A Day in the Life

So since I have been mostly posting about my workout routines and plans, I thought I would do something different.

Working with Carly (my Registered Dietitian) since July, I have learned a lot and made a lot of strides with my relationship with food. 

I used to be a severe restrictive eater. Not anorexic, but I grew to fear certain food groups (oh, carbs). I bought into the hype that carbs are bad and will keep me fat. As I mentioned when I began this blog, I once did the "Carb Addicts Diet" while I was living in Minnesota. I didn't know enough about proper nutrition to realize that although I thought it was healthy, most days I would be consuming WAY less than 1,000 calories a day. I was doing more harm than good. Between my own research and working with professionals, I have finally found a balance in my eating life where I can eat all the food groups without any guilt. Okay, well if you know me you know that isn't entirely true, there are still some guilt issues. 

Since I have lost about 15 pounds since I started working with Carly- my biggest drop since the fall of 2011 - I decided to post pictures of what an average day for me is like. I was inspired by a friend who had a project for class to post pictures of what she was eating. I am using photos and including times for what it would be like for a week day, since that is when I am most consistent.

I want my readers to understand and accept that food is delicious. Food is medicine. It nourishes and fuels us. I still eat out and have my own "guilty" pleasures that would not be considered health food. But I eat balanced meals and snacks and eat enough to fuel my body for the busy life I lead. 

Here are the pictures!

6:30-7:00am - Breakfast - Overnight Oats 

For my breakfast I mix together the night before:
1/2 cup oats
4 ounces 0% plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 packet splenda
1/4 cup water

In the morning it gets nice and gooey and tastes delicious. If you don't like hot oatmeal, try this! It is thick and gooey like cookie dough.


10:30am - AM Snack -1 orange (or apple), 2 Low Fat/Part Skim String Cheese, 2 Rye Wasa Crackers

1:00pm - Lunch - Sandwich Thin (Wheat with Flax) and 3 ounces Turkey breast, Side salad of Spinach, Romaine, Cucumbers, Tomatoes and 2 tbsp Reduced Fat dressing, 1 piece of fruit (this day I had strawberries in my salad)

3:30pm - PM Snack - 6 ounce 0% greek yogurt and Almonds
 

6:00pm - Dinner - 3 ounces of lean protein (splurging and having yummy sirloin here), 1 cup of starch (wheat pasta), 1 cup+ veggies (steamed green beans)

Not pictured, but just as important is beverages. One important part of my plan with Carly is that I have 1 cup of skim or 1%  milk every morning. I'm not a milk drinker so I drink that as soon as I get up in the morning to get it out of the way. Then I have around 1-1 1/2 cups of coffee. I put 2 rounds of the Keurig in a thermos and lug it to work. In my coffee I put 1 tbsp non-fat creamer and 2-3 splenda packets. The rest of the day is nothing but water. I have a 22 ounce water bottle and I fill it up 3-4 times during the day and evening. With dinner I let myself have 1 can of diet soda. Usually diet Coke or Pepsi Max. 

So there is an example of a day in the life of my nutrition. Other snacks I love during the day are celery or broccoli and hummus, air popped popcorn, FiberOne granola bars, and mixed nuts. I still make room for dinners like my families famous Kielbasa and Noodle casserole and taco night with Russ, but I watch portions and always pair things with a small side salad full of veggies. 

Thanks for checking in and reading, please feel free to leave comments or questions. :)