1. Tracking. I still suck at this. I signed up for myfitnesspal.com and I LOVE the site, right? However, I forget to log in and track or I avoid it if I know I had a terrible day or I make up some excuse or I just flat out forget that it even exists. I do have the app downloaded on my ipod Touch. I did do okay with it for a while.
2. Progress pics. I used to have a page on my blog for it but took it down. I want/need some to compare along the way to hopefully inspire someone else one day the way I am inspired by other bloggers!
3. Breakfast! I always eat breakfast, but I get sick of 'breakfast foods' like cereal. I would like to come up with 5 different breakfasts that I rotate between that are about 150-200 calories. I don't need anything too heavy in the morning because I drink a lot of coffee and don't even like to have food with it because I'd prefer the caffeine buzz. I know, I am so Effed in the head about how this works..... I want the 'menu' to obviously have a protein, perhaps a fruit/veg and really low carb. I'm also backwards in the sense that I totally don't mind using calories on creamer for my coffee, I have to have flavored creamer or I die. Not really, but still.
My ideas for breakfast:
1. 1/2 c. cottage cheese and a small can of V8 low sodium (150 cals)
2. 2 scrambled eggs (190 cals) (Throw in some mushrooms, tomato or peppers if I have them)
3. ???????????????????????? Help
4. ?????????????? Hard to believe I'm this clueless, huh?
5.
4. Low Carb ideas in general - I suck at it. I quit buying bread a long time ago, I did get some bagel thins and sandwich thins and I keep them in the freezer. They do toast well when frozen (I toast them in the oven because I don't own a toaster). I often eat on almonds or cashews, raw cauli, turkey & cheese rollups, boiled or scrambled eggs, cheese, yogurt............ What are some other quick ideas for low carb foods?
Sorry if I sound like a helpless whiny little bish, I'm just lost in the world in some areas. I'm not going crazy on no carb, but want to make some good substitutions. I am eating as much fruit as possible right now because it's summer's end and the season will soon be over. I know true 'low carb' says fruit is a no-no, but f*ck all that for right now because soon it will be winter and I'll be back to the choices of old crop apples, oranges with green spots on the skin and sour strawberries.
April, you are so awesome...
ReplyDeleteAnd I <3 you!
I have a few non low carb breakfasts...
1) WEight Watchers Egg Sandwich with Canadian Bacon - 210 (travels really well)
2) WAFFLES - 2 lowfat Stop and Shop waffles plus 1/4cup Vermont Maple Syrup plus a few sprays I Can't Believe its Not Butter Spray - 185 calories. YUM.
Have you thought about making a smoothie? I'm sorry I'm not helpful, lol.
Have Google, will travel.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mrbreakfast.com/index.asp
He has an entire section with healthy breakfast ideas. Also, do you like oatmeal? Or maybe pancakes? Yogurt is also good.
Lately, I've been having smoothies for breakfast. Yogurt, spinach, fruit, milled flax and milk. It's good and filling (for me). My friend does it too, but then adds an egg or two because it doesn't fill her up.
Two things...first off, I track all my food the night BEFORE I eat it. It really helps me to plan things out 24 hours in advance. If I eat something that I didn't plan on, or change things around, I just go back that night and fix it when I'm inputting my info for the next day. It's a little bit of work, but there's a big pay off. Not only are you tracking, but there's a lot less impulse eating.
ReplyDeleteI used to be TOTALLY addicted to flavored coffee creamer. Then I started using non-dairy creamer with Torani sugar free syrups. It's not exactly the same, but my coffee is still yummy, and it's really like a 6th of the calories. I use two servings of non-dairy creamer in my coffee, and the torani is calorie free, so that's only 20 calories. The skinny coffee mate creamers are still pretty heavy in calories in comparison. Just a few tips.
Protein shake! They will give you the energy you need and you can make them low carb, if you get the right protein powder. They say mix with water, but I really don't like the taste unless I mix it with milk.
