Going Forward

Well, I've finished my two weeks of blogging my meals! I had a great response and, although I won't be logging my food on-line everyday, I will be updating it a few times a week. I will be focusing on different eating situations and how I recommend handling them.

This weekend I'm running the Disneyland Half Marathon! I'm going to focus on my pre- and during race meals. I will also be updating my blog with different recipes and tips during the week. So check back often and feel free to e-mail me with any questions that I can answer!

Enjoy!
Tara

Dinner

I received a late invite to the Padres game so (once again) didn't make my grocery shopping. Instead of gorging myself with hot dogs and nachos I decided to make dinner before hand. I had a southwestern chicken with whole grain rice pilaf and vegetables. Even though it made me a little late to the game I was able to avoid all of the junk food and still enjoy the company of my friends. Eating beforehand is a good trick for any big event. It's much easier to make good nutritious decisions when your stomach isn't growling!

Afternoon Snack

I swung by the grocery store on the way home from lunch and grabbed some fresh fruit. Not a full trip but enough to get me through the day. I combined a peach with some yogurt that I had left over in the fridge. I talked a big talk about not spending the money on Fage again but I love how low in sugar and high in protein it is so I keep coming back to it.

Lunch

Since I woke up late I skipped my AM snack and went to Soup Plantation for lunch. Soup Plantation is such a double edged sword with wonderful vegetables and scary pasta dishes. There was a woman that I passed on the way to my booth with the most impressive pasta salad and wonton tower. I literally stopped and gawked until it became obvious that she was going to chase me with her fork. I wasn't judging but merely impressed that she could pile as much food as she did on such a little plate.
I used spinach instead of lettuce as the foundation of my salad (shocker). I added carrots, corn, peppers, cucumbers, and sunflower seeds. I used fat-free salad dressing on the side. I dipped my fork into the dressing before each bite rather than pouring it directly on the salad. This is a good trick to cut down on the amount of salad dressing that you use. As there is usually little option for protein in their salads I like to get a bowl of chicken soup. I then take the chicken pieces and add them to my salad. Not the most glamorous but that's what I do when I'm rollin gangsta at the SP. I also had a piece of Indian Grain Bread, of which I ate about half.

Breakfast

I still haven't gone grocery shopping. I had big plans on waking up early but, as luck would have it, my bed transformed into the most comfortable bed in the world between the hours of 5 and 8am. So, once again I'm scrounging. I went with a Breakfast Smoothie. I made it with frozen berries, protein powder, green drink, green tea, and rolled oats. All great examples of not-too-perishables that you should have in your pantry/freezer for just a most comfortable bed occasion.

Aug 27 2007

For dinner I had a Lean Cuisine with whole wheat penne pasta and vegetables. Again, a not-too-perishable meal that you can keep around in case of emergency. I'm going to the grocery store in the morning I swear!
Score! I had an apple and some cashew butter in the refrigerator at work. A great combo of carbs and protein.
A can of tuna is on that list of not-too-perishable things. Luckily I had one can left so I was able to had a sandwich for lunch. The carrots were on their last legs but they were natural and delicious and added some healthy carbs and vitamins to my lunch.
Well, no more trips or fancy weddings so I'm back to my old boring ways. I also haven't gone grocery shopping so my selection is limited. But I have some leftover Kashi from my trip and I stole a banana from one of my roommates (thanks guys!).

