"Eating a Rice Cake is Like Chewing on a Plastic Cup, Only Less Filling..."

That quote made me laugh as well as give me a clever way to introduce this topic. I think health food is gross. It just doesn't appeal to me at all. Eating "clean"? No, thanks. I like to eat dirty. I mean, I like green beans (with butter), squash (also with butter), asparagus (with delicious, creamy Hollandaise sauce), lettuce (on top of a cheeseburger) and some other veggies. My saving grace is that I like fruit. Thank God I like fruit. IF you don't like fruit, please just try to. Try one more time for me so you can relate to my meal ideas and keep reading! Please? Thanks.

In an earlier post of mine, "Non-Negotiable Requirements", I mentioned a list of things that I either thought were disgusting and wasn't going to eat or things that I wasn't willing to give up. Are you going to have to make some sacrifices? Probably. Are you going to have to do without everything that you enjoy to be successful? Absolutely not. I would have said "screw it" to losing weight if it meant I had to eat Fat Free, Sugar Free, Taste Free, Extra Nasty Greek Yogurt instead of my treasured Bluebell Homemade Ice Cream.

That being said, I knew I needed to find a way to live in harmony with the food I loved and still be able to drop some extra poundage. Basically, I made myself menus. I could choose what I wanted to eat from my menu for each meal and not feel bad about it. I would allow myself the following meals: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, dessert. BUT THAT'S IT. Did you hear me?!?! THAT'S IT. This is the one and only way I could still eat the food that appealed to me. It is all about moderation. <-------SEE THAT? I'm really trying to get your attention here. I don't want anyone trying to tell me "but Sarah, I did eat what was on the menu and I'm still not losing weight!!!" Well, you have got to measure every.single.thing you eat. You just have to. It's the biggest pain in the ass and really gets annoying. I'm annoyed right now just typing about it. Just go ahead and find a portable set of measuring spoons and cups to keep on your person. Perhaps you could get a fanny pack? If you do, send me a photo. Go ahead and take a look at an example of one of my menus and I'll explain more after:

Breakfast Options:
*1 bottled water+a large cup of coffee w/ one teaspoon of sugar (the real shit, Splenda is not allowed in my house) and creamer-Coffee is not an option for me, it's a given. Do you have a Keurig? Splurge and go get one.
*I love breakfast. These options are my favorites. If you aren't much of a breakfast person, just eat something small that you enjoy to get your brain working and your stomach to stop growling. You need breakfast. It helps with weight loss, I promise.

• Yoplait Light Yogurt w/ the granola on top (I love the peach and blueberry) w/ a banana
• Kashi Go Lean CRUNCH cereal w/ fat free milk w/ a banana 
• 2 pieces of cinnamon toast or 1 piece w/ a banana 
• A toasted English muffin w/ butter and jelly or peanut butter and honey-I do the same thing w/ regular toast if I don't have the English muffin
• 2 scrambled eggs+2 pieces of bacon (saved that one for the weekends, yum)

Snack Options:
*If you aren't hungry, don't feel like you must have a snack. It's okay to just wait until the next meal.
*1 bottled water+any 2 combinations of the below items:

• Fruit 
• Almonds
• Cheese Cubes or String Cheese
• Carrot Sticks/Celery Sticks
• Cashews
• Yogurt
• Raisins
• Rice Cakes-Just Kidding...seeing if you're paying attention. I would never touch a rice cake. Why is "cake" even in the title? That's very misleading to cake lovers.
• You can see plenty of other options on this list: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/01/fresh-food-friday-100-healthy-snack.html

Lunch Options:
*1 bottled water
*You can certainly have other lunch options. Lunch isn't a meal that I just really look forward to, so I tend to not give it too much thought to be honest. If it's your favorite meal of the day, then mix it up and find something that you enjoy-within reason. I'm sorry, but I can't condone a big plate of nachos for lunch and still feel that my blog has purpose.

