Tricking your mind...

Wednesday Recap:

8:00am:  Hot Lemon Water

9:30am:  Breakfast- Whipped banana oatmeal with sunflower butter

I was so excited to try out 2 of my newest purchases from my Trader Joe's stock up on Monday.  One was the newest health craze sweeping the planet:  Coconut oil....

Which, as soon as I opened the lid and got SMACKED by the smell of coconut, I couldn't figure out why I didn't jump on this ban wagon earlier!  I swirled a teaspoon into the hot oats and really liked (LOVED!) the subtle hint of coconut, while I'm sure my bod loved all off the health benefits!

And I topped the oats with a dollop of sunflower butter...

If you like sunflower seeds, you will LOVE this nut butter.  It is super flavorful with the taste of roasted sunflower seeds.  REALLY happy with BOTH purchases!  (and I wouldn't normally add 2 'fats' to my breakfast..but I was anxious to try em.  You know how it goesJ)

Who needs a program??J

10:30-11:45am:  Power Yoga class

12:30pm:  Lunch- Tuna with pretzel snaps & a pickle

1:30pm:  Coffee with Creamer

3:30pm:  Snack- Clementine & 5 dark chocolate almonds (I had already snuck one before I took this pic!)

I originally had TWO clementines...but someone had already staked their claimJ 

6:00pm:  Dinner- Thyme, Lemon & Sage Chicken, Polenta-crusted potatoes & peas

OK...so, don't tell anyone but I may, JUST MAY, have gotten a tiny bit excited for spring lately.  I almost can't believe I typed those.  NOT that I want winter to go, per-say,  but if spring is gonna come...well, OK maybe I'll play along for a bit.  

Maybe.  No promises. 

What does this confession have to do with dinner, you ask?  Well, since I was a little crazy wishing for these insanities called pastel colors & blooming flowers, I also was craving the bright flavors of lemons, thyme & sage.  So I just marinated some chicken breast in all of the above...

A quick saute & a quick pan gravy made of white wine and chicken stock and the main course was served...filled with the flavors of spring.  And I was HAPPY about it.  There, I said it.

However, our side dish STOLE THE SHOW!  Potatoes coated in polenta and roasted in the oven with whole cloves of garlic and MORE thyme... 

...and finished off with a sprinkle of Parmesan.  These tasted JUST like I hoped:  Soft potato on the inside & a double CRUNCH from the crisped oven AND the gritty polenta on the outside.  SO GOOD!

WEIGHT LOSS TRICK

Oh...and one more random thing to show you guys.  So you may notice that I pretty much use the same plate & bowl EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. around here.  It's because they are currently my 'perfect portioned plates'...and I have yet to fine others in the same sizesJ  I say 'perfect portioned' because my dinner plate is quite a bit smaller than our average dinner plates... 

I TRY to only place food on the white areas, but that doesn't always work outJ  I eventually want to work myself down to a salad size plate (although I do use them for pizza), but it's AMAZING how LARGE a regular dinner plate seems now.  And it's just SO much easier to portion out your food in smaller doses, WITHOUT feeling deprived, when it doesn't look like a peanut on a serving platter.  It really is the easiest way to trick your mind into thinking you're having a normal (HUGE) plate of food.

And I always have cereal, light ice cream (REAL ice cream gets served in a juice glass or small ramekin!), oatmeal, salty snacks in this bowl which is about 1/3 smaller than our normal bowls... 

Example:  A bowl of soup that nearly FILLS that pink bowl is about HALF once poured into the 'normal' glass bowl.  Just THINK how many calories you are saving, especially with something as calorie dense as cereal, which we all tend to eat completely mindlessly.  (And who doesn't have that urge to go fill up the bowl again...especially to use up that little bit of milk leftover??)

So hope that helps you guys.  I know it's been a big savior on my end...(and I AM on the hunt for MORE than just these 2 patternsJ) hahahahhhahaha...But ANY LITTLE BIT HELPS YOUR GOAL, so always keep that in mind!

Happy Thursday!