Hey hey! How’s your Thursday treatin’ ya?
I don’t know about you, but I could not WAIT to dig into today’s eats. My cereal didn’t hold me over as well as my other breakfasts as of late have been, which was sort of a bummer, so I’ll have to work with that. But hey, good thing I had a morning snack ready and waiting for me!
Mid-Morning Snack
Dry roasted almonds and a golden delicious apple
Lunch
I made myself another batch of sweet tuna salad and scooped it up using 2 Wasa crackers.
I also had a delicious, juicy orange.
Mid-Afternoon Snack
Haven’t broken into this one yet, but I packed up some baby carrots and roasted red pepper hummus (~3 tbsp).
For the past few days, my mid-afternoon snack has been anywhere between 3-4pm, which is when I typically get the urge to want to eat (hungry or not). All of my snacks have been doing a good job of holding me over until dinner, too.
Everything all together now!
I didn’t have to worry about packing up a dinner today since I’m not working late, so that was one less thing to worry about (which I loved). But now, onto something else…
Your Questions on the New Plan…Answered!
When I posted yesterday about my new nutrition plan that I’m doing with Jim, some of you had questions, so I did my best to round them all up and answer them for ya. Here we go!
Q1: Would you be able to provide info for those of us who are interested?
Definitely! Jim’s website is www.jimwhite.com and if you want more information, feel free to fill out the Contact Form located on the site.
Q2: It’s great to see that you are trying to eat healthier, but are you still allowing yourself at least a treat per day if you crave it?
Definitely! Since my plan includes an after-dinner treat, I use that to try to fulfill any cravings that I may have. My problem before, however, was trying to determine whether or not I was truly craving something, or if I was just doing it out of habit. I’d say 90% of the time, it was out of habit, and then once I started with a treat, I just wanted to keep going. Now, knowing that I have limits, it’s helping me make smarter decisions about my snack choices. Some recent favorites have been hot chocolate, a 100-calorie bag of kettle corn, and a rice cake topped with peanut butter.
Q3: How do you feel about the no creamer etc in your coffee? What will you be using in your coffee?
Luckily, this one isn’t a huge deal for me. I would occasionally use a splash or two of Jay’s creamer, but I really don’t need it. Again, it was the sweetness factor. Typically, I’m fine with using skim milk and Truvia to sweeten my coffee so that’s what I’ve continued to do. Jim said that the Truvia is fine but not to go crazy with it. I buy the jar of it and usually use 1-1/2 teaspoons per mug.
Q4: What does he (Jim) say about working out on the plan? Do you have to work out every day or so many days/week?
The plan I’m doing with Jim is truly nutrition focused, so we really don’t discuss my workouts all that much (yet). He did tell me to monitor my hunger levels on days I work out to see whether or not we may need to add anything else to compensate for the calories burned in a workout, but he is not providing me with any sort of workout plan. I’ll continue doing my usual workouts, which is usually 5-6 days per week, with a mix of cardio and strength training.
Q5: Based on the nothing but skim milk and sugar substitute in your coffee, I’m curious to know how he feels about processed/artificial foods. For example, Laughing Cow cheese is a processed cheese. Do you happen to know his view?
He hasn’t openly mentioned anything about processed/artificial foods so I can’t speak too much to this one. I’m pretty sure that the goal is for me to consume as many whole foods as possible, but I’m totally fine with a few others here and there. I mean, I do love me some Laughing Cow. ;)
Q6: When he figured out you weren’t eating “enough” did he create your nutrition plan focusing on a total number of calories needed per day or based on getting a goal total of nutrients (such as protein, fiber)?
I think a little of both! One nutrient that we noticed I don’t always do a good job of getting at every meal is protein, so that is something that he has made sure to incorporate into each of my meals. Adding extra protein during the day should also help keep me fueled and less likely to want to splurge on more later in the evening.
Q7: Do you have any specific goals that you’re trying to reach or just to overall feel and look better?
I’m definitely looking to finally get that feeling of “wow, I really feel incredible!” I haven’t felt like that in a while, but knowing how amazing that feeling is, it is certainly keeping me more motivated this time around. As for specific goals? I told Jim that I am looking to lose about 5-6 pounds within about 6 weeks which he agreed should certainly be attainable with this plan.
Q8: How long are you planning to follow this plan?
Actually, I’m hoping that as I continue to follow this plan, it will just become more and more routine! As you probably already noticed, many of the meals are not all that different from what I typically eat, so I’m not thinking it will be too hard. As usual, I’ll try my best to follow the 80/20 rule…because lord knows if I don’t have that 20% then I am setting myself up for failure! Plus, I’ll never be able to give up my wine or fro yo. ;)
**Edited to include…
Q9: How much does Jim charge to come up with a customized plan for you?
For $150.00, you get the following:
- -30-45 minute consultation + assessment
- customized meal plan
- follow-up for the first week
Any other questions about pricing, shoot Jim an email at Jim@jimwhitefit.com.
Q10: What do you do about eating dinner at restaurants? Does he provide choices or does he tell you to avoid eating out?
