Tips on Getting The Day Started

So often the biggest battle of my day is STARTING it right. I'm NOT a morning person, but I've come a long way since I've been with my fiance' I must admit! He IS a morning person... no let me rephrase that... he IS a morning FREAK! LOL  My guy wakes at 4am each day, Monday - Thursday and I'm a freak about MUST waking up with him. Yes, ok.. say it.. I'm a glutton for my own punishment! In my defense I love him so dang much I can't help but WANT to be a part of his morning routine, so I get up with him. I love it, I must admit! When I don't get up with him in the early morning we're both kind of "lost". I've had days when the flu hit or my MS was really bad or pain levels too intense to really do much of anything so I've remained in bed. We're both like lost puppies when I do this so I will admit while I'm NOT a morning person... he's made me love my mornings.


While I may be UP at 4am I'm rarely eating anything before 6am or much later. I'm simply NOT a morning person! I can't eat as soon as I get up and need a little time to get my body "moving" so to speak. Unfortunately, that often leads to sometimes putting off breakfast longer than I really WANT to... aka "being lazy"! All too often I fall prey to putting off breakfast so long because I just don't feel like "making something" that in the end I indulge in a couple of "2 Point® Bars" (Special K® Bars, Fiber One® Bars, etc. that come out to 2 points®) which rarely pull me through until lunch. End result.... nibbling on things I shouldn't or gorging myself with what normally would be healthy "treats".... definitely NOT a breakfast option!


My issue may be somewhat similar to all of you out there that work outside of the house. You're busy, hectic, running around and simply don't have the time to stop and create something healthy, filling AND delicious. It's the age old "never any time for me" and basically why a lot of us have had weight issues... we put everyone else FIRST! 

4 Pt. Cajun Egg White Bagel Sandwich

It's time to STOP and MAKE THE TIME for yourself. I am here to tell you.... if you start your day off with a satisfying breakfast, the rest of the day just seems so much easier to stay on track!

Here are some tips and ideas to make your breakfast a little easier and perhaps healthier, so your day starts off right:
 

1.  Prepare Ahead - while it sounds logical, we often put off things we can do ahead to make our breakfast literally faster than a "drive-thru"! HOW? Simple... prepare ahead!

• Chop Veggies and Keep them in baggies so you can quickly toss them into some egg whites for a sandwich or scrambled egg white omelette
  
  
• Make a bunch of pancakes ahead of time (I do this over the weekend usually) and freeze them. It's less expensive than purchasing the frozen types, just as fast and often healthier because YOU know what you're putting into them.  Create different types with a "base" batter as you go along so you have some flavor throughout the week! (Add some frozen berries, bananas, even some chopped up low fat turkey sausage pieces to create a flavorful pancake) BE SURE TO MAKE THE PANCAKE THE PROPER SIZE so your serving sizes are on target and calories or points® are correct! When you're ready to eat them they easily go from freezer to microwave or toaster oven for an instant breakfast!
  
  
• Learn  how to make the "omelette in a bag"! It's fun, easy  and a quick way to cook up some egg whites for breakfast. Kids love this idea!
  
  
• Prepare Breakfast Sammies ahead of time, toss in a sandwich bag and then nuke at home if you have the time or just grab and go to the office with it! It's so easy to simply nuke your sandwich while you're pouring that cup o' Joe in the morning and it keeps you on track with a GOOD breakfast! (Not to mention the money you're saving by NOT doing the drive thru thing... or the calories.. UGH!)

2.  Think "outside" the breakfast box! - Simply put, you can create "non breakfast" type meals that are healthy and enjoy them. What matters is that you fill your belly, enjoy what you're eating and it's healthy!

• Breakfast Sandwiches don't have to be put on a bagel or bun, you can use some of those already prepared pancakes as your "bread", with turkey sausage, cheese and a touch of maple syrup (I swear by the Maple Sprinkles by GFS - Gordon Food Service to give my sandwiches and my pancakes that maple flavor without all the calories! A sprinkle is 0 points®!). Bagel thins are wonderful containers for those ingredients you love too, most are only 1 point® each! Naan bread comes in a variety of flavors too and can make an amazing egg white breakfast sammie!
  
• Leftover whole wheat pasta with some veggies or even mixed up with some egg whites make a filling and delicious breakfast treat. My fave way to use the leftover pasta is to add 3 egg whites scrambled, cook it up in a fry pan or microwave it all together, add a sprinkle of fat free parm cheese and YUMO!
  
• Pizza is one of my favorite food groups... okay so it's not a "food group" but it is one of my favorite foods! I love a slice of pizza (leftover from the night before or so) reheated as my breakfast. Make sure it's a weight friendly pizza and not one loaded with fats, meats, and such! Obviously if it's a slice that's 20 points® it's not figure friendly but some whole wheat crusts with low fat cheeses and lots of veggies makes a great dinner AND a terrific breakfast that's waistline friendly! OR use a Naan bread to create your own pizzas low in calories or points®! Eat half for dinner and half for breakfast the next day!

