Fall Food and My Eating Habits

Not only have I been lifting weights almost everyday, but I'm also trying to eat better. Better as in, better for me. 

I have said before and I'll say it again - I LOVE FOOD. I love food so much I refuse to restrict myself because of a diet. (And before anyone judges me, when I nursed BOTH my babies, I was on a VERY restricted diet due to their allergies (ie: no milk/milk products, eggs, nuts, garlic, sunflower) , so I know I could do it for them, just not for me haha). I don't know if it's perhaps a little PTSD from that period of my life. Of always wanting and never feeling satisfied. (1st world problems, folks).

ANYWAY.

I love food. 

I have a sweet tooth. Hello chocolate. 

I love my coffee and coffee creamer.

But with all of that being said, there was a lot of room for improvement. Because I had never really paid attention to what kinds of foods I was eating, I could only improve, right?

Eating better doesn't mean eating white fish and broccoli for the rest of my life, either. 

It's about balance, y'all. 

Now that it's officially Fall, it's time for some yummy comfort food. You know, warm the soul food. 

Every year I make The Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew.

It has completely turned me on to turnips. So good! And as you can see, there are very little processed foods here. The tomato paste is processed and the beef stock. But everything else? Whole and fresh. 

Carrots, onions, turnips. Absolutely delicious. Even the girls ate multiple helpings. Love when I find recipes that are tasty and the entire family can enjoy, considering our list of allergens. 

Leftovers look like this for me. I added in my sweet potato and zucchini from my garden. Trying to maintain sensible portion sizes. 

Both my kids are meat eaters, which is great considering the amount of foods they CAN'T have, but they both LOVE a good steak (they will NOT be cheap dates😆). Here's how I eat some of their leftover steak. Just on top of some greens and fresh tomatoes from my garden. 

Hydration is a big one, too. This is my new cup! If you know me IRL you know I have an obsession with travel mugs, hydro flasks, cups with lids, etc. Not sure why. I just love them. When Steve and I got together, every time I brought a new one home, he'd open my cup cabinet and tell me to pick one out to throw out. lol. Anyway, this sucker is 40oz, so my goal is to drink TWO of these at least a day. I can barely hold it with one hand. haha. I also got the fun strap and silicon base add-ons because. Why not? 

Another thing I've been practicing. NOT drinking my calories! I used to drink juice, cut in half with water. Just because I have never loved water. I mean, yes I'll drink it, but I love a little flavor. 

So I'm now addicted to these guys. I have the kind with caffeine and one without. 

I still drink my coffee every single morning. With my creamer. That's my ONE thing that is my thing I won't give up. I'm very strict though and limit myself to ONE coffee a day. It's about 140cal of creamer. But I love it. It's my only added sugar throughout the day as well, so....yeah. 

Let's talk about snacks.

I'm a snacker. 

Maybe it's from my younger, munchie days. 😂

Anyway. I love me some snacks.

But I've stopped. 

Because it's just not worth it. I used to feel bloated all the time. I never really felt "hungry" if you know what I mean. I ate because it was "time to eat." 

I also grew up in a family where you had to "clean your plate" (there's back-history as to why but that's for another post altogether!)

So I just stopped snacking (as much).

Now when I want to eat a little something, I will eat some fruit, or eat some of this deliciousness.

It's another thing that's actually been a staple in our house since Mila was born. She has a peanut allergy, so she ate this. It's delicious. Ava can't have it because she's allergic to sunflower (of course, right?) But this shit is $6.50 per jar. Yep. But I'm the only one who really eats it nowadays. This on top of gluten free bread or on top of a rice cake. Delish. These are a common snack for me these days. 

If I were to guess, I'd say I was consuming around 1400 - 1600 calories per day. This is how I'm able to cut about a pound a week. By my calculations, my energy expenditure is around 1900 calories per day. So I'm usually in a deficit. 

I have to make sure I eat enough protein in order to grow muscle. 

I'm excited for chilis, soups, stews and casseroles. Anyone else?