Good Friday Food Diary

[Tina]

What a great journal! I really like how you set goals and then check back in to see your progress. You only have to look at your ticker to see how far you've come! Keep up the good work and let me know if you find a way to make peace with that beloved chocolate--I'm working on the same thing.

[talkingmountain]

Breakfast
- 1 banana
- 1 lg bowl whole-wheat flakes
- almond milk to cover
- 1 mug coffee, usual prep (a few tbsps soy milk & abt 1 tsp sugar)

Lunch (travelling, ate at a mall food court, VERY hungry)
- Steamed rice
- Sauteed veggies (requested no oil; if they used any it wasn't much)
- Teriyaki sauce (enough to moisten)
- coke

Afternoon snack (munching keeps me awake for the drive)
- 2 pkg Nature Valley oats & honey granola bars (they tasted surprisingly oily; per the pkg they look to be about 25-30% fat which used to be "low fat" for me)
- 1 mug coffee (1/2 decaf), usual prep

Supper (at home so no oils)
- Steamed rice
- Stir fry veggies (broccoli, red peppers, onions, garlic, fresh ginger, lemongrass, cilantro, soy sauce, cooking sherry)

Anxiety/procrastination snack ! (trying to avoid making reservations for more travel that I don't want to do)
- 1-2 tbsp PB mixed w/abt 1 tbsp honey, abt 2 tbsp whole-wheat flour, vanilla, & several (3-4?) tbsp semi-sweet (& dairy-free) chocolate chips
- abt 1/4 c almond milk

Comments: Ok, so I would have done a lot better with more planning. Considering the woeful lack of planning & organization, and how hungry/tired I was, at least I feel like I made pretty good choices at the mall. Especially since there were many bad choices to pick from plus I've been struggling lately with "sneaking" off-plan foods (i.e. eating off-plan foods when there's no one who would "catch" me at it); today nobody I know would have seen me so the temptation to "cheat" was strong.

And who am I kidding with eating PB & chocolate chips at night? Like that really reduces my stress. It does for the moment, yes, but not long-term. Gotta get the "long-term" goals to take precedence somehow..

[sksamboots]

Ah, I see you working really hard. Your doing great

[talkingmountain]

sksamboots wrote: Ah, I see you working really hard. Your doing great )

Thanks for stopping by my journal & leaving some words of encouragement sksamboots! When I look at others' journals, they eat so much healthier that it kind of makes me feel hopeless that I'll ever get my act together. At the same time, I refuse to give up.

[DangerousKiwi]

Going to a food court where there's all that SAD variety would be tough for me. Just getting the rice & veggies is awesome! I would try to focus on the positive of the day and see how you were able to get through those temptations.

[bunsofaluminum]

Since my last flurry of posts, when I was going through a phase of eating C-R-A-P, I've been doing better. I actually did worse for a few days, and then realized what was going on: I was having a subterranean freak-out because of the "no more chocolate chips" promise.

(I wish trying to avoid certain foods didn't trigger an animal-like feeding frenzy in me, but there it is. That's my psychological muddle. Cognitive behavioral therapy, art/dance therapy, talk therapy, Overeaters Anonymous... none of them have helped me get over this particular insecurity.)

So I lightened up, bought chocolate chips, and have been doing much better without the psychological obsession from this perceived "deprivation". This has always been a particular issue for me due to my upbringing. I would like to be in a place where I could give up all chocolate, because even a few oz a day is a ton of fat & nutrition-less calories. But I'm just not there yet.

.

I'm really glad you updated and brought your journal up. I've been reading it this morning, and must say you are doing GREAT! Your journey as you tell it is amazing, for it is so human. Trying to do better, slipping up, wanting to kick yourself, not kicking yourself...and finally this bit about "lightening up" and getting the chocolate chips.

