Spring is here!!
Is anyone else more than happy to say goodbye to winter for the next nine months? I know I sure am! Just like the seasons, things are a-changin’ around here, in pretty much every way possible. But for today, I’m just going to focus on a few changes that are going on with my diet. And I’ll be back tomorrow to talk about this a lot more. For now, I’ll just say that I’m paying a little more attention to how much protein I’m eating and to see if that makes a difference in some issues I’ve been having with this crazy body of mine.
Thursday is one of the two days out of the week that I don’t teach any classes, so I typically do my own strength/cardio workout at home. I’ve been loving the Gymboss App, which lets me create all kinds of different timers to use. After a 45-minute workout in my basement, I made myself a Shamrock Smoothie (using chocolate protein powder) because I still can’t get enough of these.
It’s still kind of green (just not a pretty shade!)
Beauty is a relative term, people. 
And a little while later, I had my “real” breakfast.
Two eggs scrambled with mushroom and onion and topped with salsa, and a slice of Ezekiel flax bread (with Laughing Cow spread) on the side. One thing I’m really trying to pay attention to for the very first time ever is limiting the massive quantities of fruit that I’ve been eating. It’s not easy to do!
Lunch was awesome. Beyond Meat “chicken” salad (Beyond Meat tenders, chopped up apple, red onion, Dijon mustard and Greek yogurt) wrapped in a few romaine leaves (along with the other half of the apple!).
I also had a single serving bag of this incredible flavor of Popchips.
Hey- did you know I’m hosting a Popchips giveaway?
I almost always gravitate towards something sweet (like a protein muffin or even oatmeal with fruit) for an afternoon snack. I tried to go more in the savory direction by making a buffalo “chicken” type dip using TVP, unsalted cottage cheese and Frank’s red hot sauce, along with some celery sticks.
It was definitely just okay. Something I need to improve before eating again.
I wasn’t really sure what I wanted for dinner. Greg was in New York for work, and when I’m eating by myself I almost always make breakfast for dinner or a smoothie. I wasn’t really interested in either, but knew that I wanted to do something with shredded chicken that I cooked up in my Little Dipper.
I was craving this awesome curry recipe, but didn’t have red curry paste or coconut milk, so I had to improvise. Instead, I cut up some green beans, carrot and cauliflower and put them in a skillet along with the chicken, some unsweetened almond milk, curry powder, garlic, onion powder and salt and then put it all on top of some quinoa.
I had to pat myself on the back- this was delicious!
I still really like to have something sweet after dinner, which is usually a piece of dark chocolate and a gigantic pear. Instead, I mixed 1/2 c plain Greek yogurt with 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 T peanut flour and a little vanilla stevia.
Chocolate peanut butter yogurt: you are my new love.
I’ve been tracking my food in My Fitness Pal again, and here’s the stats for the day.
(The sodium content is definitely higher than that, because while I do pay attention to how much salt I add to foods, I don’t track it.)
I’m trying to stay around 1600 calories (and more on days that I teach multiple classes), so this was pretty good!
Still tracking my water, too!
And drinking a lot of it.
Have a great Wednesday!
What are YOU most excited about now that spring is here? Do you pay attention to how much protein/carbs/fats you eat?
I love using my little dipper to cook a chicken breast in when it’s just for me. The curry you had for dinner looks and sounds great!
I am VERY excited that spring is here. I just wish Chicago’s Mother Nature would get the memo. We have a high of 26 degrees today! Yuck. I’ve been purposefully increasing my protein intake lately . . . and really like how I’m feeling. That’s the only component that I pay a lot of attention to . . . maybe I should consider the others?!
I was paying a lot of attention to protein, sugar, and calories. [For some reason, fat grams never seemed too important to me?] As I think you know, calorie counting became somewhat of a secret mathematical obsession, and I’ve stopped tracking–at least in an official capacity…mental calculations are not something it is easy to overcome!
Anyways, I did, at one point, decide to try not to focus so much on fruit and instead get more protein or veggies into my daily ‘snacks.’ Good thing I love roasted veggies (and raw ones…) cold from the fridge, and snacking on spaghetti squash or turnips is delicious…even if it seems weird to some people.
I love popchips! I need to check out your giveaway!
I pay attention to Protein. I always aim to get 30 or more grams per meal!
I am most excited about the warmer temps with spring so I can work out in my yard! AND so I won’t have so much laundry from all of my husbands and my layers of running clothes!
Well I definitely don’t track food on a regular basis, but every time I did for nutrition or fitness classes, I was always super high on the protein and whole grains (and low on fruit and dairy). Sodium is SO HARD for me to stay low on!
That chocolate yogurt looked great, but regular chocolate isn’t so bad is it?
Salt is in EVERYTHING! And regular (dark) chocolate isn’t so bad… in moderation of course! But, that yogurt is pretty much to die for.
Oh man, you just reminded me I forgot the bag of popchips I was going to bring as a snack today. I’m curious to hear about what’s going on with the protein stuff too – let me know if there’s anything I (as a non nutritionist) can do to help.
Don’t worry- I’m not going CRAZY over protein (we’ve talked about this many times before), but just trying to balance it out a bit more. I have a VERY long post tomorrow all about it.
But, I’ll be happy to pick your brain and get your opinion any time, because I value it very much!
I love Chocolate Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt! I make one very similar but with plain stevia. I never did make myself a shamrock shake but think that sounds like the perfect lunch for today since I’m sick… again! Smoothies are my go to sick food!
YUM! I am a huge fan of protein, just so filling and fueling
That shake looks awesome, I am not usually a huge fan of shakes as a meal, but it looks tasty! what are the cals? And I WANT to try these protein muffins!!!
I definitely don’t eat the smoothie as a meal- I drink it after my morning workout and have my real breakfast and hour or two later.
The calories are on the post for the recipe… I think it was around 130? It’s SO good.
That curry recipe turned out looking pretty good! And that shamrock smoothie sounds great. Awesome day of protein
I love adding cocoa powder to Greek yogurt! Yogurt is so much better when you flavor it yourself.
Can’t wait for sundress weather! Honestly, though, I’m just excited about being able to walk around without having to, like, grit my teeth against the cold. I love adding peanut flour and cocoa powder to Greek yogurt—so satisfying!
That yogurt!!!!!!!
I don’t count grams of protein but try to get protein in at each meal and snack–sticking to whole foods, I think that works out OK.
I am most excited about being able to walk the dogs and #1: not have to wear 10 layers of clothing, #2: Not have to worry about slipping on ice, #3: Not have messy dogs from all the snow, slush, salt, etc! Bring on SPRING!!!
Ugh.. I will be happy to not have to wipe paws so much!!
Your smoothie runneth over.
I wish spring was here. While its officially arrived, we’re expecting 4 to 8 inches of snow. Boo!
I’ve never really been TOO concerned with carbs, but I have definitely tracked the amount of protein and fat in my diet. When I started using MFP, I realized that unlike a lot of people (specifically the bloggers that will preach it until the cows come home), I actually feel more satisfied with a meal that is lower in fat and HIGHER in protein. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve tried some of those paleo recipes floating around…the ones with the almond flour and the coconut and lots of eggs and stuff…all that fat? It just doesn’t fill me up like it does some people! I can eat a full meal and be hungry again within an hour! But take that same meal, turn back the fat and pump up the protein (pump, pump, pump, PUMP it up! <-sorry, I just had to!)? And I feel great for HOURS!
Seriously, genius idea with the TVP buffalo dip!