Changes I have made: Now I bring my own lunch, which consists of either a Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones. I just pick whatever one is on sale that week and buy enough to get me through a week or two. I still try to support the cafeteria though and I usually get one of the vegetables they are serving. I enjoy the carrots and green beans they serve. Sometimes I will have have a bag of baked lays or pretzels with my lunch as well.
Caloric Intake: Generally around 500 depending on the specifics of the day.
Snacks: In the past this could range from anything to the donuts a parent brought in, some type of chocolate, or whatever else I could find or that was offered to me.
Changes I have made: My snacks now consist of three choices: Nature Valley Sweet and Salty bar (170 Calories), Pretzels (110 Calories), or Fiber One Oats and Chocolate bar (140). Generally I have one of these during the day. Either between breakfast and lunch or between lunch and the end of the day. Once in awhile, if lunch was lighter I may have one of these snacks in the am or pm.
I have no ideas how many calories I was taking in from snacking during the day, but I guarantee it was much more than any one of these snacks.
Deep Thought of the Day: No doubt about it....this has been one of the hardest things I have ever done, but it's getting better. My body has really adjusted to eating so much less and emotionally the fact that I feel better about myself has helped me to stay focused on the changes I have made.
Good for you Thaddeus! Let's get some almonds and other proteins in those snacks. They'll keep you full longer and they're loaded with nutrients for you, too. They're easy to grab and munch on the go. One thing that has helped me are Myoplex shakes. You can buy the dry powder and mix it at work. It keeps you full and has vitamins and nutrients. That's a big pitfall of prepackaged snack foods; they are a waste of calories because they're lacking the the good stuff that helps your body be healthy, not just thin :)
ReplyDeleteTad, beware of veggies served in the cafeteria - if u don't know how they're prepared you could be taking in a lot of sodium and/or fat. Stick with the raw veggies served and salads if they have them.
ReplyDeleteBudget Gormet - Lean are pretty good too.
The best thing I found was to pack left-overs from the night before when possible, bc the prepackaged food gets tiresome after a bit. Also, keep an eye out on the sodium level in them, some are very high.
I found a good snack to have around during the busy day was mixed nuts (not peanuts). Eating about 15 walnuts, almonds, pecans, will stave off hunger and give you good fats and proteins ur body needs.
I found weekends to be the hardest time bc I have more down time. Your kids should keep u busy though. If that doesn't work, start a new project that will keep ur hands/brain active/busy.
Great work!!! Your doing well!
Tickle....I've heard the almonds and mixed nuts as well. Someone else told me about these protein shakes as well. Very few calories and high in protein. I'm a little hesitant, but I may try it. Getting thinner is my first priority and once I feel like I've got that going strong I'll start to focus on the vitamins/proteins/etc.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous...I thought of you today when I went to the cafeteria. My vegetable choices were corn and peas. I love corn, but know that it's got little nutrional value. Peas...I can't stand! I looked at the salads and saw the cucumbers and had an idea. I asked her if she had cucumbers she could slice and I could have a cup of them. I added one pack of italian dressing (50 calories) and it was great. 1 cup of cucumbers have 8 calories...crazy right! I completely agree with you about weekends being the hardest...the routine during the week really helps. Thanks for the encouragement and for the suggestions.