You know what’s hard? Eating a lot of food when you aren’t hungry. If you missed last Friday’s post, I’m working with a new trainer–and have a date for a competition. So that means it’s time to add in food–and an increase in carbs! Oops, you mean I can’t live on jars of almond butter anymore?
You know what isn’t too hard? Getting lots of protein on a vegetarian diet. 165g in this day of eats!
You know what’s random? I somehow ended up with all my meals being in/on/around blue things. I think my meal settings matched my blue lack-of-hunger levels this week.
Meal #1
Toast with scrambled eggs whites and tomato. Topped with cinnamon.
Don’t judge my flavor combos, tomato + cinnamon is amazing.
Meal #2
Cottage cheese mixed with vanilla protein powder and topped with berries and a spoonful of almond butter.
Heaven in a plastic cup.
Meal #3
Zucchini bread oatmeal.
I usually get weird looks from coworkers as I pull out containers of strange foods all day, but this one got some positive feedback. Nothing like “fresh bread” in the morning.
Meal #4
Smokey fennel’d cabbage and baked tofu.
This one didn’t get compliments from the coworkers. I need to pick less smelly vegetables to love.
Meal #5
Indian red lentils with homemade faux-chicken and kale.
Packed and ready for the week.
Meal #6
Noochy egg whites and roasted bell pepper.
My best friend was over, and I wanted a five-minute meal so I wasn’t interrupting friend time to hang out in the kitchen. So scrambled eggs round 2.
Meal #7
Chocolate-protein fluff with frozen cherries. And sweet potato. Because carbs.
I was pretty full all day, but by the time this meal came around? I was incredibly not hungry, and even chocolate didn’t make this meal more appealing. I may or may not have not eaten half of this (oops…), and I still woke up the next morning unexcited about solid food…
What do you do to get excited about food? Favorite source of veggie protein?
Hahaha! I know that feeling well. Meal 7 was SO hard for me for a long time. I promise you DO adjust and actually get hungry for meals again.
Zucchini oats ROCK! I think I started making those a couple years ago after carrot cake oats… and now you’ve reminded me of them, and that I *bet* they’d make some awesome TVP oats. Breakfast dinner!
Umm, zucchini-tvp sounds like it would be delicious. And errggg, glad you know the feeling/that it passes. I’m ready to be excited about any food after 10am again…
I should mention that it takes a few weeks… sorry.
Haha, I know, I know, “time.” I’d really be better at this whole bodybuilding thing if I were more patient…
I love, love, LOVE these “hella vegetarian proteins” posts! Protein is something that I think about a lot (borderline obsess over) and it’s been awesome to see how you do it.
Also, cinnamon+tomato is awesome. We always put cinnamon in our chilli!
Glad you like ‘em! It’s been surprisingly easy to get my protein in this week–helps when you eat more food overall, haha.
Oh protein…my arch enemy. For some reason, I just never seem to get enough!! I try and try, but always seem to be lacking, unless I add some sort of protein bar to my day!
I do end up with a little more protein powder in my life than I’d like, but slowly learning where/how to get it from whole foods! And nothing wrong with a protein bar every so often–especially the ones that are pretty much a candy bar. YUM. Plus protein.
zucchini bread oatmeal.. is this recipe on your blog somewhere by chance?? sounds amazing!
It’s not, but it’s so easy it’s barely a recipe! Oats, grated zucchini, vanilla protein powder, “fall” spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger). Yum!
oh lovely! I’m pretty sure I can manage this one haha. silly question, how much grated zucchini?? no milk or yogurt?
Up to you! I do a little over half of a regular zucchini, stir it in with the oatmeal, add water until it reaches the level of the oats/zucchini and microwave for 1-2 min. I then stir in the powder/spices/dry stuff! No milk or yogurt–but that sounds like it would be worth trying–ooo, or a little dollop of cream cheese on top (I hope I’m not the only one who loves real zucchini bread smeared with cream cheese).
Mmm sounds delicious! Cannot wait to try this combination out!
Your food all looks sooo delicious!!! I want that zucchini recipe! It sounds amazing! Will you share! And I hear you about eating even when you’re not hungry!!! I thought I was going to explode by the time my 7th meal rolled around each day leading up to the marathon! Those carbs just kill you!! But it will be totally worth it once you strut your killer bod across that stage! Just think about the end result and what an awesome accomplishment it will be!!! 😃
Posted it in response to the comment above yours–hardly a recipe, more like “put these things together”
Ahh, why are carbs so filling? If someone told me to eat more peanut butter all day long–no problem, haha. And thanks for the extra motivation! Keeping my eye on my goals is making me pick up meals I’d otherwise love to skip/cheat on.
I know it is tough but your eats look freaking amazing. i want. i adore roasting tofu, it makes protein that much tastier
Roasted seems so simple, but yup, it makes such a difference in taste!
Hell yeah to veggie diets racking in the protein! My lunch today was definitely worth trying: pizza made with socca…instead of mixing the chickpea flour with water, I used egg whites and that baby racked in 22g of protein…not too shabby!
Love your meals, especially the cottage cheese mix!
This is genius! I already LOVE/live off of socca–why not give it a little protein boost? You are my socca-hero
I just wrote a similar thing today. I don’t know what to eat. Which is weird! And nope, I dunno what to do!
I wake up thinking about breakfast. Then around 10 am, I’m thinking about lunch. So forth and so on! But if I had to eat 7 meals every day, I would be in your dilemma too. I love that you and Laura are doing this competition and prepping the right way – by fueling your bodies with good food. Can’t wait to hear more about it!
