Eating the Good Stuff and Loving It

Developing healthy eating habits will, many times, involve eating a larger quantity of food and eating more often.  For me, boosting my metabolism was important.  Before Feb 20, 2014, I started almost every morning with a Starbucks bottled mocha frappucino.  There.  It’s out.  How embarrassing.  Mornings are busy for me, obviously.  I’ve never been a breakfast eater.  These bottled drinks can make you feel full for several hours, and they give a burst of energy.  Just a burst.  

 

When I changed my lifestyle, I started out with a yogurt and a piece of fruit in the morning.  Within a couple of months, I started using low cal toasted bread with a generous smear of peanut butter.  I placed a sliced banana on top, and sprinkled it with cinnamon.  This is still my favorite.  It tastes like a donut to me.  Hard boiled eggs would be a great choice if I were crazy about them.  I’m not.  I do love fried eggs, but don’t usually have time for all of that in the morning.

Because I teach, my lunch time is limited and I’m still “on duty” at lunch.  I do enjoy most of the Weight Watchers frozen meals, and I stock up on them when on sale.  If I had more time to prepare my own lunches, I could have healthier options.  This has worked for me so far, and I only eat them at school when I don’t have something healthy and filling ready to take with me.  I always take time for lunch now.  Nothing will be more important than getting my fuel.  

 

My morning and afternoon snacks are typically fresh fruit, a string cheese, a 100 cal pack of almonds, or something equivalent.  When I first started, I ate at least a bag of Fit Active microwave popcorn per day.  That was my afternoon snack and sometimes again at night.  It gave me the crunch and faint saltiness I needed.  You could add zero calorie toppings, but I didn’t want to add more sodium.

 

In the early months, I had eggs at least a couple of evenings each week.  A lot of people say that it is difficult to lose weight when cooking for a family.  I get that, and there were plenty of nights where I set down to a plate of eggs when I had fixed something different for everyone else.  Other options were to skip the starch (or just have a spoonful) and load up on whatever veggie and meat I had fixed, or just have a smaller amount of everything I fixed for the family.  Since I placed a high priority on being “full” when I finished my food, I typically went for the limited starch/loads of veggies approach. 

With eggs, I switch it up.  I can do them in a wrap with lite sour cream and salsa on top for a southwestern flavor.  I love them scrambled with baby spinach and roma tomatoes. 

For my sweet snacks, I typically choose a fruity yogurt sorbet bar or a frozen fudge bar.  These range from 70-120 calories, and have been a lifesaver for me. 

A favorite lunch for me in the spring and summer was a skinny bun (flat) from Aldi (100 cal), turkey breast, light mayo, light cheese (sometimes), any and all veggies on top, with a side of Fit Active cheddar flavor mini rice cakes (these are more like chips).  I would add fresh fruit to my plate, and come away very satisfied. 

Since I wasn’t a water drinker, I substituted Crystal Light for my soda addiction.  They have great flavors and I loved them as long as they were ice cold.  I realize they contain a sugar substitute and they aren’t the best option, but it was definitely better than what I was used to putting into my body. 

I have placed a high priority on not 

allowing myself to get very hungry.  If my stomach growls, I'd better find food fast! Lol!  This is an important key to me staying on track.  Most of my weight came from emergency eating...aka grabbing whatever was quick and accessible and then eating way too much of it because I felt famished.  It's safe to say, I eat far more often now than I did 60lbs ago. 

Oh, and I almost forgot...a tablespoon of peanut butter before bed.  Seriously.