Saturday

Breakfast:
yogourt & granola
small glass of fruit/veggie juice

Morning snack:
coffee
grapes

Lunch:
my leftovers from last night's supper: 1 shrimp/scallop kebab and rice pilaf

Mid-afternoon snack:
hummus & 1 pita

Supper:
Chris & I were invited over to his parents' house* for his birthday supper, and it was fan-freakin-tastic! We supped on baked salmon, potatoes, veggies (carrots, peas, beans, corn and potoatoes), and spinach salad. For dessert, coffee and carrot cake (I purposely put no sugar in the coffee on account of the sugar in the cake. I figured it was a nice compromise? ;)). I could NOT refuse that carrot cake, and I'm glad that I didn't. Oh.so.good. Rose, thank you again for a delicious feed!

*Side-note: I hopped on the scale at the W's...if memory serves, the last time I visited (Chris' Mom's birthday first week of January) I also hopped on the scale. The jury's out on whether or not the scale itself is accurate with regards to actual weight...but aside from that, if memory serves, I'm down 13lbs from the last visit on the same scale??? That can't be right... I can't see where it moved from...I did hop on twice though. Can't argue with the scale though, right? Eeeeeee! :).

Healthy Links

I found the following link on a blog I happened upon today:

http://bodyforlife.com/search.asp?contentType=article&dynamicPage=/nutrition/articles.asp

The owner of the blog was on a journey, much like my own, to live a healthier lifestyle, not "diet" (I personally don't think it's a coincidence that the word "die" is part of the word "diet", but I digress). I didn't review the entire site, thinking perhaps it was a progam thing where they make you pay a bazillion dollars for 'consults' and special pills and potions and the like. However this link has articles related to healthy salad recipes, how to eat out at restaurants, guilt-free desserts, etc. I wanted to ensure I had a way to get back to this information, plus, I figured I'd share it with any of you readers who might find this blog. Let's face it, being unhealthy is as easy as the big honkin' piece of pie you might have just consumed, but getting healthy takes work. A lot of work... Here's hoping that educating oneself on the proper choices to make will lead to easier food decisions for me, and you, if you're open to it.

Friday is here!

4 weeks into the 'healthy' eating!
Breakfast:
bowl of granola & yogourt, with 1/2 banana
coffee

Mid-morning snack:
grapes
coffee

Lunch:
chicken wrap (on a tomato basil wrap, with greens, green & red peppers & mushrooms)
yogourt
1/2 banana

Afternoon snack:
apple slices with peanut butter

Supper:
As Chris had a birthday yesterday, I took him out to supper. We went to Mosaic, and I did my best to order a healthy alternative. Chris did want an appetizer, and he chose nachos,...I had a few because I was frickin starving, and we waited a long time to eat (the place was packed!). My main course was the shrimp & scallop kebabs with rice and greek salad. There were two kebabs, each with two shrimp and two scallops, in-between grilled red & green peppers. I ate the salad, one kebab, and a bit of rice. I saved the rest for lunch for tomorrow. Later on in the evening, we went to Mavors for "dessert", where Chris had the creme brule, and I had a B52 coffee (Starbucks coffee with Kahluha, Baileys and Grand Marnier, garnished with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.....YUM!). Feeling pretty full, but we had a fantastic night, and heck, it's been 4 weeks...I totally deserved it :). Happy Weekend!

Thursday

Breakfast:

granola, yogourt with 1/2 a banana

coffee

Mid-morning snack:

coffee
Trail Mix granola bar

Lunch:

salad - with greens, green & red peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, almonds, egg, carrot & cheese

pita w/ hummus

Mid-afternoon snack:

1/2 banana

1 Babybel cheese
some grapes

Supper:
chicken wrap with greens, broccoli, cauliflower, red onion and a very small amount of shredded cheese (hint: I don't recommend broccoli or cauliflower in a chicken wrap. Salad? sure...not a chicken wrap)
small glass of fruit/veggie juice

Night snack:
big cup of vanilla tea...it's freezing in here! I might make some popcorn*...craving some crunch, but I have to stay good...

