Some breakfast ideas

If you are anything like me, eating the right foods is difficult in the beginning. I just had no idea what I was supposed to be eating! A few years ago when I tried to lose weight, I decided I would eat essentially the same foods (just smaller portion sizes and no sweets), but I would exercise every day. I did lose weight -- 30 lbs -- but it took me a lot longer than 3 months! It was more like 7-8 (can't remember now).

This time around I knew I had to change what I was eating. I watched a show called "Hungry for Change," which I loved! It totally inspired and motivated me to eat healthier. One guy in the documentary said to start by just adding in the good stuff. I thought that was great advice because it can be so overwhelming (and discouraging) trying to completely overhaul your diet all at once. And I used to always think of "dieting" in terms of everything I can't have. But there are so many healthy, tasty foods out there to start adding in! I started by adding in more whole grains. And I added a lot more fruits and veggies. Another guy in the video said to change your mindset from, "I want that, but I can't have it" to "I can have that, but I don't want it." That has helped me, and now it is very true!

I have found that I don't feel deprived at all! In fact, I enjoy what I am eating now A LOT more than the foods I ate before. The food is colorful and flavorful -- I love it! My husband is much happier, too! To me that spells success -- I never want to go back!

I feel like I'm using a lot of exclamation points!!!!!  :)

First of all, I follow Jillian Michaels' advice (from her Ripped in 30 diet plan) and keep my meals limited to around 400 calories. I usually am around 350 calories for breakfast and lunch and then have a slightly higher calorie dinner -- between 400-500. This has worked for me, but I'm no expert.

I know some people avoid carbs when dieting, but I personally have a hard time doing that. I just buy whole grain things -- avoiding kinds that add sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or hydrogenated oil. I try to avoid foods that have a lot of ingredients.

Here are a few ideas. The first two are from Michaels' meal plan. These probably don't look appetizing from my pictures, but they really are tasty!

 Breakfast burrito -- 4 egg whites scrambled, topped with tomatoes, turkey bacon, and green onions.

Whole grain waffles topped with real butter, bananas and fresh blueberries (squished to give a more syrupy feel). :) I also made this with just mashed raspberries on top -- YUM.

And my personal favorite and what I eat nearly every day for either breakfast or lunch -- The "Happy Shake." This has 4 cups spinach, 1.5 cups frozen blueberries, and 1/2 cup banana and some other goodness  (raw cacao and maca powder) you'll have to look at the recipe for. If you do decide to make this, just make sure you do 1 tsp. of maca powder -- NOT what they have in the recipe. The recipe calls for more than the daily recommendation of the stuff -- and it's strong stuff. Also, I use coconut oil rather than a raw egg, but that's up to you. I use coconut oil as a moisturizer now, too! Love it! You can't taste the spinach at all. You'll just feel great and super healthy after eating it. :) And it tastes chocolately (the raw cacao), so I feel like I'm getting some of that in my diet, too! :)

I was hoping to get my own little "intro" up before now, but I will do it soon.

I am always looking for yummy, healthy recipes, and I would love to hear what you all are eating!

Update: If any of you want to try the Happy Shake and don't know where to get the raw cacao powder, coconut oil, and maca powder, I get my stuff from vitacost.com. If you've never bought from there and want to, let me know -- I'll send you a $10 off your first order online coupon. And I'll get $10 off my next one, too. :)