Beef...That's not what's for dinner

When you are really focused on training, your body should operate like a machine. Disclaimer: Everyone trains differently and this is just how I train. Your fuel: 5-6 small meals a day; 1-2 liters of water a day; good carbs, lean protein, and lots of fruits/vegetables. Your schedule: total workout =6 days/week; long runs 2-3 days/week; short runs = the rest of the days; core, weight-lifting, and cross training = every other day. And of course, 8 hours of sleep a night for good regeneration. Alright, that's all fine and dandy, but I'm human, people. Even though my concentration and discipline is upheld by my stubborness, I still falter. The most difficult part of training is restarting it after I've taken a good 5 month hiatus. I start to crave everything from skipping workouts to bad food and beer.

My latest craving has been fatty red meat, specifically a juicy meaty burger. This probably comes as a surprise to my close friends because even during off-season, I don't like red meat. Like Joni Mitchell says "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone". Word Joni....Word. In any case, I refuse to cheat, especially so early on in the season. So, here's the alternative that I came up with: Bison Burgers!! Alright, check it out:

Comparison chart

Animal Fat Calories Cholesterol
Buffalo 2.42 gm 143 82 mg
Beef 9.28 gm 211 86 mg
Chicken 7.41 gm 190 89 mg
Ostrich 2.80 gm 140 83 mg

Comparison based on certified independent research Sept. 1991, Feb. 1993
and USDA research revised May 1990. Based on Buffalo sirloin, beef sirloin (choice),
and chicken breast with skin on. All samples 100 grams (3.5 oz).
http://www.healthybuffalo.com/nutrition.htm
*Sorry, the formatting isn't showing up. So if you want to see the pretty table, click on the link above*

The Native Americans were totally onto something. Bison..it's BETTER than the other white meat. Bottom line: It has less of the bad stuff and more of the good stuff. And from personal experience, it really does taste similar to beef. If you want something similar to a turkey burger, I'd go with the ostrich. So in summary: Grill up your bison, slap it on a toasted wheat bun w/ reasonably healthy fix-ins, and I've satisfied the ugly craving (for the most part) w/o sacrificing too much of the training.

Ok, granted that wild game is more expensive than just buying beef. Which is why I practice moderation. When it comes to burgers during training, I don't do it that often anyway. Alright, I hope that covers me from PETA and vegetarians from chasing after my ass.