*I consumed a very large serving of popcorn...it wasn't that good at all,...and I'll be picking it out of my teeth for the next two weeks :S.

Wednesday

Breakfast:
yogourt with granola & 1/2 banana
coffee

Mid-morning snack:
grapes

Lunch:
salad, with greens, green & red peppers, mushroom, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, almonds and a boiled egg (obviously by the shear variety there wasn't an overabundance of each vegetable)
banana
green tea

Mid-afternoon snack:
hummus & carrots
grapes

Supper:
mashed potatoes, peas and shrimp

Tuesday

Breakfast:
bowl of yogourt & granola
fruit/veggie juice

Lunch:
egg salad sandwich on 12 grain toast
banana
green tea

Supper:
leftover chicken/rice/salsa/green peppers rolled up in a sun-dried tomato wrap, toasted. It was delish.

Night snack*:
1 small apple & 1/2 banana with peanut butter (light)
sleepy-time tea

*I had an excruciating urge for chips. Luckily there were none in the house.

Willpower?

I think it might be easier following a healthier eating regime when I'm at work. Maybe it's because I have to get up at crowpiss to get ready, which means I eat breakfast at breakfast time, and then I follow a schedule of breaks and lunchtime which makes me eat at regular intervals. I'm off today on account of having to work Saturday, so of course I slept in later than I should have, so not getting those "intervals" like I need to. As for what I've consumed today (so far) it's been all good...but I would be lying if I didn't admit to studying the Lindor chocolate in the cupboard more than once. For someone that claimed, "I need chocolate every day or I'll just die", I guess I'm doing ok though. Willpower, and the occasional chocolate chip in my yogourt that is. Is it bad that I wish my cup of green tea was a cup of chocolate tea, though? Do they even make such a thing? God I want a chocolate chip cookie.

Manic Monday

Breakfast:

yogourt & granola

small glass of fruit/veggie juice

Morning snack:

coffee

Trail Mix granola bar

Lunch:

1 slice of 12 grain bread, buttered (Becel margarine)

frozen Highliner shrimp/wild rice dinner

banana

Afternoon snack:

hummus, 1 1/2 flatbread crackers, & carrots

grapes

Supper:
chicken, green pepper & rice with salsa mixed in, and topped with tex-mex cheese (really good!)
yogourt with chocolate chips

Back on the wagon Sunday

Trying to get back on the wagon after a weekend filled with rich foods. I had the first headache I've had in weeks on Saturday night...perhaps a telling sign, huh?

Brunch:
banana
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 slices of 12 grain toast
coffee

Mid-day snack:
carrots, cucumber, peppers & some cut up apple (thank you Lana!)*

Supper:
pasta & spaghetti sauce
2 garlic fingers
green tea
small piece of apple pie (the crust was delicious)

*Lana had Chris & I over to her place Sunday afternoon for movies, and supper. I had taken the leftover nacho dip from Saturday night. She had prepared a plate of cut up veggies and some apple just for me. You're the bestest Lana. Chris finished the dip, and I'm happy to say that I didn't have 1!

A Mexican Fiesta Saturday

Brunch:
banana
breakfast bagel from Timothys*
coffee

Mid-afternoon snack:
hummus
flatbread crackers
glass of fruit/veggie juice

Appetizers during the Mexican Fiesta with my work girlies:
a few - no, I lie - several dips of my walkin' nacho dip
3 chips w/ onion dip (man, it took some restraint)
several carrots & ranch dip (I did try to health it up, I swear!)
2 anijitos
1 glass of wine

Supper** during the Mexican Fiesta with my work girlies:
1 chicken fajita
1 small portion of a chicken enchillada
2 more anijitos (they were so fricken GOOD)
2 small mozza sticks
3 mugs of water

*The second surprise of the weekend. I kinda hoped Chris would return from his photo shoot with a coffee...how delighted was I when he came back with Timothys coffee...and Breakfast Bagels from there too. They're fan-freakin-tastic... bagel, with cheese, egg, green pepper, red onion, oh, and bacon. Real piggy bacon. *slurp*
**At first I contemplated not posting about my Saturday evening consumption, but this blog is all about being accountable, right...good and bad. I showed excellent restraint in not going back for seconds, I'll have you know. I also declined the delicious-looking Skor bar cake. That, my darlings, took a lot of restraint!

