304.8

At this point, diet is so much more important than exercise a few small changes can show gains or in our case losses almost immediately. The weight that we record in the top right corner of each day’s journal is a reminder only, results will show up in the long-term changes we make to how we approach eating. We will begin to feel healthier long before any visual signs appear.

Breakfast was one of my worst diet meals. You name something that you shouldn’t eat and I would have a ton of it before 8 a.m.. Slowly I am changing that, I have eliminated processed foods and make everything myself. Here is an example:

Scrambled eggs w/ jalapeños on corn tortillas:
6 white corn tortillas(300 cal.)
1 large jalapeño, seeded and deveined(8 cal.)
4 eggs(308 cal.)
1 Tbs. Coconut oil(120 cal.)

Seed and devein a large jalapeño, dice it and cook on medium heat with 1 tsp. of coconut oil. When the pepper pieces start to brown, add 4 eggs and scramble. When eggs are done to your taste, put on plate and set aside. Wipe out pan, add 2 tsp. of coconut oil and heat both sides of each tortilla one at a time.

I use coconut oil almost exclusively, it’s still fat, but it’s good fat. It looks like crisco when cool but turns to liquid at around 76 degrees F. Good quality coconut oil, like LouAnn, is around $7 a jar, I use a lot of it but it still takes several months to run out.

As you can see, better breakfast requires some planning. Fresh vegetables are not expensive but you do have to eat them soon after purchase. Eggs look like they last forever but they do not, still a dozen can be gone through in a week without really trying. 736 calories for breakfast, not bad for a start. Replace jalapeños with any combination of veggies that you want, give your breakfast wings!

4 oz. Spinach, fresh(28 cal.)
2 oz. sunflower seeds, chopped(330 cal.)
4 Tsb. Italian dressing (160 cal.)

I use chopped spinach in my salads, it has more character than the conventional lettuces/lettuci? and it isn’t bitter like kale, the super food. Finely chopped sunflower seeds add good fats and they add a bit of fun to the salad. If I am using Italian dressing then a sprinkle or three of parmesan cheese, with ranch dressing sliced avocado(more good fat) is wonderful. I worked in food service for years and made gallons of guacamole and never even tried avocados by themselves, they are now one of my favorite foods to eat and experiment with.

2 lb. chicken breast, cubed (992 cal.)
4 Jalapeños, seeded and julienned (32 cal.)
1 med. onion, sliced (48 cal.))
2 cups Minute rice (340 cal.)
1 Tsp. coconut oil (80 cal.)
4 tsp. soy sauce (30 cal.)
2 Tbs. sriracha pepper sauce (40 cal.)
3 Tbs. sweet chili sauce(105 cal.)

I don’t have a name for this, I just threw it together one day and it was good and I kept it around. I use brown rice if I have any but any rice will do. When you have the rice and water on to boil add a couple of drops of sesame oil, it adds a beautiful aroma to the rice. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat, prep and add the jalapeños and then the onion. Move them occasionally so that they soften evenly. Dice up the chicken and add it to pan. Season with soy sauce, sriracha and sweet chili sauce. Stir frequently to make sure that chicken sears on all sides. When you can’t see any raw spots on the chicken reduce heat and let simmer about a half an hour. If you do brown rice and start it first, the chicken will be done when the rice is, about an hour total. As written, this recipe makes 4 servings at about 417 calories each.

Take a walk today, get a good look at the outside world and then write it down. Now that you are warmed up, try this. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms straight ahead, palms facing the floor. Focus on spot on the floor about ten feet in front of you, push your butt out and squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor, stand up and repeat until you have done ten total. These are called air squats, now do this two more times with a short pause between sets of ten. If you are a stranger to exercise you won’t feel anything right now, you will probably feel it tomorrow. That feeling is your muscles adapting to new stress, get used to it, it’s your new best friend.