meals and snack ideas

I don't make elaborate meal plans for an entire week. I just can't, my life is not in that much control. I do typically like to stay within a routine though.

I have egg whites (3) for breakfast- hard boiled & coffee with a small fruit or a Chobani Greek yogurt. 
My lunch is typically packed with protein. I either have boiled fish or chicken with my protein shake. 

For snacks I have fibers bars, pistachios, almonds, or fruit and veggies. 

It's hard to plan an entire day's worth of meals for me, and even harder an entire week. I try to keep healthy snacks and food around the house that will benefit me the moment hunger strikes. 

Here is a list of healthy snacks that I like to keep handy:

1.  String Cheese
2. Banana
3. Greek Yogurt
4. Apple dipped in Peanut Butter 
5. 100-calorie bag of popcorn
6. veggies with hummus 
7. Almonds
8.  Apple
9. Hard Boiled Egg
10. Dried Fruits
11. Pistachios
12.  Clementines
13. Fruit Smoothie
14. blueberries 
15. celery with peanut butter 
16. Trail Mix 
17. Orange Slices
18. Salad with light dressing
19. Guacamole with veggies or tortilla chips
20. Cashews
21. Sugar Snap Peas( i love how crunchy these are!)
22. Steamed Veggies
23. Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges
24. Snack/Granola bar/Fiber Bar
25. Protein Bar
26. Sweet Potato Fries 
27. Wrap (like hummus, turkey, & avocado)
28. Broccoli (I HAVE to have cheese with mine)
29. Peaches 
30. Naked Juice (but only one serving!)
31. Tuna with corn and light mayo and a handful of crackers
32. Chicken Breast
33. Watermelon
34. Oatmeal

progress

The day I posted my progress pictures I knew it may have been a bad idea. I was (TMI WARNING) a bit bloated because it was that time of the month. I am the type of woman that really does bloat during this time. I hold on to my water weight and it's just bad all over. I knew stepping on that scale may have been discouraging but surprisingly it wasn't. The kicker comes in when I got back on a day later, no longer bloated and TWO POUNDS LIGHTER. The official weight loss has gone from 148.6 to 141.2 It's pretty fabulous for a little over 30 days.

I need better pictures, but I'm struggling with how to post them without being immodest and completely exposing myself. I'm sure I will come up with something.

I'm also going to commit to posting pictures, recipes, or ideas of my lunches and dinners. I am a strong believer in weight loss being 30% gym and 70% diet. It really does matter what you eat. You can spend two hours everyday at the gym but if you go home and eat crap, well there goes your workout!

meal replacements

For the last couple of days I've replaced one or two meals on the P90x Nutrition Guide. I don't always have the time to make the meals, don't have the ingredients, or simply don't like it. I either completely replace the meal or change a few things.

The first day the guide required this, below, for breakfast

1_Mushroom Omelet
1 cup_Fresh strawberries 
8 oz_Cottage cheese, 1% 

I didn't have strawberries, I ate an orange instead. I hate cottage cheese and I replaced it with a low fat mozzarella string cheese. 

These things are simple replacements and I know it's hard not to get overwhelmed with following the EXACT guidelines, but it's okay. Replacing a serving of fruit with another one will not hinder your progress. 

For dinner

6 oz_Salmon
2 tbsp_Lemon-Dill Sauce 
1/2 cup_Asparagus
1 cup_Wild rice
1 cup_Red Pepper Soup 
1 tbsp_Protein powder 

I didn't have the time or patience for this. I replaced all of it and had a can of tuna, tbsp of Mayo, small can of corn, 5 crackers, a serving or asparagus sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. 

For tonight, day 3, I replaced the entire dinner as well

6 oz_Halibut
2 tbsp_Pesto Sauce 
1 cup_Wild rice
1/2 cup_Zucchini

I had spicy catfish stew. I know it sounds kinda disgusting but I'm fairly sure it's a Mexican meal. It's like a chicken stew but it has chipotle and fish instead of chicken, you also add lime. It's really great and healthy. It has radishes, celery, carrots, and fish! I also added one cup of Mexican rice. It was a great replacement. 

This post is mostly to remind myself, and anyone else, that meal replacement is a-okay as long as you do it in a positive manner. Do not replace your dinner with McDonald's and you'll be fine!