Aug 25 2007

If you ever have a chance to go to a wedding at the Prado I highly suggest that you go. The food is truly amazing. Actually, there was very little security so I bet you could just swing by for a quick bite:)
I started off the dinner by eating the spinach. I knew that if I had my way that would be last on my list of the four things pictured but was also the most nutritious. I then ate the steak and salmon. Finally I had about a quarter of the potato patty. I find that many times I get so excited about one of the portions of my meal that I fill up on that and neglect the rest. In this case the spinach and the protein were the most important so I made sure I ate them before the potato. I was still able to enjoy the potato but a bite or two turned out to be plenty. However, had I known that I was going to tear up the dance floor the way I did I may have done a little more carb-loading!
Spinach, strawberries, walnuts, and balsamic vinegar makes a delicious and quick salad. This was made by a professional chef so it was out of this world but you can also do this at home. The spinach and strawberries are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and the walnuts provide O-3 fatty acids. The balsamic vinegar is a low calorie way to add a lot of flavor.
This looks gross but it was really delicious. Tortilla soup. The original presentation was beautiful but I initially forgot to take the picture so you are seeing the result of a little slopping.
Yes! Hummus! And some artichoke dip too. I just grabbed a little spoonful of each and some wafers. I then walked away from the food table to eat so I would have to make a conscious effort to go back for seconds. Mindless eating is a huge factor at events like weddings. I recommend grabbing a small plate and then standing as far away from the food as you can. If you are truly hungry, by all means go back and have more. If not, the distance will help keep you from unnecessary grazing.
I ate this because it was the first thing that I saw and it didn't come in any sort of wrapper.
Here's another one. I'm so sick of bars right now but I don't think that the bride in the wedding that I'm getting ready to go to would really understand me missing the ceremony because I needed to cook a well balanced meal. I'm really hoping that the ceremony is short and the reception is not sponsored by Cliff or Kashi.

A quick snack before my talk to keep my blood sugar up and my brain functioning. All of the bars that I chose are a good balance of protein/carbohydrates/fats so they don't load me up one any one macro-nutrient. I would always prefer whole foods but when you are on the run it's good to have some quick choices.
No rest for the weary. I woke up early to prepare for a talk that I had later on that afternoon. I haven't had a chance to go to the grocery store so I am scrounging. There are certain not-too-perishable items that are important to have on hand for times like these. Today is mostly consumed with bars and shakes, which I grew a little sick of but kept me out of the drive -thru.

Aug 24 2007

Ok, this meal is a little embarrassing. I flew back into San Diego and was craving some good guacamole. I had left my car at my office so my roommates and I planned on grabbing a quick bite in the Banker's Hill/Hillcrest area. What we didn't know is that, although huge supporters of the Thai, Hillcrest seems to be anti-Mexican food. We found one little taco shop that probably tastes wonderful at 2am. It was 8 so we went for La Salsa. I went with a chicken taco. I only ate one of the tortillas because I had quite a few chips and guac (which is surprisingly good). I also had a beer. I've always wondered who orders beer at fast food restaurants. That day it was me.
We headed to a hotel buffet during the lunch break. I didn't really like the looks of the buffet so I was planning on ordering off of the menu. Unfortunately the waitress must have come down with some terrible illness during our lunch because we couldn't find her until it was time to pay the bill. I'm just glad she's ok! This lunch was not horrible but it really didn't provide many nutrients at all. The salad was basically just romaine lettuce with a little salad dressing. The chicken was fried and there was little protein on the bone. The corn was pretty good and the potatoes were like a little piece of heaven...but a not very good for you heaven. Overall I really wish that I had stuck with the sandwich that I carried around all day.

This morning I was checking out of my room so I was on a mission to eat everything I had left. I combined some yogurt, walnuts, and a peach for my breakfast. It didn't taste nearly as good as the one in the wine glass but I still enjoyed it. I also made a sandwich with the remainder of the food I had bought on Wednesday. As you will see I opted not to eat the sandwich and buy my lunch. I chose poorly.

Aug 23 2007

After we were done with the days trainings a few friends and I went to PF Changs for dinner. We ordered the lettuce wraps, because who doesn't get the lettuce wraps at PF Changs, and split a few entrees for dinner. As a rule of thumb, a single entree at most restaurants is really enough to feed two people. I always recommend splitting an appetizer or salad and then an entree. If there is a large group get a few entrees and share!
Lunch was on the go between classes so I grabbed one of the pre-made sandwich packs. For some reason they only had whole wheat bread on the tuna sandwiches. I have an issue (one of many) with only eating tuna that was made by my father or myself so I opted for the turkey. I chose sourdough bread because it doesn't result in a high blood sugar spike because of the lactic acid. If you find yourself in a situation where whole grains aren't available always opt for the sourdough.
Before I had the fruit cup I checked the ingredients to make sure that there was no added sugar. Sugar was no where to be seen so I went for it. I was a little suspicious because of the manufacturer and then I was a lot suspicious after tasting how sweet it was. Later I found in fine print that it was in lightly sweetened juice. Damn. Oh well, it was still better than a bag of chips!

