So, I had intended to write a little bit in here every day of this Challenge Week, but obviously that's not what happened. Life got in the way a little!
Things have still been going very well. Still no chips! Lots of popcorn and a few servings of reduced fat triscuits, but no other slip ups! And actually, I used to eat an entire bag of 96% fat free light butter popcorn in one sitting, and now I've found that I really only need about a half of a bag to feel full. I also used to eat 2 servings of triscuits at once but I've been very diligent about making sure that doesn't happen. In general, I've been feeling more full and I've had more points left over at the end of the day. Which, I will say, has lead me to eat some of the girl scout cookies I keep in my freezer, but not without logging their points values online!
Yesterday, I had a big workout (circuit training class - it's HARD! and then I ran for 15 minutes) and had to go to work afterward. Then I had a chicken salad with triscuits and low-fat cheese spread for lunch. Through most of work, I felt tired and lacking energy. Once I got home and had some whole wheat pasta for dinner, though, I was feeling much better. Usually on Mondays I'm full of energy - Tuesdays are the days that I'm feeling tired. Upon analyzing all this, I think it was because I didn't have many carbs for lunch. Although I had protein (a necessity after working out), my body didn't have quite enough energy to get through the day. So in contrast today, after my run, I had pasta for lunch instead of dinner. And I'm feeling perfectly normal.
I'm sure you've all heard that to lose weight, you should eat your big meals in the morning and afternoon and smaller meals at night. I don't find this to be really true. Now, if you don't eat anything all day and then gorge on dinner, you'll probably have a hard time losing. On the other hand, I often snack later in the evening and it hasn't inhibited my weight loss. I believe the bigger issue is WHAT you eat for dinner and lunch. Your body needs carbs to get through the day - they are your major source of energy. So having only a salad for lunch often will make you feel hungry or sluggish later on in the day. I used to pair my salads with chips for lunch - now I'm thinking I will eat them at night without chips. Better choices for lunch are sandwiches or pasta - something with energy to keep you from passing out on your desk/cubicle wall/piano at around 3. HOWEVER - if you overeat pasta, you will still feel sluggish. If you get sandwiches with mayonnaise, cheese, fatty meats and white bread, you will probably still feel sluggish. Measure out your portions! They are always important! Your sandwiches can still be delicious, I promise. Try wheat bread, hold the mayo (mustard is a better low calorie option for taste) and go for lower fat meats - turkey, chicken breast, even roast beef in moderation. Cheese is a good source of protein - but most of them are really high in fat, also. If you make your sandwiches at home, buy fat free cheese slices of whatever kind of cheese you prefer. If you're at a restaurant, hold the cheese. Remember - restaurants usually hide extra calories in things like butter for the bread, or oil to cook the meat in. And most restaurants coat their food in salt for flavor - be very mindful of what you're eating! Don't be afraid to ask questions!
Enough preaching for today. I'm REALLY looking forward to my weigh-in on Thursday. I think it's going to be a great one! How often do you hear people say that? Stay tuned to see how my challenge has paid off!
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