Finally Friday

Breakfast:
yogourt, granola and a few sprinkles of chocolate chips (I ran out of my own Vanilla Activia and had to turn to Chris' 'Natural' stuff which tastes like a$$, so I needed the chocolate to disguise the taste of a$$)
small glass of fruit/veggie juice

Mid-day snack:
banana
green tea

Lupper:
chicken wrap on a tomato basil wrap, with greens, carrots, & cucumber.
yogourt
grapes

Evening snack:
havarti and Snackwell crackers
grapes

After work I was delighted to see a snack sitting in the fridge that Chris had picked up for me...I guess he heard me complaining all week about how hungry I was getting off the late shift. He had gone to Pita Express and got me a small chicken schwarma wrap (nothing like Cedars, but it still tasted delicious). Was this the precursor to a 'treat' weekend? Well, perhaps...

Thursday

Breakfast:
yogourt & granola
small glass of fruit/veggie juice
coffee

Snack:
banana
green tea

Lupper:
shrimp/wild rice frozen dinner from High Liner
1 slice of 12 grain toast
apple slices with peanut butter

Evening snack:
hummus
flatbread crackers

Night snack (after getting off the late shift):
hummus
1 pita
small glass of fruit/veggie juice

To juice, or not to juice...

Yesterday Laurie Barker Jackman was on BT breaking down the sugar contents in popular drinks. It's staggering, really, to see the amount laid out in front of you. There was everything from a bottle of pop to a bottle of what looked like a healthy pomogranate green tea drink. Each had a moutain of sugar in front of it. I think the only way around it is to just drink water. However, I was so proud of myself to find a fruit juice with 'no added sugar' that also had the benefits of a full serving of vegetables - especially because I know I don't get enough fruits or vegetables. However, now Iquestion if it's a good thing to be drinking or not... Thoughts? I'm supposing, like any other 'easy fix', it's not as good as it's advertized. Thoughts?

Hump Day

Breakfast:
bowl of Special K
coffee
...
1 boiled egg
1 slice of toasted 12-grain toast
glass of fruit/veggie juice

(I tried to eat a big breakfast to get me through the early afternoon)

Afternoon break:
1/2 tomato basil wrap with light veggie cream cheese
grapes
green tea

"Lupper":
salad, with boiled egg, carrots, cucumber, havarti & almonds
2 slices of 12 grain toast

PM Snack:
apple slices dipped in peanut butter

After work, again starving, I grabbed a bowl of yogourt, granola, and a few sprinkles of chocolate chips (wow, it was soooo good). I *needed* the chocolate after a lousy day. I finished the day with a cup of sleepy-time tea, which did as it claimed, and lulled me to a sleeeeeepy state. G'night - I'm *almost* at the end of week 3! I also have a girls night planned on Saturday, and I guarantee there will be non-healthy snacking.

Tuesday

Breakfast:
banana
coffee
yogourt & granola
glass of fruit/veggie juice

Mid-day snack:
1/2 banana
green tea

"Lupper":
salad, with mixed greens, 1 boiled egg, havarti cheese, sliced almonds, cucumber & carrot
hummus and 1/2 a pita
1/2 banana
handful of grapes

PM Snack:
remaining 1/2 pita & hummus
grapes

After returning home from work I had a bowl of oatmeal and a sleepy-time tea.

Forging ahead...

I think blogging about my food consumption might actually be helping. I have found myself a few times questioning what I should snack on...and when I think I want chips or something junky I say to myself, 'no, I can't write that in the blog'. I actually had a bit of guilt writing that I had that chocolate chip pancake on Sunday. Heh.

