During the Vegan Challenge Morgan wrote a post about the “most famous vegan athletes“.

I was pretty excited to see that Brendan Brazier made the list as I had plans to go see him speak in a couple of weeks. Well that night was last night and it was super interesting!

Eric and I headed to the local organic/health food store Natures Fare for the free seminar. Basically Brendan talked for about an hour and then we were able to sample a bunch of Vega (his protein powder brand) products.

A few key points I took from his talk:

The acid-alkalline balance is very important. If we eat too many acid-forming foods (highly refined/processed foods) it can cause osteoporosis because the acid-forming foods pull the calcium from our bones.

Alkaline-forming foods reduce inflammation which is super important for athletes because then they recover faster and can workout again sooner.

A lot of people don’t realize that dark, leafy greens (like spinach and kale) are 45% protein.

Sleep is so, so, so important. If we have high cortisol levels (which are attributed to stress) we will sleep worse.

40% of the average Americans stress can be contributed to poor nutrition.

If you’re really stressed out (by work or life events) and also exercising heavily you might be doing your body more damage than good because you are placing even more stress on the body with the high levels of exercise.

Stress has a lot to do with perception. According to Brendan, if you hate running and the thought of going for a run makes you feel anxious or stressed, you shouldn’t be running because it’s actually doing your body more harm than good. Likewise for yoga, like Brendan said, a lot of people say yoga is so relaxing and good for you but that’s only if you actually like yoga.

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Those are just a few of the key take-aways I took from his talk! I’m not sure how much I agree with the idea that you shouldn’t run if it stresses you out (because it took me a solid three months to really love running) but I can totally see his point – why force yourself to do something you don’t enjoy?

I also found it interesting how much emphasis he put on sleep and how important it is for you.

Afterwards we got to sample some yummy vega products:

And I bought a copy of Brendan’s book and got him to sign it (although I have to admit, I kind of hate that it has the word “diet” in it)

As you guys can probably tell from the blog, I’m super fascinated and interested by this whole concept of “plant based diet”. Essentially I gave up meat for ethical and moral reasons but after reading and hearing so much about how plant based diets can improve athletic performance I’m super fascinated by it. I would love to improve my running PR’s and avoid injury while also fueling my body with healthy, whole foods.

I guess “plant based diet” could be considered the latest “diet craze” like Atkins or The South Beach Diet – but I just don’t see how you can go wrong eating mostly fruits and vegetables?!

I also recently purchased No Meat Athlete’s e-book and I’m excited to dive into reading that after finishing The Thrive Diet and The China Study.

Do you think this whole “plant based diet” thing is just another craze or do you believe in it being a legit, wholesome way to eat?

Dear New Years Resolutioners,

Congratulations! You’re already a week-and-a-half into your new lifestyle change! How do you feel?

You’re probably getting to the point where it starts to get tough. Where it starts to feel pointless to stick with your new workout routine or eating healthier because you’re not seeing the changes you want to see.

I’m here today to tell you to keep going. Keep pushing through. It will get easier. Stick with it!

Almost exactly three years ago from this very month I was just like you. Pre-running, pre-marathon, pre-vegetarianism, pre-throwing-away-the-scale I was just another girl who was 25-pounds overweight, carrying around a little notebook to jot down everything I ate in.

My New Years Resolution was to lose weight. To finally, after spending 15 years feeling like the “fat girl”, let the confident me shine through.

And I did it.

It wasn’t always easy. Not at all. But I stuck with it and over the past three years my life has changed drastically and for the better.

So, New Years Resolutioners, I promise you, you will get there.

If you’re feeling guilty about that extra piece of cake you had last night, don’t be. Make a healthy choice this morning for breakfast. If you think all is lost because you missed the gym this morning, don’t worry, you can make it up after work, or tomorrow morning.

Don’t let one small slip-up turn into a days, or a weeks, or a months worth of “slip-ups”.

If you make one unhealthy decision, just make sure your next one is a healthy one. One of my favourite blog taglines out there is Then Heather Said‘s

“Make one healthy decision. Now make another.”

YES.

I’m rooting for you, New Years Resolutioners. Only you have the power to change your life around. Now go do it.

Love,

The girl who used to be just like you

Check out my guest post on Just a Titch yesterday and read my full healthy living story and how I went from a New Years Resolutioner to a Marathoner.

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Were you ever a New Years Resolutioner? Share your tips and tricks for NY resolutioners OR share a link to your own success story in the comments!

Photo from Oh She Glows

I’ve blogged a lot about my weight issues and weight loss before. Here are a few of those posts:

• Counting Calories
• Inspiration
• Getting Back on Track
• Cutting Calories
• A Crime has been Committed
• Binge Eating
• On Trying to Lose Weight. Again.

Right now. I’m 10 pounds more than I’d like to be. I’m 8 pounds more than my happy weight and I’m 5 pounds more than I was when I ran my marathon.

I’m only 12 pounds away from my highest weight ever.

And you know what?

I don’t f-ing care anymore.

I am so done with weight. I’m done with worrying about my weight. With feeling fat. With fat talking to myself and telling myself I’d better smarten up. With even looking at the scale let alone weighing myself. With counting calories. With being concerned I’m going to gain all the weight I lost back.

Just done.

I have been obsessed with my weight for most of my life. And I’m done with it.

In the long run, what will those extra 10 pounds matter? When I’m on my death bed am I going to think back to January 2011 when I gained 10 pounds gorging myself on delicious Christmas treats? I highly doubt it. So why should I waste one more precious second of my life worrying about it.

I know how to eat healthy (and enjoy eating healthy) and I spend 5-7 hours a week running and doing yoga. I’m finally at a place where those extra 10 pounds really don’t matter.

I need to let go. I need to let go of my obsession with weight, with calories, with size.

I need to accept the fact that I am, and probably always will be, a size 10 (ish).

I need to remember that sizes are all about perspective – and what store you’re shopping in – anyways.

In 2011, I really, truly, want to let go of weight concerns. I want to quit fat talking to myself and I want to not care about my weight.

I don’t discredit counting calories or tracking food. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. It taught me HOW to eat properly and WHAT were the correct portion sizes.

But now that I know those things? I’m done. It’s time to learn how to eat intuitively. And that’s going to be a learning process. If it means gaining a few pounds along the way, then fine.

What kind of life it must be to not think about your weight/size on a regular basis. To just not care because in the end, it’s really not that important anyways.

I want to get there in my life. And I will.