So my weekend ended up being much busier than I expected and I wasn't able to post until now. However, I did take pictures so you didn't miss a beat! Thursday morning I went down to the continental breakfast to see what I could find. Unfortunately there was only sausage-bacon-fried egg-on white bread concoctions. Luckily they were serving milk with their McBreakfast so I was able to use the cereal I bought and combine it with some fruit from my room.

Long Long Day...

Hey guys, my day ran a little (actually a lot) long today so I am not able to update my blog. I have, however, taken pictures of everything and will update it as soon as I get back into San Diego. Talk to you tomorrow!

Daily Wrap-up

My time on the internet is limited so I will not be using fitday.com while I'm out of town. I would, however, like to give a quick wrap up of the day. First, I am lucky that I have a kitchenette in my hotel room so that I could pick up a few things at the grocery store. Of course, when I say lucky I mean I made sure to pick a room that had one! However, all that I really needed was a refrigerator or a cooler. If you cannot find a room that has any sort of cooling device than you can always grab some fruit and instant oatmeal to make sure you are getting one good meal. I don't believe any hotels don't have at least a coffee maker where you could boil some water.
Second, I spent about $12 at Wild Oats and will be able to get two meals, 2 snacks, and a lot of spinach out of it. Oftentimes good nutrition gets a bad wrap for being expensive. In actuality it's not. What is expensive is buying a bunch of nutritious food and then deciding to eat out instead!

Snack

Ok, I hope that you are as impressed with this presentation as I am. My kitchenette has no bowls but enough wine glasses to throw a bridal shower! For an evening snack I combined some plain yogurt, peaches, and walnuts. Walnuts are one of the few non animal sources of O-3 fatty acids. In moderation, nuts like this should be incorporated into your diet daily. If possible they should always be served in wine glasses!

Lunch/Dinner (I'm not sure)

I had some of the bars I packed on the plane but by the time I landed and made it to my hotel I was famished. As luck would have it my hotel is right next to a Wild Oats. What are the odds? So I went over there and grabbed some stuff to make a sandwich and have some snacks later on. With thick baguettes, I like to hollow out the inside. It makes a nice place for the contents to sit and is helpful if you are trying to cut down on carbs. If you aren't cutting down on carbs than you should not do this. Yours truly, Captain Obvious.
I paired the sandwich with a peach and some flax tortilla chips.

Trip Prep

I'm not exactly sure what to expect on my trip. I do, however, know that I will have a kitchenette of some sort so I'm bringing some cereal. I'm hoping that I can find a grocery store so I can grab a little milk and at least make sure I'm having a decent breakfast every morning. If I can't find milk I guess it will be dry Kashi for me. Mmmm!
I'm also going to bring some snack bars. Most conventions or trainings do a good job for designating a time for lunch and dinner but usually neglect snacks. If I neglect snacks I become cranky and can't think straight. It's in everyone's best interest that I come prepared. I'm also a little fruit shy after my banana incident yesterday so I wanted something that wouldn't explode all over my purse!

Breakfast

I got some strawberries and today decided to add them into my cereal rather than eating them separate (go crazy Tara!). I don't know why but I tend to eat my food in separate groups. Yes, I was the kid that didn't like the food touching. I especially liked the combination this morning because it cut my eating time in half and I was in a rush to catch my plane!

Daily Wrap-up

Overall, I would say that I did ok today. My biggest disappointment was the Pick-up Stix lunch. When I went through and looked at the components I found that the meat was fried and rather high in fat. The broccoli and brown rice were good sources of vitamins and carbohydrates but overall I wasn't really pleased. This is a good example of how it can be tough to ascertain what you are eating when you are out and about. Although busy schedules sometimes get in the way of planning our entire day, it is just plain easier to know what you are eating if you prepare the majority of your meals (I know I could have done a bang up job with my own beef and broccoli!). When you do go out I would recommend picking restaurants where you can ask how something is prepared or even request they do it differently. I bet you would be surprised how willing many restaurants are to make modifications!

