Monday. Done.
I spent the day at my mom’s working on blogging and writing projects. I’m also working on updating the FAQ page so if you have one, send it over 
Today I tried Cherries Jubilee (my favorite protein powder flavor) in whey. I liked it! This may be a great option if I want to stay away from soy protein.
I live over an hour south of my peeps so I grabbed some carrots for the journey home.
When I got home I threw together dinner = the most random leftovers ever. It’s a base of spaghetti squash with a chopped turkey burger and broccoli slaw. I had a piece of toast on the side.
And Ben just brought me a little sip of his milk creation. Surprisingly, it didn’t have alcohol.
I found some good Running, Eating and Random News online today…
Boston Marathon Unveils it’s new Banner!
Dr. Oz’s Top 10 Healthy Living Musts from Fit Sugar
Thought #9 was super interesting..
9)The best way to successfully maintain weight loss is by doing this.
"Automate your meals,” says Dr. Oz. "Studies show that people who’ve successfully maintained at least a 30-pound weight loss for a year or more tend to consume a diet with limited variety. They eat similar meals over and over which lead to them feeling fuller faster and eat less overall."
How to Lose Weight… Wasted from the Huffington Post
And the news that made Ben cry…
All Red Meat is Bad For You from the LA Times
I’m partial to non-GMO pea protein powder (just saw that your next blog is about GMO products, perfect!) I love that it has exactly one ingredient: pea protein.
I have found that it is a lot easier for me to maintain my weight loss if I stick to a few key meals. It definitely works for me. It’s sort of like….ugh what was it, some M&M experiment I believe? People eat more M&M’s out of a bowl with multiple colors than from a bowl of just one color, even though they all taste exactly the same. Variety of tastes makes us want to eat more. Like at buffets! You stick to just a couple of different items and you won’t eat as much because you tire of the taste.
So you’re saying the brown M&Ms aren’t more chocolate-y??!?!
Oh I mean….yes they are toootally more chocolatey! 😉
I def. agree about eating the same foods! I literally eat the same things every day: breakfast = oatmeal with a bit of brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped strawberries, and vanilla soy milk, 2 cups coffee w/vanilla soy milk. dinner = baked chicken w marinade, brown rice or roasted potatoes, vegetables, salad w/ fat free dressing OR some meatless dish (rice and beans or veggie chili’s pretty common) Lunch= leftovers (or a peanut butter sandwich) and fruit. I usually have about 200-300 calories of snacks in the afternoon too. (2 peanut butter cups and a 100 calorie bag of popcorn yesterday;) i know it sounds boring but it makes grocery shopping SO easy! and my husband loves oatmeal and chicken so it works out. on the weekends we switch things up- but during the work week we don’t mind eating boring 🙂 during marathon training i needed extra snacks cause my appetite was out of control- but my meals stayed the same. i’ve managed to maintain the same healthy weight (even though everyone told me i would after getting married) for 4 years of marriage! i would prob. have a hard time eating the same things if i got sent new things to try all the time- must take a lot of self control to be a health foods blogger!
See, that’s my problem – I have no self control and granola delivered to my door!
My husband just lost 35lbs by eating the same thing everyday. Egg whites/veggies for breakfast, salad for lunch and grilled chix w/ veggies at dinner. I need some variety!
I also eat the same thing everyday, and I don’t mind it either. I don’t see how some people cannot eat 1 dish for the entire week. I do that (and hubby does too) all the time. Helps with portion control too because if a casserole can’t last at least 3 or maybe 4 days for just us (2 people), then, someone is overeating!
I’m so in love with #2. I’m nuts about nuts!!!! I love raw almonds and the pecans my dad cracks and deshell from our Alabama pecan trees! Then, he mails me gallon bags of them. Ooooo so good! But we also love Planters mixed nuts…angry that Sam’s has increased the price from $11.98 to $14.98 for a can!!! But I still buy them.
i love the pic of you with the carrot 🙂 that is interesting about what dr oz said. i eat the same things a lot and people tell me that they could never do it. but i dont mind. it keeps it simple.
I’ve heard that it does help to stay consistent with meals. I found it helps me because it’s convenient to prepare the same few meals over the period of a week. I get bored easily so I’ll usually only do this with breakfast and lunch, and even then I’ll try to switch it up between a couple of options.
I totally get #9! When I was losing weight I stuck to the same set of meals…they tasted good and filled me up. But it’s not very fun, so learning to maintain balance with variety is a good thing
I’m so sad that red meat kills. 🙁 I love a good steak. And thanks for the link to the Huff Post article…very interesting!
Yes! I eat the same meals all the time. I’m so boring with food! And here I thought that was a bad thing!
Why are you switching from soy to whey protein powder? My boyfriend said that whey is better for you… but who knows why/what that means exactly. Any insight in to this? Thanks!
I’ve read that soy may block my thyroid medication from being absorbed. And I know that whey protein is great for post-workout refuel.
As long as you are still content with what you are eating, automate away. Everyone needs to do what works for them, IF it is working. I have a very small rotation of meals for breakfast and lunch. If I stick to them, things go well. When I stray away, I go off track.
The Kidless Kronicles
I tend to eat the same things over and over again. Interesting.
Mainly bec I know what I like and hate trying something new and not feeling satisfied.
At first I thought that tip sounded crazy but then I thought I guess I’m guilty because most of my meals are pretty constant. I guess it’s all a matter of perspective.
I definitely agree with the statement about eating the same things to maintain weight loss! I eat the same things pretty much everyday, and I have maintained my weight loss except for 5-10 pounds for over a year! Weirdly, I was thinking the same about you as I “stalked” old entries of yours- haha, but you have always looked so great and fit! And you tend to eat mostly the same things. Someday, I want to eat huge salads and froyo with you in Cali! I hope to live there someday 🙂
I can see how eating a repetitive diet could lead to weight loss- less desire to over eat something that you have every day. But I feel like it could lead to some craziness at restaurants or other venues where the regular foods arent available.
I eat pretty much the same thing from breakfast up until dinner (cereal-banana-kashi bar-apple-protein bar-crackers-snack that’s less than 200 calories). Dinner though, is a whole other story. I refuse to cook the same thing two weeks in a row- some sort of variety is crucial to me!
What’s lunch?
I can’t do whey protein…it messes with my stomach. And I’m trying to avoid (or at least cut bacK) soy protein. And I’m not sure how I feel about hemp protein. Or maybe it’s just the wrong kind…?
Have you tried rice protein or egg?
“Automate your meals,” says Dr. Oz. “Studies show that people who’ve successfully maintained at least a 30-pound weight loss for a year or more tend to consume a diet with limited variety. They eat similar meals over and over which lead to them feeling fuller faster and eat less overall.”
This makes me sad. I would think automating would lead to less satisfaction in the food you eat, resulting in you eating more.
and it says a year or more…. hmm not interested in taking advice from someone who has maintained weight for a year… the gold standard in research is more than 5 years.