What I Eat!

I get a lot of questions about my daily diet so I thought this would be a great venue to share with ya’ll my consumption habits.

• I drink 3 liters of water a day at a minimum. Anything beyond that is just a bonus bathroom break. Oh, and NO SODA!

• Generally speaking I don’t eat carbs, those who know me will deny this fact because of my affinity for potato chips, but usually I lead a low carb lifestyle: No Bread, No Pasta, & No Rice. (Except Ramen, I love Ramen so that doesn’t count. See recipes)

• I am a Pescaterian, or a vegetarian that will still eat seafood. Ever since my surgery red meat, pork, and poultry don’t agree with my stomach. I am not an animal rights activist or anything; I just prefer not to hug the toilet after every blood laden meal.

• I eat breakfast. So important!!! A half a grapefruit with salt, a small orange, or a half a cup of blue berries is all you need to get yourself going. Citrus in particular helps to stimulate your metabolism helping to burn fat all day long. (http://caloriecount.about.com/tag/food/fruits)

• Gluten Free Baked Goods: They rock my world, gluten free granola as well. A lot of times companies will compensate for the lack of gluten in there products by loading them up with tons of sugar and saturated fats so be cautious of that. I highly recommend this snack for between meal and late night munchies: Bakery on Main Nutty Cranberry Maple Gluten Free Granola or Trader Joes carries an awesome line of Gluten Free Cookies.

• TV Dinners: Hey, I am a single female with no stove do you expect me to starve? Well that’s preposterous! I love TV dinners, I look for ones that are vegetarian/vegan, and usually steer clear of ones with obvious carbs like frozen pasta or a rice pilaf. Two of my favorite brands to eat are:
• Amy’s Kitchen (http://www.amyskitchen.com/)
• Here are some I live off of:
• Mexican Casserole Bowl
• Santa Fe Enchilada Bowl
• Tortilla Casserole & Black Beans Bowl
• Mexican Tamale Pie
• Shepherd's Pie-Meatless
• Tandoor Chef. (http://www.tandoorchef.com/Tandoor-Chef.asp)
• Here are some I live off of:
• Palak Paneer
• Samosa With Chutney
• Pad Thai

• Eat Raw: Whenever I can I choose to eat raw vegetables, fruits, and fish. I am a sushi fanatic so that one is easy; a plate of sashimi and a carafe of hot sake I am a happy girl. Work lunches are when I consume most of my raw (organic) vegetables (See Recipes) and I find that it sustains my energy level for the rest of the day.

• Portion: The most important part of my diet. When I sit down for a meal I only consume about 1/3 the normal portion for an adult. Lap Band aside this has been the key to my success. I eat small meals multiple times a day with a little practice it becomes habit!

Now, I am by no means perfect. I have my cheat days; I am a sucker for sweets, movie popcorn, and good Mexican food. For the most part though, I follow these simple guidelines to help maintain my weight and have derived great success from this! Please keep in mind I am not a doctor, so please don’t take this information as fact, merely a suggestion!