Add some of your own ideas of how you make breakfast quick and easy! What are some of your favorite recipes or ideas to get your day started "right" so you stay on track?

Wish me luck on my journey to "eating clean" and  healthy! 
And please feel free to comment and share ideas for trying to live and eat "clean" and losing weight by changing to a healthy lifestyle!
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEED TO GET FIT BUT DON'T WANT THE GYM MEMBERSHIP?

THINK ABOUT A TRAMPOLINE!

Check out The Trampolines King Website for tons of FREE information & guidance in purchasing this wonderful piece of equipment that is affordable and helps burn TONS of calories (not to mention tons 'o fun)!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AssistU has been the whole reason I've had
the best results following the
Weight Watchers® program...
changing 1 lb or less losses to
an average of 3 lbs most weeks!
Check out this ALL NATURAL HERBAL SUPPLEMENT!
Mention Beverly's Blog "One Day At A Time"  when you order 
to get the best price available!

Don't forget to check out my newest Book Blog, where I give book reviews on recent books I've read. If you're a reader you'll want to check this out!

WE CAN DO THIS, TOGETHER
ONE DAY AT A TIME!

Like this article? Twit it to your followers!



Who Else Helps me get healthy?
These are just a few of the people online that inspire me along with AssistU....

1.
Check out the Fab Fatties - tons of ideas, comic relief & great give-aways!

2. Joe Gigantino - Fitness Trainer
This is the guy that really set me on the path to physical fitness - Sign up for his FREE newsletter!



3.

4. BWJEN - Another WW Buddy & A 'bookworm' too!?



5.

5.

6.Sean Anderson the formerly 500lb man!
Diary of A Winning Loser - Sean is an inspiration to anyone trying to get healthy!


*Note I am not affiliated nor endorsed by Weight Watchers® at all, in any way. I highly recommend their program and cannot say enough GOOD about it, but I also have decided that they were my "stepping stone" to making a change in my lifestyle. Any mention of Weight Watchers®, their program or their term of "points®" does not mean they have approved, seen, or endorsed anything on my blogs.

Also, if at any time Points® are mentioned it is always with the assumption that you will analyze the recipes, foods, ingredients and figure the points out specifically for your consumption of any product, as ingredients may vary by brand, size, etc. and Points® is a registered trademark of the Weight Watchers® company.

Quinoa..Anybody?

So, a friend of mine had commented on how he and his family eat quinoa all the time. They're huge "health food" people & eat organic/clean, probably more so than anyone I could ever find in my world! I thought, I'll give it a try. Of course I bought a package of organic Quinoa and it has now sat in my cupboard for the entire summer. I had good intentions but I've yet to hear ANYONE say they love the stuff!? So what to do?


I set out on a mission to find some recipes. It's not as easy as it sounds. I've found some but nothing I'd honestly like to try. For example, just today there was a recipe shared in my local newspaper for QUINOA TABBOULEH. I have not clue what the words mean (Ok, I could look them up but I'm just saying.. it sounded so 'artsy, ecclectic, nuance, worldly' that I think they threw the word in with Quinoa only to entice you to think you were eating something so worldly & different).  It has a lot of ingredients that (yes, I know as someone who's attempting clean eating I should jump at veggies and such, especially raw.. but I don't think I'll ever acquire the taste) I think most of them just turned me off instantly. I'm more a creamy, cheesy, obviously bad for you type of food gal. (Gee I wonder how I got so fat? LOL).  It's the first recipe listed below but click on the link there's a ton of other GLUTEN FREE recipes listed here!



Below I've listed some recipes I've found. None that I've tried. But I am getting ideas of what I want to do with my Quinoa. Now if I just muster up the courage!!!!

QUINOA TABBOULEH
11⁄2 cups quinoa
21⁄4 cups water
1⁄4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄2 cup chopped parsley
1⁄2 cup chopped scallions
4-inch piece of cucumber, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish: lemon slices, black olives, tomatoes

1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly and drain. Bring quinoa and water to boil in saucepan. Reduce heat and let simmer until all water has evaporated, approximately 20 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. In bowl, add quinoa, lemon juice, oil, parsley scallions, cucumber and grape tomatoes. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon slices, black olives and tomatoes, if desired. Makes 6-8 servings.
— adapted from “The Complete Vegetarian Cuisine,” by Rose Elliot

Nutritional Info: Per serving: 162 calories, 5.9 grams fat, 2.9 grams fiber, 5 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrate, 45 milligrams sodium, 0 cholesterol. Values are approximate.

http://www.quinoa-recipes.com/ has a curried Quinoa Recipe (below) that I may try. I have to buy some spices first though, so that's why I haven't tried this one!

