It’s been a while since I’ve posted a WIAW post.
And even LONGER since I’ve mentioned my journey with intuitive eating. That’s right, my continuing journey…as in, still a work in progress. While I wish I could say that after a year, I’m now “cured” from my disordered way of thinking, I’ve come to the realization that life may never be as it was before…and I’m ok with that. While I can go days/weeks at a time without giving much thought to my food choices, I still have a lot of times where I get overwhelmed and start over-analyzing every.single.morsel or let out a giant “FUCK IT” and beat myself up with an entire bag of yogurt-covered pretzels. Still, every day is a move in the right direction as long as I remember to use those moments as red flags for other things going on behind the scenes.
I wanted to share my eats from this past Saturday not only because I did a little happy dance once I realized I’d taken a picture of almost everything without even thinking about it, but also because I think this day shows the kind of balance I want to strive for on a regular basis….
A combination of foods that make me happy AND foods that fuel my body.
If you were paying attention to yesterday’s post, you may have noticed that I ate ice cream for BREAKFAST! When I first woke up though, I was still a little groggy so I just fixed a cup of coffee (which I only drank half because it was so damn hot) and some water. and took it with me to the market to meet my friend. While perusing the tents, I sampled a mini chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake (meh) and a bite of some maple bacon cheesecake (freaking amazing)!
The old me would have FRAAAA-eeeeked having started my day without a balanced meal and especially one made up of nibbles of sweet treats, but the mild sweetness of the ice cream was perfect to balance out my earlier bites.
After my mind-numbing massage, I came home to some leftover grocery store sushi (I swear Publix makes the BEST salad rolls!) from the night before and an un-pictured lime LaCroix before climbing back in bed for the best nap EVER!
When I woke up, I grabbed a bar and a bottle of water and headed to the gym for some walking/book reading. Seriously, have you guys tried this new flavor? My friends over at Nature Valley were kind enough to send me some to sample and after sinking my teeth into that perfectly sweet and salty bar with a coconut yogurt coating,
I was in LOVE!
Disclaimer: I was not paid in any way to review this bar. Actually, I wasn’t even asked to review it. I just love it and wanted to share! 😀
After my walk, I wasn’t really hungry, but a couple of hours later, and on into the night, I snacked on some sweet and juicy watermelon that needed to be polished off BEFORE cutting into the TWO I came home with from the market! Oops?
When I finally DID get hungry, I knew exactly what I wanted…Hawaiian bread! I mean, a sandwich filled with all the veggies I’d come home with from the farmer’s market that morning plus more that I picked up on the way home from the gym (let’s face it, a sandwich just isn’t complete without crisp lettuce and alfalfa sprouts!). While making my epic toasted sandwich, I snacked on some baby carrot.
A little while after dinner, I settled in with a LARGE glass of wine and my fuzzy slippers for my date night with Mr. Netflix. As usual, an hour or so into my binge-watching, I got a craving for some crunch…
Carrot sticks and some chocolate-covered peanut butter pretzels to the rescue! Exactly what I needed…savored…and enjoyed!
I’ll confess that sometimes I have a hard time choosing to have dessert when I’m by myself. For some reason, I feel like it’s only acceptable to indulge when I’m with others…and half the time, I usually end up going overboard. Since that is NOT the way I want to be thinking, I’ve been working on this mentality and have decided that for now, it’s best to pair my “treat” with something healthy to help form a frame of balance in my mind. It may sound crazy, but hey, I never claimed to be sane.
Big thanks to Jenn, our hostess with the mostest for chaperoning our Wednesday shenanigans. Be sure to hop on over to Peas & Crayons and check out all the other eats and treats others are linking up today!
What is the best thing you ate yesterday?
Do you find it harder to indulge when you’re alone?
Don’t worry about the disordered eating patterns, I think many diets out there have fallen victim to the mindset, I know I have! You’re not alone and I’m so glad intuitive eating has worked out for you!
Thank you, Linda! Thank you so much!
Yumm, what a great day of eats girl!!
You know I am the expert in disordered eating, and even if I can say that I am 90% recovered, I totally understand all the mindset craziness. I think the way you are aware of your feelings towards the food is the best way to find that balance you wish for! I used so many weird tricks and strategies – they worked for me and that is all that counts! Love you lady!!
Give me ALL the watermelon! YUM! I’m glad you’re eating the things that make you happy!!
I do what I want. Isn’t that a song? I swear I know that one line and have no idea what the rest is haha
Seriously love your mix of foods and the fact that they were satisfying AND semi-healthy overall!! <3 <3
I watched wayyy too much Netflix when I was watching OITNB. Binging seems like too kind of a word for what went on over here. Netflix has us figured out it seems. I don't think I will be able to go another year when the next season is out!!
Haha! All I know it as is a line from South Park…which I never watch! Yes, I’m definitely striving to get to your attitude when it comes to semi-healthy! And I’m so so glad someone else out there is under the spell of Netflix…I don’t know what’s wrong with me! I just can’t quit clicking “play next episode” once I get started! Haha!
