That’s the wrong protein powder! {#Mamavation Monday}

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m running a LOT these days. I’m determined not to get injured again – last year, I had some crazy sh*t going down with my piriformis, which caused my whole pelvis to get out of alignment. It was so bad, I was pronating on one foot, and supinating on the other!

I’ve been feeling some serious tightness around my hip again, so I’m stretching like crazy – pigeon pose, anyone? – and eating an anti-inflammation diet. Mostly.

The basics of the anti-inflammation diet are this:

Eat mostly foods that fight inflammation in your body (dark leafy greens, strawberries, blueberries, fish)

Eat only limited amounts of neutral foods (rice)

Avoid foods that cause inflammation (meat, dairy, corn, wheat, potatoes, alcohol, caffeine)

Not so hard, right? It really isn’t, actually. I have to be honest that I haven’t even attempted to give up alcohol and caffeine. But I’ve made some simple tweaks to rest of my usual diet, and lost 2 pounds in one week! Here’s a typical day:

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, black beans and guacamole {super filling and tasty!}

Snack: Instead of Laughing Cow Light on a rice cake, I use almond butter. The almond butter is ground fresh at Winco – the kind that comes in a jar usually has extra ingredients, like palm oil and sugar. Not necessary! But check this out! The Laughing Cow container is perfect for carting around a rice cake without it crumbling into pieces!

I feel so smart for my clever transport!

Lunch: same as usual: salad & veggies, and since I’ve been eating more fish at dinner, I put some on my salad.

Snack: veggies with guacamole or hummus.

Dinner: fish, rice, salad and/or veggies.

BUT! I had a horrible realization. I’m avoiding dairy (except a little bit of cream in my morning coffee!), yet my protein powder is whey. It’s important to me to have a little protein shake before my 5:30 am runs. When I don’t get that burst of fuel before a run, I really slog through it. I don’t know why I didn’t realize that whey is dairy, but DUH.

I’ll keep eating the anti-inflammation foods the rest of the day, but as soon as I use up all that whey protein powder, I’m looking for an alternative that isn’t on my “avoid” list.  Someone suggested hemp protein, but all the reviews on Amazon say it tastes like dirt.

Does anyone have a favorite non-dairy protein powder I should try?

{Mamavation Monday} Finding My Groove

I am running up a storm over here. Last week, I ran 6 out of 7 days. I took a rest day on Friday, because I knew I wanted to run six miles on Saturday. I haveto start getting some distance in if I’m going to run a couple half marathons in May! My 3-4 milers 4x a week are awesome, but that’s not going to get me through back-to-back 13.1 milers!

My new shoes, except mine are grey & turquoise

I even went and bought new running shoes, because at 20+ miles per week, my old shoes were way overdue for a replacement. My new shoes are so bouncy!

I’m at the point now that I WANT to run, and with adding in the #2weekchallenge workouts, I’m starting to feel like a fitness addict. I find myself doing standing push-ups whenever I am leaning against a counter, or bouncing in place. I like how my body is feeling! Still no weight loss, but my body is changing. I can feel my gluteus medius muscles, and I had to look them up because I’ve never felt them before.

I feel like I’m finding a good groove for myself with my fitness. But the Mamavation question of the week isn’t about that kind of groove, is it? Our weekly question is, “What would make you feel sexier?” I have to admit I’m very uncomfortable talking about feeling sexy on the blog here!

I will say this: I love that fact that the Mamavation community is all about empowering women. Not just for fitness or health and weight management, but also to make sure we are taking care of our hearts and minds and emotions. It’s so smart! And helpful!

So back to the question…

Outwardly, I feel attractive when I’m pulled together: my clothes fit me well, I’m accessorized, my hair looks nice. I walk with confidence when I know I’ve taken a few quick moments to make sure my appearance is taken care of. If I feel good about how I look, I think other people notice. Internally, I feel sexiest when my husband tells me I’m beautiful, or on those days when he just can’t seem to stop touching me. It’s startling how simply being affectionate and loving throughout the day can rev those engines. So what would make me feel sexier? I guess more time! Time to take care of my appearance, and time with my husband. And I think that’s all I’m willing to say publicly on that topic!

This post is sponsored by Eden Fantasys and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway hosted by Mamavation. Mamavation is an awesome community and you should check it out.

Managing Stress with Fitness {#Mamavation Monday}

I can’t control what other people think of me, especially when they choose to take my words out of context.

I can’t guarantee that my children will grow up happy and well-adjusted. Hell, I can’t even ensure that they will in fact grow up, though up until September 10, 2011 I sure thought I could.

I can’t control the damming of Amazonian tributaries, or the rapid depletion of populations of tigers & leopards in Asia, but those things stress me out and I wish I could do more to help.

All I can do is my best.

What I can control is what I do with my own body. I am 100% in charge of what I put in my body, and I am 100% in charge of my fitness.

Running helps me relax and gives me peace.  I feel empowered taking action for my health, and the time I spend running with girlfriends is invaluable for working through life’s little challenges. It’s also blessed time away from work and family that I don’t have to feel guilty about! We may not be solving the giant problems of the world, but it’s nice to have other women to consult with on everything from school choices, parenting challenges, sex, career advice and even fashion. In other words, no topic is off limits during the morning mama runs!

I dread and long for my morning runs. Dread because… duh. Who really wants to get out of bed at 5 a.m.? But the discipline gives me peace, and knowing I’m taking care of myself helps me deal with all the other stresses of life. If I can get up and run nearly every day, then I can handle just about anything.

So… speaking of handling just about anything, I’m about to launch in to another 2 Week Challenge through Mamavation. It involves daily check-ins on work outs, accountability for food choices, and the amazing support of the whole Mamavation community. Last time I finished the whole two weeks, I lost 3.3 pounds and several inches. My weight has not gone down any further since then, but as of this week, I am fitting in to pants that I haven’t been able to wear for a long time, so I know I’m making progress.

Here is my benchmark for starting this challenge:

February 12, 2012
Bust    40.5
Waist    33
Hips    41
weight    161

Want to join in the challenge? The sign-up form & workouts are here.

Think Mamavation is for you? It’s a great community!

This post is sponsored by Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway.