THE PERFECT BREAKFAST

My whole life I have had cold cereal for breakfast. If it was a special occasion I knew I could make pancakes or some sort of baked good but I was happy with that for 16 years of my life. Then when I was 16 I decided that cereal had a terrible aftertaste but you know what still did (but managed to be edible while in the car?)... SlimFast Shakes! So had those for two awful years because I thought they were good (they weren't, I am sure my body still holds a lot of those chemicals!). When I went off to college it was BELGIAN WAFFLES EVERY DAY because why not?! It was such a cool thing in my mind and the only time I had waffles that were not frozen was on vacation at the free continental breakfast (and I lived for those trips!).  Then I married Drew and he usually does cereal so that's what I went back to doing till my pregnancy with little A. I had terrible texture issues, most of which I still carry to this day! But also something about your 3 year old leaving around bowls of his stinky breakfast cereal makes you lose interest in it real fast. So long story short, I have not had cereal for breakfast (other than maybe once or twice a year) for nearly the last 5 years. I don't miss it, my kids all eat it (cheerios or honey bunches of oats) but I still cannot stand the stuff. So since that time I have usually been content to have a muffin or fruit and toast for breakfast, especially when I was going for a run (PB toast has been my pre-race ritual since forever!).

Well, while we were in Costa Rica almost exactly 9 months ago, I had a lot of life-changing moments. One of these was this amazing dish called a Casado that I ate nearly every lunch and/or dinner that I could manage to find it. It was the most perfect meal with the best mix of colors and flavors and simplicity but complexity (does that make sense) I could ask for in a dish. I would eat that dish every day of my life if I could.

me with not a casado but still an (pesto/zucchini/mushroom/eggplant/etc) amazing dish... I am all about those Umami flavors since doing the whole30 a few years back!)

Anyway, something else I started doing in CR was to have a breakfast that included two perfectly runny sunny side up eggs. I couldn't figure out how they made them to not burn or have parts of the white that were too overcooked they could not be eaten...and over the course of the last nine months that quest to make the perfect runny eggs has been made....

Yup. Over the last nine months I have been eating two eggs (nearly) every morning for breakfast and it has been amazing. Sometimes scrambled or HB if I can't manage to wait long enough for the sunny side up version, but always two eggs with something. At first I tried roasted veggies, then toast but ultimately I had a HUGE bag of lentils given to me by Keely when she moved so I have been cooking a batch of lentils and having some every day with my eggs. The problem is, I would eat the egg but usually only a few bites of the lentils. They needed something extra. I tried cheese. But it seemed to heavy, so I tried salsa. Brilliant! This past week I roasted some zucchini and realized I had at last created my perfect breakfast, a filling one with the flavors and the beauty to rival the Casado!

Seriously my favorite combination of all time (I also recently added the red peppers for just a bit of "crunch"), and I found out after trying to cook my eggs about a hundred different ways that the key to the perfect eggs is twofold: 1) LOW heat (I keep my eggs at a "3" out of 10 on my stovetop), and COCONUT OIL (1/2 tsp to be exact!)!! The bottoms of my eggs are never burnt and I don't have any weird taste of coconut like I thought I would with the eggs. Winner Winner.

Now onto my quest to find the perfect lunch that doesn't involve a salad (the twin pregnancy left me hating on most salads!)... also I am still on the prowl for a pre-(6am) workout "snack" to tide me over till I get to eat breakfast, usually around 8am.

WARNING: this post is not what you think it is.

Nope, not a pregnancy announcement. NOT.

 Just me, heartily in the midst of my diastasis and 17 months postpartum with twins with a "relaxed" belly. Something I don't do often enough (because I am vain) so I usually spend most of my day tucking everything in like so: (second picture taken about 3 seconds after the first)

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That was a month ago. And honestly, it was also a year ago (although I will admit I AM much stronger and well rested than I was a year ago!) and it's also how I look and feel now.

a couple of weeks ago a friend of mine offered a deal where you sent her some information about yourself and could get a Macro count. Every time I try to "eat better" I end up counting calories, which I hate. Because I am short and I am not massively overweight, most formulas have me eating 1200 calories a day (which is the minimal most people are ever supposed to eat. depressing right? also I eat way more than that and while I have not lost weight, I also have not gained weight either, so, for whatever that's worth). So I got interested in Macro counting, where you keep track instead of calories, of the grams of protein, carbs, and fats in your diet. Which sounds like a lot of work but once she gave me my count, it turned into a game (sort of like the fitbit was for me, and still is, a year ago). I got the premium version of MFP for a month, and every night I would plug in what I would eat the next day, playing with amounts and different foods until I tweaked it just right to hit my macros. Because I am not awesome at the nutrition aspect of my life (and because it's usually a lot easier to shovel down a handful of crackers when I am hungry instead of searching for something with more nutritional value), there's been a lot I have had to adjust from what I had planned the day before. Sometimes I hit my goals, but more often than not, for the last 3 weeks, I have not.

