Like White on Rice

So it's been an eventful week/weekend of the baby not sleeping.  It may be due to the pending arrival of his first tooth - on TOP!  So cute - he's going to look like a little hillbilly.  Mostly babies get two teeth on the bottom first, but not this guy.  And it is a good thing he's cute with all the middle of the night awakenings lately.  I'm still tired, in case anyone was wondering.  So tired.  It's official that I don't even remember the last time I wasn't at least a little bit tired.  Anyway, so you want to know what I've been eating?  It's been good, bad and ugly and coincidentally, that's a little bit how I feel as a result. 

Tuesday was pretty much a rock star day.  Even though I was tired, I can't believe I didn't want to brag about it right then and there!

8:00 am
Oatmeal - this must have been leftover baked oatmeal and we're counting it as the usual,
1 "always" carb
1 "thumbs up" protein
1 fruit
1 fat

11:45 am
Apple - 1 fruit
Peanut Butter - 1 Tablespoon - 1 fat

12:15 pm - leftover chicken pot pie
Crust - 2 "rarely" carbs
Chicken - 1 "thumbs up" protein
Vegetables - 1 veg
1/2 Plum - 1/2 fruit

3:30 pm
Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips - 1 serving - 1 "sometimes" carb
Guacamole - a small amount (but probably more than I realize since I didn't measure) - 1 (or so) fat

4:45 pm
String Cheese - 1 "thumbs up" protein

5:15 pm
Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes that the baby didn't want to eat - 2 veg

7:00 pm
Scrambled eggs with cheese - 3 "thumbs up" proteins
Whole Wheat English Muffin - 2 "always" carbs
Fruit - assorted cherries, grapes and blueberries - 1.5 fruits

Carbs: 6/6
Protein: 6/6
Fruit: 4/3
Fat: 3/3
Veg: 3/4.5

See, pretty rock star day, overall.

Wednesday wasn't bad.  I didn't get enough fats in that day.  I feel as though my body should have enough on reserve that I shouldn't have to eat it every day, but that would be directly disproving the book and I'm not trying to do anything crazy like that.  It's all about balance and in all likelihood, I did have those fats somewhere and just didn't know to count them.  Let's be honest.

7:50 am
Greek Yogurt - 1 "thumbs up" protein
Banana - 1 fruit

10:55 am
Whole Wheat English Muffin - 2 "always" carbs
Peanut Butter - 1 Tablespoon - 1 fat
Apple - 1 fruit

12:30 pm - leftover chicken pot pie and some extra carrots
2 "rarely" carbs
1 "thumbs up" protein
2 veg

4:15 pm
String Cheese - 1 "thumbs up" protein

Still hungry.

4:45 pm
Popcorn - 3 cups - 1 "always" carb

7:30 pm
Cheese and Crackers - I came down from putting the baby to bed and these were out on the counter - I can't resist cheese and crackers.
Crackers - 1 "rarely" carb, since they weren't whole wheat or anything like that
Cheese - 1 protein - I won't call it thumbs up because it wasn't low fat, which made it SO tasty.

I made dinner and it was gross.  This chicken was just way too easy.  I should have known.  It looked good and with a name like Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken, I thought it would be delicious.

In addition to being gross, it also caked my casserole dish with char that took me basically the entire next day to get off. 

Then I made this zucchini, which had so much promise - it was from the same blog as the zucchini and corn side dish I made the other week that was so delicious, but it really didn't have much flavor.  I choked it down to get in my veggie count but will not be making it again.  Don't be fooled by how yummy it looks.


Luckily, I had picked up some baklava and we had that for dessert.  You may notice that we have baklava a lot.  Before this diet, we had been on a Mediterranean diet for a hot minute and it boasted about baklava being an ok dessert of choice - and our local international farmer's market has some very good baklava.  Excellent.  I tried to eat most of my chicken just to get my protein for the day but just couldn't quite do it.