ReplyDeleteI like to eat oatmeal. Not low carb, but has enough fiber to counteract the carbs.
Turkey bacon with an egg or turkey bacon on your bagel thin.
I'm sick of oatmeal and shredded wheat. :) I think I'll try some more smoothie recipes or protein shakes because I don't like to 'cook' in the mornings and don't like it when my fresh work clothes smell like food. I'm real weird, you will all learn more and more about my oddities and quirks as we go, haha. I've been thinking about switching to the Torani syrups, I like vanilla-caramel and when I use the caramel (at a coffee bar) it always reminds me of scorched sugar and I hate it. Maybe I'll get myself used to the vanilla for a while then expand.
ReplyDeleteomg is that bisquit and gravy breakfast seriously 10000 calories?
ReplyDeleteBreakfast is my least favorite meal as far as what is served conventionally. I figure food is food. I was always the gonna eat the cold pizza for breakfast girl. But now it can be gonna eat the cold low carb quiche (if I were so fancy) but basically it is what ever is food and once upon a time I would check the tracker before it made it to my mouth....
DaVinci is cheaper than Torani, and I burned myself out of french vanilla and then went to hazelnut...of course sugar free...but now I have discovered sugar free caramel. If you mix Caramel with Hazelnut you get Snickerdoodle, did you know?
In my decadent month of August...I did try the spiced chai frappucino omg...like pumpkin pie shake.
I am trying breakfast without carbs, too, and it's not easy. So far, this is what I have come up with.
ReplyDelete-2 scrambled eggs, or 3 whites, with mushrooms and a bit of cheese.
-Turkey bacon and 1 egg.
-Yogurt with a few blueberries or strawberries.
-A piece of deli ham or turkey spread with cream cheese or a slice of cheese, rolled up. (Put a toothpick in these and they can be made the night before and put in a bag for travel to work.)
-1 Tbsp peanut butter on 1/2 of an apple or banana. I used to put this on my multi-grain toast, but...no more toast.
-Smoothie made with spinach or fruit, protein powder, water and ice cubes.
I do SF Carnation Instant Breakfast..every morning, haha. :) I'm no good for breakfast ideas.
ReplyDeleteI'm horrible at breakfast too! I usually eat yogurt and fruit but my 10 I'm hungry again. The hubby and I just had this conversation earlier today about finding healthy breakfasts that are also filling.
ReplyDeleteI've also started using a protein shake mix from Arbonne. YUMMY!
Oh my crap on a stick - this list could be mine!
ReplyDeleteOk here are a few ideas:
ReplyDeleteI usually have about 300 calories for my breakfast. I like scrambled eggs with salsa in a tortilla. You can also do scrambled eggs with spinach in a toasted English muffin. Other good breakfast ideas that don't include eggs are protein shakes, frozen waffles, sliced fruit on cottage cheese, peanut butter on toast...
BodyBuilding.com also has a good community or the Spark. Good healthy eating websites are - http://healthy-delicious.com, http://www.skinnytaste.com, http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com, http://www.muffintinmania.com
As far as tracking goes, I'm really crappy at it too. What I did is made up a meal plan for the week with all my meals and snacks to 1350 calories. This provides me with structure so I just grab the food off the list without trying to count calories. I aim for 1500 a day so the 1350 gives me padding for the inevitable end of the day snack. Day to day trying to add things up in my head or find the time to write them down just never happens.
As far as low carb - obviously everyone runs their own diet and has different goals. My personal opinion and you can take it or leave it is that you should at least have one carb with breakfast and one with lunch. Carbs are energy and if you cut them out entirely you'll be dragging. You can do dinner without one but it's good to put a little cash in the bank before you start your day.
Anyway, I enjoy your blog. Keep it up!
