Jun
2012
His Loss is My Gain
Sooo……problem. Or more like, help me prevent a problem in the “Adventures of Dating an Ironman” world! As I’ve mentioned before, my bf is training for his second Ironman. He’s awesome and it’s actually really neat to be part of his training process. Even though I’m not training for anything, being so close to someone who is has been an adventure for me too.
It’s race season again. In the past two months, his training has picked up quite a bit. Every Saturday, he leaves around 6am (yes, I’m still in bed!) and goes out for a 90-mile bike ride with his team (plus some running thrown in too!). And on Sundays, it’s a 10-14 mile run plus an hour or so of swimming. His race isn’t until November, so the mileage will only increase. He’s doing great and he’s way less tired after a workout than he was last year, which means he’s in much better shape.
lacing up for a Sunday run
In the past 7 weeks, he’s lost 6 pounds. Not very surprising considering he’s working out so much. But for someone who doesn’t need to lose weight and loses it easily (LUCKY), he has to be careful to consume enough calories to make up for it.
Makes total sense. He hasn’t been eating very much lately. And of course, you’re losing weight if you’re working out that much!
It’s actually a good thing because it will make him faster. BUT, he has to be careful not to keep losing at this rate.
So to compensate, he’s been doing “little things.” On Sunday, he came home with a cheesecake. He topped it with whipped cream and chocolate sauce (not healthy, but yes, high-cal). He bought those mint oreos that I love so much. Making extra pb&j sandwiches. He’s been requesting milkshakes. And higher caloric meals.
We discussed this at date night last night at a fun gourmet pizza spot in my neighborhood.
Date night last night
So, the problem?
I don’t want to gain weight! It happened last year. The more he trained and ate, the more I was around junky foods (chips, etc) and the more I ate. “Sure, I’d love a few bites of your chocolate cake!” “Sure, let’s split an appetizer.” It’s a vicious (but delicious) cycle!
I don’t want to sound all fearful of food or anything, cause I’m not. I just want to anticipate having all this extra food around enough not to gain another 5 pounds + over the summer. Hoping to prevent a prob before it becomes one!
So a plan? Here’s the 3 things that come to mind….
- What’s Yours Isn’t Mine: Sometimes my willpower works best if I have a “Don’t even start” rule where all the extra foods are off-limits. Otherwise, one chip becomes 6 chips (a serving!) and one bite becomes a whole slice. If a box of crackers are sitting there, I’ll snack on them…..unless, I have a “Don’t even start” mantra. It’s tough though.
- Eat My Veggies. Buy extra veggies and fill up on those. He’s a self-proclaimed “supertaster.” He really dislikes veggies (see an early post I wrote about it here), so he doesn’t eat many of them. But for me, making sure I have extra can balance a smaller portion of something higher on the calorie side.
- Don’t Compare. Make sure not to compare my portion sizes to his. I’ll ALWAYS feel like I’m not eating much if I compare my plate to his. He’s eating enough for 3 teenage boys! So even if I eat half as much, it’s still way to much! Just focus on my plate, my portions, and eat slow.
Last night’s pizza– yummmmm
So essentially, I’m hoping his loss won’t be my gain……on the scale that is!
Okay, so tell me your advice!!!
– Anyone in a similar situation?
– How do you listen to your own hunger and not snack when there’s a lot of good “unhealthy” food around?
– Any healthy high-calorie meal ideas for him?
helennaturally
June 7, 2012 at 10:38 am (348 days ago)I am not living with an athlete, but I do live with two little boys that love to eat. Which means that I have been eating with them since summer started!! I was actually eating ritz crackers and biscoff spread while reading this. Out of the jar!! I just returned that jar to the pantry. So I find your plan inspiring, and I hope that you will continue to blog about the journey. It is so inspiring. Once I read this I realized that I am in a similar cycle with all the kiddie food around, thanks
Rebecca
June 7, 2012 at 12:13 pm (348 days ago)Yes! Kid food would be totally the same thing! Ritz and biscoff sound amazing together
Alex @ therunwithin
June 7, 2012 at 10:48 am (348 days ago)Wow, he seems so intense. That is amazing the type of training he does. What an inspiration to be around, great reasonable goals you have there.
Emily Dingmann (@nutritionisteat)
June 7, 2012 at 11:31 am (348 days ago)I think that is SO common! I always remind myself that I don’t need to eat as much as my husband! (It just always doesn’t seem fair!)
Rebecca
June 7, 2012 at 12:12 pm (348 days ago)True! And totally unfair sometimes- haha
Luv What You Do
June 7, 2012 at 7:36 pm (348 days ago)When my BF and I first started dating, we ate out a lot (I was living in the south where everything is fried) and I literally matched him french fry for fry. Needless to say, this was not good for my waist line, my training, or my self esteem. (It was a little different because we are talking about more than 5 pounds). What helped me was remembering that I don’t always like the same things he does, so why am I eating them, and keeping snacks I do like in the house so I wasn’t feeling deprived watching him snack. BTW, popcorn is my favorite! Good for you for being proactive and best of you luck to your man with all of his training!!!
As for some calorie options, I think that Avocado is good for smoothies, desserts, and salads. I also add PB and AB to everything when I am training! And big bowls of popcorn with olive oil can fill me up!
Rebecca
June 8, 2012 at 10:34 am (347 days ago)Yum, I love popcorn too! Great comment….nice to know it’s not just me
Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed
June 8, 2012 at 6:40 am (347 days ago)Ick… I definitely feel you on this situation! I have a lot of guy friends (with super high metabolisms!) and it’s always hard not to eat what they’re eating. I think the don’t start policy is a good one. I would also make sure he realizes that you’re trying to avoid the extra cals… suggest that he doesn’t ask or offer you the food. Maybe he could even try to just avoid eating treats in front of you. Good luck
Alyssa (pb and oats)
June 8, 2012 at 6:54 am (347 days ago)My boyfriend literally only eats carbs like bread pizza and bread! He’ll eat an entire pizza on his own. The best advice I can give is fill up with veggies and make yourself a plate that looks better than his! If he’s eating and you’re not hungry, find something to distract yourself from the food. Maybe take a walk or read a book! Good luck!
Rebecca
June 8, 2012 at 10:44 am (347 days ago)Haha- yep, it’s crazy how many carbs they can consume!!
Apples and Arteries
June 9, 2012 at 5:15 am (346 days ago)If only we could all have Michael Phelps’ metabolism! My b-f can eat sweets, chips, etc and stays very trim. I’ve just learned to avoid that stuff and I remind myself of my goals/swim-suit season anytime I’m tempted.