notelaine's Journal, 18 Jan 16

I like to do a low cal western omelette or breakfast burrito. Fry up (with a spray of Pam) some diced peppers and onions and a little bit of ham. Then add some egg whites or whole eggs. I usually use just egg whites so that I can use the calories that I didn't eat from the yolks for a low cal tortilla. La Tortilla Factory makes the best ones. Fiber One tortillas work in a pinch.  

Have you tried any protein powders, I can get 30gr from one scoop. You could mix it with oatmeal, water, or almond milk, also you can get some turkey sausage, mix with your eggs. Or eat the sausage by itself.  

Thanks for the ideas! I'll definitely give both a try. I do use protein powder, but I already have it right after my morning workout and before bed. I feel like three times a day would be overkill.  

Can you use potato for some pre-workout carbs? I'm kinda following weight watchers (I don't pay for it) and headed on a gym path of my own so the carbs help for cardio... Otherwise I might suggest breakfast sausage or trying some keto recipes, they're big on the protein factor and they minimize on the fats and carbs. I keep my eyes open for loads of recipes that are fun. You could try Shakshuka, it's an eastern egg/veggie dish and highly tasty-- great for mornings and almost any meal. 

I add spicy food to my eggs, jalepenos or green chiles! 

add tofu with your scrambled eggs to up the protein, or I made delicious quinoa egg muffin bake things, which definitely adds up protein while keeping cals low.  

I make a sheet of sausages following this recipe: http://paleomg.com/homemade-pork-breakfast-sausage/ (you can use turkey or chicken instead of pork) But by using this method: (makes a bunch and is pretty quick) flatten the burger mixture out on a tinfoil lined rimmed cookie sheet and broil for 10 min. Carefully drain and flip the meat by using another cookie sheet and broil for another 5-9 minutes. Cut into squares with a pizza cutter and you have nearly 2 dozen burgers ready to go. Let cool and place in quart-sized freezer bags. When you want one, nuke on high for a minute.  

Add some meat and veggies and make an omlette. You'll get the required protein, and cut down on the fat/carbs. 

Boyfriend? Yay - one of those dates worked out for you! Happy for you,(: 

Why not just eat straight up protein - chicken, meat...sounds weird but would be good, or protein shakes - I know I am not suggesting rocket science ideas, but you could pick any protein you enjoy - who cares the time of day? 

Haha, thank you HCB! He's a pretty great guy :) And I do like the idea of just protein for breakfast. I can do steak or chicken stir fry pretty much anytime! 

Looked back to this entry to figure out why you were not eating cheese. I can understand your desire to reset "an unhealthy relationship" with cheese, but you may be defeating yourself by trying to do too much all at once -- stick to a calorie count, a carb count, etc. AND do without a favorite food. What if instead of eliminating cheese from you diet, you "reset" your relationship with cheese by using a scale and a set of measuring cups to learn portion control? This has been a very important step for me. I eat cheese every day -- but if it says "one ounce" on my food log, that really means one ounce. I weigh it. There are so many things I cannot eat because of IBS and allergies, if I had to give up lactose free dairy, I'd go made -- and I probably would not be able to stick to my diet. I really recommend considering trying portion control cheese. But if that's not going to do it for you, try mixing some chicken chorizo in -- a delicious dish is to cut a sweet onion into large chunks (this substitutes for potato); sautee the onion until soft, then add the chorizo and crumble it up and cook it completely. Meanwhile, beat as many eggs or egg whites (that's what I use), as you want, and add the eggs to the pan and mix with sausage and onion -- cooking to whatever firmness you like. Needless to say, this is even better if you mix in 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, but it's very good even without cheese. Another option: turkey ham. I get turkey ham steaks at Whole Foods, and during the holidays, they sell small turkey hams. And a third option: Do you like fish? I love fish, so when I buy fish for myself, I buy an extra 4-5 ounces and cook it up then for breakfast the next day, I make fish salad with mayo, celery and seasonings. It's really good. Good luck.  

I think i should be fine without cheese (I may just whine about it a lot, haha!). It's just six weeks. And I've managed this type of diet before for extended periods. I do love the turkey ham idea though! I've been using regular ham, but it's been a bit fatty for my taste. Thanks for the excellent suggestions! 

I found the same problem in December (getting enough protein into my diet without adding a lot of calories). On the recommendation of a friend of my wife's (super fit, active Pilates instructor) I've added Allmax whey protein powder, great stuff with all the right amino acids, tastes Ok too.