FOOD

When I first started to change my eating habits (again) in January, I was absolutely PANIC stricken that I would not be able to put together a menu that fell within my calorie requirements, would satisfy me, AND satisfy my whole family.

I HATE to cook.  I just do not enjoy it.  Any recipe or menu that requires more than a few steps immediately repels me.  I am also a working mother, so when I get home I want to be able to get dinner on the table quickly and have the rest of the night to spend doing other things.

Because I wanted quick, simple meals - I was convinced I wouldn't be able to find, or think up, calorie friendly ones and I was going to fail.

It was honestly like a phobia with me - that I would feel unsatisfied, that the meals would be too difficult to put together, that it would take too much time, that I would just end up throwing in the towel because it was all too much. Never mind that I had dieted countless number of times before and had some experience with putting together healthier menus - none of that mattered - I was convinced I couldn't do it...and I allowed that to be an excuse as to why I didn't get started on my journey.

I ended up scouring the internet looking for menus of food that I could incorporate into my weekly menus.  A lot of what I found just made me feel more overwhelmed - there were only a few sites that I felt had recipes and / or menus that I could deal with.

It was tiring to say the least.

Ultimately, I determined that I just needed get my butt in gear and start tracking my calorie intake, and as time went on make incremental improvements to what I was eating.  I finally had to just say "you'll get the hang of it, but not if you don't get started."

And that is what I finally did.

Because I felt so mind boggled about making menus that would help me to get on track and start to shed my excess weight, I thought it might be helpful to share some of my menus here (at least the dinner menus) so that if anyone is feeling how I did - frustrated, exasperated and just plain ill-equipped - they might be able to find a little inspiration and feel like they can start their journey.

I make NO claims that the food here is always healthy - I don't eat low carb, I don't eat Paleo, I don't eat organic, sometimes I eat canned or frozen food.  I control portions and make wise choices - I weigh all of my food, I don't drink my calories, I NEVER drink soda of any kind, I avoid eating out, and I NEVER eat at fast food establishments.  I log every bite I put in my mouth in to Sparkpeople and make adjustments as necessary to make sure I stay within my calorie range.

I'm sure as time goes by my menus will change as I continue to tweak and adjust what I put in my body.

This is a process - a journey, and we all have to start somewhere, right!

05/05/2013 - 05/11/2013

SUNDAY 5/5	Tacos / Refried Beans I only eat 1 taco. I double up the meat, 1 serving of cheese AND load it up with fresh tomato, onion & lettuce.  I have a side of refried beans with a little cheese  on it (part of the serving used for tacos). I always feel very satisfied and the meal comes in at 537 calories.
MONDAY 5/6	Chili Dogs w/ Salad We use Kirkland all beef hot dogs (not the enormous ones), Nalley's vegetarian chili, whole wheat bun, 1/2 serving of cheese.  Pair with a salad (I use light ranch, a sprinkling of cheese, 1 T. la choy rice noodles, fresh ground pepper)...delicious meal!  523 calories.
TUESDAY 5/7	BBQ Ribs / Salad / Corn on the Cob This will be an experiment for us.  We are marinating the ribs overnight with BBQ sauce and cooking @ 300 degrees for 2.5 hours.  You see we are skipping the baked beans in favor of corn for our starch.
WEDNESDAY 5/8	Quick Chicken Paella We use a package of yellow rice - add peas and cooked, seasoned chicken breast cut up into bite size pieces.  When we want to REALLY go nuts with this meal we add chicken sausage and shrimp!
THURSDAY 5/9	Salmon / Rice / Asparagus Weekly staple!!  This week we will season the salmon with olive oil, minced garlic and lemon pepper seasoning and bake it.
FRIDAY 5/10	French Dip Sandwiches / Carrots This was a successful experiment from a couple of weeks ago.  We bought a package of Castlewood angus roast beef from Sam's Club, ready to mix Au Jus from the grocery store and bolillo rolls.  We made the Au Jus, put the roast beef in it and let it heat up - only about 30 seconds.  Place meat on a toasted bolillo roll, add 1 slice of reduced fat swiss cheese and place in oven until cheese is melted.  Serve with Au Jus for dipping.
SATURDAY 5/11	Trader Joe Teriyaki Chicken / Rice / Broccoli

04/28/2013 - 05/04/2013

SUNDAY 4/28	Pot Roast w/ carrots, onion, potato / 1/2 Wheat Bolillo Roll I cooked this in the crock-pot & chose a very lean cut of meat
MONDAY 4/29	Trader Joe Teriyaki Chicken / Rice / Broccoli
TUESDAY 4/30	Hamburgers w/ Baked Beans I chose a very low calorie bun - it was white bread, and honestly I prefer wheat - but they didn't have any wheat that were reasonable!  I also use 91% fat free ground beef
WEDNESDAY 4/25	Sesame Ginger Salmon / Rice / Asparagus This is a staple in our house.  I use the frozen Atlantic salmon from Sam's or Costco, marinate it in Kroger Sesame Ginger marinade, and then when I get home throw it in the oven for 15 minutes @ 400.  I throw the rice in a rice cooker and the asparagus in a steamer.  Such an easy, but fabulous, meal.
THURSDAY 4/26	Chicken Cordon Bleu / Mashed Sweet Potato / Garlic Garlic Green Beans This is a new recipe for me that I found on www.skinnytaste.com - I will let you know my thoughts.
FRIDAY 4/27	Trader Joe Orange Chicken / Rice / Broccoli We love this orange chicken!  It is baked, and it is DELICIOUS!
SATURDAY 4/28	Spaghetti & Meat Balls / Zucchini / Garlic Bread I use frozen meatballs and put them in the crock-pot with spaghetti sauce and let them go all day.  The meatballs can be high in calories - we only use 3 or 4 per person.  We home make our garlic bread with I can't believe it's not butter, a little garlic salt, a little Parmesan  and Italian Seasoning - Ideally, I like to use Sara Lee Delightful bread - can't beat 45 calories.

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