Good question! I haven’t had to tackle this one yet, but I know it’s inevitably going to come up. There’s a couple different ways to look at it (IMO)…I am allowed a cheat meal each week, so if I know ahead of time that I’m going to be eating out, then I could possibly make that my cheat meal for the week. On the other hand, depending on where I’m going, I will most likely have plenty of options to be able to find something that will fit loosely within the plan. Basically, I’ll just try to make sure there are lots of veggies, some protein, and a starch. Jim hasn’t provided any feedback on eating out yet.
Hopefully I answered all your questions, but if there’s any I missed or you thought of more, feel free to ask!
When I was in Florida I lived off of Ben’s moms sweet chicken salad – it was filled with mayo, cranberries and cashews. So good. So bad.
I loved this post! all of your eats look delicious! It definitely seems like a plan that is more about healthy living than “diet” focused
I think you may have forgotten to answer the question about cost. Would you mind sharing, I’m so curious! Thanks :)
I eat my afternoon snack around 3 or 4 too! Sometimes I need a little something again at 5:30 before my workout if I hope to make it through it haha
That sounds pretty reasonable and balanced to me. I hope it starts off well. I’ll say about the coffee…I just put a little unsweetened vanilla almond milk in mine and it’s perfect.
Thanks for your honesty, Courtney! I feel like it’s almost taboo in the blog world to admit you wanna lose weight. I say ‘more power to ya’ as long as you’re sensible about it, which you clearly are being :)
I love focusing on real foods–good for you for following something that makes YOU feel good :)
thanks for taking the time to answer all of our questions! i loved hearing about it all. i’m glad you’re loving it so far! looking forward to hearing future recaps, your progress, etc.!
sweet tuna salad??!!! oh yeah…that’s gonna be on my list to try this week. it’s funny, i HATE all fish except tuna…which absolutely makes no sense since i hate fish b/c it’s “fishy”…
That tuna salad looks amazing!!
Oh and THANK YOU for being honest and saying that yes, you would like to lose a few pounds! I cannot stand bloggers who say that none of this is about weight or vanity or anything, it’s all for health blah blah blah… c’mon, we’re all human!! You’re keeping it real, that’s why I love your blog so much!
I need to get back to eating the way that you’re eating now. Small and frequent. I was never hungry and felt better…why in the world did I stop? 5-6 lbs is my goal for now, too, so good luck to both of us!
I think it’s great that you are doing it to feel better and be healthier! :) Thank you so much for answering these questions. I went to his website and it looks really cool. I think that this is something that most, if not all, people could benefit from.
Tuna salad looks divine! :)
Have a great afternoon!
Yes, can you please answer the question about cost…I think you meant to and it didn’t come out right or something on your post.
Thanks for answering all of these questions so quickly!!!
Thanks for answering so many questions! I was wondering how much it costs to do this plan? I’m really interested in his program!
Also, what do you do about eating dinner at restaurants? Does he provide choices or does he tell you to avoid eating out?
Thanks again!
I’m also interested in the cost! Looks like that questions was skipped, just stuck in the answer to question 2
just doing the food journal for a week now I can already see how most of my sweet tooth choices were actually habits. I am now working to enjoy them and make sure it’s not just a habit
Great answers! The plan seems easy to follow, good luck :D
I don’t mean to sound intrusive, but why do want to loose weight When you are already thin?
Hi Rose. That’s certainly a valid question, so hopefully I addressed it a little better in tonight’s post! https://www.sweettoothsweetlife.com/2012/01/05/it-may-be-somewhat-taboo/
Great plan! I like that it’s more food focused rather than diet and exercise. Exercise is important, but the big difference is in the kitchen.
Hi Courtney, I was wondering why you wanted to lose weight when you already seem so thin and work out so much? I am kind of in the same boat as you and work out all the time, but sometimes my jeans just feel tight and I wonder if its muscle growth or weight that I need to lose. I think you look really great and thin now, so I was just wondering! :)
Hey Brianna! Thanks so much for your comment. I actually addressed this in my post tonight, so hopefully it clears up some questions that some people may have :)
https://www.sweettoothsweetlife.com/2012/01/05/it-may-be-somewhat-taboo/
I LOVE this kind of plan because it’s not some crazy fad diet.. it’s healthful eating. Eating that is doable!
Hey! I started mine a few days ago and its going well. Last night I didn’t feel I needed my extra snack but today I definitely do. I’m an SLP in a school so sometimes it’s hard for me to stick to the times as well as I’d like, but I’m making it work! Mine sounds SO much like yours where I really just don’t feel “amazing” and I’m looking to lose 5-6 lbs as well.
Good luck! I love your approach to healthy living and fitness, especially that you’re not afraid to admit you want to lose a few pounds. Looking great and feeling great are so important both mentally and physically. I just read your evening post and I agree 100% with your philosophy of going by how your clothes fit or how you look in the mirror, the numbers on the scale can do crazy things to a girl’s head. Keep it up…you’re gorgeous!
You are so sweet. Thank you, Julie!
Such a good way to stay focused when eating right, making sure you plan ahead and pack your meals. If not, that’s when we lean into temptation, eating out, snacking in an unhealthy way, etc. Especially those who work outside of the home, I just don’t get how people can eat out everyday for lunch! It’s a waste of money and more time than not, a waste of a lot of calories!