Society Life Magazine

10 miles.  10 miles!!  That’s the furthest I’m ever gone using my own two feet at any one time.  Okay, now full disclosure time.  One of the reasons that I decided to train for a marathon was for “self-improvement” (read: lose weight).  I said it was one goal.  Yes, I’m building up my stamina.  I’m being more physically active.  I’m also proud to be raising money for blood cancer research.  On those fronts, I feel I’m making noticeable progress.  But in terms of shedding pounds, something’s not quite clicking.

I’ve made the typical excuses for my current eating habits.  Running makes my appetite spike.  Running makes me crave carbs.  Running makes me crave salt.  I’m just replenishing all the calories I’m burning.  But the simple truth is that I’m eating much more than I should, and it’s beginning to affect my training.  The further I run, the more pressure the extra weight puts on my legs and joints.  I can feel my cardiovascular conditioning improving, but I can only go as far as my legs allow.  

The answer, of course, is painfully obvious.  Watch my portions.  Avoid junk.  Eat smaller meals frequently throughout the day instead of three big meals.  Blah, blah, blah.  I’ve been down all of those roads before, even successfully on occasion, but I have this nasty knack for emotional eating, especially when I feeling stressed out.

Wow, I sound really self-aware, don’t I?  Actually, it only came to this actualization after a cathartic near-meltdown when I couldn’t get my online NCAA bracket manager to work (long story).  In short, I was taking out all the anxiety I’ve been feeling about training and fundraising on dumb stuff like the brackets and donuts and brisket.  And perhaps I’ve mistaken some of that anxiety for excitement, which I genuinely am excited for some of the things we’ve got coming up.

First, I’m pumped about our next “Where Locals Go” profile.  I won’t give away which restaurant I’m covering, but there’s been a lot of buzz about it already.  We’ve also got our “Hungry for a Cure” event, which as a foodie, couldn’t be more up my fundraising alley.  (Look for our ad in the current issue of Society Life.) We hope you all come out for those dates, and I’ll continue to profile each participant separately, though not on this post.  They all deserve a proper shout out without one of my rants. 

As a preview for Coal Vines, though, I will say that most of their starters (proceeds from which will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) are just about ideal portion sizes for someone like me.  Satisfying, but not heavy.  And if you’re watching your portion sizes, these are dishes that need to be in your field of vision!  More on that soon.