They say that it takes 3 weeks to make a habit, and 3 weeks to break it. This is my third week of 'healthier' eating, so I'm going to forge ahead, and hope that some deep-rooted habits form. I'm not into depravation, so when I do want that occasional chocolate chip pancake or handful of Doritos, rest assured, I'm going to do it. I'm kinda glad that the guilty feelings make me second guess my decisions though.

My next battle is getting a little movement going on...I wanted to really tackle the bad eating habits well before starting an exercise routine. When I exercise, I'll undoubtably be more hungry as I'll be burning more calories, and I wanted to instill the habit of grabbing for a banana or hummus or something rather than a bag of chips (great excuse, isn't it?). I'm unsure if I'll try to go for walks on my own, or if I should bite the bullet and get a new gym membership. It just pains me to pay for something extra, when I'm doing my utmost to stay within a budget...I really don't want an extra payment to go out...With this weather though...what are the chances I'm going to leave the comforts of my cozy couch & blanket to go for a walk in sub-zero temperatures??

Monday

This week is a tough week to have regular meal intervals. I work from 12:30 to 9pm, which means that I usually only eat breakfast before going to work, and then I don't have another scheduled 'meal time' til 4:00. Today I managed to eat 1/2 a wrap and cream cheese before I went to work, and then had my regular break snack on my scheduled first break.

Breakfast:
bowl of Special K Vanilla Almond (I love it)
coffee

Mid-morning snack:
1/2 of a sun-dried tomato wrap with light veggie cream cheese

2nd mid-morning snack:
TrailMix granola bar
vanilla tea

"Lunch"/Supper:
egg salad sandwich (without mayo, margarine or butter - not by choice, by having nothing available) on toasted 12 grain bread
tomato soup
yogourt
grapes

Evening snack:
hummus with pita, carrots and cucumber
grapes

Update: After I got home from work I had to eat another snack, as I was ravenous:
apple with peanut butter (if you've never tried, do it)
cheese
sleepytime tea (yes, the goal was to put myself to sleep so I'd stop eating!)

Sunday

I forgot to post my menu yesterday:

Breakfast/Brunch: (we never wake up early enough to eat twice between morning and afternoon on the weekend)
1 fairly large chocolate chip pancake*
coffee

Mid-day snack:
hummus, with pita and carrots
glass of fruit/veggie juice

Supper:
large bowl of chicken & wild rice soup
1/2 peanut butter sandwich

Evening snack:
caramel tea
popcorn (we watched another movie)

*I woke up with a craving for them and Chris was cooking for me, so I wasn't going to toy with cravings, nor ruin the 'waited on' circumstance!

A Cold Saturday

With windchills of -35C Chris & I still made it outside. We shopped again at Sobeys for some more healthy eats...It really is expensive to eat healthy - and I have to keep reminding myself that it must be cheaper than eating out every day...It must be, mustn't it?

Breakfast/Brunch:
2 boiled eggs
2 slices of 12 grain toast

Mid-day snack:
peppermint tea
oat cake

Supper:
skillet (hashbrowns, peppers, onions & chicken bacon)
1 slice of 12 grain toast
glass of fruit/veggie juice

Night snack:
popcorn to go with our movie night

TGIF!

Finally, we're at Friday. It's not payday Friday, but Friday nevertheless.

Breakfast:
bowl of Oatmeal Crisp cereal
coffee (ran out of yogourt and granola!)

AM Snack:
Trail Mix granola bar
coffee

Lunch:
leftover pasta dish from last night with shrimp, mushrooms & peas
salad, with greens, peppers, cucumber, almonds and cheese

PM Snack:
yogourt
havarti cheese and 10 Snackwell crackers

Supper:
1 hard-boiled egg and 1 slice of 12 grain toast (I wasn't that hungry so I will save my 2nd egg and piece of toast for when I come home, or tomorrow)

Night snack:
Tonight was my stamp club so the lovely host, Angela treated the girls to a special little something...ice cream topped with Baileys Carmel sauce...so.fricken.good. I asked for a small, small dish, and lapped it up like a crack addict. Coming home after, I felt a little peckish, but made myself a cup of tea instead of snacking.

