What Fit at 51 Eats
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Before I start on my post for today, a big HAPPY Birthday to my oldest stepdaughter, Stephanie! Hope you find some "you time" away from the 3 kiddos!!!! Jerry can help you!!!
OK, back to my post. One of my readers, Kristi, over at Summer Fitness (her link was in my yesterday post) asked me what my "diet" consists of in general. Now, for those that read me often, you know that I put the word "diet" in quote marks because when a person says they are going on a diet, it is like saying I am going on something & then I will go off it at a certain point when I reach my weight loss goals. To be successful at long term weight loss, you can't "diet". You have to find a food program that works for you & you will stick with for life. We all just get in the habit of saying diet so I know that AND it does bring people to our sites with word searches. That says it all right there!
So, I am not a great cook & a very simple cook as well so those that are better at cooking can get way more creative than me! I am going to list the staple items I keep in the house at all times & then list a few things I attempt to cook. I like them but my poor hubby! I am not a "super clean" eater but a clean eater. I do not eat fast food, frozen dinners or packaged foods. OK, I nibble a few of my hubby's french fries when he eats them!
What is in my house for me (hubby eats a bit differently): chicken breasts, extra lean ground turkey, 2 kinds of protein powder, non-fat Greek yogurt, liquid egg whites, tuna fish, power peanut butter (Power Peanut Butter) (and no, I don't get paid by these people although I wish I did. I love this stuff!), rolled oats, multigrain hot cereal, oat bran, various loaves of 100% whole grain bread and/or Ezekiel bread, Kashi Go Lean cereal, whole wheat flour for my homemade protein bars, dry roasted/unsalted almonds, pistachios before they were banned due to the recent salmonella prob, veggies (more of broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, than others), fruit (frozen wild blueberries, apples, bananas & others depending on season), Barlean's Forti-Flax, lots of different no salt spices from Trader Joe's or Mrs. Dash, a couple kinds of mustard, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, protein bars & my homemade protein bars, honey, brown sugar, unsweetened apple sauce, water, flavored water, organic animal cookie from Costco (my evening treat - I count them out!).
So, I eat small meals all day long with a mixture of the above. I make a turkey meat loaf or meatballs with the extra lean turkey (lots of spices & liquid egg whites for moisture along with mustard in it & on top), chicken breasts made a variety of ways with the different spices & mustard too on top for variety, I always add protein powder into my multi grain hot cereal & the oat bran cereal, protein shakes (with fruit). I may eat anywhere from 1700 to 2000+ calories a day depending on my workout or if I don't work out. I also may eat my veggies as a separate meal from my dinner protein just because my stomach does not like a lot of food at one time since it is used to mini meals. I do try to have some form of protein with each mini meal.
I have had to made adjustments with age & hormones. I do eat less now than I did even 6 months ago due to body/hormone changes. This goes back to my consistency posts.
If you have further questions, please feel free to ask me!
Before I start on my post for today, a big HAPPY Birthday to my oldest stepdaughter, Stephanie! Hope you find some "you time" away from the 3 kiddos!!!! Jerry can help you!!!OK, back to my post. One of my readers, Kristi, over at Summer Fitness (her link was in my yesterday post) asked me what my "diet" consists of in general. Now, for those that read me often, you know that I put the word "diet" in quote marks because when a person says they are going on a diet, it is like saying I am going on something & then I will go off it at a certain point when I reach my weight loss goals. To be successful at long term weight loss, you can't "diet". You have to find a food program that works for you & you will stick with for life. We all just get in the habit of saying diet so I know that AND it does bring people to our sites with word searches. That says it all right there!
So, I am not a great cook & a very simple cook as well so those that are better at cooking can get way more creative than me! I am going to list the staple items I keep in the house at all times & then list a few things I attempt to cook. I like them but my poor hubby! I am not a "super clean" eater but a clean eater. I do not eat fast food, frozen dinners or packaged foods. OK, I nibble a few of my hubby's french fries when he eats them!