Dinner

For dinner I broiled a piece of fish with garlic, olive oil, and lemon slices. As a side, I sauteed some zucchini, red peppers, and spinach. Again, i chose the different vegetables so that they created an array of color (and because they were in my refrigerator!). Dinners don't have to be complicated to be healthy. As you've seen throughout these blogs, most of my meals take about 10-20 minutes to make. There is a time and a place for gourmet, but when you are busy and rushing around something simple and light is the way to go. After experimenting with a few meals you will find that it takes almost the same amount of time to throw together a quick meal as it does to go through the drive through. Granted the latter doesn't come in a colorful bag or a plastic toy...but it also doesn't come with love handles or a bedonkadonk!

Afternoon Snack

Yup, there it is again. I had the second half a few hours later.

I also planned on having a banana before my evening consultations. However the spot I chose in my purse turned out to be a bit insecure and I ended up with a whole lotta mush. Ugh. The smell of smushed banana is very distinct and very hard to get rid of!

Lunch

I was right, my morning was jammed packed and I didn't have a break until 11 or so. By this time I was starving and decided to have an early lunch rather than grabbing a snack. I went to Pick-up Stix and grabbed the beef and broccoli lunch special with brown rice. Sorry for the close up shot, I couldn't get it in focus from further away. Apparently my food photo skills aren't progressing as I had hoped!

The portion was rather large so I ended up having about half and plan on eating the second half later on in the afternoon. I was also a little disappointed because it seemed as though the beef was a little breaded. I could be wrong but will probably go with the chicken and vegetables next time.

Breakfast

Today's breakfast was on-the-go. I made my normal smoothie with frozen berries, green tea, green drink, protein, and oats. I added the second half of my whole wheat muffin from last night and topped it with about a tablespoon of cashew butter. Normally the smoothie is enough to keep me going until my first snack but I have a busy morning and I'm a little worried that I won't have time to snack until lunch.

Daily Wrap-up

My carbs today were a little low but that is mainly due to the fact that the majority of them were from vegetables. Although dense in nutrients, vegetables are relatively low in calories (which is a good thing!) so percentage-wise they don't have as much impact. I listened to my body and gave it the colors and types of food that it was craving today. Thanks bod!

Dinner

Sticking with my Mo' Colors Mo' Better theme of the day I made a veggie burger and a salad for dinner. I sauteed some spinach, garlic and feta to top the burger and put it on top of my favorite British muffin. I used a little olive oil and vinegar on the salad along with some extra feta. The veggie burger was a good source of protein and the whole grains and vegetables rounded off my carbohydrates for the day.

Afternoon Snack

Again, a protein and a carb combo makes the perfect snack. Now that I'm looking at this picture I really hope that I washed that apple before I cut it up. Although I'm sure that dirt has some nutrients it really does not need to be on your apple!

Lunch

As I talked about in yesterday's post, my diet this weekend was far from stellar. The individual foods were not that bad but there was little diversity. So today I'm making an effort to include much more vegetables. Unfortunately that effort didn't include anything as novel as grocery shopping so I headed to the Whole Foods salad bar. When making a salad, or mixture of vegetables, I try to make it as colorful as possible. It not only makes a delightful picture for your blog, but each colored vegetable is typically full of different vitamins. So getting a rainbow of colors ensures that you are getting an array of vitamins.

Snack

I usually incorporate a green drink into my smoothies but this morning I was craving one on it's own. For those of you who have tried one (or perhaps wheat grass) may find the idea of craving it a bit odd! A green drink is a powdered mixture of grasses, sprouted grains, and green vegetables. It is marketed as an alternative to eating fruits and vegetables - I WHOLEHEARTEDLY DISAGREE. Although it is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals it should not be considered a substitute to a good diet. Instead, I use it to compliment my diet. Because it is so full of nutrients it is a great addition to your post work-out meal. However, it's not a significant source of macronutrients so it should be combined with other food.

