While I write a lot of recent eats round up style posts, I don’t do many “this is what I ate in a single day.” I thought today was a perfect opportunity for a what I ate Wednesday post given that I’m injured and nowhere near as active as I normally am.
In short, not much of anything has changed! I think food is fuel and that my body needs it just as much now to heal as it does when I’m at my normal activity level. Also, even though I’m not out walking, running, lifting and teaching…I’m still chasing after a very busy 14 month old. Getting around on crutches and heel walking in a surgical shoe is seriously exhausting. My body feels very fatigued at the end of the day.
BREAKFAST
6:30a – cup of black coffee with a packet of Bulletproof Collagen Protein. This is always the first thing I do in the morning and I keep collagen protein in Florida too!
7:30a – breakfast was two eggs scrambled with cottage cheese and Kerrygold butter. I also had half a cinnamon raisin bagel with butter and cream cheese and Rainier cherries. If you haven’t tried Rainier cherries, do yourself a favor and get some ASAP. The season is short but they truly are like nature’s candy.
LUNCH
12:30p – at least two servings of Wheat Thins while I’m trying to decide what to have for lunch.
12:45p – I decided on an almond butter, honey and banana sandwich on two slices of Dave’s Killer Good Seed Bread. Lots of watermelon on the side.
DINNER
I normally would have snacked on something before dinner but just as I started to get hungry, it was time to eat since we ate pretty early (for me!) last night.
5:45p – I sent my dad a recipe for a pasta dish with corn, clams and pesto because it sounded like something they would like. He ended up making it while I was here. I wasn’t sure what I’d think about it but it was very, very good. And just a note that he used canned clams and they totally worked. I know that sounds kinda yuck but you would never have known. I really enjoyed how different this pasta dish was…and how summery!
I also had a salad on the side with spinach, mixed greens, tomatoes, shredded cheese, toasted pecans, dried cranberries and a homemade honey balsamic dressing.
DESSERT
8p – I never skip dessert! Ice cream on the couch with my leg elevated after getting Finn down for bed.
I also drink a ton of water throughout the course of the day…most days upwards of 100 ounces or more. I’ll usually do a couple of sparkling waters or a kombucha but I didn’t on this day.
WRAPPING UP
I get asked all the time if I count calories and/or macros, practice intermittent fasting or avoid dairy and/or gluten. I don’t do any of those things. Eating from a more intuitive place has been one of the most freeing things in my life. I wrote a lot about it in this post. I stand by my belief that there is no one size fits all solution for nutrition. I try so hard not to get lost in the “noise” and to stay focused on how MY body FEELS! When I make decisions from that place, everything seems to be more in flow.
So while I’m in this period of healing, I’m not stressed about making any changes to my diet. This recovery is a blip on the radar in the grand scheme of things. I miss movement the most because it’s my best way to care for my mental health. I’m sure I’ll be cleared to cycle or swim or do upper body lifting soon so that will get me by until I’m back on the road running and walking. I am fully committed to doing whatever the doctor tells me to do (within the realities of having a 14 month old child…ahhhhh!) so that I can heal this injury right. It’s always easiest to do that in the acute phase.
What time do you usually eat dinner? Are you an early bird or later?
What did you have for dinner last night?
It’s so inspiring to see how “normal” of an eater you are! As someone who has struggled with anorexia and OCD for 18 years, it’s really refreshing to see someone who stays fit and eats all the foods in such an intuitive way. I’m 38 weeks pregnant with my first and haven’t gained a lot of weight, and am really nervous about the postpartum period. I’m trying to remind myself that my body will need plenty of nourishment to breastfeed and recover from labor even if I’m not formally exercising. Thank you so much for not encouraging dieting (macro counting, intermittent fasting, clean eating all included)!
Congratulations on your pregnancy! You are so close! The immediate post partum period is weird. Things feel soft, you feel so different after the childbirth experience and there’s so much going on hormonally. Just take it one day at a time and know that things will return to normal within time. Nourish yourself. <3
Wow so sorry to hear about your toe!! Just went back and read about when jt happened!! I just had elective foot surgery this past Thursday ( new faux cartilage in my big toe) so I am really relating to all you are going thru! However I dont have a sweet toddler at home! just two goldens who want their daily walk/run!! I am having a hard time already not teaching my classes (jazzercise) and missing my flow yoga too!! Hoping to be back to it all soon! Sending you healing thoughts ! Sisterhood of the boot shoe?
Oh wow, I am sorry that you are also dealing with the recovery side of things. It’s difficult and yes I am feeling ALL the guilt for missing Zoey’s walks! I hope we’re both back in action soon!
Am I the only person who finds this trend of intermittent fasting a little weird and kind of unhealthy? I can see doing an overnight 10-12 hour fast. But I’ve heard of people fasting for 16+ hours which strikes me as unhealthy. I may offend other readers by saying that, but I feel like you are really messing with your body by not eating for an extended period of time…
I hope you get cleared to bike or swim soon. The no activity restriction is tough! I dealt with that during a stress fracture and it drove me crazy! I had to bike when I had my hip repair but that was challenging as getting into my gym and to the lower level and then on and off the bike on crutches was horrible. I freaking loathed those crutches!!
