Intentional Fueling and healthy living

Today I’m Going to be giving a few of my low-carb snack and meal ideas for intentional fueling and a healthier way of living.

Jason and I both love food. We want to enjoy life without the rules of bad food and good food. However, as our bodies have changed here in midlife we know that the rules of healthy eating and living have changed as well. We’ve been realizing that eating intentionally will need to be part of our DNA. I’ve always said I don’t need to be the skinniest girl in the room but I want to know that I’m at a healthy weight, remembering that my body is a temple where my mind, soul, body, and spirit are connected and when one suffers my whole body suffers. I still feel that way.

3 months ago I Went on a quest to find out how people are losing weight and then incorporate it into our lifestyle. What I realized was that while there are all kinds of ways to get rid of the weight we need something that can sustain us for the long haul.

What I found

I came across a lot of Trim Healthy Mama podcasts and Youtube videos that Intrigued me. In it, I was listening especially for what meals people were eating and how often. I found out that one of the keys to a new and intentional way of eating was going to be small snacks or meals every 2 1/2 – 3 hours. At the same time, I was hearing lots of testimonies of another program that is super popular right now where people are eating 5 meals a day. I’ve seen amazing results but on this program, you buy the food. I wanted something more affordable where I could sustain this long-term and incorporate it into our regular rhythms.

Listening to my body

Listening to my body has become a key component to changing long-term habits. Asking myself, “How does this make me feel when I’ve consumed it? How much do I really need of what I’m putting between my lips? What is a serving size and what does the label say?” All of these questions are what I think of now as I put food into my mouth.

So Far Jason Has lost a little over 30 pounds and I am at my healthy goal weight after losing 15 + pounds.

I came Up with a plan to eat less and move more

So I devised a plan and told Jason, “Everyone has a health coach these days, I’d like to be yours and we’re going to lose weight and learn how to eat differently long term.” And amazingly, he agreed. 🙂

For the first week, We ate exactly the same food to help us get into a routine. It was uncomfortable and I was hungry the first few days. I packed his lunch for the first time in 15 years to show him what some of his options were. Our bodies had to figure out what we were doing and start working with our brains.

We found these 5 Intentional living habits to be helpful for our new way of fueling and mindful approach.

1. Move every day. This doesn’t mean we needed to run out and join a gym. It could be A walk around the block, a bike ride, working several hours in my flower beds. All of these were options to make sure my body was up and moving.
2. Drink more water. We both love coffee and know that will not be something we want to give up. But My First drink in the morning should be a glass of water. Throughout the day I carry water along to hydrate my body and give it proper care.
3. Eat every 2 1/2 – 3 hours up to 5 x a day. This way of eating has truly made me more intentional about what goes into my mouth because I know if I eat Poorly and am hungry again in an hour I’m going to be ravenous in 3 hours.
4. Eat protein at every snack or meal and Stop mixing Carbs and Fats. When I found out I could still eat healthy carbs and lose weight I knew this could be sustainable for me. I love fruits and grains and right now, so many weight control programs eliminate both of those options. Now, I can have a snack with Oatmeal, Apples or Clementines included. This was a definite game-changer.
5. Prepare to succeed and you will. When I have a party, I prepare weeks in advance for my guests. If I just hope for the best when they show up there’s a good chance the party will be chaotic and I will be stressed out trying to make this party work. It’s the same with food prep. If I just hope that I can be successful in working with my body but am not prepared ahead of time for fueling it each day, I will fail. So having foods on hand ready to eat has become key in determining how successful I am.

What have I learned about budgeting and consumption?

I started looking at my food like I would a monthly finance budget. On a budget, I know exactly how much money I need to save or spend if I’m going to give, pay the bills and enjoy things in the future. I ask myself “Can I afford this? “Do I need it? Will it bring me joy long term”? The same is true with my food choices, Can I afford to eat this today? Does my body need this fuel? How will I feel after I’ve eaten it? If all those answers are Yes then I go ahead and eat the food. But if not I turn away and find something that I know is more in my budget.

So What Can I eat on an Intentional Eating Plan?

If you’re like me you may just want to know what to eat. That’s why I spent so much time trying to figure out what meals people were making. I figured if I can get into patterns and good habits I will follow the rules. I just need to know the rules to see if I can follow them. 🙂

Here’s briefly what I learned In the Trim Healthy Mama podcasts. ( I didn’t take time to read the book, so this is just a very simplified version) When the blood sugar spikes it causes the body to crave more so staying away from sugar is important. Trying to keep your blood sugar stable is key in working with your body. That’s why sugar is not your body’s friend. Also, protein is an important part of every meal but when we mix our carbs and fats the body stores that into fat for later. So every meal should include:

1. Protein.
2. 10 + Grams of Carbs and under 10 Grams of fat Or
3. 10 + Grams of Fats and under 10 Grams of Carbs.
4. Limited amounts or no sugar

How Can I live without sugar

The answer is I don’t.

I’m a baker, a lover of carbs with sugar, a fan of ice cream in the summer.

I know I can never sustain a long-term, “no sugar” policy, and this is part of the problem for me on most plans. But on this intentional eating plan, I’m thinking about what I will eat on a daily basis, and then occasionally especially when I’m out with friends ( like once or twice a week) I will indulge on food not on my daily plan.

