What I Eat

this whole "trying really hard to eat right, exercise & count calories" thing has been fun. can you believe i said that?! ha! i have actually really enjoyed it. i look forward to my weekly weigh in, so that i can see how much progress i've made. and i don't mind exercising anymore, its become a habit, just something else i do in my daily routine. that is the most shocking part to me!!

when i first started this journey, i thought it would be a stressful, monotonous process. i knew i would hate it, grow tired of it quickly & maybe it just wouldn't work for me. but, i was wrong. i am discovering that i can eat the things i love & crave. i have the freedom to eat whatever i want, but i need to have a healthy balance.

so, a couple people have asked me what sort of things i am eating. it does change from day to day. we do a lot of eating out with ben's family, eating pizza at small group every sunday night, or lunches with people from church. but, when i am home, i do have a few staples i like to keep around the house.

i want to do a post soon about what exactly it is i've been doing, day in & day out, to drop the weight, but for now, i'll stick with a few of my current fave food items. and as i keep going down this road, i plan on sharing more & more recipes & foods that i have found that are healthy, yummy & friendly to calorie counting.

a few food faves:

Breakfast:

i LOVE this bread. i usually have 2 slices. sometimes i add some fat free cream cheese to it. its yummy & only 160 calories! my kids & hubby really love it too. it has become a grocery staple at our house. it's not the cheapest bread, so i usually look for a coupon or buy it at Costco.

special K cereals are great. there are so many varieties & they are calorie friendly. red berries is my current fave. i can usually find coupons for this too.

i am definitely my mother's daughter. i have come to love coffee. i drink it about 4 mornings a week. but, it can get crazy with the calories. so, i found the sugar free creamers & i love them. only 15 calories per tablespoon. which is great. this flavor is yummy.

Lunch:

this is a sandwich round. my MIL introduced me to them. they are great. multi-grain & VERY calorie friendly. each round has 2 slices & it is a total of 100 calories! love. so, if i'm craving a good turkey sandwich, this is the way to go, for me. i get these at Costco too, but Kroger does have them.

several days a week, i eat a Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, or Healthy Choice frozen meal. don't get me wrong, some of them are terrible. really terrible. but i have found several that are pretty good. and its the perfect portion for lunch. i like this flavor a lot, but the Smart Ones version of it is even better. its really easy to find coupons for these, so when they are on sale, i use my coupons & stock up.

Dinner:

this is where i have the most variety. i have several recipes that i have learned how to make more calorie friendly. so, i'll share those soon. but when we're have what i call "simple supper" then i'll make myself & the hubs a yummy salad.

i like to fill my salad with lots of yummy veggies. i use, tomato, cucumber, red & green bell peppers & broccoli. i also toss in some cheese, croutons & salad finishers. (nuts, cranberries, apples, feta or blue cheese crumbles).

this is my favorite salad dressing. its not too heavy & it has a great flavor. but, it isn't the most calorie friendly. however, i usually have plenty of calories left at dinner time & so i can splurge on this dressing. its around 150-250 calories per serving, depending on how much you like to use. but, i think a little goes a long way. but, it is more calorie friendly than a ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Snacks:

it is important to snack during the day. it keeps your metabolism working & burning fat. but, you need to pick the right kind of snack. cake, doesn't count. unfortunately! ha!

i love cheese. so, string cheese is a good snack for me. most of them are around 80 calories per serving, which is great.

i love frozen fruit. so much. in fact, when i'm pregnant (i'm not, right now) i eat it by the pound! i usually buy a huge bag at Costco & it lasts me for a good long while. its a great snack option. i put a little in sandwich bags & pop it in the fridge at night so its thawed out the next morning. it's pretty calorie friendly & it tastes delish!

Dessert:

i don't have dessert every day. but, i do have it often. and the Weight Watcher's line of dessert is pretty much the only kind i ever have. Skinny Cow is good too. i love this flavor. it is only 60 calories per bar & it seriously tastes like home made strawberry ice cream. crazy crazy good.

when i need a chocolate fix, this is my go to dessert. man alive, this is good. after my kids go to bed, i sit on the couch with the hubs, watch TV and enjoy a little chocolate. perfect end to my day. i have also found coupons for the Weight Watchers desserts on coupons.com. i must admit that they aren't the cheapest thing to buy. BUT, its totally worth it to me. all of the flavors are great & it feels good to reward myself for working so hard during the day to eat right!

so, there we go. a few things i eat. to be honest, this process has NOT been a burden. i don't feel deprived of things that i love. and i definitely feel better. eating a ton of processed, fatty foods makes you feel gunky, funky and yuck. if we go out to eat & i'm craving pasta, i get it. but i watch my portions, try to pick the healthier pasta, ask for whole wheat noodles & then i come home & exercise to counter my calories. trust me: if i can do this then anyone, and i mean anyone can do it too!! hopefully, i've been a little helpful.

happy eating!