You don't have to eat less, you just have to eat right..

Hi everyone :)

This week post is all going to be about food.. which can be your best friend or your worst enemy.
But first - I had another really successful week with alot of exercising and group fitness classes and bike rides..burning ALOT of calories with every workout ..around 400-600 per session :) :) I am now only 600 grams from reaching 20 kg total loss!!!!

Now back to the important stuff. As I have mentioned in previous posts before, I used to have a dependency on alot of bad foods.. from energy drinks and coke being my beverage of choice, biscuits, chocolate, ice cream, takeaways like Mcdonalds, Pizzas, Noodle Canteen... alot of the time it was 'easier' to get takeaways for dinner, or at least it seemed easier. 
I would do some exercise, and fool myself into thinking that the exercise I just did justified me eating those foods because I'd worked it off. How wrong was I haha...but I think it demonstrates the attitude I had back then to the whole process. It was about being able to eat whatever I wanted, making excuses and taking short cuts. 


I had been complaining to everyone that I never have any success with weight loss, I've tried everything blah blah blah. I even went to the doctors. One day a friend suggested to me I should count calories. My calorie allowance to just live day to day is around 2000 calories (for weight loss around 1300-1400 per day) , and I think this is the norm for most people. I bought a book that had all of NZ foods /groceries in it as well as went through the MyFitnessPal database and spent an evening researching my favourite and frequently consumed foods.  It's safe to say that it was huge shock to learn that drinks I was having were easily around 400 calories each, takeaways ranging from 1000-1300 per serving, slices of pizza around 400 calories. Even foods which I'd made at home that were not considered that unhealthy were pretty bad (especially the amounts we were having.) My jaw was literally on the ground as I looked at each food type. I felt disgusted that I'd been subjecting my body to that lifestyle for so long.  Suddenly everything became clear and I realised I was 100% to blame for my condition.

So I changed everything. It wasn't hard to cut out takeaways.. knowing the calories (plus all the other baddies in those foods) put me off and I was happy not to eat them. That part was surprisingly easy. The hard part was figuring out what to cook at home instead,  the ingredients to use and the amounts to use. I was scared I'd always be hungry (like with a lot of diets)... but turns out, that is not the case! Calorie counting..but more importantly tracking what I eat is what works for me and what keeps me accountable. Knowing exactly what I put in my body. 
I now try to eat clean, and generally healthy and balanced meals. I log everything in MyFitnessPal to keep me on track throughout the day.

With that in mind, below I'm going to list what I typically eat for breakfasts and snacks which easily keep me within my 1300 calorie range. 

Please note: especially when starting out, I think it is important to weigh out everything. I have a mini kitchen scale and weigh everything to this day. It doesn't have to be exactly right, but I have learnt that guessing often means over eating! It's about making the right choices, and the right portion sizes. 
Also remember this is what works for me, with my "calorie requirements".. and serving sizes may be different for you. 

Breakfast Options -  Breakfasts have always been an issue for me, often I didn't even used to have breakfast, and I've always preferred savoury things. But like with anything it was about changing habits and getting used to them. My breakfast options are generally pretty limited and perhaps a little boring but I love them, they fill me up and taste good.

1. 45gram Sultana Bran with 110ml of 'Slim' (semi low fat) milk - 202 calories
I find this to be a satisfying amount and is the recommended serving size.
Sometimes instead of Sultana Bran I will have the same amount of something like special K, All bran (ones with fruit). The simpler cereals are the ones I find the best. You can always spruce it it up with a banana (approx 100 calories for 1 whole) or even some yoghurt (around 100 calories for a 100gram pottle)

2. A sachet of single serve porridge e.g Harraways Apple Sultana 40gram sachet with around 3/4 cup of  Trim (low fat milk) - 215 Calories.  
If I am going to have a workout day, or particularly hungry, adding a banana really helps.

3. On the weekends when I have a bit more time to make breakfast I will often make something a bit more substantial which means I won't eat lunch till quite a bit later, or at least a smaller one, so it all evens out.
2 slices of toast (something like molenberg grain or tip top soy and linseed toast)
2 eggs either 'fried' in a small amount of olive oil or poached
Countrysoft light spread on the toast - 326 calories total

Sometimes I will add 2 slices of shaved ham to each piece of toast - 52 calories for approx 50 grams
or 1 - 2 cups of baby spinach - 7 calories per cup
or cooked mushrooms - 27 calories for 100 grams

So even adding these yummy ingredients doesn't take the total up too much :)

Snacks - These are always hard, especially when I have cravings but I have tried to snack on healthier options and more often to keep me satisfied. I have quite a bit of fruit, and apart from bananas, most other types of fruit are quite good low calorie options and generally under 100 calories for a decent serving size, so I don't bother with weighing these too much or as religiously as other foods. 

I generally have 2 - 3 snacks throughout the day, between breakfast and lunch and then between lunch and dinner. My go to options are:

1. Yoghurt (depending on brand, about 100-120 gram pottles) - 95 to 120 calories per pottle
2. Banana - 110 calories for a medium 120 gram banana 
3. Grapes - 70 calories for 100 grams
4. Apples - 80 calories for a medium sized apple (doesn't really matter what kind)
5. Carrot sticks - 20 calories for 100 grams  (adding something like a tablespoon of hummus is around 40 calories)
6. Rice crackers - 90 calories for a 25 gram serving (1 line in the packet or a fun size bag)
7. Weight watchers muesli bars - 121 calories for a 40 gram bar. There are other brands which are similar, you just have to check the packaging!

And there we have it. :) 
Does anyone have any other ideas for good healthy snacks? Feel free to share in the comments below.. I would love to hear your suggestions :)

In the next post I will detail drinks, lunches and dinners..just because that will be quite a big larger!

My two motivational quotes for this week just because I couldn't choose...