Fat Breakfast

Thanks to an article posted recently by South Beach Steve, I've revamped my breakfast meal.

Steve linked to an article not too long ago that said research shows a good-sized breakfast (not huge) with a nice mix of healthy fats and some carbs could help balance your eating for the rest of the day.

I lurve me a big breakkie, so I decided to change it up a bit. Funnily enough, my calorie count is the same, more or less. Just a change in food. But oh, what a difference in how my day goes.

I went from eating a big serving of cottage cheese and blueberries -- about 450 calories worth -- to having two eggs, scrambled in water not oil (not as gross as it sounds) on a corn tortilla with slices of tomato and two slices of low-fat cheese, salt-n-pepper and one more tortilla on top. These tortillas have tons of fiber and are low-fat. Total cal count is about the same 400.

The result is amazing. I am not hungry for lunch as early anymore, and my hunger kind of arrives slowly, like a growing awareness of emptiness, instead of that sudden rush of "feed me now!" hunger I used to get at like 11:30 every morning. And I seem to feel fuller throughout the day -- my late afternoon shakes haven't come back. I wonder if it's the carb in the tortilla that's helping me out?

I still love cottage cheese, but I'm glad I switched things up for awhile.

Also trying to keep my focus on portions. Here's a handy dandy cheat sheet I've found:

* A medium potato should be the size of a computer mouse.
* An average bagel should be the size of a hockey puck.
* Three ounces of fish is the size of an eyeglass case.
* One ounce of cheese should be the size of two dominoes.
* One cup of pasta is the size of a baseball.
* 1 teaspoon of peanut butter or cream cheese is equal to a lipstick cap.
* 1 teaspoon of salad dressing is the size of a half-dollar.
* 1 ounce of chocolate is equal to a pack of dental floss.
* 1 ounce of snack food (such as pretzels) equals one large handful.

Lots of walking this week, which is just so fantastic. The other day I walked to work, home from work and then got to the gym for a quick 30 minutes. Felt great.

Also making good use of my kindle -- easier to workout and read from my Kindle than a book. Kind of helps to have that option sometimes - especially on the elliptical machine or when I'm walking and I get tired of my own thoughts (hey, it happens).

Hope everyone is well, especially Lori, who hurt her back. Catch up commenting on your blogs over the weekend, I hope.