Breakfast

Ok, back on the bandwagon! I had some kashi cereal this morning. Unfortunately I haven't been to the grocery store yet so I wasn't able to combine it with some fruit. It is still a good complete meal with protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

Aug 19

Overall, this was a poor eating day. The foods that I chose were not that bad but I did not eat nearly enough. You can tell because I had two beers and those alone accounted for almost a quarter of my calories. It was a combination of being unprepared and not having much of an appetite. Based on the calories eaten and my RMR, I was in a huge calorie deficit. Although it's not a big deal to have a low calorie day here and there, if I were to continue on this path I would see a dramatic decrease in energy and mental clarity.

Along with the icy pop I had a few sourdough pretzels with hummus. Hummus is one of my favorite snacks and I'm actually a little surprised you haven't seen me eaten any until now. It is a great source of protein and goes with pretty much everything. It is a staple that I think that everyone should have in their refrigerator.

It has been hot hot hot in San Diego! After my BBQ Beer I opted for an orange Icy Pop. It was basically sugar water so it didn't have any nutritional value but it was cold and refreshing and I loved it!
Later on that night I went and had some drinks with good friends. I forgot to take a picture of the beers but one of them tasted exactly like BBQ sauce. Although there is a special place in my heart for Sweet Baby Ray there should be no place in my beer! Ugh, it was horrible! But I finished it...
Although my breakfast was delicious, the service was really slow so I was really rushed when I got home. Instead of packing the lunch that I had planned I just threw some ingredients into a bag so I could make something later. Tuna is a quick to make and full of protein and O-3 fatty acids. I added some carbs with the whole wheat english muffin and carrots.

Sunday's breakfast was a pesto scramble with grilled zucchini and a whole wheat tortilla. It was so delicious that I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! The serving was rather large so I only ended up eating half. Overall it was a good source of protein from the eggs and some carbohydrates from the zucchini and whole wheat tortilla. I also couldn't say no to some bacon. Instead of getting my own 4 piece side order I split a two piece side with a friend. It gave me the taste that I was craving but by splitting I cut my serving from 4 pieces to 1.

Daily Wrap-up

Today was a scrappy day revolving mostly around picking at the refrigerator. Still, I managed to do a pretty good job from both a calorie and a macronutrient (carb/protein/fat) standpoint. My only worry was that my %fat was rather high. Typically this doesn't concern me because I know that the fats are from good sources. Today, however, one of the biggest sources of fat was the oil from the sandwich shop. I don't know exactly what type of oil this was but I am pretty sure it was a vegetable oil. Moreover I can't imagine they pay very close attention to the storage conditions of the oil and it may very well have been rancid. Regardless, I don't think that the added moisture and slight taste on my sandwich was worth the added fat. I will steer clear of this in the future.

Dinner

This dinner is so lame. I got home late from Starbucks and was hungry and all hopped up on caffeine. So I grabbed some more of that chicken (which I am officially sick of) and threw in some carrots and hummus. This was mainly just to fill my stomach. Had I not been taking pictures I probably would have just picked at it out of the refrigerator but I felt I had to be presentable. It ended up doing it's job with filling me up and I actually enjoyed it. Oh and some delicious wine to counteract the caffeine. When did I get so old that I spend my Saturday nights worrying that I my 7:30pm caffeinated beverage is going to keep me up too late?

Afternoon Snack (Part 2)

Due to my early lunch my day was thrown a little off when it came to timing. So, I had a second snack. Cliff Mojo bar. I don't really have anything else to say about that.
Later on I went out and had a Chai Latte while catching up with a good friend. I don't frequent Starbucks (not because I am anti - although I did live in OB during the great Down With Starbucks wars) so I am a terrible orderer. This is why I forgot to say non-fat or skim or whatever the kids are calling it these days and ended up with whole milk. It was actually quite delicious but I'm sure it will show up in my percentages.

Afternoon Snack (Part 1)

I needed a snack before heading out so I grabbed a little bit of the chicken from last night, cut some strawberries (which were on their last leg) and added some string cheese. Nothing too exciting here, but as always, my intent was to combine a carb with a protein.

