I started slowly at first, in fact I don't even consider myself dieting for the first few weeks because I had made some simple changes. I am a soda drinker and started substituting my regular Coke for Coke Zero or water. Throughout the summer we were on the road a lot, which meant a lot of fast food. I started ordering salads with grilled chicken instead of getting burgers and fries. I also switched up my breakfast sandwich for oatmeal.
Going out to eat or going to "get togethers," can present challenges when you are trying to watch what you eat. You are at the mercy of your host/hostess or menu at the restaurant. I have gone to many bar-b-ques, birthday parties and restaurants and still managed to consistently lose weight. If I know that we have plans coming up I will try to save a "cheat" day for that occasion. Typically I allow myself one cheat day a week, but I don't always use them. My first cheat day was on a day when I was hosting the party. I had prepared lengua, asada, carnitas, beans, mexican rice, jalapeno poppers, chicken, guacamole, and a few other things. I thought I would totally indulge on this day, but I didn't. I didn't even drink a beer or cocktail. My conscience and my new sense of portion control prevented me from over eating. While at bar-b-ques it can be difficult to make good choices, especially when everything is likely to be swimming in mayo. My best suggestions are to either utilize your cheat day but keep your portions under control or if it's a potluck bring a dish that you know you can eat. A lot of restaurants these days provide the calorie and fat content information next to the the menu item. I know first hand that BJ's and Chili's does this. Even on "cheat" days I don't go crazy with food, I tend to still pick out diet friendly things. I used to think that people who ordered protein style burgers were a little nuts, but I have to admit now that I really like them. Save yourself the calories from eating the bread, although it can be a bit messy.
Portion control is a biggie, I don't own a food scale yet but it is definitely on my list of things to purchase. I do religiously use my measuring cups and spoons. The more I measure, the better sense I am getting of what is an appropriate serving size. Read the labels on food! You would be surprised at how small a serving is. As ridiculous as it seems, count out individual almonds, raisins, crackers, chips, etc. I felt a little crazy and OCD when I started adopting this behavior but your waistline will thank you for it. In a pinch, I found this chart really helpful.
I am not a believer in a carbohydrate free diet, but I can say that I have cut out white rice, white bread, and white potatoes. All these things can be replaced with foods that are better for you and nutrient dense. Brown rice, multi-grain or whole wheat bread, and sweet potatoes. My refrigerator is full of fruits and veggies, try your hardest to get your recommended daily servings of these in and you will find that you are pretty full and have not consumed that many calories.
It seems weird to say that snacking is important and yet snacking can present challenges, especially on the go. Between meals and snacks it feels like I am eating all the time! Try to limit your snack caloric intake to about 150-200 calories per snack. I tend to have at least one snack in my purse in the form of raw almonds, or a banana. While at work and home I tend to have nuts, low fat string cheese, hard boiled eggs, fruit, cucumbers, or other veggies. I also enjoy snacking on these other items:
Before a work out I love to have a small peanut butter sandwich, this helps build muscle in your body which will in turn help you burn more calories and fat. Plus, having taken a nutrition class in college I know that, combining a multi-grain bread with peanut butter creates a complete protein. I have a strong preference to the all natural peanut butter because there are two ingredients in it: peanuts and salt. I recommend Adams 100% Natural Peanut Butter. It can take some getting used to if you are accustomed to eating Skippy or Jif which adds a lot of fillers and sugar to their peanut butter.
There are a few foods that are highly recommended after a work out, fruit and chocolate milk. I love Dark Chocolate AlmondMilk. It feels like a total indulgence and tastes like a milk shake. I buy a few at a time and keep them in the fridge.
I love breakfast and I never miss it, I have a few standards that I eat pretty regularly. Under my snack photos there is a picture Fage Greek Yogurt with Honey, that is a favorite of mine that I will often eat for breakfast with a banana and be plenty full for hours. Oatmeal is another favorite, which is pretty funny because as a kid I would not touch it. Lately I have been adding cinnamon, vanilla and raisins with a dusting of *hemp seeds to it, but I also enjoy it with honey, peaches and blueberries. My suggestion is to buy frozen fruits to add to your oatmeal, it also helps your hot cereal cool down to an edible temperature. I don't eat the instant stuff, it's not as good for you. Think of it like canned vegetables, they started out good for you but then got over processed and all the nutrition is gone leaving you with a lot of sodium and a ghost of a vegetable. Through my obsession with Pinterest I have also found a **cold oatmeal recipe that incorporates ***chia seeds, this is a fun switch up and is much nicer on warm mornings. For my morning meal I also enjoy my version of a breakfast torta, complete with one egg, 1/4 avocado, 1/2oz queso fresco, and 1/4 cup of refried beans again on a multi-grain round. This may sound weird to you but trust me it is delicious!!! I have even got my Richy eating this "torta" and loving it, it also is really filling.
Packing my lunch for work feels like a big task in the morning. I don't have access to a microwave at work so I don't buy any kind of prepared microwave meal. I think it's better that way anyway. Now by all means if you don't have time in the morning to dedicate to packing your lunch go ahead and grab a frozen meal, I usually opt for Subway in those instances though. I often fill my lunch box to capacity with lots of different healthy options so that I don't try to sneak in a Snickers bar. My usual lunch includes a really hardy salad with base of baby kale, mixed baby greens and spinach. I built it up from there, typically adding sunflower seeds, a hard boiled egg, a possibly a Laughing Cow cheese. I am a minority that really enjoys beets, I incorporate them into my salads and my sandwiches. Using non-fat greek yogurt, I have been making myself chicken salad sandwiches with sauteed kale and onions or a tuna sandwich.
Dinner can sometimes be the most difficult meal, I don't usually want to eat too much. My favorites for dinner are salmon, bean tacos, chicken and of course a salad. Like I mentioned earlier I have pretty much gotten rid of white rice and white flour options so that means I use brown rice, and corn tortillas. I was the weird kid at the dinner table that never had to be forced to eat brussel sprouts, as an adult I still really enjoy them roasted or sauteed as a side dish.
One thing I never forget to do is to add flavor to my food, I use plenty of black pepper, garlic, onions, cumin, and lemon. You have to keep your taste buds interested in what you are eating, otherwise trying to adopt a new lifestyle can kinda be a bust. I am still a fat kid at heart, so making good choices with food is not always easy. Basically I am trying to re-teach myself how to eat and I am 36 years old and have lots of bad habits that need breaking. (another blog to come on that subject) Remember my confession of Carne Asada Fries and the 2am Burger, in reality those particular foods are not that far in my past. Sometimes it seems that it takes all the self control that I can muster to not go down to the local Mexican Bakery and order two tamales con todo. Even now as I am thinking about it my stomach is growling and my mouth is watering.
The foods that I find helpful are definitely not for everyone. Very few people love beets, kale and brussell sprouts like I do. Others are reluctant to try new things. Truly variety and my curiosity has made this whole weight loss process a lot easier and I am eager to try more recipes and more foods.
Your doing wonderful and yet you make look effortless. I'm proud of you. <3
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