Breakfast of Champions

Today has felt like the worst Monday after the shortest weekend possible. Expect, it isn't Monday. It's Tuesday.

It started with my car making weird noises - weird, flat-tire-sounding noises. Come to find out, it was just a piece of plastic hanging from my undercarriage. Whew. That was close. Upon arriving to work thirty minutes late, I was in a rush to get settled. I threw my things on my desk, including my breakfast I had yet to eat. Everything went tumbling, including the oatmeal with apples and cinnamon. You're thinking it exploded all over the floor right? Well, it didn't. But some part of me secretly wishes it did. Then I could have one of those asiago cheese bagels from work. Or even some beef jerky and snickers (did I mention my work keeps snickers, fully stocked, every week?). 

Changing what you eat can be extremely difficult. Before making these changes, my body was used to getting whatever it wanted. And being pregnant at the time, I was more than happy to give it what it wanted (for the baby right??). This included many trips to leatherbys, even more trips to taco bell, and entire bags of chips. I am used to foods being overly flavored with sugar, salt, and fat. I realize I am craving a habit, not an actual food. And in order to overcome that, I have to stick to my meal plan and try to substitute with healthy options. 

One thing I constantly look for in weight loss support is meal plans. From the looks of many, you would think you would need to hire a personal chef along with your personal trainer and may as well throw in the stylist as well since you're spending a bazillion dollars as it is (I wish). I thought it might be helpful for others to see how an average person, on a very limited income, makes a meal plan. I am not a professional nutritionist. I like things like cheese and consider veggie straws a replacement for real vegatbles (I am only half kidding). I just try my best to choose wisely. So here is my meal for today.

Breakfast: Oats, Water, 1/2 apple, cinnamon, Trivia sugar (I really am lost with the whole "real sugar is bad, but so is fake sugar. so...just...be confused for all eternity as to what sugar/sugar substitute you should use)

Lunch: Whole wheat wrap, turkey deli slices, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tablespoon garlic hummus (instead of mayonnaise; go me!) spinach leaves. 1/2 apple, string cheese

Dinner: Herbalife shake with bananas, berries, spinach and almond milk

Snacks: Cottage cheese (with what should have been pineapple, but someone either ate it or threw it out), mixed nuts, maybe some hummus and pretzel thins when I get home (because that is freaking delicious).

Now, a protein shake may not appeal to many, especially for dinner, I cannot express the relief it is to come home and not have to worry about dinner. It also has helped curb our habit of grabbing something "quick" on the way home because we are too lazy to cook something. And we think that having the smallest meal at dinner is the way to go, since you are just going to bed and don't need to eat a ton before then. I am probably what you would call a professional sleeper and don't need much fuel to do so. I could do it in my sleep (hardy har har).

While this meal plan doesn't sound "amazing", and doesn't include ingredients like quinoa or saffron, it works for us. The items are easy to prepare, and consist of real food. I have realized we base our entire lives around food. The days pass based on when we eat next. We go out with friends to eat. We make plans around where and what we can eat. We are bored, so we eat. While food can be enjoyed, it shouldn't be the center of our universe. There is so much more to life, and I am trying to refocus my thoughts and feelings on where my priority for food lies.