D'OH!

Remember how excited I was about my bank balance being in the green yesterday? I figured with me taking my lunch every day for the last two weeks and not going out to buy something, that saved me a pile of cash and for the first time in forever, I was not in the red come payday. I was +$41 the day before payday. We get paid every second Friday. Yesterday was Thursday, and today is Friday.

It's not payday today.

It's next week.

I have one more week and am presently back in my OD.

It was a wonderful feeling while it lasted. At least I can celebrate two weeks of no fast food restaurants.

Heh. Bah!

Thursday

Breakfast:
yogourt and granola
glass of fruit/vegetable juice

Morning snack:
grapes
coffee

Lunch:
egg salad sandwich on 12 grain bread
tomato soup (the lip is healing nicely)
yogourt

Afternoon snack:
hummus & carrots, flatbread cracker

Supper:
Pasta with shrimp, mushrooms, & peas in Alfredo sauce

What I've noticed...

I'm about to toot my proverbial horn for a brief moment. It has been approximately 2 weeks since this 'quest' of mine to eat healthier. January 5th I made the conscious effort to not eat junk food and fast food type stuff. I don't feel like I've deprived myself, and when I really have a craving for something (ie, the shrimp/feta penne at BP), I've had it. Since this blog is all about acknowledgement, so far, in this short time I've noticed:

-a positive balance in my bank account 1 day before payday

-I've not had to take acid reducer pills on a regular basis (regular = twice daily, as I did before). I did have one after BP and the Doritos though.

-noticeably more energy. I've not fallen asleep while watching tv in the evenings except Saturday, and I can blame that on two things: very little sleep the night before AND BP for supper.

-I'm really not a fan of raw carrots without a large smattering of some sort of dip.

-perhaps a slight improvement in my mood; if you ask Chris he'll deny that altogether, as he feels I'm a little more sensitive of late. Yeah, detox sucks; giving up the deliciousness that is chips is rough.

-No wasting of food! So far we've gone through 2 tubs of yogourt, a tub of hummus, a crapload of eggs, healthy snack crackers...and none went in the garbage! We've been very diligent!

I still need to get off my lazy arse and exercise...I know...baby steps (that excuse is starting to get old, isn't it?).

Wednesday

Breakfast:
yogourt & granola

small glass of fruit/vegetable juice

Morning snack:

coffeeTrailmix granola bar

clementine

*painful green tea mishap*

Lunch:

Egg salad sandwich

yogourt

clementine

*on account of painful green tea mishap the soup that was to go with my sammich had to sit, untouched, in my lunch bag.

Afternoon snack:

grapes

10 Snackwell crackers (the salt in the crackers didn't help my plight with the post-painful green tea mishap, however)

havarti cheese (mmm havarti)

Supper:
baked salmon
mashed potatoes
broccoli

Yay me...no junk today :)

Tuesday

Breakfast:
yogourt & granola
1 boiled egg

Mid-morning snack:
Due to the heartier breakie, I actually wasn't overly hungry when my morning break came 'round. A co-worker treated around some mini Laura Secord chocolates, and well, I'm not one to ever refuse chocolate. I didn't immediately go for the milk chocolate though, I opted instead for the 'extra dark'. I figured it was the 'healthier choice', and in that, a win-win...chocolate, every girl's pleasure, and anti-oxidants for a healthier me. Closer to my lunch however, I did get a bit peckish, so I had a clemmie to tide me over.

Lunch:
Veggie wrap, on a sun-dried tomato wrap, with broccoli, carrots, mushroom, greens, boiled egg, and cheese
yogourt

Mid-day snack:
2 Babybel cheese rounds and Snackwell crackers

Supper:
'Hash' with eggs, crumbled turkey bacon, mushrooms, onion, green pepper and leftover mashed potatoes (it was yum!)
1 slice of 12 grain toast

Is it really only Tuesday?