It’s definitely odd for me to not be hungry–I’m used to always thinking about/being ready for the next meal too!
your wiaw’s are always SO delicious looking!!! I mean, that meal #2 combo? yes please. get in my belly right now!!!
Usually I get excited about food whenever I find a new product or brand to try to liven things up…but if that doesn’t get me stoked, I’ll just add nut butter to a meal haha Nut butter is always the answer.
Haha, nut butter will get me pretty excited too–great idea to try some new products/new foods to boost interest.
haha girl~I love your strange food combos! And I laughed about your choice of smelly veggies. I grew up eating kimchi around kids at school and it was NO FUN whatsoever getting their remarks!
And this is a lot of great meals in one day, so I don’t blame you for being full after all that. I kind of felt that on behalf of you as I read through your post!
Ohh, but kimchi is so good! Totally worth a few negative comments ;D
My favorite source of veggie protein has to be peanut butter… Meal #2 sounds absolutely scrumptious! I don’t know how y’all are able to pack all this food down- I would NOT be able to do it! Good job sticking to your goals. Very, very impressive! And congrats on having a competition date! So exciting!
It’s definitely tough and a physical AND mental challenge–but I hear it gets easier. After a few weeks…
Haha not even with adding chocolate made it more appealing?! I’ve had those days before but know that if I don’t eat I’ll be hangry later and my energy levels will be shot…
P.S. Frozen berries + cottage cheese + PB is an awesome combo, love it!
Yeah, I KNOW I need the food to fuel my goals/keep me going, so I’m making it work!
Keep up the awesome work girl!
Not only are you the protein queen, you are the ORGANIZED meal packer queen. Ok, I admit, now I want to try cinnamon on tomato!
Give it a go! It’s delicious! And my tupperware collection is a little out of control
Aww I’m sorry this is a tough adjustment for you. Maybe it just takes time. I’ve gotta try cinnamon and tomato!
Yeah, I know I’ll adjust/start being hungry at this level of eating again–it’s just the time in between! And you really do, it’s delicious!
GET excited about food? I’m always excited about food.
I’m excited your going to be able to work with a trainer now, very cool!! It’s going to be fun seeing the crazy stuff you come up with to get all those calories down. And show you can do it on a veggie diet!
Hah, I usually am too! That’s why this no hunger thing is so weird to me. And I’m looking forward to being just a liiittle less full so I’m more inspired to cook some weirdo combinations.
If you struggled following the plan I gave you, then you’re going to struggle with those bedtime carbs big time! But, like I told you weeks ago, you WILL adjust to it and become hungry. My biggest meal of the day is right before bed, and I’m always starving by the time it rolls around!
Wow, I can’t imagine having to eat when you are full. I mean, I don’t always stop when I should but forcing it would be hard!
Wow, that’s a heck a lot of food 0.0 I usually have 4 meals but 7… Kind of takes the taste of food away if you’re forcing it down
Yeah, it’s made eating a little less fun this week, but I know my body with adjust in no time and it will be back to fun times in the kitchen.
Those roasted bell peppers look delicious.
Weird looks from coworkers is half the fun. They call me the one who eats all day.
Good luck with the trainer switch and kicking things into high gear and learning to love solid meals again. Or at least the ones after 10 am.
Haha, there are worse things to be known for in the office
Thanks Meghan! I’m working on it…oatmeal sounded okay today.
I just made some zucchini bread protein batter. Zucchini in oatmeal sounds great too.
#7 looks really cool. Chocolate protein fluff?! Delicious.
Ooo, I like the sound of that batter! On your blog? Going to go check…
No wonder you’re not hungry. That seems insane (in a good way, of course). I’m really, really, really, wanting to try your cottage cheese/protein powder mix. I just need protein powder…and cottage cheese.
I’ll join you in the “I get weird looks from my coworkers” club. All. The. Time.
All this lack-of-hunger will be so worth it, though. Sequins! Sequins! Sequins! (I’ve got my priorities straight, clearly)
I believe grocery stores (perhaps even your “fridge”
) sell both–I wasn’t sure how sweet cottage cheese was going to taste…but it’s turns out that it’s awesome.
Ha! They do! I might try that out next week.
I cook up a crock pot full of beans and it will usually last me all week. I’ve been adding in cottage cheese to a lot of things which is yummy… I like your idea of adding the protein powder to it. Never thought of that. I need to do more things with tofu. How do you bake it? I know that’s as dumb question but…do you marinate it first, etc? I have some in the fridge which may or may not be a science experiment by now…
You definitely can marinate it first–just a little soy sauce and some spices! But I even baked this plain–just set my oven to 400, made thin slices, and baked until I saw the edges start to brown, flipped, waited for the same. Pull it out–delicious, and with a much “chewier” texture than unbaked.
165 grams?? That’s so impressive!!
I want meal #2!
“You mean I can’t live on jars of almond butter anymore?”—-> why I can’t do figure competitions
Hmm, tomato and cinnamon, eh? I’m down to try that…maybe for breakfast! Or dinner…or hell, whatever meal it is that I eat after I get off my shift in a few hours! Of course, now I’m also craving zucchini bread oats! Mmmm!
Couldn’t help but laugh at the comment about smelly veggies…you should have SEEN the looks of death I got in the break room the day I brought out the brussel sprouts! Seriously, I thought they were gonna take me out back and beat me with they’re tupperware! Haha!
Whenever I’m feeling meh when it comes to food, I always like to mix things up a bit…try a new flavor combo, spice, or new food altogether! That usually helps get me excited again!