I'm Still Here....

Hi Everyone, sorry I've been neglecting my blog...I know how invested you are with what I eat. :) The main reason I haven't been journaling my food is that I have been experimenting with a new food plan.....PALEO! I am not zoning my proportions at the moment and won't be for a couple weeks. I want to see if I can get away without measuring & weighting my food.
The biggest revelation I've discovered so far is how easy it is to give up dairy. I thought I would miss my cottage cheese & milk, but it's been fine.
FYI : I'm not super strict on my paleo, I do eat some store-bought products. I obviously make sure there isn't any dairy or soy in it, but things like mustard, mayo, spagetti sauce, salsa, etc are ridiculous to make when you work full time and crossfit.

Thursday

Breakfast
Chicken
Cantaloupe
Walnuts

Lunch
1 can Tuna (In water, No salt added) with mayo, celery, bell pepper, mustard, salt, pepper
Handful Spinach
Avocado
Cherry Tomatoes
Dressing: Juice from 1 lemon, olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper

Snack
Cherry Larabar

Dinner
1/2 Peach
Almonds

Chicken Patty
1 Portabella Mushroom
Handful Spinach
Avocado
Lemon Dressing

Handful Grapes

Monday

Breakfast

2 Eggs

A little Salsa

1/2 Avocado

3 Apriots

2P, 1C, 5F

Lunch

Mix together:

1 Can of Tuna

1 Tablespoon Mayo

A little Mustard

A little chopped red bellpepper

Handful of Spinach

Tomatoes

Carrots

9 Almonds

1/2 Nectarine

3P, 2C, 6F

Snack

1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese

1/2 Nectarine

15 Almonds

2P, 1C, 5F

Dinner

4 oz Steak

1/2 Cup Sweet Potatoes

1 Cup Broccoli

1/2 Avocado

1 Tablespoon Sunflower Butter + a little more

4P, 3C, 7F

Thursday

Breakfast
2 Eggs
A little Salsa
1/4 Avocado
1 Large Peach

2P, 2C, 2F

Lunch
3 oz Chicken
Salad: Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Cucumber, Tomato, Feta
A little Balsamic Dressing
1/2 Avocado
1/2 Apple
A little Sunflower Butter

3P, 2C, 6F

Snack
2 oz Chicken
1/3 Banana
15 Almonds

2P, 1C, 5F

Dinner: Tacos
2 Corn Tortilla (2C)
3 oz Ground Beef with Taco Seasoning & Bellpepper, Onion
1 oz Cheese
Salsa
Romaine Lettuce
1/2 Avocado

3P, 3C, 3F

Snack
1 Cup Whole Milk

1P, 1C, 1F

Tuesday

Breakfast
2 Eggs
1 oz Turkey
Vegs: Spinach, Bellpepper, Mushroom
Salsa
18 Almonds

3P, 2C, 6F

Lunch
3 oz Pork Tenderloin
Small Salad: Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Carrots, Feta
1/2 Apple
18 Almonds

3P, 2C, 6F

Snack
1/3 Banana
1 oz Turkey
Walnuts

1P, 1C, 1F

Dinner
4.5 oz Ground Beef Patty
Vegs: Cabbage, Squash, Zucchini w/ a little Teryaki Sauce
2 Tablespoon Almond Butter
1 Peach

3P, 2C, 6F

Snack
1/4 Cup Cottage Cheese
1 Cup Strawberries
3 Almonds

1P, 1C, 1F

Monday

Breakfast

2 Eggs

1 oz Ham

Vegs: Spinach & Bell pepper

Salsa

12 Walnuts

3P, 2C, 6F

Lunch

3 oz Chicken Deli Meat

1 Apple

2 Tablespoon Sunflower Butter

3P, 2C, 6F

Snack

1 oz Sausage

1/3 Banana

3 Almonds

Dinner

4 oz Pork Tenderloin w/ Teriyaki Sauce

1 small Artichoke

Side Salad: Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Cucumber, Tomato & Feta

2 Tablespoon Mayo, Thousand Island, Chile Sauce Mixture

4F, 3C, 6F

 

Scheduled Cheat Meals: GOOD or BAD?

Just finished reading an interesting blog at www.byersgetsdiesel.com about cheat days/meals and it really got me thinking about my own diet. As you all know, I eat zone strictly 5 days a week with 2 cheat days, where one day I will only eat a cheat dinner & dessert and the 2nd day where I eat whatever I want all day. This schedule definitely works for me... but is it the ultimate way to incorporate my cheat meals?

I know my fellow zoner, Jenna never schedules a cheat day/meal. She eats zone every meal she is able to, yet if she goes to a BBQ or out to dinner for a special occasion, then she will eat what she wants and cheats. This is exactly what Melissa talks about and recommends in her blog. It is a far less blow to your insulin sensitivity, GI tract, mental health and wellness if you slip in a cheat meal in between clean eating versus having an entire cheat day. Not to mention your recovery from your cheat meals will be a lot faster.

I also liked the other topics Melissa touched on:
1. Asking yourself if you really need something
2. Eating only as much to satisfy craving

I don't think I ever really ask myself if I need something on my zone or cheat days, because on my zone days the answer is an automatic NO and on my cheat days I eat what I want and never think twice about it. I think this is an important question to keep your cheat days in check and also to help you distinguish if it is a special occasion and is worth the cheat.

Now this second topic is a hard one...because it takes a lot of self control. Who out there can take a couple bites of ice cream or eat 1 cookie and then stop?
The other night, Luke and I along with his family went out for ice cream. I, of course ate my whole thing where as perfect Jenna only ate half of hers. Once I noticed Jenna had stopped eating her ice cream, I thought about mine and if I could stop....was my craving satisfied? I think if I would have asked myself this direct question, I would have answered YES. Another thing that really helps in deciding if your cravings are satisfied is to stop eating and wait 5 minutes. More than likely after 5 minutes, you will find your cravings have subsided and you don't want anymore.

So with all that said, I think I need to examine my scheduled cheat days. For a few weeks, I will try slipping in the cheat meals at special occasions and see how it works. What do you guys think out there?

Wednesday

Breakfast
2 Eggs
A little Salsa
1/4 Avocado
1 White Nectarine

2P, 2C, 2F

Lunch
Handful of Spinach & Romaine Lettuce
Tomatoes
Carrots
1-1/2 oz Ham
1-1/2 oz Turkey
Avocado
A little Dressing

1/2 Apple

3P, 2C, 6F

Snack
1/3 Yam
2 oz Chicken
10 Walnuts

2P, 1C, 5F

Dinner
1 oz Cheese
1/2 Apple

2 oz Chicken
Vegs: Zucchini, Squash, Bellpepper, Onion
A little Teriyaki Sauce

2 Tablespoon Sunflower Butter

3P, 2C, 6F

Snack: Milkshake
1 Cup Whole Milk
Ice
Splash of Vanilla Extract
Stevia
Cinnamon
3 Almonds

1P, 1C, 1F