Last week I posted – Eat like you love yourself…..and following on from that I’ve had a couple of emails asking what foods I incorporate into my daily diet. The main thing that works for me is the 80/20 Rule, where I eat clean and healthy most of the time but I don’t restrict myself, I keep it flexible and listen try to listen to my body.
As you all know I am not a qualified nutritionist or dietician but I certainly know what works for me. In my previous post I explained how I have done a million diets in the past (which haven’t worked, no surprise there!) and now I have finally found a way of eating that works for me.
I try to stay as flexible as possible with my meals, and not get too obsessed with what I should and shouldn’t eat. I definitely have an addictive personality, which I’m sure some of you reading this do too if alcohols a problem for you, so that’s why I try to stay flexible and not too strict. I don’t count calories, I don’t restrict food groups and I have never counted macros (I don’t even know what a macro actually is!)
So here’s just a general breakdown of my meals and what I eat in a normal week, as I said previously I’m not an expert and this is not an eating plan for people to follow but if you can pick up a couple of healthy alternatives from it then that’s a good thing!
Breakfast is normally a protein smoothie, made with frozen berries, protein powder, chia seeds and wheatgrass powder. Or alternatively I will have protein porridge with all the same ingredients as the smoothie mixed into my porridge. To be honest breakfast is all about speed and getting out of the door with the kids, washed, dressed with any extra school bags, musical instruments or tennis racquets they need that day!
For lunch I will make an omelette or sweet potato with tuna salad or I will make an open egg or tuna salad sandwich on rye bread with avocado. Again what I have depends on how busy my day is, sometimes its left over tea from the night before!
For evening meals I always have what I make for the rest of the family (unless its pasta which I hate!) There are two reasons why, one is that its easier and secondly I have two young girls who have a healthy attitude to food and are body confident (so far!). I never want to make food an issue for them, I never want them to have food or body issues like I used to have. So I will make a chilli, chicken stir fry, roast chicken – just a healthy as possible version of a family meal really. I cook a lot in my slower cooker too so its just less stress at a busy tea time!
I snack (a lot) on fruit, nuts, peanut butter on oatcakes, greek yoghurt and frozen berries, dark chocolate. I try to stay away from crisps or biscuits which I used to eat daily and once I start on those I can’t stop. I’ve found by eating more regularly and staying full on healthy stuff, it keeps me away from unhealthy snacking, that’s the plan anyway!
Fluid wise I make sure I drink at least two litres of water a day, I’m trying to get back into my green tea but at the moment my coffee addiction is getting in the way!
Weekends are much more flexible and we nearly always have a takeaway on a Saturday night, followed by treats and then most Sundays I do a big roast and a pudding. What’s good is that I don’t feel guilty for eating the unhealthy stuff because I know that most of the time I’m eating clean.
Quitting the booze has obviously also been a huge factor for me! I mean just think of the extra calories you can save by not drinking! I would always skip the pudding for an extra glass of red, then probably come home and raid the biscuit tin anyway! Not drinking means that I don’t have the weekend long food and drink binges and i am no longer repeating the “Sod it, i will start Monday!” scenario.
Most importantly, not drinking will enable your liver to work at its best. An article in Women’s Health Magazine stated that excess alcohol can turn to fat in your liver and can raise the amount of fat in your blood, so its more likely to be stored in your body as fat. And don’t forget after a couple of glasses of wine, all your good diet intentions go out of the window and who wants to do that morning workout with a raging hangover! So you can see how reducing your alcohol intake, or cutting out alcohol completely if that’s easier to do (for me it was) can help if you’re trying to lose weight.
Writing this has made me realise how much of a foodie I actually am now compared to when I was drinking! Just think of all those puddings I have missed out on for another glass of the same old red wine! Tragic!!!!!
Any questions or tips, then please comment or email me direct and please find me on Instagram if you haven’t all ready, @liftingweightsnotwine
Angie
ps – oh and the meal pics above are taken when I was on holiday last month (my meals at home are normally just thrown on a plate!) Lots of lovely fresh, healthy,delicious food, plus two puddings a day! (I put the token fruit with the puddings to make me feel better!!! 😉 )
Find Your Sober Glow! 