It’s never an easy thing to transition back into normalcy after being impacted by tragedy. What happened in Boston made for a somber couple of days, and while I’m still dealing with a heavy heart and some lingering sadness, life has to go on…
It’s funny. If it weren’t for the blog world, the tragic events of Boston wouldn’t have impacted me so profoundly. Outside of Twitter, Facebook, and Google Reader, I didn’t come across anyone who so much as mentioned Boston; and when I brought it up, many people didn’t even know. I mentioned before that I sometimes feel like I’m living in two different worlds, and the last two days really made that distinction more apparent. While the blog world mourned, the rest of my world carried on with business as usual… and I guess it’s time for the blog world to follow suit, which means that today is all about the food with WIAW. Oh, and if you have a minute, hop on over and give Jenn a few kind words – she lost one of her beloved fur babies and could use a little bit of extra love.
These are actually most of my eats from Monday – a day where my appetite was absolutely insane. I think I may have to go back to Monday’s post and add “food” to my Happy List, because daaaaaaang… the days where my stomach feels like a bottomless pit really remind me how much my mood depends on how well fed I am…
I blame snowboarding and travelling… My stomach has a tendency to wonk up when I travel, causing my appetite to swing back and forth between two extremes: stuffed and starving. I found it a little hard to eat for a big part of the weekend, which meant that I’ve been playing catch up for the past couple of days…
Breakfast…
A yogurt mess made with: plain Greek Yogurt, sliced banana, frozen blueberries, Kashi Cinnamon Harvest, cinnamon Puffins, roasted almond butter, and extra cinnamon.
Mid-Morning…
Best snack in the world: bananas and almond butter. Was missing some chocolate though…
Lunch…
Turkey and hummus sandwich on toasted whole wheat bread – random veggies on the side.
Dessert was a reasonable amount of watermelon and a chocolate chip cookie dough ball.
Afternoon…
Deliciously foamy cappuccino from Starbucks.
Enjoy Life chocolate crunch bar. This one had little bits of crispy rice cereal in it – big fan.
Dinner…
It was a breakfast for dinner kind of night… Eggy bananafied oats with chocolate-spiked cottage cheese and almond butter.
Evening…
A big bowl of popcorn drizzled with coconut oil and honey – eaten while watching Breaking Dawn part 2. And just when I thought I was done for the night, I had to go back forrrr….
… a few more licks of almond butter. There’s no way I can fall asleep when I’m hungry, and I’d rather not be up all night, thank you much.
. – . – . – .
So that basically covers it. Unpictured are the multiple handfuls of random things I snacked on throughout the whole day – cereal, fruit, chicken, Popchips… I stayed pretty much within three feet of my kitchen for the entire day, and, thankfully, managed to make it through without chewing off any limbs. I felt like I was basically eating all.the.time, which is something that would have taken a pretty big mental toll on me in the past, but doesn’t really phase me anymore.
There are days when I undereat and there are days when I eat more to compensate. This is something that would have never happened back when I used to meticulously plan my meals to make sure I was eating the same exact amount every day, but it’s a pretty common occurrence now that I no longer track my calories and macros. At first I thought it might be a problem but it all seems to balance out in the end.
Happy Wednesday, friends!
. – . – . – .
Are you a ‘handful snacker’ too? What are your favorite things to grab?
Do you go through days of undereating and compensating? Or do you try to make sure you eat the same amount daily?
What’s your favorite breakfast for dinner meal?
I agree with over eating and under eating. I have days where I do both and it all seems to even out in the end. My weight stays in the same range, my pants fit the same which is great when all you want is to maintain. I like maintenance eating; it works for me. I also really like your lunch; your turkey sandwich is particularly appealing which is odd since I haven’t had meat in a long time…maybe I need to change that up. Hmm.
when i go skiing I honestly eat everything in site the next couple days after, I am just so hungry! I am always grabbing a handful of nuts or raisins everytime I walk in the kitchen pretty much lol. I been having breakfast for dinner lately too, its the best… maybe ill have it again tonightttt 🙂 popcorn with honey and coconut oil is a absolute favvvvv of mine. You make it look so pretty though haha
YUM – your dinner looks SO good. And that popcorn!
I usually just go with the flow with eating. But I definitely notice cycles where I may eat more than usual for a week or two and then all of a sudden I won’t be as hungry the next couple days.