So I decided to try a more 'hearty' breakfast today...I started with granola and yogourt, and then had a hard-boiled egg. It was a lot more filling than the standard cereal bowl, I will admit. So I know what I have to do...incorporate more into my starting meal of the day...and try to get at least 3 of the 4 food groups in the meal. It's so much work...I wish I could win the lottery and hire myself a personal chef.

We're actually out of yogourt right now. There's a storm coming and I'm really not wanting to step foot in a grocery store on account of the humungous lineups that will be present. I'll see how the rest of my day goes. It's a nice thing to report though, having some healthy food completely consumed, and not wasted. Two tubs of yogourt and a full tub of greens have been completely consumed.

Baby steps :)

Monday

Today's meal intake:

Breakfast:
bowl of cereal (Oatmeal Crisp)
coffee

Mid-morning snack**:
Trail Mix granola bar
coffee

Lunch:
Leftovers from last night (rice, with shrimp & peas)
yogourt
clemmie

Mid-afternoon snack:
hummus with flatbread crackers (yes, I'm running really low on both)
grapes

Supper:
1 scoop of mashed potatoes
1 small chicken breast, baked, with salsa and cheese over top (yumm-o!)

The dishes are done, the bed has been stripped and re-sheeted with the duvet (goin' down to -18C here tonight...brrr!), and I'm now off to Erin's for Bachelor night, where there may or may not be chips***. And if there are chips, I can't say that my willpower will sustain me from not eating chips. If there are other choices, however, I will try to aim for the healthiest :)

** Might I also add, that I did NOT eat one of the help-yourself-homemade-oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookies someone had left on the table at work. I wanted one, mind you, but I didn't. Now do I ever want one. Crap.

***Update at 12:08am - there were chips. Not just any chips...there were Zesty Cheese Dorito chips. I had a healthy portion of them, a Diet Coke and a Lindor chocolate. I guess we've determined that Monday Bachelor night is my 'treat' night. I don't feel all that good right now...perhaps that's a good thing, and perhaps next time I'll have better restraint. 'Urp.

Sunday

I forgot to journal what I consumed yesterday, so here I go:

Brunch:
2 eggs
2 slices of turkey bacon
2 slices of toast (it was white *hanging head* ~ only on account of Chris getting it into the toaster quicker than I could speak up)
coffee

That was enough to tide me over quite efficiently, until about 4pm, when we started un-doing Christmas and I was suddenly ravenous...so I whipped out the hummus.

Mid-day snack:
Hummus & carrots and some flatbread crackers

Supper:
I make this concoction of rice, shrimp and peas that I enjoy so I had a serving of that and 2 overcooked eggrolls (they're in the freezer, and I don't like to throw away food, so some of the frozen stuff will just have to be consumed).

Night snack:
a small fudge sundae from DQ (we all must treat ourselves, after all) - and I didn't regret one delicious spoonful.

Breakfast

I've come to the conclusion that I don't eat enough breakfast. I know that realistically, I should be eating 3 out of 4 food groups per meal, especially at breakfast, and I've only been getting cereal into me (since, unfortunately, coffee isn't it's own food group). I have a mid-day snack, usually a granola bar, and I'm famished before lunch. I wonder what those 'instant' breakfasts are like? Would you recommend? Likely not...anything in a can, requiring water to mix together with it to form a substance to drink that is supposed to offer all my nutritional needs makes me raise an eyebrow...

Any advice on quick, easy, healthy breakfast choices?

This 'healthy' eating thing is so much work.

Words of Wisdom

A fellow blog I visit regularly had the following quote in a recent post. I felt it seemed very fitting for this new "life journey" I've set in front of myself. It's from a book by Garrison Keillor:

"A person cannot coast along in old destructive habits year after year and accept whatever comes along. A person must stand up on her own two legs and walk. Get off the bus and go get on another. Climb out of the ditch and cross the road. Find the road that's where you want to go ... The only sermon that counts is the one that is formed by our actions... life is what you make it. A person can grab hold of her life and change things for the better. This happens all the time. We are not chips of wood drifting down the stream of time. We have oars."

