Kitchen Attempts

Several weeks into the new year and almost two months since I signed up at the gym, and I am feeling great. I was feeling a bit frustrated at the beginning since the scale wouldn’t budge but I knew that it was just a matter of time.  I am now slowly but surely shedding off the holiday weight and am feeling very strong, and not to mention, very hooked on running.

It’s been a year since I started running, and although I haven’t been as dedicated as I wished to be, I can say that I’ve improved in this sport. I am now doing 10k races and am training for my first 11k trail run in February.

Being this active has also made me eat a lot more, and healthily too.  Considering my need for carbohydrates and my fair share of skills in the kitchen, I was forced to get creative with my lunch box menu.

Aside from exchanging white rice for brown rice, I have learned to love couscous even more. This whole-wheat grain is a great low fat source of complex carbohydrates, protein and fiber. On my more active days, I usually have this for my lunch with a large salad and my chosen protein for the day and I’ve never felt low in energy.

So I am quite happy to be coming into good terms with carbohydrates, no longer carrying that feeling of guilt every time I take a spoon full of anything starchy. And I hope that I’ve enlightened other weight watchers out there who think they have to completely cut off rice, pasta and bread from their diet. So go ahead and say this to yourself, “Carbs are not bad. Carbs are not bad…”

Couscous with Seared Tuna

For more tips on how to eat healthily, grab your free copy of The Bullrunner magazine and get yourself an instant food guide for runners, a 5k training program, a list of races for the coming months, an inspiring cover photo of Coach Ani de Leon and more. I haven’t stopped flipping through my copy since I got it.