What is in my house for me (hubby eats a bit differently): chicken breasts, extra lean ground turkey, 2 kinds of protein powder, non-fat Greek yogurt, liquid egg whites, tuna fish, power peanut butter (Power Peanut Butter) (and no, I don't get paid by these people although I wish I did. I love this stuff!), rolled oats, multigrain hot cereal, oat bran, various loaves of 100% whole grain bread and/or Ezekiel bread, Kashi Go Lean cereal, whole wheat flour for my homemade protein bars, dry roasted/unsalted almonds, pistachios before they were banned due to the recent salmonella prob, veggies (more of broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, than others), fruit (frozen wild blueberries, apples, bananas & others depending on season), Barlean's Forti-Flax, lots of different no salt spices from Trader Joe's or Mrs. Dash, a couple kinds of mustard, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, protein bars & my homemade protein bars, honey, brown sugar, unsweetened apple sauce, water, flavored water, organic animal cookie from Costco (my evening treat - I count them out!).
So, I eat small meals all day long with a mixture of the above. I make a turkey meat loaf or meatballs with the extra lean turkey (lots of spices & liquid egg whites for moisture along with mustard in it & on top), chicken breasts made a variety of ways with the different spices & mustard too on top for variety, I always add protein powder into my multi grain hot cereal & the oat bran cereal, protein shakes (with fruit). I may eat anywhere from 1700 to 2000+ calories a day depending on my workout or if I don't work out. I also may eat my veggies as a separate meal from my dinner protein just because my stomach does not like a lot of food at one time since it is used to mini meals. I do try to have some form of protein with each mini meal.
I have had to made adjustments with age & hormones. I do eat less now than I did even 6 months ago due to body/hormone changes. This goes back to my consistency posts.
If you have further questions, please feel free to ask me!
Oh my, your food choices are way, way better than mine. And I'm free for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Just tell me what time. lol!
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You may not like my simplicity of cooking plus I tend to "overcook" but I like it! My hubby, not so much!
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Thanks for the info! I'm trying hard to understand the calorie count thing, because my dietician wants me on a 1400 calorie diet, yet a site called Calorie Count About.com said to lose weight I need to eat 2300 a day and workout intensely.. I get so confused. I know I need a lil more on intense workout days, but not 900 calories more do I??
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HI cher.
Check out this link:
http://walking.about.com/cs/calories/l/blcalcalc.htm.
This seems to be pretty accurate for me based on my activity level. As for what your dietitian wants you to do vs. this other site saying 2300 calories, it comes down to creating a calorie deficit to lose weight. I am not your doctor or a specialist by any means but that means eating less calories, exercising more or a combination of them both. 3500 calories equals 1 pound of weight so to lose a pound a week, you need to create a 3500 calorie deficit. That is 500 calories per day over a 7 day week. Can be done by eating 250 calories less per day & exercising to burn 250 more calories per day. With your trainer & new workout schedule, you will beat that!!!!
When your doc put you on the 1400 calorie/day diet, was it based on a less active lifestyle then vs. your new one? There are many people that go on reputable diets at that 1400 level. I like to eat more so I exercise harder. Too many years of depriving myself!
Did your doc want you to lose a certain amount each week or so much by a certain point in time? The 2300 does sound high to me unless you are working out VERY intensely. I am not a doc tough!
Will you try out the new calculator at the link above & see if it gives you a different number than 2300 & let me know. I like that it factors in activity level. Once you get the number, then you have to eat less than that amount of calories to lose weight.
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I love peanut butter. What is so special about the power peanut butter? I have heard a lot about this ezekial bread lately I will have to give it a shot. I too try to eat small meals and range from 1100-1500 calories guestimated. lol Love that you eat the greek yogurt!
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Hi Kristi. I like the Power PB because it has a lot of protein in it & I tend to eat more protein. Plus I use it after my workout too! It has flaxseed, flax oil, egg whites, omega-3 and omega-6 in it too. There is a version you can buy at Vitamin Shoppe (VS) or at least my store has it. There is a little different version that you can only buy online. The PowerPB I can get at VS. The peanut power butter is online only as far as I know.
It costs more than regular ole PB obviously but to me, it is worth the extra protein & other ingredients. I am too lazy to try to make this up myself!
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I love peanut butter too. I just checked out the power peanut butter via the link you provided. May need to try this! The pouches would be great for road trips & travel in general. Thanks for all the good info.
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Thx Lee! Check out my reply to Kristi's question. I can find the powerpb at Vitamin Shoppe. Maybe they will special order for you if you have one near you.
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I had never heard of Power PeanutButter. What a cool product! Where can I buy this stuff?
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Hey Terri! Hope all is good with you. Good to hear from you! Check out my answers to Kristi about where to buy or maybe if you have a Vitamin Shoppe near you, they will order for you.
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I missed this post-so that is your secret (protein with every meal) I think I will have to print this post out to keep me in check!
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