Food Diary: Day 1

If you're following me over at Baby In The Bubble, you know I've been stressing about my recent baby weight gain. Let it be known, I realize how important it is to eat well and eat regularly because I'm nourishing a growing baby inside of me. Yet that doesn't change the way I feel; which is a constant sense of anxiety about gaining too much during this pregnancy.

I'll be the first to admit, I've never had very good nutrition or exercise habits and I've always been able to manage my weight by directly altering the amount and type of food I put into my body. Nothing's changed really, other than the fact I'm gaining weight (for obvious reasons) and I can't help but read and measure how much I'm gaining compared to the "norm."

So far, I've gained 12 pounds in 20 weeks. The Powers That Be say I should be at or around 10 pounds right now. Also to note, my doctor hasn't made any comments about my weight so I assume I'm in the right target mark for her expectations. I guess I just find it hard to take everyone's advise to "live it up!" "eat what you want while you can" and "don't worry about gaining weight, you can worry about taking it off later."

Because the final moments of my pregnancy will be during the hottest summer months, I mostly want to avoid feeling ENORMOUS in July and August. I'm trying to do all I can to avoid swollen ankles and heavy water retention (as unavoidable as it probably is). Did I mention we don't have air conditioning? There's that too, I'm already going to be uncomfortable come this summer.

My goal is to make healthy food choices, not only for my own selfish weight issues but also because I'm feeding my baby and I want him/her to have the best nutrients possible. Will I have dessert or sweets? Probably. But everything's ok in moderation. A dietitian friend of mine suggests recording all of my eats into a food diary and I tried that last week, but it didn't work too well. Dietitian friend is also preggo and doing a day-in-the-life food diary via her blog this week and I thought I would attempt to do the same. I'm strangely fascinated with day-in-the-life posts (I think it's part of the reason I love celebrities and peering into neighbor's open windows ... not in a creepy Peeping Tom way, but when they have their blinds open as I'm walking by. Come on, you know what I mean, right?).

So today's Day 1 of my own food diary. You're all going to peer-pressure me into fully disclosing what I'm eating and the public nature of this posting business is going to help me make healthier choices. I already bore Andi with my daily food updates, so you're getting in on the action too. Aren't you a lucky duck? Here goes ...

Breakfast

Fruit and Nut KIND Bar

Breakfast was a little light this morning since I was running late. Would have liked to add a fruit, but didn't today.

Lunch

Portobello Florentine Sandwich (Portobello Mushrooms, Spinach, Provolone Cheese, Sun Dried Tomato Spread on a Baguette),  house-made potato chips, fruit salad and a pickle.

These Portobello sandwiches are my go-to favorite at work lately. They have good flavor and offer protein. Plus, they satisfy my craving for sandwiches. I probably should have passed on the chips, but they're so damn good! I added fruit to counter-balance. *Note, I only ended up eating half the sandwich but finished the rest.

PM SNACK

A handful of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans

I poured this handful of jelly beans for an afternoon snack, but then realized some of the flavors were the icky ones like buttery popcorn and toasted marshmallow. I only ended up eating 3 or 4 beans and putting the rest back for someone else in the office, he he he ...

DINNER, PART UNO

Mixed greens salad, topped with Ranch dressing, croutons and crunchy salad topping thingies

My SIL Lindsay invited Chloe and I over for dinner tonight, but I was starving around 5pm already. I made myself a small salad for a first course.

DINNER, PART DEUX

Trader Joe's Onion Flavored Rings

Lindsay wanted me to try Trader Joe's version of Funyons. They were baked onion-flavored rings and really good! Who am I to turn away a chip? I only had 3 so I didn't feel guilty.

DINNER (THE REAL THING)

Trader Joe's chicken sausage, served with mangos, pineapples and bell peppers over brown rice. A glass of milk for a beverage.

It was such a nice treat to have dinner over at Lindsay's house. The chicken sausage dish she whipped up was very tasty and healthy too. Best of all, it was great to catch up with her over dinner. So lucky to have an amazing sister in law like her!

BEDTIME SNACK

Cheerios with organic milk and half of a verrry ripe organic banana

I crawled into bed to watch some tv before deciding I was hungry again. Better to eat something now instead of waking up in the middle of the night starving, I say.

Also of note, I drank 132 ounces of water today. Yay me! I keep a big red cup for water at my desk and have been drinking water out of those nice Starbucks reusable cold cups and that really helps me get all of my water consumption into the day.