Lunch

Although my meal replacement shake did it's job and kept my stomach quiet, it was not very high in calories and I was ready for lunch early. I had a turkey sandwich on wheat topped with veggies, oil, and vinegar. I also had a side of baked lays and of course diet coke (merry Christmas). It's important to note that although I ordered whole wheat bread, the odds of it being 100% whole wheat is slim to none. More likely, it is a white/wheat blend. It is still a better bet than white but you are not getting the benefits of a whole grain.

Breakfast

This morning I had an early meeting (I consider 9am on a Saturday early), which I woke up for at the last possible minute. Although I was rushed and the idea of eating before I left was not tempting at all, I knew that my stomach would wake up with a roar somewhere between the drive to my office and a pause in my meeting. So I made a meal replacement shake. A meal replacement shake is different from a protein shake in that it is a complete meal. What I mean by that is it contains carbohydrates, fats and protein. This is a growing market but you need to beware because they are NOT all created equal. Be sure to pay attention to the ingredients and make sure it is not all sugar. Spiking your blood sugar is going to result in a release of insulin and a subsequent release of fat. Nobody likes that!

Daily Wrap-up

Overall I'm pretty pleased with my day. Even more than the result, I'm happy that I was aware of what I was putting in my body and was able to modify my meals to meet my goals. From a calorie standpoint I was on point, even with the happiest hour of the week! When it comes to weekends I believe that you should allow yourself to have fun. If that fun involves food or alcohol, just plan for it. Cut back a little here and there throughout the day or add on some extra exercise to make up for the extra calories.

Dinner

Before I left my office I had entered my daily food into fitday.com. I found that my protein was extremely low for the beginning part of the day. I don't know if it was my body craving the protein or my frustration at not reaching my goal but all I could think about was rotisserie chicken. Even odder was I spoke with my roommates who were in the middle of making one of my favorite foods - pizza. If diet coke is Christmas pizza is my birthday...and not just any birthday, a big one. 18, 21, 30, or something along those lines. So when I decided to swing by Henry's and pick up some chicken rather than having pizza I was shocked. Again, I don't know if it was my body craving it, or the awareness that I was low in protein, or the idea that I would have to post it on the internet that made the final decision. What I do know is I went with the chicken and now I feel great! And I'm sure it is the chicken and not the 2 Sierra's I had at Mac's.

Happy Hour

So it's Friday, and where there is a Friday there is a happy hour. Today's was spent with good friends at one of my favorite local dive bars. In the past has been my favorite because it not only has cold drinks but free cheese and crackers. Fortunately it doesn't have air conditioning so any sort of temptation was discouraged by the idea of the cheese sitting all day in the heat. Ugh.

I had two Sierra's and drew quite a few questions while taking pictures of my beers. But it was a conversation starter - another perk of the visual journal.

Lunch

I was driving from my meeting to my office and remembered that one of my favorite little eatery had a sushi lunch special on Friday (the lecithin from those eggs finally kicked in). I swung by and had a few rolls and my beloved Diet Coke - or in this case Diet Pepsi. It was part of the special or else I would have surely said no;)

I didn't eat the salad. It was basically just some iceberg lettuce drenched in some sort of dressing. It offered little nutritional value and I think was mainly there to make the special seem more special. Little did they know they had me at 'fountain drink'.

AM (and afternoon) Snack

I had a lunch meeting today so I had to eat my morning snack in the car. For those of you that are wondering that is the upholstery of the 1996 car of the year in the background! I'm a big fan of the Kashi TLC bars - actually, I'm a big fan of anything Kashi. They tend to not only use quality ingredients but balance carbs, fat, and protein so it is a fairly complete snack. These bars in particular are a bit higher in carbohydrates than say, the Mojo bar that I ate yesterday, but the carbs are from good sources so it shouldn't spike your blood sugar.

Oh, and I intended to eat both the Kashi TLC bars and the banana when I took the picture. Unfortunately I ran out of time so I saved the banana for my afternoon snack. It was a bit more brown by the time that I ate it because it spent the better part of the morning nestled in the 1996 car of the year.