Wake up - I start the morning with a cup of coffee with about a 1/4 cup of almond milk. Coffee helps me wake-up and helps control my appetite. I've also read that women who start the day off with coffee lose more than those who don't, so why not?
Breakfast - I try to eat breakfast within an hour of waking up. A half hour is best, but by the time I get Jet ready for the day, feed him, and get myself ready it ends up being about an hour. Breakfast is SO important!! People have always told me this but I never listened and I never lost weight. The most important thing is to keep your metabolism going and that's what food is for. Here are some examples of my breakfast:
Waffle Sandwich
1 whole wheat waffle cut in half (ego)
1 strawberry or 1/4 cup of blueberries
1 tbs greek yogurt
Greek yogurt breaks down fat! If you can eat a small amount at every meal, it will help. Blueberries are a great antioxidant so that is always my first choice, but they can be expensive so strawberries are great too.
Fiber One chocolate
3/4 cup cereal
1/4 cup almond milk
I LOVE chocolate and Fiber One tastes just like cocoa puffs. It also has 9 grams of fiber in every serving which keeps me full a lot longer.
Lunch - I usually skip a morning snack because I stay pretty full from breakfast, and I drink a ton of water, but if I need one I have an orange or some baby carrots. My lunches are pretty basic because I'm usually fitting it in between taking care of Jet and housecleaning. Here are some of my favorite lunches (I try to add a fruit as well):
Almond butter and Jelly Sandwich
2 slices of reduced calorie wheat bread (45 cal each)
1 tbs almond butter
1 tbs of cherry jam
Mike found this great cherry jam at Home Goods. It's all natural, has no artificial ingredients, no fat, and no high fructose corn syrup. The brand is Favorit and each serving is only 48 calories!
BLT
2 slices of reduced calorie wheat bread
2 slices of turkey bacon
2 tomatoes
Lettuce
Dijon Mustard
I love BLT's and they're super easy to make. Dijon mustard adds a great taste without all the fat and calories in mayonnaise.
Snack - I always need an afternoon snack. That's when my sweet tooth hits and I get a little bored waiting for Mike to come home so I usually turn to these:
Fiber One Brownies
These are great! They're really rich and only 90 calories each!! The fiber keeps me full and it's more than enough chocolate to keep me satisfied. Plus, Target has a 12 pack on sale for $4.50!
Paleo Fudge
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
All you have to do is blend these ingredients, and then put a tablespoon each in a muffin tin. They are sooooooo good and only 90 calories each! Plus, you're getting all of your healthy fats and little sugar.
Dinner - My dinner depends on how many calories I've had during the day and what my percentages look like. I track everything with the Lose It app for Iphone. I always try to have one lean protein, and a lot of veggies since I don't eat very many during the day, and I limit my starches. If I do need carbs, I will have brown rice or whole wheat pasta. I always cook with coconut oil over canola oil or olive oil, and substitute most dairy with greek yogurt. I use A LOT of Pinterest recipes! (I'll continue to post favorites)
Late night - Usually I am satisfied and full by the end of the day, but I'm human and I get some late night cravings so I will turn to fruit, a glass of wine (correct portions ladies :)), or I will have a piece of paleo fudge.
It's important to always have fruit on hand and mix it up! One week we'll buy watermelon, the next pineapple. It's important not to eat the same foods everyday so your body doesn't get used to digesting the same thing over and over.... it will make your metabolism lazy. And move a lot! Fidget, stand when you watch TV or bounce on an exercise ball. Play with your kids more, get on the ground, lift them over your head, take the stairs, do crunches during commercials. Losing weight does not have to be hard!