Curried Quinoa

1 Cup Quinoa
1½ Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
½ Onion Diced (about 4 or 5 oz.)
1 Tsp. Grated Fresh Ginger Root
½ Fresh Green Chile
  (Finely Chopped)
1 Heaping Tsp. Turmeric
1 Heaping Tsp. Coriander
¼ Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1¾ Cups Water
½ Cup Fresh or Frozen Peas
Salt to Taste

1. Rinse quinoa with cold water. Use a fine mesh filter or coffee filter. If you're a klutz like me use the fine mesh filter or a lot of quinoa is going to wind up in the sink!
   Quinoa is coated with a natural substance called saponin that protects the grain by repelling insects and birds. Rinsing the quinoa is important to avoid a raw or bitter taste. You can tell if there is saponin by the production of a soapy looking "suds" when the seeds are swished in water. Good news! If you are using Ancient Harvest Quinoa you can skip this step. It's already rinsed!
2.  Place oil and diced onions in a heavy saucepan. Saute the onions on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the ginger root, chile, and quinoa. Cook for one minute stirring constantly.
4. A fine, white spiral appears around the grain as it cooks.
5. Stir in the turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, and salt. Cook for one minute stirring constantly.
6. Add the water and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Stir in peas. Cover and cook for four or five minutes or until peas are tender and all the water has been absorbed.
8. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Here's a Quinoa Vegetable Pilaf From The Savvy Vegetarian

Ingredients:

• 1 c quinoa
• 1 celery stalk, trimmed & chopped in small dice
• 1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped in small dice
• 1/2 c. cooked chickpeas
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 - 3 garlic cloves OR 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp peeled & minced fresh ginger OR 1/2 tsp dried ginger
• 1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp gr. coriander
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp thyme leaf
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 cup water or soup stock
• Optional: 2 cups chopped spinach or chard OR 1/4 c. minced parsley or cilantro OR 1/2 cup frozen peas
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Soak quinoa 15 minutes, rinse twice, leave to drain
2. Heat olive oil on medium low in a 3 - 4 qt saucepan or sauté pan
3. Peel & mince garlic & ginger, sauté with mustard seeds for 5 minutes
4. Chop celery and red pepper, add to pan and sauté another five minutes
5. Mix in the bay leaf, turmeric, coriander &; cumin
6. Turn the heat to medium high. Add the quinoa and stir until it's dry and starting to pop
7. Add 1 3/4 c. hot water or stock, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 15 minutes
8. Stir in the optional greens, peas, parsley or cilantro, and fresh ground pepper
9. Cover and cook 5 more minutes, then serve

Seriously, if you eat the stuff & have a recipe that's flavorful and delish... please send it to me. Post it here or post a link to it for me to view. I'd love to find a way to eat the stuff! I have no clue why I'm so frightened, other than the numerous people who have commented on Twitter who've said things like "Yuck!" or "I've yet to taste quinoa that has any flavor at all!" and so many other negative comments that now I'm running scared! I did find, surprisingly, that quinoa is NOT a grain. Quinoa is a plant protein, hence why so many vegans love it because it's chuck full of protein and a vegetable! I swear, by my next post I'm going to have a recipe that I've either created or tried & I will share! Of course YOU could share yours so I could try it?! Let me know if you're a quinoa fan and how  you prepare it!

Wish me luck on my journey to "eating clean" and  healthy! 
And please feel free to comment and share ideas for trying to live and eat "clean"!
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEED TO GET FIT BUT DON'T WANT THE GYM MEMBERSHIP?

THINK ABOUT A TRAMPOLINE!

Check out The Trampolines King Website for tons of FREE information & guidance in purchasing this wonderful piece of equipment that is affordable and helps burn TONS of calories (not to mention tons 'o fun)!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AssistU has been the whole reason I've had
the best results following the
Weight Watchers® program...
changing 1 lb or less losses to
an average of 3 lbs most weeks!
Check out this ALL NATURAL HERBAL SUPPLEMENT!
Mention Beverly's Blog "One Day At A Time"  when you order 
to get the best price available!

Don't forget to check out my newest Book Blog, where I give book reviews on recent books I've read. If you're a reader you'll want to check this out!

WE CAN DO THIS, TOGETHER
ONE DAY AT A TIME!

Like this article? Twit it to your followers!



Who Else Helps me get healthy?
These are just a few of the people online that inspire me along with AssistU....

1.
Check out the Fab Fatties - tons of ideas, comic relief & great give-aways!

2. Joe Gigantino - Fitness Trainer
This is the guy that really set me on the path to physical fitness - Sign up for his FREE newsletter!



3.

4. BWJEN - Another WW Buddy & A 'bookworm' too!?



5.

5.

6.Sean Anderson the formerly 500lb man!
Diary of A Winning Loser - Sean is an inspiration to anyone trying to get healthy!


*Note I am not affiliated nor endorsed by Weight Watchers® at all, in any way. I highly recommend their program and cannot say enough GOOD about it, but I also have decided that they were my "stepping stone" to making a change in my lifestyle. Any mention of Weight Watchers®, their program or their term of "points®" does not mean they have approved, seen, or endorsed anything on my blogs.

Also, if at any time Points® are mentioned it is always with the assumption that you will analyze the recipes, foods, ingredients and figure the points out specifically for your consumption of any product, as ingredients may vary by brand, size, etc. and Points® is a registered trademark of the Weight Watchers® company.