Late Night Munchies

So here's what works

• 500 calorie meals
• 1 hour exercise daily (every single day. . .)
• 3 servings of fruits and/or vegetables at each meal

Here's what I don't have to do

• Restrict favourite foods
• Eat oil-free, sugar-free, gluten-free
• Eat before 6 pm
• Stop eating out

It worked last time so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's working again this time! The one exception is that last time I was following a pre-diabetic meal plan and I did eliminate sugar and oil, but I wasn't counting calories then. I'll admit, counting calories is tedious. Every meal, I have to run to my computer and pull up www.caloriecount.com and type in the food items so I can get an estimate of how much is on my plate. The really neat thing is that caloriecount has a recipe calculator, where you enter in the recipe's ingredients, and it will calculate the nutritional facts and total calories for you.

The exciting part is that I dropped 2.4 lbs in one week! I began this journey by calculating my BMI and BMR and calorie intake and learned that I need about 2,500 calories daily to maintain my weight if I exercise 3-5 times a week. My goal is to exercise 7 times a week and shave 1,000 calories daily so I will guarantee a 2-lb consistent weight loss and have a slight buffer for the birthdays, special occasions, and meals out with friends.

Ah yes, and late night munchies. When I'm craving a snack or something sweet, or I just can't face another apple, my new go-to is dried fruit. About 10 apricots is just a 110-calorie serving so I can enjoy something fun and still feel healthy. For breakfast yesterday, since 9 am was too early to eat, I threw dates, almonds, and apricots into a tupperware, grabbed a tangelo, and was on my way. The 500-calorie "trail mix" kept me full til lunch!

I've also found I can get in one of my veggie servings by boiling down 3 cups of raw spinach into about a 1/2 cup. It takes all of 3 minutes, tastes great, and I'm getting my greens in! Yes, this way of eating is slightly more time-consuming, largely because I'm a penny pincher and refuse to buy pre-cut fruit or pre-made mixes. But I have a little extra time to devote to my health right now anyhow, so I don't mind. To lose the weight and gain the self-confidence will be worth it.

à votre santé!