Late Night Breakfast

I skipped breakfast this morning. I suppose I didn't really skip it but my schedule is a little off. My first meal of the day is generally around lunch time. Anyhow, I had plenty of calories left for the day and the tummy got to growling. I've hushed the beast twice today between meals. Once with a hot cup of green tea and again in the afternoon with a 40 calorie fudge pop! ( Be on the look out for awesome snack posts later!)

And here you have it! I was feeling like breakfast food and I decided to whip up some Cups O' Yum! 

I've seen different versions of these here and there along the way but I made mine with things I had on hand. I must say - they were delicious! And two BIG cups add up to only 118 calories!

I added in a nice large cup of mixed berries and drizzled the top with some honey. 

This whole "breakfast" feast came in at 152 calories! Can I get a yee-haw?!

OM NOM NOM. I like my dinners to be pretty filling. I like options. And I like feeling like I'm eating a LOT of food. This meal is simple, easy, and comes pretty close to target! 3 calories over is negligible in my book. Especially when we saved calories during lunch!

I spruced up the plain BLT concept by adding 1/2 tbsp of pesto to each slice of bread before toasting. It really adds a lot of flavor and it feels as though you're eating something super savory!

I had soup which always goes well with sandwiches. I made the entire can then split the pot into two servings at 163 calories each. I paired one in a mug for dinner and I'll save the rest for a lunch or snack.

This seemed like enough food to satisfy me. But really - WHY? If I can have more food - I'm doing it!! I threw in a green pepper at a whopping 30 calories and 2 tablespoons of some spicy hummus.

The whole thing came in at 503 calories! The other awesome thing about this meal is that it takes a long time to eat. Between spoonfuls of soup and dipping each green pepper slice into hummus, it physically should take us a few minutes to actually eat. I once read somewhere that it takes 20 minutes to feel full and we often confuse thirst with hunger. So remember to drink that glass of water before each meal and take some time to eat and enjoy your food! Believe it or not, it is a privilege denied to many.

It's Lunchtime!

Here we go! Cheap meal under $3! Sometimes just to make it more appetizing, take those frozen meals and put them on a plate! Pair up with an easy low-cal salad and drink a full glass of water before eating!

This meal came in at 317 calories. That's 33 calories under budget! Spend that later with other under budget calories for a bigger snack! Or towards a glass of wine...

The 1250 Calorie Plan!

There's just about fourteen thousand ways to lose weight it seems like. And if you're anything like me, it's damn overwhelming. I don't know if I should go raw. Cut carbs. Protein up? Become a vegetarian? What about that Paleo diet? 

Screw it. I know what works for me. And that's eating ice cream.

For me, this is the best calorie cutting plan I have found. We all know that the basic idea of losing weight is to burn more calories than we consume. Our bodies burn calories by doing everything. Less while we do things like sleep and quite a bit when we dance around the living room in our socks. 

1200 calories is the lowest amount that doctors will recommend for an average woman to consume. I think I mentioned loving ice cream. So I added in 50 more calories for another spoonful or two. :)

The 1250 Plan is nicely wrapped up in this cute little graphic:

Of course I change the slightly vary the times depending on my schedule. And often times I skip my morning snack and combine it into a larger evening snack. I'm a night owl and wine likes to keep me company!

The plan is simple though. Try to keep your breakfast under 200 calories, lunch under 350, and dinner under 500. You also get 200 calories of super-fun-snackage!

This is the best way to eat what feel like large meals along with eating every few hours. I know that personally I like to eat often and feel full when I do! I have no problem doing that when I follow this calorie consumption model.

 If you have no idea how to eat a filling breakfast for 200 calories or are wondering what in the hell you can snack on for 100 calories, don't you worry! I will have upcoming posts for tons of great ideas! Including what to do when eating out, on the go, and on a budget!