Eating Intentionally

by Lisa P | More from this Blogger

21 Sep 2006 08:57 AM

I love Burger King. I love to start my day with a sausage, egg and cheese croissanwich, a large order of hash browns with plenty of salt and a large turbo coffee. Not only is it all very tasty but it is a quick breakfast when I'm in between the gym and errands. Although I love it, this is not a healthy way to start my day and it is an "accidental" way to stave off hunger when you're a busy mother on the go.

Unfortunately, having a breakfast like that negates all the work I've done at the gym - all week! Just because I love it doesn't mean I should do it every day. In fact, a breakfast like that should be saved for a cheat meal. (While I'm in my serious weight-loss mode, I allow myself a cheat meal once a week. More on that in my next blog.)

For those of you with iron wills, you can fight the urge to give in to the King. As for me, I have to plan ahead to fight the call of the King. Hopefully, some of the things I do will help you to fight the call of whatever fast food restaurant it is that calls to you when you are out running around with kids in the back of the car.

Get a cooler. It doesn't have to be a big one. I use a small six-pack sized one. Every night, after I put my son to bed, I pack the cooler. I always start with two bottles of milk and a sippy cup of water for him.

Think healthy but tasty when packing your cooler:

Nuts about nuts. They are low in sugar, high in fiber and have healthy fats that we all need, especially those of us who want to lose weight. I usually scoop about 1/2 cup of cashews into a snack sized baggie and drop it in the cooler. (I buy a huge can of cashews at WalMart for about $7.)

Fabulous Fruit. Bananas, mini bananas, plums, apples, pears, grapes. I usually slice hard fruits like apples and pears since my son seems to eat much more that way and (if he has a bad morning) getting beaned in the back of the head with a slice of apple doesn't distract me from driving like a whole apple will. (For an almost two-year-old, my son has an amazing throwing arm!)

Cheese, please! I'll slice some cheese and put that in a snack sized baggie too. It is a great way for Teddy to get the calcium his growing bones need and also a great way for me to stave off the dreaded osteoporosis. (See Calcium and Weight Loss)

Something crunchy. Dry cereal like Cheerios, Chex or Puffins make great crunchy, fibrous snacks. Flake cereals don't work well for obvious reasons, but something big enough for little finger to grab and adult teeth to crunch on can be very satisfying.

Powerful Protein. Protein is the best food for shutting off hunger. Why not pack some seasoned, grilled chicken strips in your cooler? Cubes of ham are also great. Canadian Bacon is also a lean source of protein. You can cut the round slices into quarters for the perfect bite sized treat. Hard boiled eggs are also an easy, low calorie protein source. Simply peel them and pack them in a baggie. (See You Can Trigger Your Weight Loss Hormone)

Be sure to keep your snack cooler in the refrigerator overnight with the lid open. This will ensure that all your foods are cool by morning. When you're ready to go, simply zip it up and walk out the door!

By packing a snack/breakfast cooler the evening before you won't have any preparation to think about or do first thing in the morning and you'll be able to ignore the call of the King much easier. Eating intentionally is usually the first step that many of us have to do before finally losing that unwanted weight. Give it a try sometime!

Learn more about Lisa P

Lisa used to be a freelance writer and Community Manager for Families.com, but she has finally made the jump to novelist.

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dpenna (542) 21 Sep 2006 09:25 AM

I love your suggestions! I have to have crunch when I'm snacking...cheerios are great for that. If I need protein, I will snack on beef jerky, which is really filling, but can get expensive. Grapes are good, too!

Catherine Ipcizade (5617) 21 Sep 2006 10:04 AM

Great tips, Lisa!