A StarKist love affair

Since I've been doing THIS I have become much more aware of what I am eating.  I'm on a super-mission to really make this month count in my weight loss goals and longer term general new fitness/life.

To make the most of my exercise I try to eat a healthy balanced diet, even more so, on days when I don't exercise I try to eat even better because that is the only want to keep on track.  Here is what I have eaten today so far:

9AM Breakfast:  Instant Oatmeal (Plus a handful of dried blueberries, a tablespoon of brown sugar, a generous tablespoon of ground flax seed, a dash of cinnamon and a dash of vanilla extract.) And, coffee. Duh. (About 250 calories)

2PM Lunch: Tuna Sandwich. (One packet of Star Kist Tuna Creations Sweet & Spicy prepared with a tablespoon of mayonnaise on two slices of Arnold Double Fiber Bread with a sprinkle of Sweet & Spicy Mustard and a generous slice of Cheddar cheese on top.  I toast it open to make it warm.) (About 400 calories)

I know. I KNOW... this is not much food.  I usually have a string cheese late morning.  I drink almost a half gallon a day of crystal light Iced Tea, and thats on top of a few Diet Sodas. 

I haven't always eaten this way.  I used to nibble and nosh all the time, constantly, hourly.  Right after Noah was born I was on a mission to eat my weight in M&Ms.  I have stopped that sort of snacking, obviously.  It has taken me a about six months to get used to eating less.  I kept a food diary for a few days on and off and it helped me get a sense of my calories and what I was snacking on.  Mainly, for me, the food diary helped me see how fast calories add up. 

So far, before dinner, I've only eaten about 650 calories  and that is on the low side for a nursing mother who is also exercising.  I need to eat a good dinner so avoid a massive snack-urge later tonight. 

I have found through trial and error that what works for me is a high protein diet.  And I don't exactly LIKE protein.  I could easily be a vegetarian or at least I don't normally crave meat.  I went years without eating steak until I was pregnant last year and somehow it just reappeared in my life all charcoal grilled and delicious.  So, aside from chicken and fish and beef I had to really expand my eating horizons to find good sources of protein.  Here are a few:  beans (add some to a garden salad, mix into tuna or chicken salad), eggs (scrambled using Pam or EVOO - not butter, hard-boiled and added to a salad or enjoyed with some spicy mustard and a tomato and a piece of whole grain toast, cheese and yogurt and milk are also great sources of protein.  I also like Morningstar Farms meatless snacks and sausages. 

I want to emphasize, for me, it took time. I could have eaten a perfect diet the day after Noah was born but I was still craving other foods.  It takes a long time of forcing yourself to eat well for it to really FEEL good. 

Moral?  Start small.  Make a small change today.  Serve an extra vegetable at dinner tonight.  Eat an apple after dinner.  Have a glass of milk while you watch TV after instead of buttered popcorn.

Comments

[Hilary]

I hear you on the Tuna Tirade. The stuff is pure magic and it is also super-high in protein AND contains zero carbs. I might die of mercury poisoning but I don't care.

[Sarah Lena]

These are all good goals. Back before the babeh, I ate a consistent lunch of a tuna pack (tuna, crackers, low-fat mayo and splenda sweetened relish), and drank 2 cans of V8 throughout the day. Low (almost non) fat, veggies, proteins, and omega 3s.

I should probably get back to that.