I find it easier to indulge when I’m alone. I’m kind of a closet or sneak eater though. I wish I wasn’t since I’m alone more than with people!
I can be a sneak eater too…but that’s usually when in the back of my mind, a little voice is trying to tell me that I’m wrong for indulging. It’s all in how you think about it…and it helps when you can indulge with people who you won’t feel judged by. I know it hurt me a lot in the beginning to be around friends and family who would constantly be like, “Whoa! You’re eating THAT? But I thought you ate healthy??” Yeah, just stick it up your nose, buddy! 😛
I actually read something the other day about how having a dessert type breakfast might help in weight maintenance in the long run because it helps keep the cravings at bay. I know I have to start my day with something sweet or I end up wanting chocolate and cookies at 9 AM… And I -need- to have a treat daily or the cravings build up to the point where I go overboard and end up feeling sick/guilty. Life’s too short to say no to cookies, ice cream, and chocolate 🙂
Couldn’t agree with you more, girl! I think I read that too! It really makes sense too…no sense of restriction if you start the day on a sweet note. And yeah, I’m the same way with built up cravings…it’s never pretty!
I need watermelon in my life. Oh, and ice cream for breakfast…still jealous of that place!
I love how you wrote “disordered way of THINKING”… love it.
Also? I’m thinking Publix might make the best.. everything. It really REALLY is where shopping is a pleasure. Them yankees are missing out.
It’s all in the mind before it’s ever about food…sad but true, right?
And yes, Publix is seriously one of my new happy places. Is it sad that I can easily go there 3-4 times in one week? Lol
Best thing I ate yesterday was a couple hardboiled eggs…it was a booooring day of eating for sure, haha!
Love that you are able to eat what you want now. That’s something I blogged about recently, because I realized that in my efforts to move away from disordered thinking/habits, I had begin eating intuitively without realizing it. It’s still a somewhat foreign feeling to wake up, remember that I ate X/Y/Z the day before, and NOT feel guilty. (Sad, right?! But that’s how it is, at least so far.) Even weirder is realizing I’m leaning out while eating what I want, when I want, without messing with any numbers game shit. It’s a good-weird, though. Happy for you that you seem to have found a similar mindset! Cheers to calming the fuck down and just EATING like a human. 🙂
A-to the freaking-MEN!!! I couldn’t have said it better myself, Domi! Congratulations on your progress! Moving forward without guilt is a huge deal. So happy for you! 🙂
I typically have some kind of treat for myself every day. otherwise I eat pints of ice cream at a time! I usually have to save it for the end of the day though. 🙂
Dark chocolate covered pretzels have been constantly on my plate lately.
…aand now I’m googling recipes for maple bacon cheesecake 🙂
I really respect your openness about your journey with intuitive eating. As someone who has struggled with it (and sometimes still does), it’s refreshing to hear such an honest opinion about it.
Welllllll, when you settle on a recipe, be sure to let me know and I’ll email you my address! 😉
Thank you Tara. I don’t see any point in hiding behind something I’m not. It only hurts my progress to be dishonest with myself and/or others about my progress. Just have to “keep on trucking”, right?
So good to hear that your still doing well on your intuitive eating journey. You’re completely right about what you said: this is a JOURNEY and that means that this will be a day to day thing for the rest of your life [most likely]. You sounds like you are smashing it in the face though, so good for you 🙂
And seriously THAT sandwich makes me want to do naughty things. I tried to make myself a nice sandwich the other day, took one bite, then promptly threw it away due to a little bug hanging out on the romaine. BLEH! I thought I was going to unchuck everywhere…
OMG!! I would have flipped my lid! And then cried over the loss of a perfectly good sandwich! Lol
Thanks for the support, Kat! It really means a lot to me to know that there are people who “get” it.
Life is too short to deprive yourself. I’m with you, I eat what I want and I enjoy it! Though I strive to eat healthy 90% of the time, 10% of the time I allow myself to indulge guilt-free. I believe everything in moderation!
Good for you, Melissa! Don’t ever EVER lose sight of that sense of balance…like I did…because it’s a b!tch to find it again!
Oh man, Hawaiian bread is delicious! And I need those chocolate covered pretzels in my life asap!
You’re doing so good, H. I think anyone who has ever dieted or dealt with disordered eating habits will always, irrespective of what some may claim, have that notch on their shoulder or voice in their head- but it’s how loud they are which matters.
I wish I had the guts to eat grocery store sushi here in Australia…it’s always discounted lol.
Thank you, Arman. That really means a lot to me. It took me a while before I could stop comparing myself to others in the area of “recovery”.
Hrmm, discounted grocery store sushi…you know me, I’m up for a bargain any ol’ day, but I draw the line there! Lol
And I’m glad to see you put that Hawaiian Bread to good use. That’s my girl!
I have no qualms about eating dessert with a group or solo and I have no qualms about turning them down in either scenario either. I’m so proud of all the progress you’ve made, and I’m glad you understand it’s an ongoing thing and you just have to be aware of it. You are a rock star pretty lady. Oh and you make a mean sandwich. 😉
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