Getting Back on Track

So it’s a new year, new beginnings, new goals. After stuffing my face during vacation, I am completely aware that I need to get back on track. I’m so sick of eating out- so, I’ve been doing a lot of cooking for myself and J and I already feel so much better! I also like to know whats in my food and how it’s made. Even if I tell the waitress at a restaurant to cook my omelet in pam who knows if that actually happens! Below I put together some meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that are easy to make and perfect for during the work week.

Breakfast:

• Overnight Oats
• 1 whole grain cinnamon rasin english muffin with 1 tbsp of jam
• 1 packet of instant oatmeal (I like to keep a box at my desk)
• 2 whole grain kashi waffles with 1 tbsp of jam/spray butter/light syrup

Lunch:

This is the hardest meal for me, I have no clue why. I am so indecisive about what I want that it’s always a problem. Although I mention my restaurant go-to’s I’ve found that I’ve maintained my weight by bringing my own lunch.  

• Turkey sandwich in a wrap/sandwich thin/light whole grain bread. Avoid cheese and mayo and use mustard instead. I like to bring my own and purchase turkey from the market. If I’m eating out I make sure to eat my sandwich open face- always! 
• Soup- I love picking up vegetable from Au Bon Pan. They have 12 different kinds of soups and you can see the calorie content for all of them. I am not a fan of canned soup, I find it to be disgusting.
• Chili- I just made a batch of Taco Chicken Chili. I stored the leftovers in portioned tupperware containers and bring it for lunch. Watch out for toppings such as cheese and sour cream, those add up!
• Salad- I find salad to be the biggest pain the in butt to make at home. I love the Whole Foods salad bar. I create monster salads with tons of veggies. I’ve been enjoying Trader Joe’s kale salad, I feel so healthy when I eat it for lunch.I also like salads from Protein Bar too, the southwest salad is my favorite. Always order dressing on the side and stay away from creamy dressings which are a ton of calories.

Dinner:

• Salad- see above
• Fish- Salmon, Whitefish, Tilapia are my favorite fish to cook during the week.
• Sushi- J and I order in sushi at least once a week. Stick with the rolls without tempura crunch, cream cheese, mayo, or sauce. Those all add extra calories. I also love go mai (boiled spinach with peanut sauce).

Snacks:

• Mojo bars or Kind bars
• Clementines (in season!)
• Apple with 1 tbsp of almond butter
• Pop Chips

Tips:

• Always measure your portions. If you don’t have measuring tools handy, make your best guess. Items like peanut butter add up.
• Do NOT starve yourself. This will lead to a binge later which will just upset you even more.
• Wear a pair of pants that are a little snug on you- this will be a constant reminder to eat healthy.
• To stop yourself from late night eating: paint your nails. You can’t stick your hand in a bag of chips with wet nails!
• I have found that drinking green juice such as BluePrint’s Green Juice (kale, apple, ginger, romaine, spinach, cucumber, celery, parsley, and lemon) reduces my cravings. It’s sold at Whole Foods now!

Let me know if you have any questions about any of the meals/snacks/tips above. Hopefully this gives you some new ideas to help you get back on track this year.