eating lighter

I've been trying to eat better lately, really truly. I have about 10 5 lbs left to lose to return to my normal weight, and I don't think DQ Blizzards every week helped me out with that. Since I don't exercise regularly, I knew it was calories that I was going to have cut to see any results. I don't gain much weight by eating normal, I just don't lose any; and I want to lose, so I'm cutting out the junk! (until I made cookies two days ago at Mont's request...)

With 5 lbs gone after a week, I'm wondering why I hadn't done this sooner. Here's what I've been doing (or trying to do before the cookies were made) is this: 

Breakfast:

- eat half of a serving of mini wheats + milk (my reg. 2%) + a piece of 12 grain toast. 

- glass of cold water + vitamin (I need to be better at taking vitamins on a regular basis)

Ab routine: 

I have to face it, this is what needs the work after babies. My arms do heavy lifting all day and my legs get lots of walking. Abs and obliques are where I want to focus more attention. So I do a short 25 minute workout, and the next morning I think I see myself narrowing a bit. 

- cold water (if I expect myself to drink lots of water, it better be cold!)

Lunch: 

- plate of baby spinach + almond slices + craisins + creamy poppyseed dressing. easy, and very tasty. 

- cold water

Alternative Later Lunch: 

- there have been a few days where I push my lunch back to 2 o'clock or so, and eat a bigger lunch of penne pasta + shredded cheese + salt + pepper. Not the lowest in fat, and definitely high in carbs, but if I eat like this, it's the last thing I eat all day. I'm not hungry either. It gives me plenty of energy and I feel really great the next morning. 

-If I want to eat a different 'big lunch' I choose a turkey sandwich with 12 grain bread + feta crumbles + red onion slices + spinach + mustard + tomato slice + salt and pepper. It's a very, very tasty sandwich but doesn't last as long as the pasta. I usually have to have a snack later in the day with that. 

- cold water

Dinner: 

- Cook or steam a vegetable, season with salt + pepper + parmesan, share with Mark, taking more than half! : ) This way I fill up more on veggies, and I feel more satisfied after dinner.

- Whatever we eat for dinner I think of the amount I would normally take and devour in seconds. Think real hard and be honest with myself... it would take up my entire dinner plate. 

- I take a smaller plate, then put 1/2 of my normal portion and take longer to eat it. 

- Eat this smaller dinner at 5:30 or 6:30 at the latest! 

- cold water

- Don't eat anything else all night. If I feel a craving, like Mont's Cheetos still sitting in a cup, I'll take one and put the rest away for the next day. Just one, and I get the taste and curb the craving. 

- cold water

Here was yesterday's lunch.. I chopped off the bottoms of the asparagus, then seasoned with olive oil + garlic powder + salt + pepper + parmesan shreds. 

Then baked at 350º for 12 minutes. It was pretty tasty! I'd never cooked asparagus for myself before, but I'm glad I finally did!

* hardly tips, I know.. more common sense eating. : )