Good Eats - What I Ate Wednesday

I feel like it's been a while since I did a traditional #WIAW (what I ate Wednesday). Not too much has changed - I still like to eat a ton of food and am trying to figure out how to fit it all into my daily macros. If you are not sure what I am talking about, you can go back and read about my macros.

My macros have since slightly changed, as they should, to reach which ever goals you are trying to reach. Mine changed as a result of a weekend full of bad decisions. Apparently it is not advised to drink a case of beer by yourself in the course of two days if you are looking to achieve a 6-pack. Abs! I'm talking about abs, not another 6-pack of beer.

Here is what I ate yesterday and it kept me right on track with where I need to be.

For breakfast I made a Kodiak power cake waffle and topped it with a little smear of butter and 1.5 tablespoons maple syrup. I honestly cannot get enough waffles and pancakes - so good!

8.1 F / 56 C / 18.1 P

Not too long after breakfast I was ready for my first snack. I went out running for day 21 of my running streak in the morning and this usually results in hunger knocking in my belly all day long. I opted for a key lime crumble Chobani flip. The key lime crumble and haze craze are my two favorite flavors of theres. I also tried to chug a big glass of water - I am beyond terrible at drinking water. 

6 F / 26 C / 12 P

On Sunday I made a big batch of Spanish 'rice' quinoa (there is no rice in it) and threw a couple pounds of chicken in the crock pot. The Spanish quinoa and rice will get A and I through a couple of lunches. It's beyond tasty and has so much flavor. I find that quinoa can be very bland if you don't add enough seasonings or depths of flavors.

5.1 F / 18.6 C / 28.2 P

I won a wonderful sample package of Steve's Paleogoods thanks to Brittany at Brittany Suell. I've never been one to like jerky, but Steve's does a pretty tasty version. I really needed something substantial to get me through an evening of house remodel / repairs and one last workout before dinner. I ate half the beef jerky pack and a handful of dried strawberries. 

2 F / 12 C / 14 P

We didn't eat dinner until almost 9pm, which is really late for us. I threw some chicken on the stove with milk and condensed cream of chicken soup and let that cook from about 6pm on. A and I were busy hanging a new (read spray painted) ceiling fan in the hallway, hung a new light fixture in the bathroom we are remodeling, and installed the new vanity top. All in an evenings work just to head to the basement for a HIIT workout. This simple dinner totally hit the spot and then I was ready for bed.

6.8 F / 18 C / 32.7 P

My macros yesterday totaled out to 28 grams Fat / 130.6 grams Carbs / 105 grams Protein.

My macro daily goals are 41 grams Fat / 170 grams Carbs / 110 grams Protein.

Click to Tweet: Meals that will surely fit in your daily macros via @atravelingwife. http://bit.ly/1Iu24HR #iifym #fitfluential 

Overall, I'd say yesterday was a good day. What time do you usually eat dinner at?

Webinars - Yay or Nay?

Now that I have some free time, I have been trying to hop on as many webinars as possible. These webinars have been on various topics including user testing, design, tips for blogging, influencer marketing, etc. I feel like some of these have been just a complete waste of time. Don't get me wrong, I came from the corporate world and sat through countless pointless meetings. But I feel that if I am going to take time away from my schedule to sit down with a pen and paper, you better make it worth my while.

Do you have any recommendations for webinars that I should attend? I am open to trying a few more - so long as they don't yawn the entire meeting.

Now onto today's post - What I Ate Wednesday, less formally known as What I am Eating This Week. My meals are planned out for the entire week to include 1-2 different breakfasts, 2-3 different lunches, 2-3 different dinners, and loads of snacks. And, in case you are new around here, welcome - I keep track of my macros each week to find numbers that work for my goals. Be sure to check last week's #WIAW if you are interested in what my numbers looked like then.

Remember, the nice thing about counting macros is that it is flexible eating. This means that each day you have a goal set for your macros but it is okay to be slightly over or under. If you were to focus so much on hitting your numbers each and everyday, you will become obsessive over food which is never a good thing. So this week my goals for each day are 41 g Fat // 167 g Carbs // 111 g Protein. Let's see how I did yesterday.

For breakfast I fried up one whole egg and two egg whites with a few mushrooms. This was paired with some dark cherries because I can't get enough and a Chobani flip. The key lime crumble Chobani flip is my absolute favorite. You will see it over and over again.

Just prior to breakfast I chugged a latte with skim milk, in hopes of getting rid of a migraine. It appears that last Tuesday I had a migraine as well. I am going to blame this on Monday.

Macros = 17.3 Fat // 44.4 Carbs // 36.6 Protein

The grocery store didn't have my favorite dark chocolate granola on the shelf so I purchase this hazelnut dark chocolate granola instead. It wasn't all that bad but not as good as Cascadian Farms. I paired this with some fresh strawberries because summertime is all about the fruit.

4.7 Fat // 26.5 Carbs // 3.5 Protein

On Sunday I prepped a healthy portion of quinoa risotto and plopped some chicken in the crockpot. This will get A and I through three lunches this week. If you have never made chicken in the crockpot it is a must. Just season the chicken however you like - I used salt, pepper, and thyme. Then you just place the chicken in the crockpot on high for 4+ hours and it will fall apart perfectly with a fork.

