Discussion Board

Food for Today:

Breakfast:
- Oatmeal with garbanzos, 5 walnut halves, cinnamon, 1 banana, 1 peach, handful of raspberries topped w/almond milk. No raisins, I'm trying to reduce the calorie density.
- Green tea. No coffee!

Lunch plans:
- Arugula salad (arugula, mandarin oranges, sprinkle of almond slices, & reduced fat McD Szechuan Peanut Sauce).
- 2 Grilled burgers made from leftover Farley roast plus oatmeal, rice, & pasta sauce.
- Grilled steak fries made from leftover baked potatoes. About 1.5 potato's worth (large russets).
- 2 tablespoons catsup. Wow, tasted too sweet!
- Decaf iced tea.

Snack:
- Fresh cherries.

Supper:
- Arugula salad, same as lunch.
- 1 Farley burger w/mustard, tomato slices, & mustard.
- 2 steak fries w/a tsp of catsup.
- Brown basmati w/kale.
- Mango/green grape chocolate "ice cream" (frozen mangoes & green grapes; a few cubes of tofu; cocoa powder; splash of almond milk; vanilla).
- 1 tsp peanut butter.
- Decaf iced tea.

EXERCISE:
- 45 min walk

Looks like things are really going well for you! Congrats on no morning coffee!! That was a hard one for me to give up. Keep up the good work.

Fulenn

Hey lady! I just caught up on your journal and love that you are doing well and sound energized. I second fulenn's congrats on the no coffee. I still drink it some but mostly I have green tea and enjoy the morning relaxed feeling I get with it.

Keep at it. It's so worth it.

Fulenn and Anna, thanks for stopping by and happy fourth! I hope to do some catching up on your journals over the weekend!

Exercise for today: 45 min walk.

********
Food details for today:

Breakfast:
- my "muesli" (thick cut oatmeal, cinnamon, 5 walnut halves topped w/almond milk), banana, blueberries, rasberries,  garbanzos
- green tea.

Snack:
- baby carrots w/babaganouj
- half a banana w/1tsp peanut butter

Lunch (late - 3:30 or so):
- arugula salad w/chickpeas (arugula, mandarin oranges, sprinkling of alone slices & 1 tbsp reduced fat mcd Szechuan peanut sauce).
- Farley roast & brown basmati w/kale
- decaf iced tea (always unsweetened unless otherwise noted)

I was hungry and taking my daughter shopping at what should be supper time, so I had a snack:
- 1 banana w/1 tsp peanut butter

Supper:
- oatmeal w/ 1/2 banana, sprinkling of almond slices, & drizzle of maple syrup (< 1 tsp).
- chocolate "ice cream" ( frozen mangos & green grapes blended w/cocoa powder & a few cashew pieces).

I'm glad to see I'm not the only person here who eats oatmeal for supper Your food always sounds really good.

Shevaun, there's nothing as filling and comforting as a warm bowl of oatmeal, is there?

Exercise: 25 minute walk.

Today's food:

Breakfast:
- Usual muesli ("the usual" now means thick-cut rolled oats, 5 walnut halves, & lots of cinnamon) with garbanzos, banana, blueberries, raspberries, and almond milk (always unsweetened unless otherwise noted).
- Green tea

Lunch:
- Usual arugula salad (w/peanut dressing, mandarin sections, & 1 tsp almond slices -- I measured today and that's what a "sprinkling" is when on a large bowl).
- Smaller bowl grits w/half a banana & a drizzle of maple syrup.

Supper:
- Huge mesclun salad w/other veggies, included a small handful of dried cherries. Balsamic vinegar as dressing.
- 5 Kavli rye crisps (these meet Jeff's food guidelines! nutrition facts here http://www.internaturalfoods.com/nfi.ph ... 72-75810-3)
- Handful of penne, plain
- Watermelon
- Half a banana w/a dot of peanut butter.

I was a bottomless pit today. So hungry. Now that I'm looking at what I actually ate, I realize I was probably subconsciously keeping my portions smaller because I ate some higher calorie density foods. A better choice for dealing with the hunger would have been to nuke a potato or have some Mcdougall soup. I find that rice doesn't fill me up as well as potatoes, I guess because it's drier. But it sure smells good!

