Grocery Shopping Like a Beast?

Monday, January 26, 2015

Is that even possible? I can't seem to shake the imagery of some wild animal tearing through the aisles with a little basket snapped between its teeth. So I can't say I grocery shopped like a beast, but I grocery shopped nonetheless. This post was suppose to go up last Monday with the start of #beastmode, but alas, I didn't walk my lazy ass up to Trader Joe's until the weekend.


I posted something similar to this during my last attempt to get fit, but as that didn't work out I figured I'd do it all over again. My first step was to plan out meals for the week and then compile a grocery list from that before heading out to the supermarket. I tried to focus on greens and lean meats, mostly fish. The cleaner, the better. "Eat like a rabbit," my aunt would always say.

I'd say one of my biggest barriers to really losing weight and keeping it off is what I eat. As a city kid, most of my nutrition came from heros at the corner store, slices of pizza from Ray's and dining out at the many restaurants the city has to offer. There are restaurants, like Ruth Christie's or Ché Josephine's, that my parents and I have been frequenting since I can remember, and people there who have known me since I was a baby. And don't get me wrong -- I love that. I love those memories and the familiarity. But that does little to help me get in shape.

As exemplified above, I couldn't be further from a professional nutritionist. But there are a few nutritional changes that I try to implement when I'm focusing on fitness (repeat, 'trying').

Water

If you ever calculate the calories and sugar you consume from beverages, you'd wanna throw up. For real. It's astounding. Back in the day, cutting soft drinks and juices from my diet had a major impact on my health. (Granted back then, I only drank clear liquids, i.e. water and vodka, but let's not focus on that.)

Fruits & Veggies

In my mind, there's really no losing when it comes to fruits and veggies. Most fruits and vegetables are basically negative in calories because you burn more calories digesting them then you do eating. I try to incorporate fruits as snacks, substituting them from all the sugary things.

Avocados

I go gaga for avocados. My boyfriend and I try to add it to pretty much every meal. Grilled chicken sandwich? Throw some avocado on it. Salad? Toss it in. Burger? Top it off with avocado. If we can find an excuse to slice an avocado, we do. Forget all the health benefits, the little green things are delicious.

Yogurt

I like my greek yogurt prepped in a bowl like this: a cup of yogurt, some blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, granola and honey. If being delicious isn't enough, the burst of all those colors is a total foodgasm. And sometimes I add a piece of dark chocolate in the corner because I'm a cheater :)

Fish

I've never been a big meat lover. At least not red meat. I never get toppings on my pizza, I rarely order a beef burger, and I only get a steak when I'm really, really craving it. But instead of chicken, I try to eat more fish. Granted, I purchase my fish frozen from Trader Joe's but, hey, it's a trade off (hehe, get it?). If I bought my fish fresh, I'd let it go bad in my fridge and end up ordering out anyways. Frozen fish trumps chinese takeout any day.




CHECK IN #1: These first few weeks have been tough. Workouts reveal how out of shape I really am, and there might have been a milkshake last week. Breaking terrible habits is hard. But it hasn't be breaking me so that's a small victory. That together with a ~2 pound loss so far, I'll take it, for now.




What are your staples for healthy eating?

6 comments:

  1. 2 pounds is amazing girl, congrats!
    i only drink water and sometimes apple juice (and ok sometimes wine or beer), and i'm not a big meat eater either. but i'm not a huge fan of fish.. and i really should eat more fruits and veggies.
    i had all these big plans and i weighed myself on the first of the month - and i was really heavy (after all the eating in NYC and over Christmas) so it was definitely higher because of that, and I thought I would have lost like at least 5lbs by the end of the month - that would put me at what I was before Thanksgiving (ie before all the food).. I have not been eating well or exercising as much as I should, but I weighed myself this morning and I have only lost 3.. I know it's still 3 but considering I need to lose 2 more just to be where I was a couple of weeks ago - I'm so disappointed and upset and I just need to cry a little. Sorry for venting on your comment space :) So proud of you for being such a beast!

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  2. I love all avocadoes too. Must eat them everyday. My newest obsession Is scrambled eggs with avocadoes, tomatoes and hot sauce. Can't get enough. Good luck with your journey! I too know how hard it can be. :)

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  3. Two pounds is two pounds, and that's a big deal, girlfriend.
    Seriously - I need to consume more water in the winter. I get so cold and want coffee, not actual, real water. And I also put avocado on everything (or eat a half with a spoon, because I'm a class act. I've read so many recipes that substitute butter/mayo with avocado, which I'm 100% all for.
    I try to be as healthy as I can be during weekdays so that on the weekend I can indulge more (especially since Anthony barely knows what a vegetable is - something I'm trying to fix!).
    You are a beast, and a badass. Love it - keep up the hard work, gorgeous!

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  4. I'm still working on this healthy eating thing. But what I've been doing is sticking to what I usually eat but scaling back and consuming smaller portions. It seems to be working except for the days when I cheat and indulge in big cheeseburgers and fries. I've also been drinking more water and I have noticed a difference in my urine (gross, I know) and my skin (fewer pimples). Never had honey in my yogurt - gonna try that next time! The only thing I like avocado in/with is guacamole. You make it seem like I'm missing out, lol.

    thedreadaily.com

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  5. Glad you are doing well so far! 2 pounds is a great start! I'll have to see what I end up losing next week since I just now started to eat healthy again. Why do soda's have to be so good? That is my biggest weakness, well that and pizza.

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  6. Basically this is what Im eating ... and im 10 pounds down from when I started my beast mode three weeks ago. In the post I just drafted I wrote about the fact that I drink a gallon of water a day and I havent drank juice in about three weeks. Its awesome!

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