How to balance being a foodie when living a healthy lifestyle.

I can’t say this is something I have fully conquered just yet, but I can tell you about my continuous journey on figuring it out.

Recap

In my previous post on starting your wellness journey, I talked about using herbalife nutrition.

I absolutely love that company, and would highly recommend it to any one looking to start their wellness journey. However, along with my wellness & self journey I have also started my financial journey. Part of my financial journey is budgeting, and my food category is only set to be a certain percentage of my income. With that being said, at this time in my life I’m able to put more into my savings by sticking to a certain meal plan rather than buying products 2-3 times a month on top of needed groceries. This isn't saying that at some point when I reach my financial goals that I won't go back to herbalife because I would. It’s just at this moment it's not a part of my financial journey.

"Yes I'm trying to eat healthy. No I'm not on a diet." -Angelique A

Research

Anyway, now that you have that little background let's get to the real reason for this blog post!

Many people and articles talk about working out and eating healthy, but not all go into just how to go about that, especially while being a foodie. So I started searching for like minded people on Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube. Then I remembered that I happen to follow Jaelan D. also known as @faceovermatter on Instagram, whom I actually originally followed for her natural hair tips. However recently she started her own wellness journey and shows her progress, the ups and downs, and what she eats in a day. What resonated with me was that she's a foodie as well, she goes on to explain how giving up bread was hard for her, which made it that more relatable for me.

The Balance

As of lately I have started a 1300 calorie based meal plan, and don't get me wrong I do reward myself twice a month with one meal of my choosing ;)! However, what I have learned is its all about portions and what you are putting into your body. The 80/20 rule is real 80% food 20% fitness, but we will get more into that in my next wellness post! It’s not hard once you find meals that you are OK with eating consistently until you reach your fitness goals.

"The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison." -Ann Wigmore

Meals: ( for weight loss journey)

Breakfast-

My breakfast sometimes fluctuates all served with a hot cup of tea in the morning though!

1st option: ½ cup of oatmeal with either berries or banana and a circle of agave (syrup).

2nd option: Two turkey sausage links, ¼ cup egg whites, & ½ cup of fruit.

3rd option: 3 vanilla cinnamon protein pancakes & ½ diced apple.

Bottle of Water

Lunch-

My lunch options change between two things

1st option: 1 cup of Soup & a Salad Bowl

2nd option: 1 ¼ cup Taco Turkey Chili + 2 tbsp of Hummus + 12 carrots

Bottle of Water

Dinner-

My dinner sometimes fluctuates as well

1st option: Piece of Chicken with 1 cup broccoli and ½ cup of brown rice

2nd option: Piece of Salmon (Cod or Perch) with 1 cup vegetables and ½ cup of brown rice

3rd option: 3 wedges chicken fajita quesadilla (Siete Foods Chickpea Flour Tortillas) + ½ cup black beans + 1 cup broccoli

Bottle of Water

Snack-

I usually have two snacks throughout my day

1st: Either an 8 ounce protein shake or at least 100 calories protein breakfast bar

2nd: (4 sliced) Strawberries, ¼ cup granola, & 4 tbsp of yogurt

Bottle of Water

All meals should be had with a bottle of water, I drink 64oz a day total!

What is working for me, is truly finding meals I don't mind eating on a daily basis. All these meals stay within my budget and are easy to cook. I’m sure down the line I will switch something up, but for now this is what works for me. I hope this helps you in finding what will work for you, and knowing it's OK to incorporate some reward meals but limit them. Always remember not everyone's journey of wellness fits the one you’ve set for yourself!