Eating to Fuel

1: I make my own. 1 frozen banana, 2 tbs of peanut butter, 8oz of almond milk, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, 2 tbs of Greek yogurt, 3 ice cubes.

2: I like Clif bars, raw cauliflower (yea, I said it), peanut butter sandwiches

Every morning I have a scrambled egg, some pre-cooked homemade pork sausage, and a slice of cheese. If I have avocado, I'll do that too. Days I work out, I add a 1 cup almond milk w/protein powder.

I microwave the egg and the sausage is already cooked, so it literally takes only 1 minute to cook. 30 seconds just the egg in a bowl. Flip it, add sausage and cheese, another 30 seconds. BAM. A filling breakfast that will stay with me until lunch.

I am also rushed in the morning for breakfast, and I have to eat. If I don't, I'm a crazy maniac in a few hours. I prefer to eat real foods as opposed to protein powders and such (great for those that like them, but not me). I made up my own breakfast smoothie and have been drinking it during the week for the last few weeks. It consists of:

1 cup 1% milk
1 single serve container of Chobani flavored 2% yogurt (5.3-6oz....depending on the flavor I think)
1 cup frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries, berry mix....whatever looks good when I go shopping)
1 banana (not frozen)

I put that into my blender and mix it for less than a minute and it's done. The above is about 415 calories, which for me, is about right for breakfast.

If I ride the trainer (bike) in the morning, I add in 10g (1/2 Tbsp) of Nesquick chocolate syrup for a treat (it's my motivation to ride, haha). Lately I've been adding a packet of EmergenC to it, but that does give it an obvious orange taste (I like it, but some may not).

As for snacks....I love eggs and buy the Egglands hard boiled, peeled eggs. I cut up 2 or 3 and mix with some salsa and have that.

Good luck!
Chelle

In answer to your calorie question our target from MFP is for net calories which means you get to eat back your exercise calories. I find that a great way to allow myself a treat, if I know there is a treat I just trade it off in my head if I can fit in a 30 minute work out. That said you want to be careful when eating back your calories as some of the preprogrammed ones are a high estimate so many people tend to only eat back half of them.

I delay my breakfast and do a light morning snack and a light lunch on non workout days so that I have a lot of calories left for a big meal with my family or an evening snack if I'm so inclined.

In my work fridge I have hummus and baby carrots, pepperoni and cheese sticks (50&60cals), yogurt, and I keep rice thins in my drawer.

I've always been one of those people who doesn't eat breakfast - partially for lack of hunger and partially because I'm frequently running late in the morning. The trouble with this is that by 10:30 or 11, I'm starving - so I often reach for an early fast food lunch and/or binge on something. It's time for those habits to stop, and for me to be eating better. SO, two things:

You don't HAVE to eat breakfast if you don't want to. I do, because I'd be very grumpy and hungry if I didn't, but you don't have to force yourself to eat if you aren't hungry. Since you do get hungry around 10:30, I'd say that's a good time for a late breakfast.

1) Smoothies are super easy for me to do in the mornings. What kind of high protein, easy (as in, toss in the blender, pour and go) and cost effective smoothies do you guys like?

It's not a "smoothie," which are typically filled with sugar and calories, but it is easy and high protein and cost effective if you buy the cheap stuff. It's a protein shake. I take 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 frozen banana, a few ice cubes, and a handful of baby spinach. Blend it up and you have a delicious green protein shake that'll keep you satisfied for hours.

2) What kinds of things do you keep in the fridge that make for great snacks and/or packed lunches to take to work? I really like to have something crunchy or substantial somewhere in there, or else it feels like I didn't really eat (just psychologically).

I eat breakfast, lunch, and my afternoon snack at work. This week it's my homemade oatmeal "packets" (I've posted the recipe here before) with almond milk I bring from home and some cinnamon I keep in my desk for breakfast, two chicken/bean/avocado tacos on corn tortillas that I made ahead of time and pre-packaged so I could just grab it and go for lunch, and those small pouches of light tuna on a piece of bread and 1/2 a banana for a snack. Other snacks I've brought to work include yogurt, light string cheese, hard-boiled eggs, nuts, and Special K multigrain crackers (usually with tuna). Other lunches include a combination of the "snacks" I mentioned earlier or something I make on Sunday and split up into servings for the week - soup, beans and rice, or a Caesar salad with light dressing and low-fat croutons.

I live in a really healthy area with lots of mountain access, so I'm looking for foods that will help build me up and fuel me so I can start hiking and so forth without feeling like I'm going to pass out

High protein, but don't forget carbs for energy!

... but I want to be careful too, because I'm trying to *lose weight, not bulk up. I'm always tired, and I have no doubt that my poor eating habits and empty calorie consumption are a big part of that.

Common misconception. Get that right out of your head now. Women don't "bulk up" by working out. It takes A LOT of work and dedication and very heavy lifting for women to "bulk" because we lack the testosterone that helps men bulk. Don't ever be afraid of muscle - muscle is GOOD. Trust me, you won't look like a bodybuilder - you'll be more "toned" and fit.

Also, am I correct in understanding that the recommended calorie amount provided by MFP is the "NET" amount? So, if it recommends that you don't eat more than 1300 calories to meet your weight loss goal, that's 1300....net, not just 1300 from food? Just to clarify.

You're absolutely right. If your goal is 1300 and you burn 400 by exercising, you need to eat those calories back. That means you'll actually eat 1700 calories that day.