So for dinner,
Chicken - 1.5 "thumbs up" proteins
Zucchini - 2 veg
Baklava - 1 "rarely" carb

Which brings our daily totals to,
Carbs: 7/6
Protein: 5.5/6
Fruit: 2/3
Fat: 1/3 - probably one more because of the baklava and the nuts
Veg: 4/4.5 - we're getting there!

Thursday, yikes, I didn't even tally up totals for this day.  It must have been bad.  We ordered in sushi for dinner.  I didn't ask if they could use brown rice, but should have.  Maybe next time.

That's where I fell off the wagon, like white on rice, literally.

7:45 am
Greek Yogurt - 1 "thumbs up" protein

9:45 am
String Cheese - 1 "thumbs up" protein

11:45 am
Whole Wheat English Muffin - 2 "always" carbs
Peanut Butter - 1 Tablespoon - 1 fat
Banana - 1 fruit

2:30 pm
Cheerios - dry, 1 cup-ish.  I was trying to share with the baby and messiness ensued but I did get a little snack at least. - 1 "always" carb

3:50 pm
Apricots - 4 - 1 fruit

5:00 pm
Grapes - 1 cup-ish - 1 fruit

8:00 pm
Pot Stickers - steamed - 1/2 an order (3)
I'm guessing 1 "rarely" carb and 1/2 protein for whatever meat is inside (I'm honestly not sure, but it's delicious, which probably makes it a perilous protein)

Sushi galore with shrimp, tuna, avocado, cucumbers (but no cream cheese, which I LOVE in sushi)
2 "rarely" carbs
1 fat
1 veg
2 "thumbs up" proteins

I probably didn't tally the sushi correctly because as a whole, aside from the lack of veggies, yet again, the scoreboard doesn't look terrible.

Carbs: 6/6
Protein: 4.5/6
Fruit: 3/3
Fat: 2/3
Veg: 1/4.5

I got things back under control on Friday, partly because I knew we were having calzones for dinner.  This day, I tried a new version of that squash and corn side dish more specifically geared towards the baby.  He loved it, but I think it still needs some tweaking.  I won't post it for you until it's better!

8:30 am - this probably means the baby didn't sleep all night since I'm usually breaking the fast before 8 am.  Awesome way to start the day!
Greek Yogurt - 1 "thumbs up" protein

11:25 am
Oatmeal - 1/2 cup - 1 "always" carb
Milk - 3/4 cup - 1 "thumbs up" protein
Blueberries - 1/2 cup - 1 fruit
Walnuts - 2 Tablespoons - 1 fat

1:30 pm
Squash and Zucchini - 2 cups - 2 veg
Grilled Cheese Crust - we're eating with a baby here - 1 "always" carb?
String Cheese (plus whatever small amount of cheese was melted in the crust) - 1 "thumbs up" protein
Banana - 1 fruit
Peanut Butter - 1 Tablespoon - 1 fat

The vegetables are cooked in some olive oil so I'm guessing they should also be counted as at least 1/2 a fat serving.

4:30 pm
Peach - 1 fruit

Still hungry

4:45 pm
Popcorn - 3 cups - 1 "always" carb

9:00 pm dinner - this was a stressful evening - I went to get my hair done and daddy was in charge of putting the baby to bed and tried with all his might but couldn't get him to take a bottle so he was awake and waiting for me when I got home at 8:45 so I could nurse him and put him to bed.

Calzone Crust - 4 "rarely" carbs - not even a little bit whole wheat
Cheese - I wasn't there to measure but I'm guessing 2 "thumbs up" proteins
Mushroom, Onion, Sauce - 1 veg
Pepperoni - this isn't even listed in the index of my book - 1 fat?
Pesto - 1 fat

But it sure was tasty.  Love a good calzone.

Carbs: 7/6
Protein: 5/6
Fruit: 3/3
Fat: 4.5/3
Veg: 3/4.5

On to the rest of the weekend.

