The best way to truly find out what's going on is to log your food. And I don't mean making a mental checklist of everything you ate for the last three days and forgetting to mention "a bite of this" and a "bag of that." I mean taking time to look up the nutrients of the foods you eat in the proper portion sizes, before that food lands on your plate.
Write down what you ate, when you ate it, and the numbers that go with it. www.nutritiondata.com is a great place to look up numbers. You can even make notes about how you physically felt a few hours later--whether you had decent energy, or if you were running low. Keep track of the water you drink too, because that comes into play in your overall wellness. We suggest 90 ounces of water a day. Drink up!! Water keeps you full, hydrated and energized.
I find when people log their food, it provides a culinary road map that tells me why they're hungry because of what they're eating, or not eating.
SAMPLE FOOD LOG
To stay full and energized, you need a combination of complex carbs and lean protein to give you the energy and fullness you're looking for, with the fewest calories. Think of good carbs as quality fuel, versus simple carbs which give you a short burst of energy and then you crash.
When you eat small portions of complex carbs along with lean protein throughout the day, your blood sugar doesn't spike and then dive. It stays even all day long so you don't find yourself digging in the pantry at 8 p.m. looking for that cookie fix that you know you can get from sugar. We often crave sugar when we've been depriving ourselves of decent carb fuels all day long.
Start the Day with Complex Carbs
So, start your day with the highest quality of carbs available. Lately, I'm on a hot oat bran kick. Find a bag of Bob's Red Mill Oat Bran in the health food cereal aisle for $2.69, or any brand you like. Measure 1/3 of a cup of dry oat bran, put it in a deep glass dish and add 1 cup of water. Microwave it for 2 minutes and you get a great hot cereal packed with carbs that keep me full and happy all morning.
Oat bran is different than oat meal. It actually has 50-percent more fiber than oatmeal, with a lot more protein and very few calories. The bran is the outer husk of the whole oat grain. I'm not sure whose job it is to pick off that husk...but I'm happy they do. :) The soluble fiber in oat bran can help lower your bad cholesterol levels.
I top mine with a little brown sugar, Stevia, and cinnamon. One serving is 150 calories (minus the brown sugar), 27 carbs and 7 grams of protein. I eat an egg on the side for a little added protein.
I spray a microwave safe dish with Pam, crack an egg in it, pierce the yolk with a fork and cover it with plastic wrap. Microwave for 35 seconds and swirl it around. Add another 20 seconds or so of cooking time.
Other Complex Carbs
Remember too that vegetables and fruits are some of the best complex carbs around. They're packed with nutrients and fiber, which make us feel full. The general rule around my gym is that half your plate should be vegetables. That's a visual cue that'll help you know if you're hitting your mark. If you like bread, choose whole grain, seedy varieties--in the right portion size. There are some delicious new pastas that are packed with fiber and protein too. These are carbs that you can enjoy in the proper portion size. A cup of pasta is the real portion size--not the plate you're served at Olive Garden.
Measure it. Eat it. Have a colorful salad on the side.
Other Fantastic Carbs
The lowly sweet potato is often forgotten, but it's an excellent source of carb fuel. Poke it five times with a fork and microwave it for 5 minutes, or toss it in the oven if you're baking chicken or fish.
Beans
Black beans are loaded with fiber and they're a decent source of carbs and protein. Put some in your low carb tortilla with a little shredded cheddar and make quesadillas.
Eating small amounts of carbs throughout the day will keep your hunger in check and keep you from straying off your nutrition plan in search of energy. Ask yourself--"Am I hungry?" or are you really just tired or thirsty. Feed real hunger with real food--and lose the cranky!!
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