I may just have to refer back to this post from time to time...

Shoulda had the salad...and turkey what?!

I know I should have had the salad last night. I honestly did think a lot about it...Krissy ordered it. and I really should have followed suit. I couldn't ignore the constant craving that I'd been having, though, for my baked shrimp/feta penne dish that is basically the only dish that I order at BP. I'm on a life 'change', not a diet, so I don't feel it's right to deprive...especially when I have a large craving for something. Am I making excuses for myself? Perhaps. Did I order the coveted baked shrimp/feta penne dish? You betcha. Was it amazing? Not really, actually. I didn't finish the dish (Chris was happy to do that for me), but I ate until I was quite comfortable. About a half hour after getting home I felt bloated and yucky and the heartburn formed very quickly. I felt like I had zero energy (probably not helped by the fact that my sleep the night before rotted though), and ended up at home, in my jammies, on the couch and asleep about 20 minutes into the Bachelor repeat on ABC.

Next time, I will have the salad.

This morning, well afternoon, (it is Sunday after all) Chris made breakfast - toast, eggs, and turkey bacon. Turkey bacon is supposedly a healthier alternative to the traditional fatty 'real' bacon (mmmm...bacon). I will admit, I was very skeptical at the beginning, but when he positioned purchasing it when we went 'healthier' grocery shopping, I couldn't say no. I was just impressed that he was coming a bit more on board with a few changes. It really wasn't too bad! It's apparently 50% less fatty than regular bacon, and went nicely with the eggs & toast for an accustomed weekend breakfast. And, it doesn't shrivel up like normal bacon, so the yield is higher, and 2 slices almost felt like more than enough.

Oh, and by the way, I made coffee, and have consumed 2 cups. I just can't give that up. Perhaps later on in this journey for a healthier intake...and I will also keep drinking the green tea as well...but starting my day off without coffee? It's just wrong.

God grant me strength

Ok - so no coffee consumption, barely any sleep, and a full moon ...I don't know how I did it...

Breakfast:
bowl of cereal (Oatmeal Crisp)
green tea

Morning snack:
green tea
grapes
Trail Mix granola bar

Lunch:
shrimp & wild rice High Liner dinner
yogourt
clementine

Afternoon snack:
hummus & flat bread crackers

The work day is at a close and Chris has made arrangement for us to meet Marco & Krissy at Boston Pizza tonight for supper... I can't say that I will be able to sustain the urge to order my very favourite of all favourite dishes...shrimp feta penne...mmmmmmm (I'm drooling just at the thought of it). I suppose I've had a good few days and should treat myself though, right?....Or is it an attitude like that that has brought me to where my fluffy self is now?

Green tea is no substitute for java...

So today I tried going without coffee...instead replacing it with green tea. I'm second guessing my choice, however, on account of not getting nearly enough sleep last night.

I figured I'd likely have a hard time getting to sleep after sleeping in yesterday; however, much to my delight, I didn't have any trouble. Chris & I finally hit the hay at midnight. At 1:30am I was abruptly awake again, though. "AMBER! You're SNORING! ROLL OVER!". So, I rolled over. And then I rolled back, and over and over. I tossed and turned, and, I didn't snore anymore, because I never got back to sleep again.

Of course it was ME that had to work this morning, not Christopher.

My morning is slowly crawling by...and I'm now really beating my inner self up for my decision to go sans java. I've had two green teas so far, and my pee is completely clear, but I'm.so.freakin'.tired. And really - is it fact, or is it psychosomatic? Am I really having problems concentrating because I haven't consumed coffee, or is it all in my head? There is caffeine in green tea - just not as high of a percentage.

So I'm tired. And cranky. And b!tchy. And I'm sick of chewing on things that are cold and crunchy. I'm craving two-all-beef-patties-special-sauce-lettuce-cheese-pickles-onions-on-a-sesame-seed-bun.......Back to my grapes....