BUT.

I am still tracking what I eat (which is hard and also a bit embarrassing), and owning up to it. My mindset of "I ate xyz now I just have to eat everything else I can find" has changed. I have a clearer picture of why I have looked much the same way for the last year despite being consistent with my workouts... but to be honest, that's because the workout is the easiest part. It's never been negotiable (unless I or the kids are sick), and it takes up such a small part of my day and then it's over. The food part is... MUCH harder, mostly due to the fact that as much as I would like to eat a few small meals over the course of the day, I usually go WAY too long without food and then eat everything the moment those kids are taking naps or in bed (have YOU ever had to try to eat when 4 small children are standing in their booster seats and throwing food and spilling drinks on purpose? It is CRAZY!). Like everything else in my life, I am obviously trying (although I need to be trying harder). I am a work in progress, and while I have no experience in nutrition education (other that what I read about), I am learning a lot along the way.

Like my whole post-workout protein powder debacle last year, where I begged my friends to tell me what was the best to try. One of our friends in Utah actually sent me some sort of Brownie flavored one and of the dozen or so that I tried, it was THE BEST. and I will have to remember what brand it was when we go out there.... Anyway, most protein powders are weird and smell and taste funny (aside from the one I mentioned, that I easily had with just water and it was like drinking a brownie, I kid you not!), so I have been searching for and trying alternatives for that post-workout time.

Obviously, my first choice goes to that Brownie protein powder, since I could put it in my blenderbottle and then add water right after a workout. Fast. Easy. The only other alternatives I found were making Lara-bar knockoffs (lots of nuts and dried fruit) or trail mixes but they never had enough protein for me (and I read that too much fat blocks absorption of protein post workout?). Since I ran out of that, I just focus on getting water after a workout and settle for grabbing something at home as soon as we get back from the gym. Which is usually close enough to my kids lunchtime (11) so I eat a lighter lunch. Then about two hours later (when I am starving again), my go-to has been this amazing combo of Okios Zero (15g of protein) and hemp hearts. I first heard about HH from michelle and figured I would give it a try since while it did have 10 grams of fat, it also had a whopping 10g of protein in 3 tablespoons! It gives me the crunchiness I need in my yogurt (I have never been a huge fan of granola but I have a hard time eating just straight up yogurt...texture issues residual from the last pregnancy I guess!) and while it doesn't have the best smell (it smells like grass to be honest), it doesn't mess up the flavor of the greek yogurt and even my kids like it.

I know I posted this earlier this week, but I feel like it's worth posting again (mostly to combat the pregnant-looking belly picture) because THIS is how I feel most of the time: strong. empowered. The other day little a asked me to move something I would not possibly be able to do on my own (new kitchen table) and when I told her I would need someone to help me, she replied with, "No you don't. You can do it! You're a big strong mommy with your big muscles like GRRR!" and proceeded to flex. I don't think I have ever felt more proud of myself or the example I am trying to set for my daughter, that being strong and capable is more important than trying to fit into your favorite pair of pre-baby jeans. But that doesn't mean I give up on the jeans dream!

 The thing is, I am CRAZY blessed and I know it. While I have not so awesome reminders of motherhood with the scars and extra skin and baby weight, I also have the overwhelming, every minute of the day reminders (4 of them actually) of what this body created, which I would have never imagined it could do. I gave life to 4 incredible children and it is my job as their mother to take care of myself so that I can live a long happy healthy life with them and continue to do all the active things that I love doing with them. I am still trying to learn moderation but I hope that in the next few years as my kids become more aware of their food choices they learn to love not just the yummy treats we have for movie night but also the delicious good for you foods that make you feel good and give you energy. That's what I want for my kids. To be a foodie like their mama, but be able to keep it balanced. And as in anything, as I teach it on a daily basis, I am learning far more about it (and myself) than they ever will.

Here's to getting on the road to finishing out 2016 happier and healthier than we started!