My routine...

I am definitely a creature of habit!  I will open my mind to just about anything but if I've got a routine that is working for me...I'll stick to it.  The most important thing for me to maintain a routine is to enjoy it!  I currently work a crazy schedule.  I wake up at 4:30am and I'm at work by 6am.  When I wake up, I take my shower, do my hair, get dressed then head downstairs to pack lunches.  I try to help my amazing husband as much as possible with getting our little ones out the door but he has far more time in the morning and likes to refer to himself as SuperDad, so he can have that. 

So what does April eat currently?
Right now I'm obsessed with English Muffin Sandwiches.  I buy the light english muffins (100 cal), whole grain variety.  So I pack an English muffin, a half piece of low fat cheese and (since I'm vegetarian through lent) a morningstar veggie sausage (I'm not loving all the additives but I havent' found a veg sausage patty that I like more).  note: let's face it...if it doesn't taste good we're not gonna enjoy eating it and if you're like me and food is all you think about, enjoying it is VERY IMPORTANT! OK back to my lunch box.  So in addition to my English muffin sandwich fixings, I prep my Green Monster.  I have a magic bullet blender thing (a b-day gift from my mom...just for my gmonsters:)), in my large bullet cup I pour 8 ozs of unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze almond milk, a handful of frozen blueberries, 1/2 frozen banana and 2 cups of spinach.  I used to add protein powder but I decided that I wanted to eat my protein (hence the english muffin sandwich), I put the lid on my blender cup and throw it in my lunch bag (I have the power base at work).  So that is breakfast...for snacks I am currently on a triscuit kick. So I pack 7 triscuits (serving size) and 1 oz of Cabot Sharp Cheddar -75% reduced fat, an apple, and a koshi golean granola bar.  For lunch I have to have at least 2 major items (bizarre I know).  Since I'm doing the veg thing...I have packed a Boca grilled veg burger, sandwich flat and the other half slice of low fat cheese AND a small salad that consists of lettuce mix, a little light Asian dressing and a big pinch of Chinese crunchy noodles.  Oh and don't forget my one caffeine treat of the day, my diet Pepsi.  I keep some goodies at work, just in case...like smart pop mini bags of microwave popcorn and dry roasted nuts (that Grace, co-worker/friend, has to hide from me).

So timing...when does April eat this stuff??
I try to consume 90% of my calories before 4pm each day.  So I drink my gmonster around 7am, then my eng muffin sandwich around 8:30a, around 9:30 I'm hungry again so I have my cheese & crackers...around 10 I have my apple and that will hold me until lunch around 11:30.  I know you're saying that I eat ALOT in the morning...but that is the best way I've found to keep my metabolism working efficiently.  So around 11:30 I'll have my salad and around 12 I'll fix up my garden burger.  I'm usually good at this point until around 2p when I will often have the granola bar or break out the popcorn.  Oh and I probably drink about 48 ozs of water during the day.

Dinner is always an issue b/c I have picky eaters...and I'm doing the veg thing so stay tuned for more on dinners.  I was supposed to throw beef stew in the crock pot this morning and I totally forgot (not like I was gonna eat it anyway) but I do have to think of my men. 

So that is food...what about exercise?
On Tuesday and Thursday I go to aerobics from 6:30 to 7:30 and every other day of the week, I do C25K by 6pm (at least until daylight savings time...I hate to be out in the dark by myself). 

During the weekends this all gets mucked up...but we'll visit that in a different post...

TTFN