I usually try to keep my snacking to a minimum because I have self control issues..haha. I need things that are already semi-portioned out, like an apple + almond butter or maybe a yogurt with a sprinkle of flax or honey and fruit. Otherwise it gets cray. If I open a bag of chips, not the single serving kind, it’s highly unlikely it will last more than 20 mins. Once I start snacking I can’t stop! haha
I totally do the undercompensating and overcompensating thing. Once, we were at a water park ALL day long and I barely ate because it was hot and wet and those 2 things don’t mix with food (unless its a smoothie) but when I got home I cooked up one of my favorite pizzas and ate the entire thing my self. lol. Talk about overcompensating!
It is amazing to me how disconnected some people can be. I have a coworker who is from Boston and still has the majority of her family there that didn’t know about it until someone at work asked if her family was ok the next day. I am always shocked to hear people live so disconnected since I am connected to so many people who are on the internet all the time and aware of major events.
My yogurt messes never look as good as yours – they just look like, well, messes. I definitely grab handfuls of almonds all day, and random spoonfuls of vanilla frozen yogurt from my freezer!
There are definitely days where I overeat, and days where I undereat. I think it all balances out in the end!
I am SO grateful to finally be at the point where I can say that I am ok with having days like this. I see now that my body knows better and I trust it to balance itself out on its own. AND I can finally trust myself enough to be a handful snacker without feeling like I’m going to trigger a binge! I love grabbing a handful of cereal/granola to snack on. Used to, the moment my hand went into the bag/box, I would feel like I “lost control” and end up eating at LEAST 2-3 servings…even if all I wanted in the beginning was a small snack. It feels SO good to have that all behind me now. I know that if I want more, there will always BE more…I don’t have to eat it all now! Yay for progress! 😀
Favorite breakfast for dinner: EGGS!!!! Anything with eggs…AND CHEESE!! 😀 Lol
Realizing that there’ll always be more if I need it is what really helped me get past the “I WANT ALL THE FOOD” stage as well. I’m pretty sure we’re not expecting a famine any time soon 😉
I am obsessed with popcorn and was on a kick for awhile. Right now my handful snack is pickles which is perfect since I am in my cutting phase (0 calories YES) and olives in my salads works wonders for my taste buds 🙂 My favorite breakfast for dinner meal used to be OATMEAL but now since my body is unable to digest oats it would have to be protein pancakes 🙂 Hope you have an incredible weekend! Sending you lots of yummy eats + fun! Love + Shine CourtStar
Deliciousness overload! 😉 Everything looks great, per usual! Sorry I missed your post yesterday- It was beautiful! As in, almost brought me to tears!
I definitely feel the same way about the two different worlds. I only spoke to one person that knew what had happened on Monday, and not one since. I already felt like the blog and real world were two completely separate spheres, but this week has just confirmed it.
I had oatmeal for dinner last night too, it was the only thing I could fathom making and eating getting home from a long day, and I made sure to smother it with peanut butter, although today I’ve been all about the almond butter.
Oatmeal is one of the best things to eat after a long day. Hope it brought you some comfort 🙂
To me, anytime you end the day with a breakfast meal your ending it on the right note =) I love pancakes for dinner.. yup, my favorite!
I have a pretty bit appetite and it’s usually fairly consistent. Days that I don’t eat enough I tend to feel a little cranky/emotional. I always try to have a snack on hand just in case.
I’m a serious popcorn addict. Confession: sometimes I have popcorn for dinner. I’m going to have to give coconut oil and honey a try 🙂
My favorite grab-and-eat snack would have to be…spoonfuls of nut butter (usually Trader Joe’s or Justin’s almond or sunbutter). Or ice cream 🙂
I definitely think I compensate for days of undereating and vice versa
Favorite brinner: fried eggs and bacon/turkey bacon with a frozen waffle or a slice of toast 🙂 mmmmmmm
Ahhhh…YUM!
I just rediscovered my love for bananas with almond butter or peanut butter this week too. I mean, I always eat AT LEAST one banana every day but I’d forgotten how good that combination is.
And I totally don’t blame you for being extra hungry after your trip- I would have been too!
popcorn FTW! Definitely a favorite nighttime snack of mine, especially since my mom bought me an airpopper. I’ll have to try the honey + salt thing, too that sounds amazing! Right now I’m on a flax oil + curry powder + cashew butter kick for my popcorn…strange but good lol. Gotta love those bottomless pit days…..I’d say that the amount I eat on a daily basis is generally the same, and my activity level is somewhat the same, so my appetite is usually the same…but some days are just off one way or the other and I try to listen to that (I never skip meals though, on the side of having no appetite). I actually had a bottomless pit yesterday and went to get a giant froyo…..YES lol.
