Back to Basics

Frustration had set in this week as I began to try and jump back on the wagon.  I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong.  I would start out great and by afternoon would be foraging for something to eat.

Nothing I was eating had artificial sweeteners; so that wasn't it

I was eating foods I've eaten many times before and never had a problem.

It was rainy and cold a few days and that's always frustrating, but I had problems on sunny days too.

What was it?

Then yesterday happened.  Once again I started out my morning recording my breakfast.  Never give up right!?  I'm always doing fine until afternoon, so likewise my day went fine up to the point of lunch as well.  I was recording what I had for lunch when I realized I hadn't had any kind of bread up to that point.  My plan was to have hamburgers last night for dinner, but up until then, no bread, rice, or pasta.  This gave me pause.  Hmmmm...

When I first started out on this journey, breads, rice, pasta were last on my list to eat.  I have nothing against them, and don't totally exclude them.  This isn't a low carb diet, but they're too many calories for the benefit I receive from them.  They were supposed to be a treat not a mainstay.  Over the past month, and even since the Holiday season, these items (including cookies, crackers, and anything else made with flour), had crept further and further into my diet.  This past month even more so because of the lack of grocery money.  Needless to say, I've been eating lots of bread products.  They had become a mainstay.

Here's the thing: 130 calories for a 2 oz hamburger bun that's mostly air; compared to 130 calories of nutrient dense foods like fruits, veggies, lean meat, etc.  Which do you think provides more food?  That same amount of calories would be in 4 oz of pork loin or chicken, 7.5 oz of cherries, 6 oz of whole milk vanilla yogurt.  Get my drift?   Well, I remembered too.  Immediately I removed the hamburger bun from my menu for the day, keeping everything else( the pork loin hamburger patties, the toppings, etc).  Because of that removal, instead of just a hamburger alone for dinner; I had my Bun-less burger on a bed of raw spinach (with all the toppings), and had baked carrot fries (very good) on the side.  Instead of cookies for dessert, I had my "Banana split" which is a sliced banana topped with 2 oz of vanilla whole milk yogurt and a drizzle of real (homemade) chocolate syrup).  So I went thru an entire day without breads, rice, or pasta.

 Know what?  I got to the end of my day feeling very full and satisfied.  Better yet, I was in range for calories, carbs, protein, fats, and fiber!  No munching!  No foraging!  No cheating!  No feeling deprived.  I mean, I look back over my day and I had 2 cups of coffee with milk and sugar!  I had buttered popcorn!  And I had my chocolate fix.  Still no diet foods, no artificial anything.  So guess what I'm doing today?  You betcha!  Same thing.  I already have my menu planned for the day!  Wanna see?

Breakfast

2 cups of coffee with 1 tsp sugar and 2 tbs whole milk each
2 eggs cooked in 4 gms butter
140 grams (that's 5 oz) cherries topped with
2 oz of vanilla whole milk yogurt

Morning snack

140 grams strawberries topped with
2 oz vanilla whole milk yogurt
1 tsp choc syrup

Lunch

Chicken stir fry with
5 oz of broccoli
5 oz of cauliflower
4 oz cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
Plus all the spice, soy sauce etc
212 gms (7.5 oz) fresh cantaloupe

Afternoon snack

3 TBS popcorn
4 gms butter

Dinner

4 oz ground pork "Taco meat"
1 cup fresh spinach
.5 oz cheddar cheese
1 tbs sour cream
1/4 cup salsa

Dessert

Banana
2 oz Vanilla whole milk yogurt
1 tsp choc syrup

Total calories :  1365 out of the 1550 I'm allowed
Total carbs :  164 in range of 135- 235
Total fat:  42 in range of 27-56
Total protein:  92 in range of 60- 127
Total fiber: 25 in range of 25-35.

Tell me I don't have enough to eat!