Saturday wasn't a bad day but I ended up short on carbs, fruit and veggies, of course.

7:30 am
Greek Yogurt - 1 "thumbs up" protein

9:30 am - we actually put the baby in the stroller and walked down the street to the donut shop - it was about 1.35 miles total, which I know doesn't even begin to counteract the donut but we'll just call it 2 "rarely" carbs

12:00 pm
Oatmeal - 1/2 cup - 1 "always" carb
Milk - 3/4 cup - 1 "thumbs up" protein
Strawberries - 1/2 cup sliced - 1 fruit
Walnuts - 2 Tablespoons - 1 fat

We went to Gymboree and then afterwards we were all really hungry so we went by the Whole Foods to pick up some late lunch.

2:00 pm
Salmon - so sad, this salmon was tough and gross - I ate as much as I could, which wasn't much - 1/2 protein
Green Beans - 1 veg
Spicy Cheddar Mashed Sweet Potatoes - 1 veg - maybe 1 protein as well?  This is what happens when you don't make your own food.

5:00 pm - I had a total hankering for some deviled eggs and my super sweet husband obliged.  Not a terrible choice but I ate too many - I total it up to 3 total eggs - 3 proteins and probably 1 fat

8:00 pm - we ordered in Mediterranean
Hummus - around 3 Tablespoons worth - 1 fat
Chicken - 1 "thumbs up" protein
Baba Ganoush - 1 veg?
Pita - 1 "rarely" carb
French Fries - oops, there those are again - 1 veg, 1 fat?

Carbs: 4/6
Protein: 7/6
Fruit: 1/3
Fat: 3/3
Veg: 3/4.5

Probably shouldn't have had those deviled eggs.

Vegetables, Anyone?

Shit show.  That would decribe dinner from Tuesday and Wednesday. Total shit show. And this would also probably describe most other diets I've tried after the initial honeymoon period. Even after I was doing so good. *sigh*

Tuesday went downhill early. Remember those sugar cravings I was talking about?  They hit full force on Tuesday. I compensated by loading up on carbs - popcorn and graham crackers and more popcorn, oh my. One thing I still know for sure is that I'm not getting enough vegetables. If I'm not eating them raw (or with peanut butter), I just don't find them as easy to eat. I feel like I have to think about it a lot more and make more of an effort. Maybe it doesn't have to be that way. 

7:45 am - baked oatmeal

1 "always" carb

1 "thumbs up" protein

1 fruit

1 fat

11:30 am

Greek Yogurt - 1 "thumbs up" protein

Plum - 1 fruit

1:20 pm

Whole Wheat Tortilla - 1 "always" carb

Mozzarella Cheese - 1/4 cup - 1 "thumbs up" protein

Chicken Nuggets - 2 - 1 "thumbs up" protein

Graham Crackers - 1 probably "rarely" carb

Popcorn - 3 cups - 1 "always" carb

4:40 pm

Carrots - 3 oz - 1 veg

Peanut Butter - 1 tablespoon - 1 fat

Still hungry...

More Popcorn - 3 cups - 1 "always" carb

Dried Apricots - 4 - 1 fruit

For dinner, we picked up Mediterranean food. This probably didn't have to be so bad, but then my husband picked up falafel balls (deep fried) and baklava (thankfully only 1 serving that we split).

8:00 pm Dinner
Falafel Balls - I had 2 - I'm guessing here at 1 fat
1 super yummy Pita (so tasty, so likely not whole wheat - will have to ask next time if they have whole wheat as an option) - 1 "sometimes" carb
1 Pita for hummus dipping - 1 more "sometimes" carb
Chicken - 2 "thumbs up" proteins
Cucumber - 1 veg
Hummus - 1 fat
I initially thought the hummus may be a protein because of its chick pea origin but I think that using all that olive oil to make it nice and smooth is what turns it into a fat - a friendly fat, but still a fat, nonetheless.

