Ain’t nobody got time to make dinner, and that’s why I’ve been trying out and writing about meal kit programs such as Green Chef (organic, vegan option; referral link available at end of that blog post) and Blue Apron (vegetarian option). We liked Green Chef a lot and were less impressed by Blue Apron. Most recently, we tried another popular service, Hello Fresh. Here’s the review…
As I’ve previously written, I am doing a 12-week fat loss “cut” with a program called Renaissance Periodization (AKA RP). In short, my RP coach advises on the macros I should be eating on days that I go for long runs, days I do workouts such as Orangetheory, and days I rest or do easy/moderate runs. The point is to lose fat but keep muscle. The diet has taken some adjusting to, but after nearly 11 weeks on the plan, I’ve figured out some tricks and hacks that I want to share with other RPers, or folks just interested in eating more-RP-like. If you are on a macro-based plan, all of these ideas can be adjusted to fit your macros!
Oh, and as a reminder, I am a vegetarian. So all of these tricks are vegetarian-friendly and some are vegan-friendly! And I will do longer post re-capping my experience with RP and my results (!) once I am finished up my 12 weeks (just before the Phoenix Marathon!!!)
I turned 30 this week! And that’s about all I accomplished. It was a busy week at work, plus there was RAIN! And coldness! And family obligations! I could make a million excuses, but whatever. Back at it next week.
Here’s the summary…
So, as may or may not be apparent from my posts and the title of this blog, I am a vegetarian. It all began when I was about seven years old and my mom explained to me that beef = cow and pork = pig (“Like Babe?!”) I continued eating chicken and turkey for another five or so years before deciding that doing so was morally inconsistent. The hardest thing for me to give up was my grandmother’s stuffing at Thanksgiving. She makes it from scratch and stuffs it in the bird, and it is incredibly moist and delicious, or so I remember from 17 years ago when I last had it…
Even though my grandmother’s stuffing is “off the table” for me, I still LOVE Thanksgiving–the concept of having a holiday devoted to being grateful, and the way it welcomes the Christmas season, and the food. So I thought I would share some of my favorite vegetarian dishes for Thanksgiving, in case anyone out there is looking for ideas.
My name is Athlettuce. And I’m addicted to smoothies.
I’ve had a smoothie almost every morning for at least six months, and I’m showing no signs of stopping. I have one on days I run, on days I lift, on days I sleep in. They make me feel so, so good, and like I’m starting my day on the right foot. They are also portable–I can tuck them into the side pocket of my backpack and drink once I get to work or after Orangetheory. I can drink while walking the dog. Or I can enjoy at home on the couch. They are easy to digest, so I don’t need to wait long after drinking one to work out, but they are also refreshing and protein-packed to help with recovery.
I should note that I’m not like those creative folks on Instagram coming up with a variety of colorful smoothie bowls with lines of seeds and nuts and coconut strips on top. No, I’m more of a practical smoothiewoman.
Here’s what I throw in the blender:
athlettuce 