I feel like social media really kept me more in tune and made Boston more personal for me. I’m still having a hard time shaking it.
I’m the same as you… I eat more some days and less some days. Your meals today look amazing!
As I was reading this post, it dawned on me how many different eating styles I’ve embraced over the past 10 years. When I first embarked on my health craze kick, I was all about planning everything to a T. I never deviated, and made sure I tracked every single calorie and half calorie that entered my mouth. Then, I went through a period where I never ate meals because they scared me too much, so I just snacked continuously throughout the day. That was followed by meticulous “clean eating,” where I planned and snacked, but *only* ate super “healthy” additive-free and organic food. I’ve finaallly reached a happy balance where I do a combination of snacking, meal planning, clean eating, and “cheating” <–hate that word, but I think you know what I mean. I love ice cream, chocolate, and even a few processed foods, and don't hesitate to enjoy them when the craving strikes.
I can completely relate to "compensating"–especially during the past month or so. My stomach has been completely out of whack, which has made normal eating very difficult. Some days I can't imagine eating much more than rice cakes and chicken soup; others, I'm devouring every food in site! As much as my OCD self want to take control of the situation–and eat the same amount every day– I've found that's totally worth resisting that urge results in happier tummy. 🙂
Everything looks delicious, as usual! My favorite breakfast for dinner is definitely a cheese omelet with buttery toast. xoxo
Aaaand apparently I can’t write sentences today. Let’s try this again… “I’ve found that resisting the urge results in a happier tummy.” Gaaaah. :-p
I went through pretty much all of those eating styles as well, and it was crazy to try to stick to solely one style. I love what you said about adopting a happy combination of all of them – I definitely find that works the best for me as well 🙂
Turkey and hummus = the best sandwich 🙂
oh i totally agree! i feel as if tragedies are much more “in depth” since social media came around. A good and bad thing. And those cookie dough balls…whoa.. healthy bite lovin right there! YUM!
My stomach’s been totally off this week, and I’m blaming it on the fact that the weather’s been way messed up here! We’ve gotten literally dumped on with snow since Monday (probably over a foot!) and I’ve been a little emotional this week over the crappy weather and the stress from school, so my eating’s been all over the place. I didn’t eat breakfast on Monday, or lunch yesterday because I just wasn’t hungry or was too busy but I’m hoping my eating patterns will go back to normal soon. I’m secretly hoping my stomach will want to make up for those missed meals soon so I can have an excuse to eat more one day 😉
Your honey-coconut oil popcorn combo sounds amazing! Does it taste like kettle corn? (I’m picturing kettle corn right now and I want some).
I’m also glad to see that I’m not the only one who eats a crazy amount of almond butter in a day, seriously I could probably eat the whole jar if I didn’t watch myself 🙂
It definitely tastes like kettle corn – the sweet and salty combo is amazing.
How do I NOT know about these enjoy life chocolate bars… I mean THEY ARE CALLED ENJOY LIFE!?!
Not a lot of my friends in real life acknowledged the events in Boston either – the only people who even mentioned it on Facebook were blog friends! I found it really bizarre.
I eat totally different amounts from day to day too – it all just totally depends on my hunger. Like today I didn’t have an afternoon snack because I wasn’t hungry for one, but some days I’ll be eating constantly throughout the afternoon.
And yes, I’m definitely a handful snacker. It’s usually something sweet like honey roasted almonds, dried fruit, or granola!
Handfuls of chicken? That’s my kinda girl! 😉 I feel like it’s better to eat according to hunger, whether you’re ravenous or peckish. It all seems to even out in the end for me too, and it seems more natural.
I hate the hungry days. I have’t had too many of them lately but one is due to hit any day now…when the crazy hungry days happen, I always end up in the kitchen slicing an apple with peanut butter- which is exactly why I never let my apple supply dip below 5!
I meant to say before my computer hit send, that sometimes I am in the kitchen several times in a day slicing up the apples with peanut butter.
I really feel like if I try to restrict myself all day, I really go crazy at night at home! I need to find a balance!
It’s the same for me! If I don’t eat a decent amount early in the day, I have a way harder time taming my hunger in the evening. But if I front-load most of my calories then it’s way easier to deal with.
Im in the same boat! Definitely have my super hungry eat my own arm days, paired with not so hungry nothing sounds good days, and a few average days mixed in. I’ve been a hungry beast the past couple days! Haha. And the local Trader Joes hasn’t had almond butter in weeks and damn. Now I’m really missing it haha