fbpx ;

Healthy Eats for an Active Day

My training for the Ironman Augusta 70.3 in September is really ramping up, which means that even my lighter training days are a little more intense than an average day when I’m not training. And last Friday was a perfect example — I got up and immediately went for a 45-minute run, worked a long day, grabbed a much-needed nap, followed by a trip to the gym to spend some quality time on the Spin bike before a late dinner.
So, as you might guess, my eats were packed with nutrition if not a lot of excitement.
I started off with a banana and peanut butter, which, well, I didn’t take a picture of because I was rushing to get out the door before the sun made things too terribly hot, and also, I mean, it’s a banana and peanut butter. You know what that looks like, right? (Not like this, although you’re welcome for that earwig.)
After my run, I had an ice cold smoothie made with Greek yogurt, pineapple, OJ, chia seeds, protein powder and kale. I tossed some extra ice cubes in to keep it extra chilly and to make a little more — I was parched from the run and wanted to sip on my breakfast for a while. (Don’t worry, I also drank lots and lots of water.)
smoothie
Mid-morning I found myself craving something a little sweet, so I poured a small glass of chocolate milk and, man, did it ever hit the spot. I just love that stuff.
chocolate milke
My day got busy and suddenly, it was 1:45 and my stomach was making all kinds of noise, so I was really, really happy to have leftovers in the fridge from the night before at one of my favorite restaurants, The Jones B-Side. I’d ordered the Inca Bowl, which is quinoa, black beans, tempeh, sweet potato, egg, chevre and avocado, so I added a little more sweet potato (because of course I did) and half an avocado (I’d already eaten all the avo that came with it in the first place), plus a dollop of Greek yogurt and some hot sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about it now.
quinoa bowl with avocado
I worked a few more hours (I tell you, the thrills? They never end around here!), and then realized I was just toast. I’d had a number of early morning workouts and not-so-early nights, and I was just exhausted, so as soon as I hit a good stopping point, I climbed in bed for a late nap. This is a terrible idea, by the way — it takes away any possibility of being social or anything that night, but makes it so you can’t fall asleep at a good time to get up early the next day.
But, my eyes were closing, so I listened to my body and hit the sheets for an hour, after which I woke up and realized I had a bike workout that was considered key for that week, and there was no way to work it in over the weekend, so I slipped into some biking clothes, fed the dogs and cat, drank a Naked Juice (very sweet but really tasty with no added sugar) ,and hit the gym again.
naked juice
By the time I’d finished my second workout of the day, it was almost 9 p.m. and I wasn’t starving, so I reached for the Greek yogurt yet again, this time with some local honey, a bunch of fresh berries and some Bear Naked granola.
bear naked granola and yogurt
And, because I was craving a little treat, I snacked on a couple pieces of Brownie Brittle that my husband’s boss had sent him, and it’s quickly become one of my new favorite things. My god, the sea salt caramel flavor? I can’t even.
brownie brittle
This ended up being a pretty light day for me as far as food was concerned, but I wasn’t consciously cutting back — I was just busy and not terribly hungry. That’s the interesting part of my intuitive-eating journey (and I’m still not great at it, just to be clear) — there are days when I want to eat ALL THE THINGS even though I haven’t been so active, and then there are days like this, where I’m busy and sweaty and going nonstop, but I don’t need a ton of food to feel satisfied.
How do you handle eating during particularly busy days? —Kristen

FTC disclosure: We often receive products from companies to review. All thoughts and opinions are always entirely our own. Unless otherwise stated, we have received no compensation for our review and the content is purely editorial. Affiliate links may be included. If you purchase something through one of those links we may receive a small commission. Thanks for your support!