The breakfast of a fit girl
Easy Southwestern Scramble
Or the breakfast of champions, depending on how you look at it! 😉
What did you have for breakfast this morning? Please don’t say nothing!
Six years ago (or more), if you had asked me what I ate for breakfast the answer would vary greatly. One day it might be absolutely nothing but coffee; another day 2-3 egg McMuffin sandwiches at McDonald’s; and on another perhaps a Starbucks Venti Latte with a couple of slices of coffee cake and a muffin.
Truth: I didn’t do much in moderation back then and all too often I skipped breakfast and made up for it later. Can you relate?!
Fast forward to today and ask me the question. It’s a whole different story. For the last five plus years, I’ve eaten pretty much the same thing every day and I love it! Eggs.
Or, rather, a slight variation on eggs. My go-to breakfast is an omelette or scramble with 3/4 to 1 cup of egg beaters/egg whites stocked with fresh veggies and perhaps a sprinkling of fat-free cheese. Usually, I top it with a little salsa and one egg – over easy. I call this my southwestern scramble (innovative, huh?!).
Sometimes I change it up and mix the salsa in with the egg scramble, lol! The veggies vary from a southwestern style green and red peppers and mushrooms, to broccoli and spinach, and I’ve even done asparagus in my eggs.
Yep, I’ve eaten a version of this same breakfast just about every day for the past five years and I never get sick of it. In fact, it is probably my favorite meal of the day.
As you may have discovered, I’m not a gourmet cook. I really didn’t cook at all before I started my transformation journey just over five years ago. Rather, I lived on a diet of fast and processed food (not so good for health & weight management). Also, I don’t really need a lot of variation in my diet to be satisfied. What I need is simple, easy & quick to prepare, good food that I enjoy and that makes me feel good. I didn’t know this about me before mt transformation because I was too busy devouring carbs that made me feel awful, but now I do know what works best for me and a healthy, happy and fit Lori. And that is the key!
This breakfast approach works for me. Why is it my go-to? Because it’s high in protein, low in healthy fats, and I can stuff it with plenty of fresh veggies and be totally satisfied. I feel like I’m getting a lot of food. It’s easy — takes me about 5-6 minutes from start to finish. I don’t have to think about it or work at it (a key for me). It’s fresh every day. And best of all, to me, it’s YUMMY!
I know many people who could not eat this and who would certainly not be satisfied eating it every day. For them, a successful nutritional plan has to have more variety or variation from day to day. Some people can’t do egg beaters at all. My advice is to simply learn what is healthy and good for you, and what works for you. Then, do it! Really, it’s that simple.
What did I eat to lose 200+ pounds?
One of the most frequently asked questions I get about my weight loss is: What did I eat? What diet plan did I follow? Well, for starters this was my breakfast to lose weight and it’s my breakfast in my healthy living plan today. And, no, I don’t get sick of it!
To answer the broader question about my diet plan: I worked with a nutritional coach who taught me how to count macro-nutrients — carbs, protein and fats — instead of just following a calories in and calories out approach. I learned what to eat, when to burn stored fat and build muscle.
In a nutshell, I had go-to food lists with lean proteins — eggs and egg whites, fish, chicken, turkey, fat free cottage cheese, some seafood and lean beef;Â “healthy” fats — nuts, avocados, fatty fish (salmon) and peanut butter; fiberous carbs — mostly green veggies like spinach, broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts, green beans, kale; and limited natural starcy carbs such as sweet potatoes and yams (yum), oatmeal (not sweetened), squash, and some beans.
In addition I learned how to read labels and cut things with excess or hidden sugars and starchy carbs. I learned the difference between a good carb and a bad carb, and good and bad fats. I learned to eat whole foods vs. processed foods. And, to drink a lot of water.
And I ALWAYS ate breakfast and regular meals. No meal skipping or starvation diets, that actually screws up the metabolism and works against you. My best advice is learn what works for you and do it. Don’t over think it or search for a magic solution or secret sauce — YOU are the secret sauce. In my view, the best nutritional solution or diet plan is the one that works best for YOU, following some simple guidelines — like eat whole food not processed crap, drink water not sugary drinks, and eat smaller meals regularly vs meal skipping.
When I started what I now fondly refer to as my personal transformation (more than five years ago), I didn’t know fruit was considered a carbohydrate — hey, don’t judge! I didn’t read labels — at all. I drank a lot of calories in soda and sugary drinks. I ate fast and processed food mostly because I hated to cook. My diet consisted mostly of sugary and starchy carbs that made me want to eat more. I used food emotionally to fill me up inside.
And look at me now! I know what works for a healthy and fit body. I know what makes me feel good. I cook and eat well. I haven’t eaten fast food (other than Subway salads) in over five years. And I am still loving my eggs every day. Yum! The message: If I can do it, you can do it, too!
Do you have a favorite healthy breakfast or recipe to share? Post here or on our Facebook page and let us know!
XXOOOO
Lori
For those interested, these additional blogs about nutrition planning and weight loss may help.
- Want to lose weight? Get smart first. (Jan. 2016)
- My go-to snacks for weight loss (Jan. 2016)
- You are what you eat. Uh oh (March 2015)
- Meal prep. Works for me! (Oct. 2015)
- Nutrition: Do you know the basics? (Dec. 2014)
- Dining out and staying on plan (Feb. 2013)
- Shopping to eat healthy and stay on track (Jan. 2013)
- Spicing things up (Sept. 2012)
- Think twice about that glass of wine with dinner (Aug. 2012)