I ate too many oatmeal-banana-blueberry bars today (leftover plain oatmeal, covered w/mashed banana & frozen blueberries, baked till firm). It's not like they are addictively good or anything, it's just that they are too convenient, sitting in the fridge.
I'm gonna stick these in the freezer now so they aren't a temptation to snack on.

Exercise for today: 45-minute walk.

*****

Food for today:

Breakfast:
- Usual muesli w/chickpeas.
- Green tea.
- 1/2 blueberry-banana-oatmeal bar

Lunch:
- 2 large bowls farley roast over brown rice & kale. Still hungry after that!
- 2 blueberry-banana-oatmeal bars

Supper:
- Lg arugula salad.
- 1/2 c rotini w/1 tbsp reduced-fat veganaise. This was not a good choice -- too calorie-dense. A potato would have been better.
- Tsp peanut butter. Ditto above. Not sure what got into me.
- Grits w/banana & drizzle of maple syrup. Finally got tired of feeling hungry and ate something that would make me feel goooood.

Congrats on dropping coffee. That was the last thing to go before I began McDougalling. It was sooo haarrdd to drop! I put coffee creamer in mine and was also attatched to that. I can't drink "naked" coffee I bet you will feel better w/out it, I think most people do. I am ok with tea now. Hope you find a tea or other beverage you like.

Bigelow's green tea with pomegranate is excellent, if you've never tried it!

After trying to drink coffee "naked" as you put it (love that!), it finally dawned on me that it wasn't the coffee I was addicted to, itwas the fat and sugar in the soymilk (coffee shops offer only sweetened soymilk in case you haven't noticed), plus I added sugar on top of that. In essence, the coffee was just a vehicle to legitimize delivery of my "drug of choice." Exactly the same as tobacco in cigarettes being used as a "nicotine delivery device" (to quote a line from The Insider).

Exercise today: 45 minute walk.

Food for today:

Breakfast:
- Usual muesli w/chickpeas, banana, blueberries.
- Black tea, iced, w/pinch of sugar.

Lunch:
- Usual arugula salad.
- 2 Farley Burgers w/sliced tomatoes, no-sugar catsup, & mustard.
- Golden Rose brown rice w/beet greens.
- Cherry "soda"

Snack:
- Peach

Supper:
- Penne & broccoli w/pesto
- corn on the cob
- grits w/banana & maple syrup

This is interesting and encouraging. Thanks for chronicling your successes and missteps.

I just found this thread today, so I am over a month late in reacting to one of the events you mentioned, but I am reminded of an old saying:

"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."

I was sorry to hear about your cat, by the way. I have one, used to have two. Here's something I wrote for my loyal Pau, who died two years ago. I admired his authenticity and engagement with life, and strove to live up to his unconditional trust.

This is your Pau – what a great cat
Enjoy your Pau and love him like that

Groove with the rhythm, bopping down the block
move his paws and tail as he go hip-hop

Purr at the neighbor, purr at the sky
Life is a blessing – why ask why

Energy moving his fur and bones –
This is his life – this is his home

Something good happen – maybe soon
Maybe next week – maybe next June

Count all your blessings – let go of strife
This is your Pau – treasure his life

Dave, love both your posts, thanks! Sorry to hear about Pau and your other kitty. Now every time I think of Kiddle I will smile and think of your lovely poem!

I had a really tough time at the grocery store yesterday when I stopped to pick up some corn and spices I forgot to get for food I had to make last night (a work event today that includes a potluck). I wanted sweets, and BAD. I was slightly hungry, which didn't help. Man, everywhere you go there are islands of stuff practically shoved IN YOUR FACE that is bad for you! I was feeling really vulnerable so I bought a pack of sugar free (and sodium free) gum and chewed that stuff like crazy till I got out of there.

But I still craved sweets all evening. Normally these days, I just drizzle a little maple syrup on the grits, which gives it a nice flavor and just a hint of sweetness. About a teaspoon is all. But this time I put 2 or 3 tablespoons on there. In terms of total caloric intake, it's probably not that big a deal, especially because I decided that would serve as my dessert as well. But I still feel disappointed with myself because I knowingly let myself give in to the pleasure trap.