A fair amount of exercise in NYC

I realize I've already been back from NYC for two weeks, but I wanted to share information about my efforts to feel good through eating well and exercising.  As I've posted previously, it's challenging to stay on track with healthy habits while away from home.  If you read my post that detailed my accommodations in NYC, you know that I picked a studio apartment rental and had a tiny kitchen with a microwave, single cooktop burner, and refrigerator.

I started the week off well with a trip to Whole Foods - where I picked up hummus, carrots, yogurt, and granola for breakfast and snacks.  I knew the training would provide lunch, but wasn't sure about breakfast.  Because I planned to meet up with friends for dinners, I didn't get any food for dinner.

Turns out the training offered a dietitian's nightmare of a breakfast and the same lunch every day.  The options for breakfast included muffins (only 1-2 bran choices), croissants, or white bread bagels.  I tried to vary my choices each day, and finally just decided to eat my yogurt and granola for breakfast towards the end of the week.  Because the food was sitting out each day when I arrived, and was still available during the morning break, I did eat more than I wanted.

Lunch was a little bit better.  There were the same sandwiches offered each day and I varied my selection between the vegetarian sandwich (bean based), tuna, and turkey.  The sides were pretty awful, but I didn't indulge.  Instead, I opted for fruit with my sandwich and fruit for an afternoon snack.

At home, I prefer to have a bigger meal at lunch and a smaller meal in the evening.  Having only sandwiches at lunch during the training meant I was hungry for dinner and ended up eating my larger meals then.

• Monday I ate a dish called "Ropa Vieja" at The Coffee Shop in Union Square.  The restaurant offered Latin and Brazilian dishes and boasted a diner atmosphere.  Ropa Vieja means old clothes in Spanish and the dish included shredded steak, rice, beans, and plantains.  It was definitely a filling meal!
• Tuesday I took it easy with some vegetables, hummus, and yogurt for dinner.
• Wednesday I enjoyed my vegetarian meal, called Garden Delight, at Zen Palate in Hell's Kitchen. I suspect I have a minor-moderate allergy to soy and several types of nuts, so I try to limit my portions of these foods.  Thankfully, there aren't any foods that make me go into anaphylactic shock, but soy and nuts cause my breathing passages to not be as clear as I'd like.  My dish included lots of different vegetables and had a small amount of soy pate with it.  I split a delicious seaweed salad with my friend as an appetizer, so I ended up bringing some of my food back "home" with me.
• Wednesday's leftovers turned into Thursday's dinner (along with more hummus and veggies).
• Friday I met up with former coworkers near my old office and enjoyed some lamb sliders and a cocktail at Rattle & Hum Bar & Restaurant during happy hour.  My former colleague was celebrating a promotion, another was recently married and I hadn't seen anyone in awhile, so we had a ball.  But the evening did not end there. Colin flew in to the city Friday evening, so I met up with him at our friend's apartment in Long Island City, where we enjoyed pizza at Bella Via Restaurant.  I'm sure my fat and sodium intake were through the roof on Friday.

To balance out all this eating, I made a strong effort to be physically active.  Each day I walked the 1.5 miles to and from the training and I walked around lower Manhattan for at least 20 minutes 3 days of the week.  

Walking from Union Square to downtown for the training

Walking "home" through Washington Square Park

For dinner on Wednesday, I walked 2 miles each way to dinner. 

My "neighborhood" for a week.

I also managed to get some planned exercise into my schedule.  On Sunday I went to New York Health & Raquet Club where they gave me a 3 day trial pass.  So I worked out Sunday and Monday, and took a pilates class and swam on Wednesday before dinner.  The weather was also fantastic, so I managed to get a 5 mile run in on the bike path (West Side Highway) on Tuesday.  

A beautiful sunset on a 50 degree day in NYC

Makes for a great place to run.

I had great plans to exercise on Friday, but ultimately didn't do anything too physical on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. On Superbowl Sunday, knowing we'd be eating poorly, Colin and I enjoyed a 4 mile run with our friends in Bay Ridge.  It was quite a sight to see our group of 5, with the 2 soccer ladies leading the 3 "fighting" men.  The run seemed effortless despite our decent pace and made me feel less bad about my indulgence in of pigs in a blanket, Doritos, pizza, and cupcakes while watching the game. 

After 10 days in NYC, it was definitely time to get back to a healthy routine in Raleigh.  I'm a sucker for free food, which is unfortunately almost always unhealthy and I frequently look for the best value in a restaurant (which is not usually a salad).  The exercise kept me feeling better than I would have without it, but meals prepared by restaurants and catering companies always have so much added fat and sodium.  I didn't weigh myself before I left or when I came back, but I doubt I balanced my calories burned with so many that were eaten (even with 2 days of small dinners).

Do you ever try to exercise in anticipation of eating a large and/or unhealthy meal?