TGIF

I'm happy to report that I had enough willpower to avoid the chip bag last night after work, and instead, had a handful of peanuts (sea salt & pepper...yum!), some pita & hummus, and a glass of V8 Fusion. I'm off today, so instead of getting up early to clean the house and have a healthy breakfast, I slept in to an embarrassing hour...but started my day with 12 grain toast and boiled eggs. So far, two loads of laundry are done, the kitchen is half done, and I'm going to tackle the bathroom after a bit of indulgence with the tv. I will update my daily food intake later in the day .

Update: On account of sleeping in today, it was really only a '2 meal' day...

Brunch:
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 slices of 12 grain toast
coffee
1 Lindor chocolate (because they're there, and I refuse to give up chocolate)

Afternoon snack:
a generous helping of peanuts
glass of V8 Fusion juice

Supper:
2 chicken wraps (tomato basil wrap, chicken cutlets, greens, & cheese); I didn't eat all 2 - more 1 and 1/2; Chris finished my 2nd one.

Night 'snack':
caramel nut tea

Another day in...

Ok, so today wasn't too bad....I worked the late shift at work, so that messed up my eating intervals...with only having a bowl of cereal for 'breakfast' at about noon, and then not having a real meal again until 5pm... Here's the day's menu:

Breakfast:
bowl of cereal
coffee

Mid-day snack:
grapes
Trail Mix granola bar
one Quality Street chocolate (because I was famished before it was time for break)

Lunch/Supper:
one ginormous salad with mixed greens, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, grated cheese and a boiled egg
yogourt
clementine
The salad was like chewing cud...but I got it down.

Night snack:
2 Babybel cheeses and 10 Snackwell crackers

I'm just about to leave work...and I'm still hungry...I will try to avoid the temptation of the bag of chips atop the refridgerator, but I can't make any promises. I will say, however, that I've been intentionally trying to increase my water intake and I've been peeing every 45 mins to an hour...Jeepers.

Acknowledgement

One of my New Year "Goals" (I don't 'resolve' to do something because there's so much room for failure) is to become a healthier me. I'm starting in wee, baby steps...with the first being to try to eat healthier. Please understand that up until now I was in the poor habit of running through a fast-food drive-thru and chomping on burgers and fries for my lunch. It was that, or perhaps popping over to a local bakery and dining on their lunch specials (mostly pasta dishes, with a side roll or garlic bread). I'm a sensitive carbaholic. Don't judge.

Christopher has repeatedly made comments about his little belly (I think he's cute as he is). Despite the fact that he doesn't look overweight, his eating habits are horrendous...and you know how it is...when two people live in one home and one person eats horribly, so does the other. We're lazy. We don't like prep work. We go for the 'simple' alternatives, and they always lead to the unhealthy alternative...the foods that are full of processed everything, a bazillion milligrams of sodium, a ginormogram of fats, etc...

I'm hoping that he and I both can travel this journey together.

Last night, we took the $200 Sobeys gift certificates he received for Christmas and went shopping. We bought chicken breasts, veggies, fruits... I tried to pick up some healthy snacking choices, like hummus, cheese, salad fixings too... I hope to start a new 'habit' of making a lunch to take to work. I should not only eat better, but I hope it also helps the pocket book, too. To help me stay accountable, and on the pep-talking advice of a dear friend, I'm going to start journaling my food (eventually, if enough gumption hits me, I hope to also add some exercise. Man, I just wish I liked to exercise).

Today was a pretty good day - so far - but this is all before I head to Chris' parents house for Chinese food in celebration of Rose's birthday (heh, there's always a catch):

Breakfast:
oatmeal
coffee

Mid-morning snack:
Trail Mix granola bar
coffee (I know I have to cut the coffee...eventually)

Lunch:
Highliner Shrimp & Wild Rice Dinner (frozen - not the best choice, but ...)
1/2 c. yogourt
clementine

Afternoon snack:
hummus with flat bread crackers
grapes

...now to hell in a handbasket as I salivate in preparation for some eggrolls and chicken fried rice...

Tomorrow's a new day.