far I have run a total of 5 days. My plan is a 6 day a week program. So now you probably see the problem. I've already come to the conclusion that I will be running the half marathon in Fargo instead of the full. I'm more than OK with this decision because a few of my friends will be running their very first half and I really want to support them.
Almost immediately after beginning week 1 of my plan I started feeling ill. What started as a sore throat, but was ruled out as strep, turned into body aches, exhaustion, headaches, and coughing. A second trip to the doctor proved to be a waste of time when the doctor sent me home with a mild pain killer. Hmm...not sure what that was for. After suffering 3 weeks with a horrendous cough and having chills and a fever I just couldn't take it anymore. I headed to the big city to see a professional who was a bit more qualified to deal with my illness. Third time is a charm. Turns out I have bronchitis. So after 5 days of strong medication and a few days of rest and I feel 90% better.
Since being sick kept me from running every day I started limiting my caloric intake. Sticking to 1360 calories a day in an attempt to lose weight without exercise. I had to start somewhere. Brock helped me out by making me eight servings of his Cajun chicken pasta. He was kind enough to share his recipe.
Easy quick cajun pasta!
1.75 chicken breasticles
2 johnsonville cajun chicken sausages
1 16 ounce package of pretty much any whole grain pasta, I chose spirals, because they are fun.
1ish large tablespoons of louisana brand "cajun" seasoning
1 tablespoon of peanut oil for frying the chicken and sausages
1 green pepper diced coarse
1 orange/yellow/red/whogivesafuck pepper diced coarse
4-5 cloves of garlic minced.
1 medium onion diced coarse
4 stalks of celery chopped
1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes.
a splash of cayenne sauce (I used Cholula because the person I made this meal prep for is a huge wuss face!...... Lori)
Dice/chop the chicken and sausages, sprinkle cajun seasoning on meat liberally, then sautee in peanut oil until cooked through. Remove from that pan and place in a separate bowl, sautee the veggies and garlic in the same pan until onions are translucent. Throw your pasta in bowling (aka boiling) water. Add the meats back into your pan of veggies along with the tomato, liberally sprinkle with cayenne sauce, and a bit more cajun seasoning. Simmer slowly. When pasta is done, drain and add to the pan of veggies and meat. Stir in, remove from heat, and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir before serving.
Total cost for this recipe was around $10.
I broke it down into eight servings. The nutritional break down is roughly;
calories 285
carbs 42
protein 17
fats 5
Ignore that I'm a wuss face part. Since this is a lower calorie serving I also made myself a smoothie to consume with it.
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| Pineapple w/ juice, plain yogurt, spinach, strawberries, ice, and oj |
I divided two batches into freezable cups with lids so I could grab one in the morning and by the time I ate lunch it was thawed enough to drink.
I ran last Saturday and again on Monday and then it was back to the doctor. 6 miles on an indoor track and sitting in a steam room seemed to break everything up a bit. However, I'm sure running outside on Monday was probably a really bad idea. It was about -20 degrees and although I wore a mask I just don't think I should have been out there.
So week two Brock made my lunch again. Of course I paid him to make these for me so don't think I'm that special. I know if you asked him he would prep your meals as well. This time it was one chicken breast, half a sweet potato, and veggies. 320ish calories looks something like this.
I break my calories up like this;
Breakfast- 300 calories
Lunch- 300-350 calories
Supper- 600 calories
Snacks- 100 calories
I use the "My Fitness Pal" app to track my daily calories and exercise. Depending on the type of exercise you're doing and what your goal is you may be able to consume what you've burned off through exercise. According to this app 40 minutes of running burns approximately 514 calories. So I might replenish some of these burnt calories with a Clif Bar, peanut butter bread, an extra serving of protein at supper, a salad, etc. Not cake or sugary desserts. Now don't get me wrong I do "cheat" occasionally. I don't overindulge but I will let myself have a treat once a week. I want my goals and choices to be realistic and sustainable.
This is why I ask myself a few different questions when I change my eating habits. Will I be able to sustain this for the rest of my life? Am I ever going to eat sweets again? Can I consume 1360 calories a day and be satisfied? If I answer no to any or all of those questions I am doomed to fail. Of course I'm going to eat sweets again. I just have to know my limits. Sunday is usually by treat day when I indulge in something sweet. It's usually not much because I learn that after time I don't really crave the sweets as much.
Tonight I indulged in Cold Stone Creamery ice cream. Yep a day early but I had a meeting and it was just there- don't judge. While good it really didn't do anything for me after 2 weeks without sweets. It actually made my stomach really upset and now I'm regretting it. Plus I still needed some food with substance since I skipped supper. Never skip meals. Don't be that person who says, "I'm doing good today. I haven't even had breakfast." Wrong. You need to eat at every meal, especially breakfast.
I'm down 5 pounds over 2 weeks and that's without much exercise. So once I'm feeling better my activity level will pick up. I can't wait to get back to my normal schedule.
If you'd like advice, a buddy, some motivation, or someone to prep your meals (not me but Brock) just let me know. We can start a challenge/support group or an individual accountability system for you.
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