• PB&J sandwich (on the sandwich rounds) w/ a piece of fruit
• Triscuits w/ jalapeno jack cheese cracker cuts, fruit and almonds w/some nutella (my fav.)
• Side salad w/ avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers and ranch dressing-NO LIGHT RANCH. Ever. Ew.
• Small baked potato w/ butter, cheese, salt and pepper (my 2nd fav.)
• Small grilled chicken sandwich-I like Chick-fil-a's Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich. Most times I take off the top bun and eat it with a fork. I get full still and less bread is better anyway.

LOOK AT THIS: I would like to take this opportunity to let everyone know that I do not wish to see any negative comments about anything political, religious or anything else that may be a "hot topic" in the media like the recent chick-fil-a scandal. I don't care what you do or who you do it with or what you believe in. People need to chill out, mind their own business and just love each other a little more and criticize a little less...just saying. Now back to food.

Wait, not yet. Listen to this first: DO SOME SORT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEFORE YOU EAT DINNER. OKAY? Go on a walk, do some crunches and jumping jacks, free weights, etc. I do something physical 6 days a week unless extreme circumstances come up. I may only walk around for 20 minutes or I may run 3 miles. It doesn't matter. Just do something.

Dinner Options:
*I love me some dinner! If there is a meal that I don't drink water with, I MAY cheat and have some tea or Gatorade with dinner. If I do cheat and don't drink water w/ dinner, I make myself drink an extra glass before bed. Drink as much water as you can stand throughout the day. Your bladder will hate you, but every other part of your body will improve!
*These dinner options are only based on my taste.
*If you want any of these recipes, please make a comment or message me so I don't take up tons of extra room on this already lengthy post. I'll be happy to send them to you, I promise!

• Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken with green beans and corn on the cob
• Tilapia with squash and rice
• Taco Salad, minus the shell part with tomatoes, cheese, avocado, cilantro, etc. (one of my fav.) I also make some Spanish rice and black beans with this and mix it all up...sooo yummy.
• Salad with grilled chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, etc.
• Baked chicken breast with sauteed mushrooms and onions on top w/ a piece of provolone cheese-so darn tasty with green beans-only needs one veggie since it's a heavier meal
• Breakfast for dinner-bacon and eggs
• Buffalo Chicken (in crock-pot) on a baked potato: http://myfindsonline.com/2012/03/20/crockpot-buffalo-chicken/
• Beef Carnitas Tacos (crock-pot) w/ Spanish Rice and Black Beans: http://www.eatliverun.com/crock-pot-beef-carnitas-tacos/
• Crock Pot chicken tacos w/ Spanish Rice and Black Beans: http://www.mychocolatetherapy.com/2012/01/crockpot-chicken-tacos.html
• Pork Tenderloin w/ squash and rice

Dessert Options:
*Make yourself drink more water after dinner and before you have dessert

• Single portion of Bluebell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
• A couple pieces of dark chocolate w/ almonds 
• A tall glass of fat free milk w/ Nesquik
• Frozen Grapes or a frozen banana-seriously, they are both so delicious
• Strawberries/fruit with cool whip

Okay, there you have it. Those are my options. I still live by them because I know my limitations. I do allow myself one cheat meal a week. Next post, perhaps? Please, please, please keep in mind that I measure all of my food...well, not now because I'm a pro at it, but it is the only way to eat things on this menu instead of rice cakes and greek yogurt. If the serving size on the Triscuits I want is 5 per serving, then I get 5. No arguments. The Nesquik serving is 2 tablespoons...that's what I get. My delicious coffee creamer in the morning? 2 tablespoons. 1 cup of cereal and 3/4 cup fat free milk?...get out the measuring cups. It helps SO much! Again, if you want recipes or more specific instructions, have any questions or just want to chat...please comment or message me and I promise to get back to you! Thanks for sticking this one out and reading the whole thing. You're a real trooper for that!

Here are some pictures that you may like:

From left to right...Lola being nosy about what I was doing, Lola pouting because I won't let her in the recliner with me, Lola happy and curled up because she is spoiled rotten and gets what she wants.

You know you're tired when this is where you put the milk:

Goodnight everyone!