Day 13: Eating on the Fly

Today we're talking a little bit about impromptu eating. To be specific, having coffee out with a friend, and going over to someone's house for a BBQ.

These days, because I am eating five smaller meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks) throughout the day rather than only three, the meal sizes much smaller, and each meal tides me over from 2 to 3 hours. I am a firm believer in not drinking your calories if at all possible, although I will drink protein shakes for post-workout recovery. But I am also a lover of pumpkin spice lattes and all the flavors for fall (my favorite season), and just four short days ago the notorious pumpkin spice latte was brought back.

Today I met a friend for coffee at the Bux, so I had to indulge in my first pumpkin spice latte of the season. If you are going to drink cofffee drinks (lattes, mocha's), and it is a regular indulgance, try to go sugar free on the flavors and non-fat on the milk. Again I don't believe in drinking your calories if you can help it but this was a rare occasion so my small, nonfat, pumpkin spice white mocha with half of each of the syrups, and nonfat milk. 280 calories! I enjoyed it, but it counted as one of my snacks, and it didn't fill me up. It was worth it, SO good. A nice treat once in a while goes a long way, and I am getting better at having only the occasional treat rather than a regular indulgence. That's the power of forming positive daily habits, it's hard, but I want to be healthy.

Meg's Thoughts

I do love pumpkin! I love all things fall! In future posts I intend to explore the possibilities of making dishes and drinks, using the flavors of the season such as pumpkin, apple, cinnamon and pumpkin spices, zucchini, and squash. Fall is comfort food season! I love it when the weather turns cold and I can curl up on the couch reading a good book, wearing my sweats, and enjoying hot chocolate and watching football!

Speaking of football, while ordering a drink at Starbucks today I got the surprise of my life; new Seahawks Starbucks gift cards! I had to get one! I am a huge Hawks fan! Ahhhh! Seahawks are amazing! Go Hawks!

As summer wraps up and football season ends, I am enjoying my last summer BBQ club with some of my beloved friends from Church. So it seemed pertinent to talk about some of the dangers of eating at a BBQ.  Barbecues can be a virtual minefield of trouble, with limited options, you may be tempted to overeat or make poor choices. But it doesn't have to be that way. If you are hosting the event and you can control what is served, and if you are going to an event, what barbecue doesn't go potluck style? So take control of the situation by planning the menu with lots of healthy choices, or bring something like a salad so that you know there will be at least one help the option you can indulge in, while still partaking in some grilled meat from the food available.

Since I am going to a BBQ, and not hosting one, I am taking my favorite salad; spinach-based with strawberries, pecans, with a sprinkling of Gorgonzola or goat cheese, and in a few slices of fresh pear, and some Brianna's strawberry vinaigrette dressing. Yum!. I will probably have a generous portion of that plus any vegetables from a vegetable tray, fruit that is available as long as it's not coated in cream cheese or Jell-O, and grilled meat such as chicken or a plain hamburger patty with pickles and tomatoes, wrapped in fresh lettuce. So, how'd I do?

Food for the Day

Breakfast: 2 HBE's with black pepper, 1 cup of mixed fruit, 1 piece of toast

Snack: Small, pumpkin spice white mocha (a real treat!)

Lunch: baked chicken (4 oz), honey mustard dipping sauce, mini sweet bell peppers

Snack: post-workout Isopure chocolate protein shake & a small apple

Dinner: couscous salad, chicken (3oz), caprese, tomato & basis kabobs

This is the pre-exercise me. Poor sap, she doesn't even see it coming! She has NO idea what she is getting herself into.

THE MANY FACES OF MEGAN

The Exercise

Day 2 of Insanity! I'm not gonna lie, you will never work so hard in your life (if you're doing it right!). Normally when I workout, I don't sweat like that. I sweat ounces when I do this workout! I have to drink loads of water to replace what I lose. I wear a heart-rate monitor, so I can make sure I keep within a safe heart-rate. By “safe”, I mean like within 90% of my max. Aaannnndd I got there! Yup, 191 BPM! Crazy... insane even! I'm just glad I'm only doing it two days a week.