Never start on a Monday. That's always been my motto. When you decide to do something, then do it. Don't wait until Monday.
It's been 5 years since I promised myself I would never, ever lose weight again until I figured out why I couldn't keep it off. I spent the last 5 years working on making my internal transformation. I learned about 100 dietary theories in Health Coach School and why hormones are the most important thing to look at when figuring out how to lose weight.
Then I completed Life Coach school and learned about goal setting and helping others with their goals. Most importantly, I continue to read and listen to positive things. The Bible, Mentorfish, Jesus Calling devotions, and various books. I also started journaling most mornings which has literally changed my life!
Five years later and I'm ready to take all my knowledge, lose some weight, and keep it off forever.
I "started" on a Saturday. I'm not changing much about how I was eating before I went on vacation three weeks ago, so I don't really feel like I'm starting anything new. Just gonna be more conscious about what goes into my body and work a little harder at moving my body.
Saturday
Wasn't hungry when I woke up. Ate a late lunch of rotisserie chicken and pork skins. For dinner we had yummy hamburgers & sweet potatoes. (Rest of the family had tater tots.)
Sunday
We over-slept & missed church! I never over-sleep anymore--I guess my body was trying to tell me something. I TRY to listen to my body. Again, I wasn't hungry when I woke up. I had been excited about this new recipe I found. http://www.wellnesswitness.com/2014/06/wellness-witness-iced-coffee.html So, I made this at lunch time. Yummy! I use Arbonne protein powder in mine. Oh, and the Almond milk I had in the fridge wasn't unsweetened. But that's ok. I'll buy that next time.
We went and had lunch/dinner at 3:00. We ate at one of my favorite Mexican food restaurants. I enjoyed some chips and green salsa. Yummy! Then the family shared a large order of fajitas. I ordered a small dinner salad to go along with the fajita meat and guacamole. I kept my portions reasonable and was still able to enjoy chips and salsa.
Each weekend, I will enjoy one of my favorite foods that I typically wouldn't eat during the week. It was chips and salsa this week!
I love eating guilt free. Five years ago, a handful of chips and salsa would have sent me into a binge eating frenzy. I would have gave up and ate everything in site. Not this time, Win-win!
I needed a little something around 7:00 pm. So I made a small decaf batch of the iced coffee above. Protein decaf coffee for the win. I'm sure this will be in my menu a lot for the next week or so!
Movement today was family volleyball. Olivia is 8 and is really starting to love to volleyball. We had an old net that was falling apart, but we made the most of it. There's a bit of a disagreement on who won the most games.
Monday
Oh Monday. Grabbed some bacon as I left the house along with another one of those iced protein coffees from above. :) I buy big packages of precooked bacon from Sam's. So easy.
For lunch, it was Personal Trainer Food and a Kind Bar. I've ordered from personaltrainerfood.com through the years. This year my kids loved it for about a month. They ate it too often and burned out. But that's ok. I had gluten free chicken strips and green bean mix for lunch.
I was starving when I got home. I ate some bacon while I made dinner. Chicken cut up in nugget size and fried in skillet with olive oil. Batter was half almond flour and half coconut flour. Yum. We also, sauteed zucchini and opened a can of corn for the kids. I'll have to work on better snacks for tomorrow. Starving should have never happened. Need to adjust.
Movement-Today was a record hot day getting to 108. We went outside at 8 pm and played a little volleyball. I also made 3 quick walks down to the stop sign throughout my day at work. My movement goal right now is to just stay active.
Tuesday
See breakfast from yesterday. Coffee & bacon. Yes!
A bit of a boring day. Lunch was Personal Trainer Food sausage, green beans, and a kind bar. Dinner was a crock pot mix of sirloins, mushrooms, green peppers, and onions over riced cauliflower. I ate dinner really early (4:30) because I had to get to cheer practice. Had some peanut butter when I got home to hold me over for the night.
Movement: Down to the stop sign at lease 3 times during the workday. Then it was on my feet with our first cheer practice of the season.
Wednesday
Can anyone guess what I had for breakfast? This weekly log is getting boring. Protein coffee & bacon. Yep, again. Then I had somewhere to be at noon (63 cheer uniforms to sort) so I didn't eat much lunch. I had one spoon of peanut butter as I headed out the door. Then I got home and had a few slices of bacon and grapes. Odd, I know. So an early dinner was in order at 4:30.
2 corn tortillas topped with rotisserie chicken left over from the weekend, then add on lettuce, tomato, jalapeño, and cheese. Oh, and did I mention guacamole? Then a spoonful of peanut butter a few hours later.
Thursday
Bacon & Protein Coffee. When I find something I really like that's good for me, I'll eat it way too often and burn out quick. Does that happen to you?
Lunch was my meat & veggie from Personal Trainer Food. Today, was fajita meat & a veggie medley. I like to use Julio's seasoning on my food from Personal Trainer Food.
A spoon of peanut butter before cheer practice at 6:00, then dinner was bacon slices on my high fiber bread. I dove into the veggie tray I had bought for this week's meal prep. Carrots, celery, broccoli & ranch.
Movement: That evening I was active and sweating at cheer practice. Lifting and moving boxes of uniforms. Lots of trips back and forth to the car. It wasn't as much movement as I would like, but it was something. I'll keep working on it.
Friday
Today, Breakfast was fasted. Fasting for me works best when I'm busy or have something that keeps my mind off of food. I was in a hurry to get out of the house that morning and taking time for breakfast was the last thing on my mind.
Tony & I had Longhorn Steakhouse for lunch. We shared a brisket queso appetizer (because I had a coupon). Yummy. My lunch was a chicken tender salad. I had been craving a good salad lately. This one hit the spot.
The chips I ate with the appetizer were guilt free for a few reasons. First, I didn't "overeat" or "binge" eat. Second, I've been eating healthy foods lately. Eating more veggies than the week before. A few chips will keep me from feeling deprived and keep me on track.
My goal is to nourish and fuel my body a little better than the week before. Balance and Baby Steps. Nothing extreme. No depriving myself that leads to "binge" eating. Making slow changes that lead to LASTING habit change. Just trying to make the better choice when I sit down to eat each meal.
Since lunch was larger than normal, I wasn't too hungry for dinner. Being a Friday night, I would typically think, "Woo-Hoo, it's the weekend. Let's FOCUS on food." But instead, this Friday, I said, "Is my body hungry? What does it want?"
I really wanted a carb. I was craving a carb. I had a small bowl of low sugar oatmeal. It was just perfect!
My food log for this week is an example of how I am trying to eat. This is not a representation of what you should eat. Remember, you are unique! We should not all do the same things! Each of us must find our own unique way to eat and move.
My weekly journal is where I am in my journey. This will change and evolve over time. My eating isn't perfect or extreme. It's exactly where it is right now for me. This is my story.