Hi Guys!
It’s been a little while since I’ve published a recipe, but you’ll see more over the next few weeks! I’m currently on a weightloss journey which i realise is a very loaded statement. I’m 5’2 and when I started a month ago I was about 198 lbs. I want to start by saying, I LOVE my curves. I have always prefered to be a curvy girl and honestly have been the most confident over the last few years where I have weighed between 160 and 190lbs. With that being said, having my weight this high given my height has negatively affected my arthritis, back, and the older I get the more concerning it is for my heart (heart disease runs in my family).
I have a pretty healthy diet generally, I just love food. In addition to my love of food – one factor that has significantly contributed to a large amount of weight gain over the last five years has been my antidepressants. For the brand I am on, weight gain is the biggest side effect and has also contributed to why it has been so hard to loose weight. However, as my weight has gone up my mental health has improved and I have even been able to lower my dosage over the last few years. I feel the best mentally I have in pretty much my entire life, so it was 100% worth it.
When I was younger, i had a very complicated relationship with food that has significantly improved over the last decade. I was a binge eater and then I would restrict for periods of time after. I would eat my feelings, then punish myself – a very vicious cycle. It was directly related to past traumas and my childhood, through therapy I was able to find healthy ways of coping and it has improved drastically as i have worked on my mental health. I have only had two relapses over the last 7 years.
Like I said, I have a pretty healthy diet, but I love to eat. What I’ve done differently this time compared to previous attempts that have failed is I’m being intentionnal in what I fuel my body with. What I have found success with is counting macros. By focusing on what i put in my body at each meal, I natrually have stopped wanting to snack (for the most part lol). I have been focusing on whole foods, less processed food, but this doesnt really restrict what I can eat. I’ve still been able to have mac and cheese, tacos, brown sugar bbq chicken, mashed potatoes but I’ve been making sure to reach my goal carb, protein, and fat balance.
I have been using the app Macros which makes it so simple to count, especially when you are making your own recipes. So far, I have lost 8 lbs and am 1.4 lbs away from my goal end of September weight (it’s been 6 weeks). I have NEVER been able to loose this much weight unless I was fully restrictinng myself. It allows me to note what I am putting in my body and ultimatly feel good about what I am doing. I’ve noticed a difference physically and mentally as well. My energy is up, my depression has improved, and I actually feel committed to doing this.
In addition to really focusing on what I’m eating – I have been slightly more active. Toro and I have been doing more (even with him being sick) and I started working at a restaurant part time where I am on my feet constantly. I am not someone who can commit themself to the gym, I would much rather do stuff where I’m being active without realizing it. It helps I live in a part of Boston where it is all hills so a mile walk with Toro is like 30 minutes on the stair master lol.
Homemade Egg Bites
Approximate Serving Size: 1 Egg Bite
Calories: 74 | Protein: 7.5 g | Carb: 1.3 g | Fat: 4.1g
We all love Starbucks’ famous egg bites, well I’ve been making these at home for years! Since I’m trying to pack as much protein in as possible to fill me up, I did a recipe this week that was absolutly delicious and fluffy!
First off, the metal cupcake tins are so annoying to make these in without cupcake cups. I hate using single use paper/metal – so a game changer I bought a few years ago was this silicone cupcake tray on amazon. If you cook with one of these and you havennt before, put it on a cookie sheet when you bake anyting in it! Put it on the sheet BEFORE you put any mix in the cupcake circles – otherwise you will be cleaning for hours.
Now, the Macro Breakdown above is as close as I could get it – I’m not a scientist and am goingn off of an app. The recipe below makes 12 egg bites. I typically do 2 or 3 for breakfast depending on what I have going on.
Grocery List:
- 8 Eggs
- 3/4 cup of Cottage Cheese (I did low fat just because it bothers my stomach)
- 3/4 cup of frozen spinach – Fresh works too, use as much as you want
- 1/4 cup Shredded cheese
- Olive Oil
- Garlic Powder
Preheat you roven to 375 degrees. To start, I take my frozen spinach and sauté it in a pann with Olive oil and garlic powder till cooked and no longer frozen. I then spread out the cheeze and cooked spinach across the 12 muffin slots. (what do you even call the holes on a muffin tin lol?)
I then add the 8 eggs and cottage cheese to my blender. Blend it up until it is nice and frothy. Evenly distribute across each hole. Place in the preheated oven. I cook mine for about 20-25 minutes it really depends on your oven and how high you fill the tins up. You can check the egg bites like you would check a muffin, tap the top and if it bounces back, it’s done!
Reheating: I just pop my egg bites in the microwave for 30 seconds when I am ready to eat them! You can freeze them but I typically just go through them in a week.
Comment below if you have any other variations you enjoy, and also If you know what the muffin tin holes are lol. I am going to document as much as I can while I’m on this journey. If you have any tips or advice, I would love to hear them too:)
XOXO
Tay
The Tay Greeley Blog 