You Are What You Eat

So it's January 1, 2012.  The first day of a new year.  There are lots of hopes and dreams and new beginnings tied to this day.  One of my hopes and dreams for this year is to finish losing the last 50 pounds.  With that being said, I ate my way through the last two weeks.  And I didn't work out once.  Seriously.  So I will start fresh today.  Go back to the basics and get back on track.  The biggest thing I did this past year to help lose more weight was to cut the majority of carbs and sugars and I eliminated as much processed food as possible (with the exception of the past two weeks).  I also significantly increased my protein intake.
Here is a typical day of food for me (Disclaimer - I am not a doctor.  This is simply what works for me):

Breakfast - Oatmeal.  I LOVE the Better Oats pre-measured packages.  They have a water line on the bag, you add water, microwave for the allotted amount of time and your oatmeal is the same way every time.

Snack #1 - Whey Protein drink.  Let me start by saying I have yet to find a good tasting whey protein mix so I suck it up and usually chug it.  You can buy the powder mix at any grocery store on the organic aisle.

Lunch - Frozen veggies or frozen meal.  I am addicted to the Kashi frozen meals.  They are a little bit more expensive than regular frozen diet dinners, but so delicious!  I also like the Smart Ones dinners and the Healthy Choice as well. 

Snack #2 - I usually mix this one up week to week.  One week it will be an apple and string cheese.  Next week it could be cottage cheese and strawberries.  Apple with peanut butter.  You get the idea!

Dinner - If I had a diet dinner for lunch, then I will have frozen veggies for lunch and vice verse.  I usually buy the store brand of frozen veggies and I'll get the chopped spinach, broccoli and cauliflower, plain broccoli, etc.  I will microwave the entire bag, add Tony's seasoning and you're good to go. 

Dessert - I'm a sweets girl.  I am in LOVE with the Kashi Oatmeal Dark Chocolate cookies.  I'll either have one of those with some almond or coconut milk or a piece of organic dark chocolate with almond or coconut milk. 

Here's a simple secret that really helped me - I ALWAYS have extra snacks with me.  Whether it's fruits and veggies or the mini bags of almonds and walnuts or a Kashi or Luna protein bar.  Pop Chips are also good. There are days when I am counting down the minutes and seconds until lunch and days when it's 2:00PM and I'm still not hungry.  The little extra snacks can help you tame the hunger and not overeat on your next meal. 

The toughest thing for me was cutting carbs and sugars (sorry family and co-workers!).  I still eat some carbs, but healthy ones.  If you want bread, eat whole grain bread.  If you want rice or pasta, have brown rice or wheat pasta.  If you want potatoes, have sweet potatoes. 

Also, drink as much water as possible.  I drink lots of Crystal Light.  During the winter, hot water with lemon juice is a great to use to cleanse your liver and keep you warm!  I cut all soda's long ago and don't miss them at all.  I either drink water or tea. 

So what are your healthy go to snacks and meals?  Any tips or tricks that you have for those extra hungry days?

Until Next Time,