Tip of the Week

I haven't done a tip of the week in awhile. Actually, until just a second ago I hadn't realized that it's been a week since I posted anything. I attribute it to the fact that I'm feeling a little stuck this week. I'm 10 pounds away from my goal, which they say is the hardest to lose, and I've been at this point for almost two weeks. I'm fearing a plateau, but I'm gonna give it a few more days before I hike up my cals to offset my body's rhythm. I'm not even sure I know how to eat above 1450 calories anymore. Having spent the entirety of the last 10 months calculating every single morsel I put into my mouth, dropping lower and lower throughout, the thought of going up is terrifying. But you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

I usually eat my egg whites fried...I'm no good at scrambling them

All that to say: One thing I CAN'T blame for my possible plateau is my love of breakfast. Experts say that by eating breakfast in the morning, you're basically kick-starting your metabolism. What that means is that your body starts to work to process the food you just ate, beginning the process of burning it's own calories. A lot of people do start to feel hungry for lunch earlier when they eat breakfast, but there's no harm in saving room for a small between-breakfast-and-lunch snack! Also, eating breakfast (and a snack, if needed) can help offset gorging yourself from hunger at lunch. AND, studies have shown that people who eat breakfast generally weigh less than those who don't! However, it should be noted that making choices like eating 2 donuts (instead of adding proteins and fibers) will definitely leave you wanting for more. If you must have a donut, make it a small one, and add some eggs and fruit to the side!

For my breakfasts, I try to make sure I eat a good portion of fiber (oatmeal/bran) and protein (egg whites), as well as shooting for a serving of fruit. However, like in the picture shown, sometimes I still allow myself to indulge in some sweet baked goodness;)

Shown:
123g egg whites, scrambled- 64 kcal
1tbsp Pace Picante (mild)- 5 kcal
1 sm tub plain yogurt- 65 kcal
40g blueberries- 20 kcal
50g mangoes- 32 kcal
2 banana nut muffins- 87 kcal each*
Total bfast calories:  360 kcal!