Food Plan 001

The first thing I want to say is that I debated sharing this because I’m pretty darned sure that my food plans will not be as perfect or pretty or nutritious or as elegant as I want them to be. They will be real. They will be sloppy. There will be a lot of mistakes on my part. I’m asking that no one be harshly judgmental of my struggles. I am fully mortal and I will make mistakes. Please remember that this food plan is what works for me, for my very specific food requirements. It may not be the best way for you to eat because all of us are different.

Also, since this is the beginning of the month, I have more choices in the way of fresh vegetables than I usually do at the end of the month, when I’m usually down to carrots and celery sticks plus cabbage for my leafy greens.

This is what I planned to eat yesterday:

Breakfast

• Smoothie made with 1 cup soy milk & 1-1/2 cups frozen mixed berries & 1 packet sweetener & a few drops vanilla
• 2 (10-ounce) cups coffee with 1/3 cup soymilk

Lunch

• Salad Made with:
  • 2 ounces tuna in water
  • 2 ounces cooked chickpeas
  • 2 tablespoons Italian salad dressing
  • 3 cups Salad Greens
• Raw Veggies for snacking
  • 1 cup carrot slices
  • 1/2 cup broccoli floret
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomato
• 1  orange

Dinner

• 2/3 cup red wine
• 3 ounces grilled boneless chicken thigh
• 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• Stir-Fry made with:
  • 1 cup broccoli
  • 1 cup chopped mushroom
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 dash garlic salt
  • Several dashes garlic powder
• 2/3 cup Buttered Rice

Per Serving: 1220 Calories; 39g Fat (30.0% calories from fat); 56g Protein; 149g Carbohydrate; 28g Dietary Fiber; 58mg Cholesterol; 1092mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 5-1/2 Lean Meat; 5-1/2 Vegetable; 3 Fruit; 5-1/2 Fat; 2-1/2 Other Carbohydrates. (Grains plus Other Carbohydrates equal 5-1/2 Starches)

This is what I actually ate:

Breakfast

• 2 (10-ounce) cups coffee with 1/3 cup soymilk

Lunch

• Salad Made with:
  • half a well drained can of tuna (2-1/8 ounces)
  • 2 ounces cooked chickpeas
  • 2 tablespoons Italian salad dressing
  • 2 cups salad greens
• Raw Veggies for snacking
  • 1 cup carrot slices
  • 1/2 cup broccoli floret
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomato

Dinner

• 1-1/3 cups red wine
• 3 ounces grilled boneless chicken thigh
• 1-1/2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• Stir-Fry made with:
  • 1 cup broccoli
  • 1 cup chopped mushroom
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 dash garlic salt
  • Several dashes garlic powder
• 1/3 cup Buttered Rice

Snack

• Smoothie made with 1 cup soy milk & 1-1/2 cups frozen mixed berries & 1 packet sweetener & a few drops vanilla
• 3 gluten free Great Value vanilla crème filled cookies

Per Serving: 1341 Calories; 46g Fat (35.3% calories from fat); 54g Protein; 136g Carbohydrate; 25g Dietary Fiber; 58mg Cholesterol; 1613mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 5-1/2 Lean Meat; 5-1/2 Vegetable; 2-1/2 Fruit; 6-1/2 Fat; 3-1/2 Other Carbohydrates (Grains combined with Other Carbohydrates equals 5-1/2 Starches)

I did okay, but not great. I could not face a smoothie in the morning, so I skipped it and left it for a late night snack. I was so full at lunch time that I skipped the orange. At dinner I had 2 glasses of wine instead of 1. I balanced this out (bargained with myself) by omitting a serving of the buttered rice. I had planned on 2-servings of buttered rice and a single serving of red wine, but in reality I consumed 2-servings of wine and a single serving of rice. This is not especially good for me and I plan on leaving off the wine completely when I finish this bottle, within the next week or so.

I ate more Other Carbohydrates than I like to. I aim for a single Other Carbohydrate a day. Other Carbohydrates are carbs that come from sugar or alcohol. Ideally I would eat zero Other Carbohydrates, but I compromise with allowing up to 1 a day. Clearly this day I went over that amount, between the barbecue sauce, the wine and the evil Great Value gluten free sandwich cookies. After I bought them, I discovered by carefully reading the ingredient label, that they contain dairy! Aargh! I need to stay far away from commercial GF convenience foods, even if they seem affordable.

I ate more fat and more sugar than I intended and not enough fruit servings, but that is why I’m trying to work my food plan. I cannot eat right without one. Maybe one day I will be able to, but today I cannot. I use my food plan to push myself so I eat the right foods in the right quantities. It is a tool that helps me lose weight. It’s not the be-all-end-all of the universe, but it does serve it’s purpose and it’s only as good as my willingness to submit to it’s dictates. God help me, this is awfully difficult on my own.

On the bright side, my calorie level was good and I was full for most of the day. Yay!