Today was a basic Monday. I hated getting up and saying goodbye to a weekend. I didn’t want to go to CrossFit, but I did. I didn’t want to go to work, but I did. It was a long day with giggling I kids, faculty meetings, stressing over progress reports and general work chaos.
By 5:00pm, I survived the day with 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 snack, and a great dinner. I woke up hungry for breakfast. About 15 minutes before lunch, I felt genuinely hungry and I ate plenty of food for lunch. At 3:00 pm, I wasn’t stomach rumbling hungry so I didn’t eat anything until 4:30 and I ate a quick snack. Dinner was on the table by 7:00 and I ate a sizeable portion of protein and vegetables.
What I have noticed during these couple of weeks is I have learned what it means to feel hungry and to feel the need to provide nutrition for my body, not just feel good foods because they are good. Don’t get me wrong. The meals I am eating are REALLY GOOD! I’m not depriving myself of tasty food. What I am depriving it of is a lot of food that serves no purpose except it tastes good and it feeds my emotions. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that either……just not every day or every meal. I have no problems with comfort foods, sweets, food traditions, foodie occasions, etc. But for years, I have been eating my meals to feed my moods and emotions, not to fuel my body. I’m finally learning the difference between the two. I still think sugar is a huge culprit in this. Real food tastes better than it did before and stripping sugar out of the equation is a huge factor.
So what did I eat today?
Breakfast: I made my pre-workout shake with 1 banana, 2 Tablespoons of almond butter, 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder, 1.5 cups of rich coffee. I had half before CrossFit, and had the other half after.
Lunch: Chicken soup, spinach salad with mushrooms, eggs, diced turkey, diced zucchini.
Snack: cashews, small apple
Dinner: Sautéed Brussels with bacon, sweet potatoes, Salmon
Sweet potatoes are sliced and tossed with coconut oil. I roasted them at 450* for 15 minutes, then flipped them. I lowered the heat to 350* for 15 more minutes. They are crispy outside and creamy inside.
