I joke a lot about my love affair with junk food, but the reality is my diet has improved a lot in the last few years.
Running is the reason for most of the improvement.
It's tough to run with no energy, and while a chili dog is one of man's greatest creations, it is trouble on the trail. And I mean trouble.
The other reason is my girls. I want them to make better food choices. I don't want the choice between an apple and a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup to be agonizing. I'd like it to be obvious, even enjoyable. (And I'm talking about choosing the apple because we already know the combination of peanut butter and chocolate is a little too enjoyable.)
The best suggestion I received was from Kathleen Nielsen, RD, CD, director of Food and Nutrition Services at McKay-Dee Hospital Center.
Instead of trying to quit the foods I loved, she suggested, I should just try eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. One serving is a half-cup. And, if you haven't tried it, it's harder than you might think.
It's also more transformative than I thought it would be. First of all, French fries are a lot less appealing after a bag of grapes. And a doughnut doesn't sound so good if you start your day with a bowl of hot cereal filled with fruit.
The results were immediate and impressive. I have felt much better on long runs and in races and, more importantly, I feel much better even when I'm not running.
After I teamed up with Kathleen to write a column about carb-loading, I received some e-mails asking her to compile a menu. That way, we nutritional novices can give the system a try without a lot of effort.
So here it is, with a refresher on when, why and how to load on carbs.
The best reason to eat right during training is that your body learns to hold onto more glycogen. And glycogen is the fuel you need to perform.
"An untrained muscle can only store 13 grams of glycogen per 100 grams of muscle," Nielsen said. "A trained muscle can store up to 32 grams of glycogen per 100 grams of muscle."
Now if you carb-load the right way, you give yourself three to seven grams of glycogen more per 100 grams of muscle.
"And if you're an endurance athlete, that may just be the little bit of energy you need to do your best," she said.
Another thing to remember, carb-loading will only work if you taper when you're supposed to in preparation for a race.
So six days before a race, if you're exercising 90 minutes or more, your training diet should consist of at least 60 percent carbohydrates.
Here are a few ideas from Kathleen:
Breakfasts — 600 calories (these portions will work for most women, men may need to add larger portions)
Breakfast No. 1
1 med. apple, peach or pear
3 med. sized pancakes, 2 Tbs. syrup, 1 pat butter or margarine
1 cup 1 percent milk
1 slice whole wheat toast/margarine or butter
Breakfast No. 2
½ cup granola (or amount for 250 calories)
1 cup 1 percent milk
1 small-medium banana
Breakfast No. 3
1 piece fresh fruit
1 scrambled or easy-over egg
2 slices whole wheat toast/margarine or butter
½ cup 1 percent milk
Lunches — 700 calories (again, men can add larger portions)
Lunch No. 1
2 slices whole wheat bread
½ can tuna (6.5 oz can)
1 Tbs. mayo (Lite if preferred)
6 oz. lentil soup
1 cup 1 percent milk
1 med. apple or 1 sm. oatmeal cookie
Lunch No. 2
Salad with 3 cups romaine lettuce
½ each large tomato, green pepper
½ cup each broccoli, chick peas (or kidney bean), carrots
1/3 cup toasted croutons
¼ cup fat free cottage cheese
1 Tbs. light dressing (if you use a Fat Free vinaigrette you can have 2 Tbs. It will mix with the cottage cheese to make a rich dressing)
6-8 oz. light yogurt with fruit
1 small muffin
Dinner —750 calories
1 chicken breast or roast beef (3-4 oz.)
1 baked potato/2 Tbs. sour cream or 1 tsp. margarine/butter (if you are used to more toppings, add some of your milk to the potato. It will be more moist and you won't feel deprived)
1 cup cooked vegetables
1 cup watermelon
1 cup 1 percent milk
Snacks could include things like a bagel with peanut butter, fruit and yogurt, cheese and crackers, etc.
An athlete's diet should consist of 60 percent carbs until three days before the race. Then, as exercise continues to decrease, carbs increase to 70 percent about three days before a race.
"You'll know you're properly carb-loaded if you've gained two to four pounds of water weight," she said. "Your body stores about three ounces of water with each ounce of stored glycogen. During exercise, that water becomes available as you use the glycogen."
Carbohydrates might be an enemy to runway models, but they are the best friend an athlete can have.
As I have learned, awesome new shoes, cute running clothes and all the packets of Gu in the world can't make up for nailing nutrition in the days leading up to the race.
And if that chili dog is still calling your name, eat it post-race. That's when I chow down on whatever calls my name — even if it's an apple.
e-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com