Eating clean: Alright y'all, since my birthday is rapidly approaching, I've been so strict with my diet. The first few days were relatively easy, day 6 or so I wanted to eat everything in sight and nothing seemed to satisfy, but then around day 8 or so I could visibly see some progress & seeing that progress made me so determined to stick with my clean eating. This week I'm devoting my blog to sharing food ideas for those of you wondering what I eat. I eat a great variety of foods & never do any "cleanses", liquid diets, starving myself, or any kind of extremely low cal dieting. Even if my calories get as low as 1,200, I won't have the energy & nutrients it takes to work out so many times per week. I eat plenty of delicious healthy food!!
My awesome brother in law made this delicious omelette for me! It is filled with onion, tomato, and Bacon deliciousness! I topped it with a salsa that included all natural ingredients. Yumeroo!
I stole this idea from the internet. The exterior is a bacon cup, which went in the oven alone for a few minutes, and I then added egg, egg whites, green peppers, onion, and tomato. This is a good one for bacon-lovers.
Here is an omelette while dining out at Kerbey Lane Cafe in Austin. Breakfast is my go-to when dining a new place because it allows me to know what to expect. Sometimes I'll dine out and order a grilled chicken that comes out swimming in a sea of melted cheese or some other topping that I'm not supposed to eat, but with breakfast foods, you are usually going to be safe with respect to any surprises.
Second category - seafood!!
It's hard to go wrong with fish and veggies.
Why yes, I would like a plate of all kinds of seafood mixed together. This tilapia, scallops, shrimp & spinach gem is from the Olive Garden.
In a hurry? Throw some Mrs. Dash on your fish. Dinner is ready!
Bento boxes can be a blessing and a curse. I skipped that fried little egg roll and held off on the creamy sauces but the rest was delicious. I very rarely eat rice because I try to stick with paleo foods but this was an exception.
Third category - poultry!!
Be careful about your food selection at Panera. Although their food is always delicious because of their generous use of fresh ingredients, several of their entrees include a tremendous amount of calories in the bread and sauces. I stick to their soups & salads. I did not eat those croutons or that bread - Ryan was happy to take them off my hands ;-)
Chicken wrapped in bacon? Why yes, don't mind if I do. Toothpicks were used to hold the bacon in place so I had to remember to remove them to avoid injuring my mouth.
Fourth category - beef!!
Chili rellenos are awesome: meat, veggie, tomato sauce...I poured much more tomato sauce on this little guy after I took the photo. Just check the ingredient list on your sauce and make sure it is a short list of actual foods & not chemicals.
I love the grilled avocado at Chiloso. However, the smathering of queso that the avocado typically comes with is not going to help me reach my goals. I told them to hold the queso and this was still a very delicious meal! Don't be afraid to ask for ingredients to be held off or for substitutes when dining out!
Ok, this is the new face of indulgence. Indulgence used to mean an extra 1000 to 2000 calories that included a pizza, ice-cream, & alcohol frenzy but now indulgence means a half rack of ribs with topped with a nice creamy barbecue sauce & some sweet potato fries. This meal was so delicious & full of nutrients that were lacking in my earlier indulgences, but it is higher in calories than the typical meal so, enjoy, just not too often.
Fifth category - vegan/vegetarian!!
Let's be honest here, I'm a major meat eater. I usually top the pizza shown below with some type of meant. However, my friend Brandon came to visit and he follows a vegan & gluten-free diet. He pretty much just eats raw fruits & vegetables but I tried to accomodate his diet and made these special little pizzas. The "crust" is a huge portobello mushroom, which I topped with tomato sauce, olives, green peppers, red peppers & onion. This particular photo is of the pizza I served to Ryan that night--so it includes off-limits cheese. One week after Brandon came to visit we found vegan gluten-free cheese at sprouts! I totally would have used that on Brandon's pizza if we would have discovered it earlier!
Sixth category - meal-snacks!!
Do not underestimate this category. I typically eat at least 4 times a day so these meal-snacks & these meal-snacks are what help me get beyond the usual three meals per day. Eating often takes planning but it keeps your metabolism going and you're less likely to overeat at a meal from hunger.
This here is one of my go-tos. I Love sweet potatoes. I often snack on a sweet potato topped with one type of nut or another & cinnamon, and I either add some Truvia or honey for some added sweetness. I must have been out of cinnamon this day... And yes, that is my telephone cord for my office phone.
Oh sweet deliciousness. I love banans and the fact that they are substantive and filling. Every now and then I do something wit them like add almond butter, dip in honey, or blend with almond milk but bananas are one of my favorite any time snacks.
The hubby loves smoothies. Use whatever fresh & frozen fruit you want with fruit juice and you'll end up with a nutrient rich snack. I do not add mlik, ice-cream, etc. but if I want my smoothie a little thicker that day, I will add some almond butter &/or bananas. My smoothies almost always include strawberries, pineapple, blueberries and cranberries.
Eat a variety of foods. If you eat the same foods all the time you will not stick to your diet. We need to keep things interesting to stay on track. It's important to have fun with your food & try to keep your portions in control if you want to stay on track. Always plan ahead and have plenty of healthy options on hand so you don't blow your diet.
Week 21:
- January 13th cardio (treadmill), 17th cardio (HIIT plus 1 mile walk during lunch, 19th cardio (running outside enjoying the glorious weather!)
- January 13th, 15th, 18th and 19th strength training