Sometimes I will have a meal that includes things that aren’t my regular snacks or foods. This way my body still knows that it doesn’t need to binge when I have a sugary treat or french fries because I allow myself to enjoy that without the guilt. It’s just not going to be included in my daily food budget. And 3 hours later when it’s time to eat again I’m not skipping my meal. I’m getting right back on the 5 meals a day and eating what I know will fuel my body in the best way possible.

Here are some of my meal Ideas

We typically eat at 6,9,12,3, and 6. Give or take on each side. This is a good place to start.

For Breakfast

In the morning I eat more fatty meals like eggs and bacon or sausage. One of our favorites is an egg sandwich made in a Mini Waffle Iron

Another easy-to-make breakfast is a souffle with blueberries in a bowl in the microwave.I have saved both of these how-to videos on my Instagram Highlights in “From the Kitchen”.

Snacks throughout the day

I eat a yogurt (“OIKOS” brand with triple zero on the label) parfait with carb-friendly granola and blueberries. I love Oatmeal and will eat that with almond milk, a sliced apple, and cinnamon with a few sprinkles of Swerve brown sugar on top. For my protein, I may include a few nuts on top.

I have lite string cheese with combos of apples, clementines, mangos, strawberries, blueberries, or a hardboiled egg.

One of the easiest snacks I have is high protein low-carb granola bars. These are super easy to throw in my purse so I’m not without my snack if I’m out and about.

Other examples are Hummus and veggies or buffalo chicken ranch dip and veggies.

Sometimes I eat a serving of the Halo Ice Cream or Skinny pop Popcorn in the afternoons for a treat.

Meat and Cheese is also a nice, easy to grab and satisfying snack.

What’s For Lunch

I often will eat Wasa Crackers with Turkey and some Laughing cow soft cheese spread or pesto. I always eat lettuce and veggies with this delicious lunch. Sometimes I will include a cup of Oikos yogurt or even an apple if I skip the fats. A Serving of Whole grain rice is also acceptable if you love high protein bowls. When you eat a high carb meal limit cheese or other high-fat meats and dressings.

Dinner Time

I make a protein and serve vegetables with it.

This is often grilled chicken in the summer. I serve it several ways throughout the week. In salads, Fajitas, (with carb-friendly wraps) and cut up as a stir fry.

Grilled Fish, Burgers or pulled pork are great too. Just watch carbs and sugars that are in ketchup and BBQ Sauce.

What I’ve learned in these 3 months

1. When I mix my carb meals and fat meals throughout the day my body is actually tricked into switching gears and burning the extra fat I’ve been carrying. Eventually, my body stopped panicking that I was going to starve it, and quit storing fats for the feast and famine cycle that I was in when there was only one, two, or 3 big meals being consumed each day.

2. I feel like I’m eating all the time but I’m more choosy about what I’m eating.

3. When I am hungry between meals it may be that I’m not eating enough to fuel my body. But it could also mean I need to drink more water. Maybe I’m just bored and should think of another way of entertaining myself or do something productive. I listen to my body more and try to be mindful of what it needs.

4. I can do hard things. I have felt so empowered as I’ve gained the confidence that this is possible to live my life like this. For many years I followed the plan of eating when I was hungry and stopping when I was full but when I got into my 40’s and lost my gall bladder everything changed. My decade + way of eating was no longer working for me. I felt frustrated and was discouraged that everything I was trying was not sustainable for me. But I decided to try and fail was better than just giving up all together. When I found this to be so simple and basic it has given me renewed hope that living my best life in midlife is possible if I follow these patterns of fueling and living.

5. When I have an occasional splurge I don’t wait till Monday to start again, I get right back on the fuel train the next meal. I Never skip to make up for a poor choice… or maybe it wasn’t a poor choice. Maybe I had decided that this was going to be my splurge and I budgeted wisely ahead of time for it. Thoughtful planning is key in long term success.

6. Feeling good about my new intentional way of body fueling is a better feeling than candy bars and milk shakes. They don’t have the same draw if my body is fueled well and running properly. I crave those most when I haven’t paid attention to the needs of my body.

How to get started

You don’t have to wait to start making these choices at the first of the month. You can start today. Right now.

1. Make a list of all the foods you will need so you have fuel thats accessible.

2. Read labels and find things that work for you.

3. If possible Get a buddy to be accountable to so you have someone to process your ups and downs with.

4. Think of an attainable goal of where you want to be in 3 months and don’t give up until you get to that spot.

5. After you hit your first mark don’t stop doing what’s working, think of a new goal for the future until these patterns get stuck into your brain as a new way of living your life.

6. If your body is craving something for a few days use one of your splurges on that craving. I truly believe the best long-term results come when we listen to our bodies. It’s okay to say no sometimes too. Or make yourself wait for it. Living in a fuel budget plan will help you know what you can afford and what is overindulgence.

7. Don’t forget to think of this as a marathon. If we think of our race as a dash we may run hard but it’s a short race. In a marathon, we have highs and lows we have good days and bad but we keep running, keep training, keep moving forward without looking back.

I would love to hear from you below. I’d love to cheer you on and encourage you in your journey to healthy and intentional fueling.

Until next time friend,

Rose