If there is one thing that is true, it is that we human beings do not change overnight. We go on surges, thinking "this is it! I'll do this forever, success is mine! Nothing can stop me!"

but surges are just that: bursts of extra energy and strength and courage that last awhile and are very good for a strong beginning, but eventually drop in intensity. The secret is to use the surge to push yourself to the next level and not drop below that level, when the energy is les intense. And that's what I see in this journal of yours! you ARE doing it, and your growth is very cool to read about.

keep on going...you're doing great!

[talkingmountain]

Thank you so much for your encouragement, Kiwi & Heidi.

For the next few days I am on travel. This is always VERY difficult to stay on plan, despite often having the best intentions.

I brought along some almond milk, bananas, grapes, thick-cut oatmeal, & pretzels (the regular kind, nothing nutritious there). Also a whole-wheat bagel. Meant to bring some baby carrots but forgot. I have a lot of trouble staying awake while driving, and munching really helps. For years I would eat one of those mega-bags of peanut M&M's during a trip.

Today's food:
Brkfst - WW flakes w/1 banana & a few honey nut cheerios mixed in.

Lunch - Leftover broccoli stir "fry" (homemade, fat free) & rice.
- 1/2 can coca cola.
- abt 3 stalks celery.
- handful grapes.

Supper/While Driving
- Med coffee, full caf, w/soy milk & abt 2 tsp raw sugar.
- Mini pretzels, abt 20.
- 1/2 20 oz bottle diet pepsi (ugh but needed the caffeine & can't stomach black cheap coffee).
- 1/2 ww bagel.
- 1 banana.
- Handful grapes.
- Here's where I got sloppy: ate 6 "Laura's Wholesome Junk Food Bitelettes" which are high in fat (almost 40%); and 10 (yikes! really didn't think it was that many but I just counted) Immaculate Baking Co choc chip cookie dough pieces (contains some egg, though really that's the least of the problem lol).

Well I didn't want to write down the last item and almost didn't b/c it's embarrassing, but I guess I'm never going to improve if I'm not honest. At least I got sick of the stuff and stopped... gross as all this sounds, it's WAY less than I would have eaten during a 5 hr drive a year ago. Bottom line is those two food items should never have been purchased, much less put in the car...I shopped for the trip food while I was quite hungry, which is the root of my mistake this time.

[talkingmountain]

I ate a lot better than usual on this trip. Staying in a hotel with a kitchenette really made it easier.

There was a constant parade of muffins, cookies, brownies, & fresh fruit out for us to eat. Keeping full with healthy food really helped me avoid the junk without feeling deprived. REMEMBER THIS!

Yesterday's food:
Brkfst - Thick-cut oatmeal w/1 banana, 1-2 tbsp raisins, lots of cinnamon, & almond milk to cover..

Snack - grapes & rest of breakfast oatmeal.

Lunch - Provided by conference, but the cafeteria was great. I got a plate piled high w/veggies & some brown rice (cauliflower, carrots, yellow squash, tomato/cucumber/onion salad, and the best collards I've ever eaten. The first 3 veggies appear to have been cooked w/some oil but not a lot).
- Fresh pineapple for dessert.
- Sm coca cola, reg & diet mixed.

Snack (couldn't believe it but I as hungry soon after lunch)
- 1 banana
- Handful grapes.

Supper
- Stuffed pepper (couscous, rice, spices).
- Chickpeas & onions.
- Vegan carrot cake (if I'd waited until I had eaten to buy this, I probably wouldn't have bought and eaten it. Was SO hungry that everything looked too good!).

TODAY'S FOOD
Brkfst - Thick-cut oatmeal w/1 banana, 1-2 tbsp raisins, lots of cinnamon, & almond milk to cover.

Snack - Grapes
- 3 "Laura's Wholesome Junk Food Bitelettes"

Lunch - 1/2 ww bagel, 1 banana, 1 med sweet potato

Snack - Fresh fruit mix

Supper - Subway veggie delite sandwich (no cheese) w/vinegar for dressing.
- Med coke, mixed reg & diet.
- Lg coffee, full caf, w/almond milk & abt 1 tsp sugar.

