I've been trying to make a "What I Ate Wednesday" post for about a week now. I thought maybe I would do it on Wednesday and tried to take pictures of everything I ate on Tuesday to prepare. Then I forgot.
So I figured I would do it on Thursday and actually post what I ate on that Wednesday. Then I forgot. I did manage to snag a few pictures of what I have been eating and wanted to write a little bit about that. As many of you know, something that has always worked for me to manage my weight and focus on what I am eating is Weight Watchers. I recommitted myself to Weight Watchers at the beginning of this year to get my weight under control after it had been slowly creeping up for a number of months, and really a number of years. It was 2011-2012 that I had my long term major success with weight loss, going from about 215 lbs to I believe my lowest point being 148. I worked to get under 150, which is the number that the Body Mass Index says is healthy weight for my height. I have my own problems with that scale, but anyways, 150 has always been a milestone for me. I think I was under 150 lbs for a couple weeks in 2012 and over the years have been up and down a bit from there. I spent all of last year wanting to get away from an obsession with the numbers and didn't weigh myself for a year.
This January when I returned to Atlanta after the holidays, I weighed myself and was at 172. Over the past 8 months I've gotten back to around 150-152 and have seen 149 a few times on the scale, although not consistently. Weight fluctuates around runs, hydration levels, etc. but I am feeling good about the progress I've made to be back to around the lowest weight I've been in my adult life. I am still working to not focus so much on a number because it is just that, a number, and instead focus on being strong and healthy and fit. But, it is nice to be able to see some progress in yourself and the way you look AND see the number go down!
So let's talk a little bit about what I've been eating. In general, I try and do meal prep on the weekend and then I end up eating the same things throughout the week.
The past two weeks I have been on a big cereal and berries kick and have been starting each day with a big bowl full of berries and 1 cup (I measure it out) of Special K cereal. They have these sugary kinds that I like so I have been working through Special K Chocolately Delight but sometimes I just like straight cheerios or something like that. I also start the day with water and coffee. I eat breakfast around 8:30 a.m. and then around 10:30 have a snack of a banana.
For lunch, this week I had prepped some Thai peanut pulled chicken for lunch and have been enjoying that in little lettuce wraps with broccoli slaw. It takes some prep and is a little messy but its super delicious and I loved having this for lunches throughout the week.
I don't take any other pictures of my food but in the afternoon I would have snacks of grapes, carrots, green beans, apples, and hard boiled eggs. Last week for dinner I had omelets with spinach, mushrooms, cheese, and avocado on top. The week before I had baked chicken breast with asparagus. And for lunch I was making a really delicious quinoa salad that I would eat every day. The quinoa salad had mushrooms, onions, cucumber, tomato, carrots, bean sprouts, goat cheese, and it was freaking delicious. I made this before, recreated from something I ate at Kale Me Crazy.
Oh and I found some pictures of eggs and an apple in case you don't know what they look like.
So It has been working for me. In the afternoons when I feel like I need a snack, or just in general, I usually tend to have a bag of veggie pop chips or a Kind bar. At work we generally usually have a massive stash of Kind bars at work so I like to have those every now and then.
And of course, I indulge and I have beer and snacks and eat out. I mix all of that into my regular tracking of points and make it work. I like to have a social life and I like to have snacks, so I try really hard during the days to have my lunches and my snacks be within a certain points range, while still keeping me full and satisfied.
Of course, with the running I am doing, I also just listen to my body. It is important to keep myself fueled for my runs and replenished after my runs so I am very careful about that. Chocolate milk is delicious post run and good for you and as long as I track it, I make it work.
On the weekends before long runs I have a big breakfast and eat immediately after whatever I need to eat. I am going to start to eat before my long runs in the morning. I have been going out with friends and enjoying brunch, tacos, wine, nachos, and more. Some of which I probably should have been more careful about but it has all been fit in to my lifestyle. Sometimes nachos happen. Sometimes (a lot of times) beer happens. Sometime cookies happen (the chocolate ones in the Tupperware were delicious) but I make it work. We had those cookies at a work catered lunch. I didn't eat any of the cookies at the catered lunch because I hadn't planned for them that day but I did take a couple and ate them after the triathlon and they were amazing.
I am human. I have bad days though where I do eat the cookies when I wasn't planning on it. When I make unhealthy choices. Brunch is delicious. I don't want to be in a world where brunch is off limits.
These healthy choices and balances, combined with the fact that the exercise I am doing allows me to eat more food than if I weren't running 30 miles a week, I've been able to be successful. It's been work and I have been off for weeks at a time but right now my weight is fluctuating around 150-152. I feel good and I think I look good.
There are many days that I feel big though. Sometimes when I still see pictures and think "Ooph." and I am working to work past that. I want to be healthy mentally and physically. And yes, I do still want to see if I can be a bit lower than where I am now. If I can't? That's okay. But I am going to try. It might take me a while. I want to to do it while still experiencing and living life.
In essence, I hope the takeaway here is that I am working hard to eat healthy. I've lost weight this year and I have worked at it. But I have also not deprived myself. I have made sacrifices where I am okay making sacrifices. No cookies at the unexpected work lunch? That's fine. And eaten where I have wanted to eat. Nachos and wine for dinner with a friend? Okay for one night. Back to omelets for dinner the next time. I love the progress I am seeing and want to see more and hope it will come in due time.
I write this to you on a day that I ate: cereal and a banana for breakfast, TWO servings at the stir fry restaurant for lunch and lots of goat cheese, 3 stolen Dove chocolates from my coworkers desk and 5 stolen chocolate and caramel candies from my coworker who just got back from vacation, and a beer, a protein shake and an apple for dinner. Yesterday I had a huge breakfast of a bacon frittatta, grits and champagne, followed by cheezits, cereal, protein bars, and a whole bunch of other randomness throughout the rest of the day. And let's not even talk about Saturday's entire bag of Skinny Pop devoured, chicken fingers, and french fries for dinner, the beer, or the chocolate chip cookies I accidentally ate over wine with a friend on Friday.
Sometimes you have bad weekends. IT HAPPENS. I'm not beating myself up, but instead, just trying my best. Thanks for being a part of the journey with me!
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