Shorts and a Tank Top!

Yesterday I did my long run of 14 miles in shorts and a tank top! It was December 8th and 70 degrees. We'll have another week like this and then it is supposed to cool off. Maybe I can get next week's 16 done before the drop.

On another note, I think Rachel brought up the challenges of sticking to your food plans, the holidays and visiting family. We were challenged by this for years. Family loves us and didn't want to sabotage our efforts, but they just didn't get it. These days, most of our family accepts us. Many are excited when we visit because they know they will eat better as well. Here are some of the ways we made this easier:

We travel with food. Even if we are just going to soccer, we bring a cooler of snacks.

We go shopping for food when we arrive at a relative's house. We tell them we want to contribute to the food bill.

I offer to cook several meals. If we are just visiting for dinner or snacks, I offer to bring something, so we know that there is at least one thing on the table we can really eat.

We have a bite of this and that, but rely on the imported food.

We have a fitness plan before we arrive and we always take our running shoes. Even in Vermont, we are able to work out as visitors at the local gym.

I changed our food in 2000 when I really started to run. I was 35 and Pete was 38. He was finding it much harder to keep the weight off. I enjoy cooking, so it was a challenge to remake recipes to taste good, but also manage to be healthy. Pete also has a sweet tooth and needs something sweet so as not to feel deprived. I came up with lots of great food. He lost 25 pounds and we both lost body fat. Then, I started racing and had to learn to be even more diligent to eat to train.

Sometime around 2002, I explained to both moms that if we had a medical condition that restricted out food (like diabetes), they would immediately accommodate our issues, right? Of course! Well, guess what? We do have a medical condition that requires us to monitor our food. It is our overall health and desire to prevent those issues that we know are a direct link to excess and an unhealthy diet. Preventative living is not something we do well in this country.

These days it is much easier. Pete's side of the family is very overweight. They didn't start out like that. They were young, active, big (as if football) men. Now, Pete is the only one that is in shape. Now that we are all well over 40, they are not only concerned with weight but a myriad of health issues. So, they are intrigued with our ability to stay fit. In addition, they have all eaten "my" food and loved it. Most of the time, they don't even know that I have changed anything. Several of you have eaten at my house and most of what I have fed you was very healthy. I am still entertaining with flank steak.

Here is our new favorite snack. There is a bit of sugar, but all in all, it is not bad and absolutely delicious.

Pumpkin Muffins

One regular size can of pumpkin (not pie filling)
One box of Cake Mix in Spice Cake or Carrot
Raisins
Walnuts

Mix the can of pumpkin with the dry cake mix. Do not add any other ingredients. Mix in raisins and walnuts. It will be thick. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Watch closely after 15 minutes. Store in a plastic bag with a piece of bread to maintain moistness. These are very easy and they go quickly around here.