Day 5--Feeling Good, but Challenged

Pre-workout snack at 6:45 am banana with 1 tablespoon peanut butter Breakfast at Starbucks around 9:30 am egg and veggie sandwich and iced coffee with skim milk and one sugar Lunch at 12:30 pm half sandwich (whole wheat bread with cracked pepper turkey, 1 tablespoon shredded Gruyere, baby spinach) and an apple Snack at 3:15 pm 2 slices of watermelon Snack #2 at 4:45 pm(I was feeling shaky and dinner was an hour away) 12 raw almonds Dinner at 5:45 pm Cooking Light maple-mustard glazed chicken, 1/2 c brown rice, Cooking Light butter-roasted carrots, salad (green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, balsamic dressing), and glass of chardonnay Dessert at 9:15 pm 3 slices of watermelon Still hungry at 10 pm 12 raw almonds Can't stand the craving anymore at 10:15 pm 12 pieces of Harry & David's moose munch It wasn't as good as I thought it would be. Lesson learned. Nothing tastes as good as being fit feels.

Day 4 -- Still in It!

Breakfast at 7:15 am Oatmeal made with skim milk, maple syrup, pecans, and peaches--I doubled the batch yesterday so all I had to do was heat it this morning. It didn't taste as good because the peaches were heated in the microwave so I ate about a third of a cup before giving up on it. I wasn't that hungry anyway. Breakfast #2 at 8:45 am I was hungry then so I ate a fried egg. Snack at 10:15 am I didn't exercise this morning and I wonder if that screws up my appetite and metabolism and makes me crave food more. I ate some almonds and raisins. Lunch at 11:15 am About 1.5 cups of macaroni casserole left over from dinner the other night and 3 slices of watermelon. Lunch #2 at 12:15 pm So screwy today! I mashed up an avocado with a splash of orange juice and some kosher salt and spread it over ten Triscuits. Snack at 3:45 pm banana with a tablespoon of peanut butter. Dinner at 6:00 pm Three slices of homemade pizza with Canadian bacon and green leaf lettuce salad with avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and balsamic dressing. I also had a few pineapple chucks and drank the leftover juice. Treat at 10:00 pm decaf chai tea with a tablespoon of Natural Bliss vanilla creamer.

Day 3

I wonder how long this will last. Long, I hope. I feel great--in control and healthy. Breakfast at 8:15 am oatmeal made with skim milk, 2 teaspoons maple syrup, a tablespoon toasted pecans, and half a peach Snack at 10:45 am 1/4 cup roasted/salted almonds with raisins Lunch at 12:15 pm cracked pepper turkey sandwich on whole wheat with baby spinach, Gruyere cheese, and 1/2 sliced apple other half of apple and 1/4 cup carrots Snack at 3:30 pm one tablespoon pesto spread over 8 Triscuits Dinner at 6:00 pm croque-madame sandwich--ham and Gruyere on ciabatta with soft-cooked egg salad of green leaf lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, and balsamic vinaigrette Dessert at 9:00 pm two slices of watermelon

Day 2

Breakfast at 7:15 am chai oatmeal with peaches and pecans Morning Snack at 9:00 am half a peach Lunch at 11:00 am cracked pepper turkey sandwich with baby spinach, half sliced apple, Gruyere cheese 2 slices of watermelon Afternoon Snack at 3:00 pm roasted/salted almonds and raisins Dinner at 5:30 pm I ate dinner at a retirement party at an Italian restaurant. I tried to fill my plate with mostly salad (iceburg lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, vinaigrette), but also took reasonable portions of the spinach/mushroom lasagna and ziti alfredo. Dessert at 8:30 pm two slices of watermelon

Mindful Eating Day 1

Here's what I ate today: Breakfast at 8:30 am bowl of chai oatmeal with peaches and pecans Lunch at 11:30 am whole wheat toast with almond butter and sliced half of a banana cup of carrots with two tablespoons hummus Snack at 3:00 pm glass of monkey milk (half banana, skim milk, lowfat vanilla yogurt, and ice blended) 1 tablespoon peanut butter spread over three graham cracker squares Dinner at 6:00 pm three breaded baked chicken tenders side of roasted potatoes and a tablespoon ketchup salad of green leaf lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots Dessert at 7:30 pm half of a Harry & David almond/raspberry sandwich cookie Sweet Treat at 9:30 pm three dark chocolate covered toffee almonds from Harry & David Curse you, Harry & David!

Giving Mindful Eating a Try

Okay folks. I think I've got a handle on the exercise thing. I love doing it. If I don't do it then I miss it and I feel crappy. But exercise and eating right go hand in hand and I could use a little help in the nutrition department. So in order to get myself to my best self possible, I'm keeping my fitness plan the way it is and upping the anty on what I eat, how I eat it, and pledging to keep track of it. Right here. My mother started Weight Watchers a few weeks ago and has lost 8 pounds already. We were talking the other day and she said that writing down everything that you eat is really eye-opening. I'm sure it is! I can tell you what I ate for my meals yesterday but I couldn't tell you how many times I mindlessly walked into the pantry and grabbed a pretzel or piece of candy or a handful of chocolate chips (seriously!) because I was stressed out, obsessing over something, sad, or angry. Why do we do that? Wouldn't it feel better to overcome that? A few weeks ago I completely cut refined sugars from my diet for ten days. It was challenging at times, but physically I never felt better. I actually felt slimmer but that's probably 95% mental. After just 3 days, I wasn't craving sweets so much anymore. I had this streak going and I wasn't going to end it over a Skittle, was I? I felt in control, which is pretty fulfilling since there are so many things in life we can't control. Then one ice cream sandwich treat on a Friday evening led to a few margaritas at a party the next night, some cake and, well, then the whole streak was over. Notably, my emotions took a turn for the worst too, and yesterday's rest day combined with a salt water taffy gift felt like a new low. I can't stay down long. I'm looking up! With a little inspiration from my mother, I'm going to share right here everything I eat daily. Boring for you? Perhaps. But if you've read this far on this post, you must be bored already. I've been keeping track of my workouts on Daily Mile for a year and the incentive of posting a workout on there is enough to get me doing something, anything. I'm thinking that the thought of publically posting a pantry binge will be enough to keep me from doing it. At the very least, it should make me think twice before going for the wrong food at the wrong time. I pledge to be completely honest and post EVERYTHING I eat each day. Here we go!