Driving:
- Lg coffee, full caf, w/almond milk & abt 1 tsp sugar.
- 1 bottle diet coke (for the caffiene)
- 2 pkgs Nature Valley Oat & Honey granola bars (still taste greasy, but
- 1 banana

Not perfect, but not too bad considering how I've been slipping completely off-track when I travel! I had a bag of chocolate chips in the car & didn't even want any.

omg, I just realized that I went a whole day without chocolate... without really even trying! Mark this day down in history!

[bunsofaluminum]

good going! It's tough even having a long work day, let alone traveling, and you did terrific! way to go...too bad about that chocolate thing, eh? a whole day without!

[talkingmountain]

Finally this unbelievably busy week has come to an end! Here's my food intake for today. What's amazing is, I fell victim to the appearance of a truffle (vegan & handmade at the coffee shop) and bought one to eat for later. And I completely forgot about it. Now I don't even know where it is.... I'm not sure where it ended up, except that it's NOT in my stomach!

Breakfast
- Banana, thick-cut oatmeal, raisins, cinnamon, topped off w/almond milk.
- Full caf coffee w/soy milk & sugar (usual).

A.M. Snack
- Rest of breakfast.

Lunch
- None, no time. Very rare for me to skip lunch, but I just didn't feel like going to the hassle to cook the potatoes I'd brought, and wasn't in the mood for the fruit I'd brought.

Supper
- 2 lg bowls ww flakes, blueberries, maple syrup. I was ravenous.

PM
- Abt 1/4 c chocolate chips, melted. I really didn't need this today and wish I'd abstained... would have been 2 chocolate-free days in a row!

No soda today, yay. Tomorrow I'll start cutting back on caffeine again. Every time I travel I end up getting hooked.

[bunsofaluminum]

glory be, that veggie sub sounds SO good!

keep on going! doing great!

[talkingmountain]

I'm feeling rather low today. No good reason, just sad.

I did go for a brisk walk.

Breakfast
- WW flakes w/blueberries & almond milk.
- 1/2 caf coffee w/soy milk & sugar (time to wean myself off caffeine again).

A.M. Snack
- Small sweet potato, nuked.

Lunch
- 2 ears fresh corn w/lime juice & Jane's Salt.
- A few "raw" crackers & some "raw" nut "cheese". Delicious.

Supper
- Pasta w/sauteed red peppers & "raw" nut "cheese." Way too bland.
- 1 ear fresh corn w/lime juice & Jane's Salt.

PM
- Sm bowl ww flakes w/a few sliced almonds, topped w/almond milk.

Thought a lot about chocolate but I realize it's not what I want today. I'm just bored & it's a habit. So I had the cereal instead when I got hungry after supper.

No soda today, yay. And I kept my promise to start cutting back on caffeine again.

[catherine1305]

Thanks for stopping by my journal and encouraging me. It helps I had a baked tortilla with my bean and broccoli bake.

I ususally pack a snack when I go out but I figured hubby would need meat and we would go out for lunch. I'm glad I made to decision to go home instead. I did get a new dishwasher that is to be delivered Tuesday

so happyl!

[Anna Green]

Hi. I appreciate your struggle. It ain't easy and I'm glad you keep at it. The caffeine thing is hard for me too. I do less on the weekends, have good intentions for the week and then the coworkers make coffee. I usually mix the decaf and caff. I always intend to stick to my tea, black and green..but then you know.

[Letha..]

Hi Talkingmountain,
Took me a while to get off caffeine too. I did a whole step down thing, reducing cups, doing half caf, etc., but I relapsed a couple of times before it took really good. Never did much soda but I used to drink quad and triple lattés a lot. Crazy stupid and expensive to boot. Anyway, I hope you’ve kicked those blues to the curb.
Letha