I thought many of you might be interested in a sample day of what I usually eat to maintain my healthy weight. Of course if the response to this is huge and I see this is something you readers want to see on a weekly basis, I most certainly will supply it every week.
First things first, you must know organization is not my strong suit! I really don't have a knack for it. BUT I know how helpful it is to make a weekly menu and I am trying to get better about doing that on this HUGE gigantic whiteboard/calendar the hubby got me for Christmas. So the weekly menu is going on that board and so far since then I've almost, kind of stuck, to the dinner plans. I don't have the whole lunch and breakfast thing down yet to be honest....I think its a good step in the right direction just get the dinners planned for the week.
I am more of a "see this awesome recipe which sparks an idea to rework my own creation, must get ingredients, must make it TODAY" kind of person. Its a bad habit not conducive to homeschooling, daily chores, and all the other responsibilities of having 3 kiddies in activities. But just wanted you to understand who is behind Sugar-Free Mom so maybe you will have some empathy for my creative spirit and not fault me on the, not so organized, menu plan.
Maybe just maybe your enthusiasm will actually prompt and persuade me to make a weekly plan on Sundays so I don't disappoint you all!
So I'm providing you one day of my life this week of my actual food journal.
See, I still must write my food down , course I only do this the night before. But I still must weigh and measure or things get out of whack in my life. I become more interested in picking. All cupboard and fridge contents become a free for all, which is very bad for me. You see I have the problem of "more". More of whatever is that's good and yummy, even my love for broccoli, I could overeat on. But I am thinking that once a week to show you all my food for a day and then calculating the calories to keep me in check is a good thing. When I was on the weight loss plan I was consistent, but now maintaining its easy to get in a rut and I know pretty much what to eat to maintain so I don't calculate much anymore. THIS.WILL.BE.GOOD.FOR.ME.
This is what I had yesterday:
- Breakfast: 4 tablespoon soy creamer for coffee, 1 serving baked oatmeal
- Lunch: 1 c Quinoa salad, (recipe coming this week)1 Greek yogurt with ¼ c. blueberries
- Afternoon coffee with 4 tablespoon soy creamer
- Dinner: 3 oz. Beef Burgundy (recipe coming this week) over 1 cup brown rice, 1 c. broccoli
- Before Bedtime Snack: 3 c. popcorn with kiddies
I use My Fitness Pal for the most part, but also use my Weight Watchers etools since I am a life time member checking in once a month and I get etools for free.
- My Nutrition Info:Calories: 1773* Fat: 60g* Carbs: 232g* Protien: 69g*
- My Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 33 (although my target is 29)
If I were trying to lose weight my calorie range where I have seen weight loss was around 1200-1500 in addition to exercise five times a week. I am happily maintaining my weight and do not feel deprived at all.
Now I just had another brainstorming idea sparked since writing this post! How about a "This Week Recipes Coming from Sugarfreemom" so you know what to expect to see for the week AND it will keep me organized as well?!
BUT you must allow an occasional change in plan. I can not commit that the recipes will be set in stone and NEED the ability to be flexible because...hey I'm a mom and life happens right?
UPCOMING RECIPES
- Whole Wheat Popovers
- Quinoa Chicken Cherry Salad
- Crock Pot Beef Burgundy
- Spinach, Chicken, Clean Eating Crepes
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What do you think? Is this something that interests you to get ideas for your own weight-loss/maintaining goals? Is it helpful to see a sample of my food plan? Would you like me to continue each week?
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
Kathryn Purnell
Great sharing..Thank you for being so honest, love it. As I read your food for the day I would never have thought that was gonna be 1773 calories. It seems so much less than that. I too journal my calories using Fitness pal while I am trying to lose pounds. WOW shows how important measuring and adding it all together is! Love your site! Be back for more later
Kaylee V
Yes, very helpful! I am trying to eat more healthily, lose weight, and eat more natural, better for us foods. Love seeing the points for Weight Watchers. I have been looking for a natural alternative to sugar, so I am hoping to give some of your ideas a try!
Brenda
Thanks! Hope you enjoy the recipes!
KimH
Its nice to see how others life & maintain their lifestyle.. Im a current member of WW and plan to get to my final goal this summer or fall.. My biggest plan is to stay on plan and not feel deprived, which I mostly havent so far, which makes me believe & feel! that its not only possible but darn likely! Im loving the eTools at WW. That has helped me more than anything, though the meetings with an awesome leader help too. 😉
I've joined a pantry challenge for the month of January and have been writing out my menus as well. When I was in my 20s & 30s I was much better about doing that. It helps me significantly in not wasting time or energy in trying to figure out what to cook when Im exhausted after coming home from working all day.
I'd enjoy seeing you continue in this vein..
Peg
YES! Please continue! The weekly menu plan sounds awesome and since I stumbled across your blog we're really enjoying your recipes. Thank you so much for everything you do in sharing your life with the rest of us. As an extremely-erratic blogger I know how much work it can be. Throw in home-schooling and kids' activities, and any kind of planning you can fit in is amazing and inspirational to the rest of us.
Rachel
Thank you for your willingness to share this part of your life with us! I appreciate the fact that you are even willing to be open about where you struggle with organization. I can relate with that! (In fact, if you posted something completely planned to every detail and shiny and perfect, I'd probably just blow it off as something completely unattainable and not "me"!) I have tried to log food before, but struggle with the measuring, calorie counting, writing everything down, blah! It gets so monotonous and cumbersome. I know that this is probably what it takes to actually get results, and I've been "stuck" on my weight loss goals for a long time. Maybe seeing you do what it takes to be more organized will inspire me to give it some more effort too!!
Brenda
Thank you Rachel! I know calorie counting and weighing anf measuring is a pain, but it is the ONLY thing that makes me accoutnable and helped me to lose weight. Just work on making a plan one day at a time. Look in your fridge and plan out tomorrows food and don't worry about the calorie counting just yet. Even if you just start writing what you are eating daily for a week is progress! I appreciate your kind words and I hope my efforts do inspire you. You can do it!