Carbs: 7/6
Protein: 7/6
Fruit: 3/3
Fat: 5/3
Veg: 2/4.5

Wednesday started out good enough but went downhill fast when my husband suggested pizza for dinner.  I could have still enjoyed pizza by making a better pizza decision but then I wouldn't have enjoyed my pizza as much.  Hmm.  I did feel guilty about it later, though.  Lesson learned.

7:45 am
Greek Yogurt - 1 "thumbs up" protein

11:00 am
Oatmeal - 1/2 cup - 1 "always" carb
Milk - 3/4 cup - 1 "thumbs up" protein
Blueberries - 1/2 cup - 1 fruit
Walnuts - 2 Tablespoons - 1 fat

1:15 pm
Whole Wheat Bread - 1 slice - 1 "always" carb
Peanut Butter - 1 Tablespoon-ish - 1 fat
Carrots - 1 veg
Hummus - 1/2 fat
Plum - 1 fruit

4:45 pm
Popcorn - 3 cups - 1 "always" carb

7:00 pm
Salad Greens - 1 veg
Avocado - 1 fat
Blue Cheese - 1 "perilous" protein
Pizza best guesses:
4 "rarely" carbs
1 veg
8 proteins - probably not "thumbs up" but probably also not "perilous"
Chocolate - 2 fats?

Yikes.

Carbs: 7/6
Protein: 11/6
Fruit: 2/3
Fat: 5.5/3
Veg: 3/4.5

I got back on track on Thursday, but shockingly, still didn't get enough vegetables.  No, it's not shocking at all.  Maybe if I buy more vegetables, I'll eat more vegetables.  Or maybe I'll just throw more vegetables away.  The jury is still out.

7:45 am
Greek Yogurt - 1 "thumbs up" protein

11:00 am
Oatmeal - 1 "always" carb
Milk - 1 "thumbs up" protein
Plum - 1 fruit
Walnuts - 2 Tablespoons - 1 fat

We went to Gymboree today and left the house at 12 so lunchtime sort of got messed up.

2:00 pm
Cheerios - 1 cup - 1 "always" carb
Almonds - 11 - 1 fat
Peach - 1 fruit

3:00 pm
Whole Wheat Tortilla - 1 "always" carb
Cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese - 1/4 cup - 1 "thumbs up" protein

4:45 pm
Carrots - 3 oz - 1 veg
Hummus - maybe 1.5 Tablespoon (serving size is 3 level Tablespoons) - 1/2 fat

8:20 - For dinner we had this weird chicken nacho type meal from my Pampered Chef cookbook.
Chicken - 2 "thumbs up" proteins
Cheese - 1.5 proteins - thumbs up, perilous, I'm not sure - probably a mixture
Chips - Whole Wheat, about 3 cups - 3 "always" carbs

Chocolate - finished it off today so we don't have to worry about that anymore - 2 fats?

Carbs: 6/6
Protein: 6.5/6
Fruit: 2/3
Fat: 4/3
Veg: 1/4.5

Busy Baby

After three nights in a row of the baby sleeping through the night (so we know he is capable), he woke up last night around 11:30 wanting to party.  I changed him, fed him and every time I placed him in his crib, he began screaming again.  Around 12:30 or 1, thinking I wasn't going to get any sleep any other way, I brought him downstairs into our bed.  Well, we have done a good job of letting him know that his bed is for sleeping and ours is not because he started kicking his legs and looking around and took turns smacking my husband and I.  This wasn't going to work out for anyone.  So I took him back upstairs to his room, put him in his crib, crossed my fingers and walked away.  By the time I was back downstairs in our room, he was just about done.  Talk about a cramp in my style.  This morning I was expecting to see his first tooth or a fever or something remarkable to offer an explanation, but no, just the same old baby bright eyed and bushy tailed at 7 am.  Crazy baby.

Anyway, back to this diet thing, I rounded out Thursday on an ok note.

