I have a very helpful strategy that stops me feeling hungry when I first wake. It wouldn't work for everyone but it works for me.
I do like to know exactly what my food plans are at the start of each day (this blog helps me do that) and I do like to feel prepared so, third thing (first is coffee, second is blog), I go into the kitchen and prepare as much as I possibly can for the whole day. That might mean peeling and chopping, it might mean actually cooking the dish, it might mean getting stuff out and ready, including things from the freezer when possible.
For example, yesterday I cooked the fillings for the omelette, whisked up the eggs, seasoned them, added the cooled fillings and covered the bowl ready.
I popped the potato in the oven, mixed the topping and prepped the salad.
I measured out the curry mix, chopped the veg, got out the passata and the tin of dahl. When I went to the freezer for the grated cheese, I also got out the chicken and popped it into the fridge for later. Then, a bit later on, I made the curry, let it cool, covered it and popped it in the fridge all ready for reheating. I had made more than I needed so some of it went straight into two freezer pots and into the freezer without it hanging around. That's a couple of days' lunch or dinner ready. I didn't open the dahl, there was enough without it
You might think that all that food prep would make me more hungry but quite the opposite, it takes away any hunger I might feel and it doesn't come back until around ten or eleven - perfect!
Another plus point is that later on, when I am feeling more hungry (around four or five), I don't have to spend tempting times in the kitchen because everything is as prepared as possible.
And thirdly, I can get all the mess cleared away and into the dishwasher early, saving time later on. It's not a biggie but it all helps.
You might be saying 'well, that wouldn't work for me' and I wouldn't argue with you for a moment. We all know ourselves best and what is good for one may not work at all for another. Just find what works for you and then make the most of it!
What are your helpful strategies?
A few photos:
Breakfast . . .
B: sausage, bacon and egg muffin, tomatoes, fruit, mini yogurt drink
I will remove the skin from an Aldi skinny sausage and mix the sausagemeat with some grated apple and a bit of mustard before forming into a muffin sized patty and frying in a bit of spray oil. Then I will split and toast a wholemeal muffin (of the English variety, not the cake kind!) and layer it with sausage, bacon and a SW fried egg. Speed will be chopped tomatoes on the side. It should be tasty!
SW: half a syn for the sausage, two syns for the yogurt drink and one heB for the muffin
L: cheese and tuna quesadilla, salad
I've had to change my planning (it was going to be soup) because I had some mixed cheese and tuna left over from yesterday's lunch that I want to use up today.
SW: tricky because most of it was counted yesterday so I'm not going to fuss about the bit of cheese from yesterday although I will add 15g more for better meltability. One heB for the muffin and one and a half syns for some onion chutney for a bit of ooomph
D: chicken ratatouille with other assorted veg
I plan to bake the chicken in lemon and mustard. The ratatouille is from the freezer and I'll probably add whatever stock comes off the chicken to the ratatouille. The other veg will probably be sprouts and broccoli or maybe cauliflower.
SW: three syns for the ratatouille
S: easy peelers
Body Magic: today is quite busy so it will probably be a Lesley Sansone thirty minute walk and Lindsey's 15. done first thing
Summary:
a meat day - quite a lot, in fact, better be careful
half a heA and two heBs
eight syns
not a particularly expensive day and using some stuff from the freezer and leftovers
eating window between eleven and seven - 8:16 which is fine; I don't want to go less than that unless I have to.
What are your plans for today?
I think knowing as far as possible what I'm going to eat helps, I prepare my breakfast the night before so it's ready to cook - I agree its about what works for the individual :)
ReplyDeleteThat's a good one and yes, planning ahead really works, however you do it. Because I have a later breakfast, I can prep it early morning, but if you have to get out or just eat earlier, the night before is a great way to go.
Deletexx
I take my main meal out of the freezer the night before and decide what veg I'll be having with it. Sometimes I prepare the veg the night before but usually leave it until after breakfast on the day - that way I don't prep too much as I'm not feeling hungry!
ReplyDeleteGreat strategies. It's good to know where it's all going for the day, isn't it?
Deletexx