3.8 Fat // 19.7 Carbs // 16.6 Protein

I am a sucker for some good, spicy food - the kind that makes your nose drip. We found some supremely spicy hummus (probably Sabra brand) and it does the trick. Also, check out those cute little Triscuits. The are so teeny-tiny and I just can't get enough of them.

8.5 Fat // 26 Carbs // 5 Protein

Please contain your excitement over the quality of this photo. I took it after a sweaty 20 minute workout and we had some terrible weather so the burger had to be cooked inside. And if you can spot with your little eye a fancy dog toy on the right. Yes, the cheapest toys are the best - an old sock with holes in it.

For dinner we had bunless turkey burgers on a bed of mixed greens and a side of red skin potatoes. Please tell me you have made this sauce and want to put it on everything! I think it's just amazing and essential for burgers.

7 Fat // 19.2 Carbs // 40.5 Protein

Finally dessert because I can't do without it. Since it's been so dang hot out, I have been loving me some sugar free jello with fresh fruit. Top it with some whipped cream and it feels like a complete indulgence.

1.5 Fat // 0 Carbs (I forgot to add the fresh raspberries into my tracker) // 2 Protein

Overall, yesterday was a pretty good day and I definitely felt like I fueled well for my workout. 

Here are my totals from the food above; 42.8 g Fat // 135.8 g Carbs // 104.2 Protein

Again, here is my daily goal for this week; 41 g Fat // 167 g Carbs // 111 g Protein

I think I did pretty dang good and stayed on top of what I was eating. I'm eager to see if these macros are any better than my previous goals, because I wasn't feeling it the last few weeks. 

What are some of your favorite meals this week?

Living The 80:20 Lifestyle

Hello and happy Wednesday! Is anyone else struggling this week? Perhaps I am because of the migraine I had yesterday or because I really haven't created a schedule for myself since walking away from my real life job. But I do have a schedule to share my fantastic eats with you all on Wednesdays when I can - WIAW.

What I Ate Wednesday for me is typically What I am Eating This Week. Remember, I meal plan for the entire week with a few simple meals for breakfast, 2 lunches, and 2-3 dinners. And of course, several snacks to hold A and I over throughout the day. Today's focus will be on yesterday's food and a naughty little large dinner. 

For breakfast I had fruity cheerios with 1/2 cup skim milk and a strawberry protein smoothie with 1/2 scoop of my favorite Target protein powder. Can we discuss the difference between a smoothie and a shake? I never know which is which when it comes to using protein powder. Does anyone know the difference? Also, if you care to know the macros for breakfast, they are as follows;

2.9 Fat // 35.9 Carbs // 18.4 Protein

Look at how cute these little turkey, cheddar, apple roll-ups are. I'm just going to fill you in on a little secret here - they are DELISH! I made these the night before by just topping the apples with a little bit of lemon juice and see, there is no browning. 

Macros - 5.3 Fat // 13.7 Carbs // 9.1 Protein

Even though it has been beyond hot outside, no one can keep me away from a good stew. This one here is an Indian Stew with sweet potatoes, beans galore (kidney, garbanzo, and black beans) and a mixture of curry. This was a new recipe for me but I will definitely be making it again. 

Macros - 6.6 Fat // 31.4 Carbs // 10.7 Protein

At this point during the day, I was still struggling with my migraine. I opted for a nice hot glass of lemon water with California cherries and the best dang dark chocolate granola. 

Macros - 2.7 Fat // 31.9 Carbs // 3.3 Protein

I was still super hungry and at this point I had already calculated my dinner so I knew I had plenty of macros left. I made myself another glass of hot water with lemon and quickly devoured some spinach and artichoke hummus with pita crackers. #nom

Macros - 9.7 Fat // 31.8 Carbs // 3.7 Protein

This was totally not supposed to happen. A called me on his way home from work and asked if I wanted to go get Chinese. The Chinese restaurant near our house also serves Sushi. It seemed super sketch at first but was amazing! I said that I already had dinner planned out and it was already cooked. He then said, "Are you sure? I really wanted Chinese." And I proceeded with, "Okay!" I am a true sucker. 

So that entire plate of sushi was gobbled up by me all by myself. Along with 2 beers and a miso soup. That definitely did not fit in with my macros. 

Macros (roughly) - 27 Fat // 118.3 Carbs // 34.4 Protein

Today I woke up feeling guilt-free because I live an 80:20 life. While I cheated with yesterday's dinner, I am able to make up the remainder of the week with healthier choices. 

My total macros should be roughly 47 Fat // 210 Carbs // 111 Protein

Yesterday's were 54.2 Fat // 263 Carbs // 79.6 Protein

I am still learning about macros - how they effect my body and how they effect my fitness goals. The above numbers all represent grams per category and this is what I actually ate yesterday. Everything I stuck in my mouth was recorded for your viewing pleasure! :)

What are you eating this week? What's your favorite type of sushi?