7:45 am
Greek Yogurt - 1 "thumbs up" protein

10 am
Cheerios - 1 cup - 1 "always" carb
Almonds - 11 - 1 fat

12
Oatmeal - 1/2 cup - 1 "always" carb
Skim Milk - 3/4 cup - 1 "thumbs up" protein
Strawberries - 1/2 cup sliced - 1 fruit
Walnuts - 2 Tablespoons - 1 fat

While out grocery shopping, I had a hankering for some chocolate so I got myself a York Peppermint Patty.  I figure there are worse things I could have gotten.  I guessed it as being 1 fat since it's all sugar but I really don't know. 

1:45
Cherries - 1 cup - 1 fruit

4:25
Carrots - 3 oz - 1 veg
Peanut Butter - 1 Tablespoon - 1 fat

5:30
String Cheese - 1 "thumbs up" protein

8:00 - Tofu Stir Fry with Brown Rice for dinner
Brown Rice - 1 cup - 1 "always" carb
Tofu - 3 oz or so - 1 "thumbs up" protein
Broccoli, Sugar Snap Peas and Onion - 2 veg
Cashews (my husband's idea) - 1 fat
Peach - 1 fruit

Carbs: 3/6
Protein: 4/6
Fruit: 3/3
Fat: 5/3
Veg: 3/4.5

If I had been paying more attention, I would have swapped my 4:25 snack for something else since I ended up over on my fats for the day.  I could have added in some popcorn or a piece of whole wheat toast or something like that to fill in the day better instead of the peanut butter.  I had a glass of red wine with dinner but all in all, I'm still feeling good.

Now today, Friday, I've lost control ever so slightly and I now understand the importance of timing snacks.  I've addressed it and even written it down and have opted to pretend it didn't happen and go about the rest of my day in a healthful fashion, instead of letting one slip up ruin the rest of my day, like I would have done in my previous dieting life.

This is what happened - I started my day like I normally do...
7:45 am
Greek Yogurt - 1 "thumbs up" protein

10:15
Oatmeal - 1/2 cup - 1 "always" carb
Milk - 3/4 cup - 1 "thumbs up" protein
Strawberries - 1/2 cup sliced - 1 fruit
Walnuts - 2 Tablespoons - 1 fat

I nursed the baby around 11 and then went grocery shopping.  I had decided last night that I was going to make this frozen lemonade pie for the weekend.  I started thinking about the whole diet thing and thought that maybe we could have dessert if we limited it to the weekend.  As I type that, I realize that the two of us will not eat an entire frozen lemonade pie over the weekend and there will inevitably be some leftover and spill into the week so I may need to rethink this idea or my recipes, portions, something.  Regardless, this is the plan that I made.  I took a piece of string cheese with me as a snack but I didn't eat it.  As I was driving home, I was thinking about what I was going to feed the baby for lunch and how I could make the pie really quick during lunch time and it may even have time to set before dinner tonight. 

So that's exactly what I did.  I got home with the baby and the groceries and took turns putting more pieces of food on the baby's tray and whipping up this pie.  Well, I went to pour it into its graham cracker crust and there was too much filling for the crust - probably 1/2 cup worth that was left over, maybe even closer to a cup.  Naturally, I had to taste it to make sure it tasted good and then all of a sudden, it was all gone (it did taste good).  Oh no.  Why did I do that?  The answer is because I was hungry.  My body was craving fuel and as soon as I started with the sugary goodness, I wanted more.  When I realized what I had done, I put the bowl in the sink and filled it with water and then ate leftovers from last night for my actual lunch.  I'm feeling a little guilty and a little silly, but feeling better now that I got some real food.

I have snacks laid out for the rest of the day and we enjoyed the salmon so much from the other night that we're having it again tonight, with a big salad (and maybe some frozen lemonade pie).  The baby is fighting his afternoon nap and I'm fighting not taking one.  There's much to do!  Here's crossing my fingers this is just as easy to keep up this weekend when my husband is around.