What I Ate Wednesday: Intuitive Eating

Happy Wednesday!  Another week with a peak into what I eat on the daily.  Not always the same but always aiming to eat 4-5 meals each day, lots of nutrient-dense foods, some ‘fun’ foods, and some quality protein to help with those muscle gains.  I do have a certain amount of macronutrients I try to eat each day but am really trying to listen to my body more instead of eating my consistent meals I feel comfortable with.  I do not track calories currently and I haven’t for over 6 months-this was a huge step for me and I would love to show others the light when it comes to NOT counting calories.  However, I am a creature of habit and crave consistency.  I like my meals that I eat so I always think “why should I change them?”.  This may be OK for some but I am realizing this is unhealthy for my body and mind.  I should want to add more variety to my meals than I have been allowing myself.  And it is OK to eat outside of your comfort zone and try new things with your eating patterns.  Let’s see  how this panned out shall we?

breakfast//1/2 cup oats cooked with MTS vanilla whey protein powder, topped with blueberries and cinnamon with about 2 Tbsp coconut butter drizzled on top

I made a version of these oatmeal into pancakes the other weekend….just sayin’.  I wanted to eat my usual breakfast since I knew the rest of the day would be a little inconsistent with food choices.  I swear I am addicted to coconut butter and just can’t shake it…

lunch//kale, carrot, and avocado salad I made for a potluck topped with 4 oz of swai fish (I had broughten this myself to add some protein) and then a paleo pumpkin bar I made earlier this week. Along with bites of cauliflower mashed potatoes and hummus and veggies.

Listening to my body meant eating a kale and avocado salad instead of my usual roasted or steamed vegetables.  Finishing lunch with a pumpkin bar because they are HEALTHY and not because I cared about the macronutrients in it.

4 pm pre-workout work snack// Quest peanut butter and jelly bar, almonds, organic Chocolate O’s cereal

Listening to my body meant eating my usual 4 pm snack because I needed some fuel for my workout. Not skimping on food because I had more than usual at lunch.

dinner//black bean veggie burger with more avocado, Joseph’s high fiber whole grain wrap, and Trader Joe’s cruciferous blend of kale, broccoli slaw, and brussels sprouts with nutritional yeast and Sriracha.

Listening to my body meannt eating more vegetables after dinner because my body was craving greens.  And eating more healthy fat in the form of avocado because I love it.  No other reason needed.

dessert// A protein brownie made with 1 scoop protein powder, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1/4 cup almond milk, and 1 tsp baking powder and microwaved for 20 seconds topped with 1/2 Tbsp Enjoy Life chocolate chips and 2 Tbsp peanut butter.

Dessert to me means something with peanut butter. And if I can add some chocolate, that is fine by me!  I never used to think I could buy chocolate chips and eat them in moderation.  Well, times have changed and I can’t believe I have had a huge bag of Enjoy Life chocolate chips (they are dairy, soy, and gluten free and I found them at Walmart…I usually just buy dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips…doesn’t matter to me) in my freezer for months and don’t even “crave chocolate” anymore because I know I can always add some into my meals and not feel like I am eating a “cheat food”.

You know what surprised me by switching up my meals?  I love what I eat. And that’s OK.  I love trying new foods as well. And that’s OK.

Everyone is going to get to their happy place with their nutrition intake.  I am still working on it!!  But the fact that I feel healthy and happy inside and out should be a good starting place.

What I Ate Wednesday-Feeding My Body

Hi guys!

Welcome to the most fabulous day in the healthy living blog-world-What I Ate Wednesday!  The premise is to document all that you eat in one day (Tuesday usually) in order to post this on Wednesday for all to see.

I love the idea behind this because 1) I love getting new ideas from others when I feel like my food is getting boring 2) There are so many ways to prepare similar foods and I love to see how others create their recipes 3) I love getting a glimpse into how many times people eat per day, the nutrients they take in, and how they plan out their meals each day!  I especially like to just see how people are living life! So, here goes a day for me.  Thank you Jenn for the amazing link-up!

Breakfast was Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough protein oatmeal.  I combined 1/2 cup of oats with 1/2 scoop of whey protein powder (Cellucor Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor) and water and cooked in the microwave for 2 minutes.  Then I mixed in 1/4 cup pumpkin puree and drizzled with salty peanut butter and a couple of shavings from a stevia-sweetened chocolate bar (from Sprouts).

I ate lunch in different parts. Lunch was a great combo of Cilantro Lemon swai (used a Cilantro Lemon chutney as marinade) and green beans (seasoned with Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb) along with a lightly salted brown rice cake and 2 packets of Justin’s maple almond butter.  My snack was a Banana Nut Quest bar and almonds in my handy tin. So inconspicuous!

 

I made a quick trip to Sprouts after work.  So many delicious food finds. That gingerbread spice milk chocolate bar will probably be mine in the near future.  And these pancake mixes are actually pretty healthy with little fat, 24 grams of carbohydrates, and a short ingredient list as well!  I also tried out the Coconut La Croix flavor. UMMMM THE BEST.  Like literally perfect. I need to go buy 10 more and stock up.  I swear I forgot about this flavor until I saw it resting on a shelf misplaced, looking for someone to buy it.

 

 

Dinner was my take on “fried rice” and it is so easy you may pee your pants.  I took 1 egg, 3/4 cup egg whites and scrambled with green onions, cilantro, and coconut oil in a saute pan.  I took my precooked brown rice and warmed up 3/4 cup of that as well.  Then I steamed 2 cups of broccoli slaw in another bowl.  All you do is layer the three parts together (eggs, rice, and broccoli slaw) and add Bragg’s liquid aminos, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger powder, and Sriracha!  High protein, high fiber fried (brown) rice!!  I didn’t mix all the broccoli slaw in and had some on the side. I also had some of the new bread I had gotten at Sprouts-Alvarado Street Bakery Flax Seed Bread-with PB2 and homemade pumpkin butter!

 

 

 

Last meal of the day-yes I eat 5 meals a day (!) -was a HUGE smoothie and 2 chocolate rice cakes with more peanut butter. Gosh, is it weird I have peanut or almond butter with every meal?! Yikes. I am an addict. Someone help me.

The smoothie had 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 scoop Trutein Red Velvet cake protein powder, a pinch of xantham gum (for thickness), 6 ice cubes and water!  So so good. I swear the xantham gum is magical.  Tastes like froyo!  Oh and I tried to make my smoothie fancy by putting it in my lovely PITT stemless wine glass.

I have come to that realization that health and fitness has no final destination.  It has no end.  There is no stopping point.  Just because I ate donuts and sushi and wine 3 days ago does not mean I can’t eat green beans and almonds today.  This is a lifestyle with no end point.  That is why I plan on feeding my body.  To make small changes along the way that add up. To not stop, as you will always start again in some way.  I encourage you to challenge your “diet” mentality and think the same way.  There is no “end” to a healthy lifestyle!

Thanks for all the love. See you all tomorrow.