some meal ideas!

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal is my #1 choice( I eat it everyday!)...I eat as much as I want...just put what I want in a huge bowl, add lots of water and microwave for 3 minutes...add sliced strawberries, frozen blueberries...bananas...whatever. Then liquid stevia and skim milk! I add maple extract and crushed nuts sometimes if I don't have fruit I like!

4-6 egg whites: put a diced avocado, salsa( of any kind) onions, sour cream, whatever you like to add flavor!I even add ham, red peppers and onions sometimes instead!

( Have them both or switch off and on for breakfast! ) A big breakfast will get you far for your day and kick starts your metabolism. I don't hold back on how much I eat but I am careful of WHAT I eat.

Lunches:

I eat leftovers from dinner( my qualifications are...no sugar, no cheese and no butter/marj/canola oil...etc...no fried/breaded foods)

I eat whole grain bagels with cream cheese(slather it on there) and lunch meat...preferably turkey or chicken but I do eat ham or roast beef sometimes too. I put sliced cucumbers or alfalfa sprouts on them too.

I eat turkey wraps( see old posts)

I eat salads : Spring mix ) from Winco) with spinach added and cottage cheese( don't measure) and canned beets and dressing( I like Caesar yogurt Bolthouse farms from Winco in salad section, real low sugar in that one...ranch works too)

I love sauteed Mushrooms, zucchini, onions, yellow squash and pepper and salt in olive oil...ooooo yummy!

Another easy good meal ( I got from Quincy) is coconut oil...a teaspoon or so.. ( best oil out there if you have some, it is best cold pressed) with broccoli (sauteed) salted to taste and add a can of Costco canned chicken...mmmm yum! I hate Tuna fish so this is a great sub!

Dinners: I just eat whatever I cooked the night before seeing as how I don't eat past 5pm and my family prefers to eat around 5:30-6pm....or later:) It is not rocket science but the same preferences apply to my dinner choices as previously mentioned. I really don't eat much, portion wise, for dinner. I don't measure it but I use a small plate and only one scoop or so of food. Make it good food so you don't need as much.

Beans, rice and chicken with tortilla chips is a good one ( I add garlic, diced canned tomatoes, 3 beans,cumin, chili powder and salt. I also put sour cream on top to make it creamy)

Spaghetti is a great food! Wheat noodles, sauce is : sausage, 2 cans diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic, salt , black olives, sauteed mushrooms, and onions. Sprinkle a dusting of Parmesan for taste and you are good to go! Remember you are NOT eating for 2 and choose your portions WISELY! DO NOT EAT BREAD with this meal...add a salad for your veggies!

Homemade chicken noodle soup: Boil chicken for like 3-5 hours...the longer you simmer it the better it will taste due to the fact that time releases the natural MSG flavoring in the bones:) Pick out the chicken, strain the broth and add both back to pot. Add... diced onion, celery, red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli..whatever you want...and whole wheat noodles! Have at it!...add some salt and pepper to taste! Easy Peasy!

Never eat bread with your meals...except lunch...bread is just a filler food and does NOT satiate your cravings for food! So keep it to a minimum...REALLY! And...DO NOT EAT CRACKERS of any kind..they are the devil:)

Keep what you do eat worth eating, make it work for you! Make it taste great! Do not eat empty calories, it wastes your body's natural furnace ability! Eat high fat foods like avocados and olive oil...dark meat on chicken, they keep you satisfied but know your limits, it is not a free for all here folks! Be reasonable in your portion sizes but don't measure stuff, it make you become OCD ( Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and crazy!

Let us not forget to exercise at least 5 days per week, at least one hour per day and make it count...no pansy exercise here either folks you actually do have to sweat to make it worth your efforts! GET YOUR HEART RATE UP for at least 30 of those minutes! You figure out your own heart rate scale but I try to hit between 140 and 180 beats per minute to burn the fat. Anaerobic is okay for short spurts but don't get crazy with it. I am a big believer in muscle or body confusion...mix it up. Don't get stuck in that everyday I do the same exact thing rut, your body is smart and will catch on quick. I add different things to my exercise...some days I take a run or something later in the day when the ol bod least expects it! Shake it up! Do like 15 minutes of abs or crunches when you weren't planning to, when you are watching tv like a mindless idiot! Stuff like that helps out tremendously with your progress!

When you are pacing around and can't think of what to eat eat some Adam's peanut butter with a banana or apple, humus and carrots or a handful of nuts ( raw or roasted doesn't matter) go for taste but only a handful..nuts have tons of calories! 125 per 25 almonds or so:)

I ocassionally eat a sugar free jello pudding cup when I really want a treat but limit yourself to just 1(60 calories)

Don't "count" calories but be aware of them, you can't eat like 3000 per day and expect to lose any weight! Be educated and know about your food and then it will become natural. You will intuitively know how much to eat.

Never eat until you are FULL!!!! Only until you are satisfied ( this will take some mental evaluation on your part, especially if you eat to medicate your moods!)

Drink more fluids than you think you need. After 5pm I drink all I want( which results in peeing like a hundred times in the middle of the night)...whatever doesn't have calories that is:) If I feel restless, which happens, I drink a HUGE glass of water and try to occupy my mind with something else! It works!

Keep your goal on your mind...ALWAYS! Especially when you are at a party and feel like eating just that one piece of cake won't hurt...you will start again tomorrow...I will dispel your delusions right now, you won't start again tomorrow...it will take you years to start again so why bother cheating in the first place! Social eating is RIDICULOUS...just DON"T DO IT! You really will not miss out an anything...all you have is to gain...gain strength, empowerment, health...life!

Lastly, but the most important is PRAY! Everyday and thank God for the strength that He gives you to continue on. Gratitude for what you have will get you farther than you think. Relying on Him to help you do this is the only successful way to get it done! I guarantee you you don't have enough strength on your own!