Our son barely naps at daycare so he goes to bed at 6:30 pm. We usually feed him at 6 and then we eat after he’s in bed around 6:30-7 depending on how quick I can throw our dinner tonight (I usually get our meal started while my husband handles feeding our son). It bothers me that we don’t all eat together but we get home from work at 5 and we choose to go on a family walk from 5:15-6 so it doesn’t work for all of us to sit down to dinner together. I think this will change in the winter when it’s too cold to go for a long walk after work. Last night our son had warmed up banana pancakes that I had made earlier in the week and yogurt. I had a leftover homemade veggie burger with potato chips (not super healthy but oh well! All about balance!). I usually make 3 dinners/week and then we have leftovers the other nights of the week.
As someone who thrives on three square meals a day, I just don’t understand going 12-16 hours without eating! I wake up starving and usually need something before bed too! 🙂 But like I said, I know that nutrition is different for everyone so I hold zero judgement.
I’m hoping on my August 1 appointment that I get good news on being able to do something!
I can understand how it would be hard to have meals together with the schedule you are on. I think during this time in life, it’s nice to have that family walk so everyone can spend time together and get fresh air.
Sending you love!
So sorry to hear about your injury! You’re having a great attitude. I really agree with your approach to eating: it isn’t prevalent enough! I’m glad you went to Florida—your family sounds so wonderful and helpful. Last night I made a spicy lamb ragu of sorts over pasta with a farro, arugula salad.
Thanks Haley! It’s super frustrating but it’s also temporary and could have been worse. Imagine if that door had fallen on Finn!!!!
Your dinner sounds seriously delicious!
Yum – love those cherries, but just want to point out that they are Rainier Cherries (sp)- just like the mountain. 🙂
Thank you! Fixing spelling now! 🙂
i eat dinner “late” compared to others. If i can eat dinner with a 7 on the clock i consider it a small miracle. but i work late most days and dont get home until 7 at the earliest and cook at home so it just takes time. plus if i ate at 6 i would be super hungry again by 9 ! so my normal time is closer to 8 pm.
i wish i had your willpower to keep pasta to such a small serving. i cant eat gluten but obviously can eat gf pasta. i just find that i pretty much cant. im just unable to have a “normal” portion. i feel like with pasta or a super carb/grain heavy meal i want to eat such a volume of it. maybe because its sorta comfort food ? I generally just avoid it because i think if i cant have a HUGE bowl why even bother. LOL.
I am a typical 7-8p dinner eater too. Used to be 9ish when I was teaching late most nights. I eat early when I’m with my family and I like it!
I love pasta and don’t eat it super often. I find that when I pair it with a nice big salad that it helps me not to go overboard with it to the point that I don’t feel good!
Glad to know I’m not the only one that ‘needs’ a treat before bed 🙂
We use to eat supper around 7:00 but now with kids it’s more like 5:30-6:00 so we can have them ready for bed by 7:00 and I like that we all have supper together rather than us eating after the kids go to bed. With eating earlier it means I am hungry again by bed time which is where the treat comes in and I never feel bad about it – sometimes I look forward to that treat all day!
Yes! This is one of my favorite things about eating dinner early! Makes room for my treat later. 🙂
Hey….love the attitude while you’re dealing with being sidelined. I know a lot about that with my lower back issues. I’m a big fan of Todd Durkin. So much I’m headed to San Diego in November to do a mentorship with him. If you aren’t familiar I encourage you to check him out. I thought this quote from him might resonate with you. Here is what I learned from my back injury, which ultimately ended up being one of the biggest blessings in my life:
“We are all on a journey. Sometimes that journey isn’t always as smooth as we plan it or envision it. Heck, sometimes it’s completely different than we envision it.
But with discipline to best practices, a positive attitude, surrounding yourself with the right people/team, unwavering faith despite fear, and embracing the curveballs that life throws at you, sometimes those curveballs turn out to be blessings and take you down a path to even deeper fulfillment and enlightenment.”
https://fitnessquest10.com/about/
Linda – I’m so sorry that you’ve had to deal with ongoing back issues. I am happy that you have found a mentor whose teachings resonate with you and love that you are going to study with him. I love the quote and think it’s spot on! Can’t wait to check out more.
Your pasta dish looks amazing … I am allergic to all seafood so I am wondering if I could swap the clams for chicken?!
Also, I try to eat dinner pretty early because I go to bed early so that I can be up early for 5am gym workouts! For dinner tonight I was feeling LAZY so I made a turkey sandwich with tons of veggies and chips on the side! 😀
Absolutely LOVE your philosophy towards food, especially for someone in the health and fitness space! We need more people like you. As someone who has had an injury/chronic pain for 7 years and been pretty limited with exercise, intuitive eating has been a lifesaver. Also, I’ve learned how incredible are bodies are. When we give them a chance, they tell us what they need
I’m glad you mentioned intuitive eating. I’m a big proponent of this. I don’t eat quite as healthy as you, I could use more fruits, but I’m pretty well balanced otherwise. I get a lot of flack about how small my portions are or how I eat more carbs “than I should”. I really think it’s about knowing your own body and what feels healthy for yourself. And a small dessert everyday is perfect. Nothing crazy, just enough to make me smile. Thank you!
Your food looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing! Hope the rest of your recovering goes well!!
-Kate
https://daysofkate.com/
I generally eat between 5 and 6, and then have a small snack before bed. I don’t like a full stomach when going to bed and I have a very slow digestive system. And I just love a little nibble about an hour before bed. So good to hear that you are listening to your body and its hunger and not panicing about eating because you are not working out currently. Its a tough thing to do, for me too, but aa great reminder and message for everyone.