As far as tracking, maybe you can pair it with something that you always remember to do. I track right after I eat most of the time so I'm in the habit now, but I often used to forget to take my multivitamin. Now I track it too, and haven't missed a day since because the "0" stands out. Maybe you can put a little post-it on your bathroom mirror or something so when you brush your teeth you say, "Oh yeah!" :)
ReplyDeletei sometimes toast an english muffin, then put a laughing cow cheese wedge, tomato, cucumbers and a slice or two of turkey on it....its glorious, filling and low in cals.....
ReplyDeleteI am on WW and my typical breakfast is around 10 points, or 500 calories. I couldn't survive starting the day on 150-200 calories, but I guess when you throw in the creamer, you would be closer to 300?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I make crustless quiches all the time - who needs to waste (I just typed waist - ha!) calories on the crust? Just mix in egg beaters/egg any veggie/meat you have and cheese - you can make a couple quiches on the weekend then just heat them up each morning.
http://mybizzykitchen.com/2010/07/07/another-crustless-quiche/
Hope that helps!
I haven't changed my breakfast for a while - I've been eating a whole-wheat english muffin with peanut butter and jam, a glass of milk and fruit for a while now.
ReplyDeleteA former breakfast selection was a bowl of old fashioned oatmeal with frozen berries and milk (sweetened with a little bit of brown sugar and splenda).
I'm relieved that I'm no longer tracking - it's the one of the worst things about dieting. I like Jillian's idea of writing down food before eating it. That's actually what my therapist had me do (no eating unless it's written down!).
I have a hard time with breakfast also cause I don't have a lot of time in the morning. Heck, I have a hard time with lunch cause I don't prepare enough & I don't want to cook or deal with it while I'm working. I'm weird! I am one that can eat the same thing for days though so I do a lot of oatmeal, love cold oats!, boiled eggs, string cheese, fruit of course, veggies sometimes, laughing cow cheese on crackers... I know you said you're watching carbs but maybe there are low carb options you can mush it on:-) The tracking thing was an issue for me at first but now I feel like I'm missing something if I don't do it so I have been tracking daily, sometimes it does feel like a hassel but I regret it if I don't do it:-)
ReplyDeleteTracking was a struggle at first, I tried an app on my phone, an app on the computer, the WW trackers, made my own tracker.... What works for me are those little blank books they sell at rhe book store. I make my own up and now it is not such a chore
ReplyDeleteProgress pictures, just take them and leave them in the camera, no big deal
Breakfast, I eat the same thing all the time so its a o brainer
Low carb ideas.... I haunt all the blogs to find ideas (works for the brakfast comment above)
Good luck
I just found your blog, and I totally relate to the flavored creamer or death comment! ;)
ReplyDeleteWeekday mornings mean a quick breakfast for me. I always have a serving of fruit or veggies with it. Period. Some of my favorites:
- low fat waffle with fruit and light whipped cream
-green monster smoothies
-Eggs!! I love omelets (I save those for the weekends though, and fill them with veggies and low fat cheeses), poached eggs over toast, any which way.
-Bagel thins with low fat cream cheese.
-A toasted english muffin with peanut butter/banana OR olive oil, tomato, and mozzarella OR broccoli and cheese on top.
I know ALL of those have carbs, but I'm not a fan of the low carb dieting. It's just not for me. I try to stick to whole grains and fruits when I can, but I'll never perfect that ;) I also track points vs calories, but my breakfasts average about 300 calories. If I skimp too much on breakfast, I'm snacky the rest of the day.
I just discovered Dannon OIKOS Honey-on-the-Bottome Greek yogurt, and I am in LOVE!! It's got more protein and less carbs than regular yogurt. It's also a thicker, creamier texture and I always feel like it's so indulgent!
ReplyDeleteAlso, when the yummy fresh summer fruit goes away, I love buying the frozen three-berry mix at Costco ... I know it has strawberries, blueberries and I think raspberries are the third berry. I like to heat them up a little and mix them into yogurt. They are also great in oatmeal. I bet they would taste fantastic in a smoothie, or even pancakes. I am dreading the end of summer produce ... once the apples are past season it is SO hard for me to enjoy fruit.