Most every nutritionist, doctor, or trainer I’ve worked with has told me the key to losing weight is to stabilize blood sugar. Eating balanced meals more often (that is, from 4 to 6 times per day) is usually what is recommended. And I have never heard any of them say cut out the carbs, which is good because I love carbs! Carbs that are high in fiber are actually part of a well-balanced meal and can help stabilize blood sugar. I’ve been eating brown rice, brown rice pasta, barley, beans, whole grain breads & tortillas. No wonder I’m not hungry!

Of course when I eat at home and have my pre-made meals from California Chef, it is much easier for me to stay on track. I am finding I love anything w/ lean ground turkey. I loved my Turkey Chili Mac & Cheese, Turkey Meatballs, Turkey Genovese Pizza, and of course my Guiltless Turkey Nachos last week. Try the nachos and let me know what you think:

Guiltless Turkey Nachos: 340 Calories

1 brown rice tortilla (or whole wheat)

¼ cup pinto beans

¼ cup salsa

2 oz. cooked lean ground turkey

¼ cup 2% Mexican cheese

2 tsp. chopped cilantro

2 tsp. chopped green onion

2 tsp. chopped jalapeños

1. Spray the tortilla w/olive oil cooking spray and cut into 8 wedges. Place on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes until crispy.
2. Place 6 of the tortilla chips on the bottom of a plate.
3. Spread beans on chips.
4. Toss turkey in salsa and then spread over beans.
5. Sprinkle cheese on top of turkey, and then top with cilantro, onions, and jalapeños.
6. Microwave or bake in oven when ready to eat.

All things considered, last week was easier than I thought it would be. The key for me is planning my day so that I know how many times I will need to eat and when. I have 3 meals a day and either 2 or 3 snacks depending on how long my day is. I have not been hungry at all.

The hard part is balancing the fun factor on the weekend. In addition to the easy access winery & brewery I’ve mentioned earlier, right around the corner we have the Old Place, a one-of-a-kind eatery and neighborhood clubhouse. We are “expected” to show up at least once during the weekend. Friday night we left after just one drink, and now I don’t know if we’ll be welcomed back;)

So, the first goal of last night’s date was to stay away from alcohol.  We decided on the neighborhood taco joint that doesn’t serve any, and a movie rental for home. For the meal, I chose two chicken tacos w/corn tortillas and an unsweetened iced tea for 410 calories—not bad for a date night dinner.

The next challenge was the choice of refreshments for the at-home movie. W/ all that close access to beer & wine, of course we have a fridge and closet full. (Did I mention one of my best friends is a winemaker?)  But I was determined to keep it clean this first week so I went for some chamomile tea. I also planned for an evening snack, which w/ the movie was, of course, light popcorn @ 120 cals. Good food, great company, an interesting movie, and NO diet violations—not too shabby a kickoff for “new-style” date night.

Greek Yogurt & Berries: 120 cals, which I already ate at 2:45 am!

Breakfast Panini (w/egg, Canadian bacon, & fat-free cheese): 340 cals.  I am planning on eating half at 6:00 am and half at 9:00 am.

Guiltless Turkey Nachos: 340 cals. This will comprise lunch at 12:00 pm.

Apples & Cinnamon Zabaglione: 120 cals. This will be my snack at 3:00 pm.

Parmesan-Crusted Salmon w/ Italian Brown Rice & Roasted Ratatouille: 380 cals. This will be dinner, eaten between 6:00 & 6:30 pm.

Lots of water & green tea too.  No wine w/dinner tonight and no calories from beverages. I am right at the 1,300 calorie limit I set for myself, so I cannot have anything additional and need to stick to my portion sizes. But this is a lot more food than I usually eat with a lot less calories, so I am not worried!

Here’s a peek at how some obstacles to good nutrition have wedged their way into my day-to-day life and the bad habits I’ve developed in an effort to deal w/ them:

A typical Monday has me arriving at work at 3:30 am, too early to eat. Because we are very busy, before I know it, it is 9:30—I grab a handful of nuts. At 11:00 I’m actually starving and ask my husband to make me a yogurt & granola. However, the pace of work in the kitchen doesn’t let up, so it takes me 3 hours of bites on the run to finish my snack. Around 3:30 pm, after the clients’ meals are all finished and the employees have left, I have another snack (probably something quick that’s loaded w/carbs and little or no protein). Then I get home around 6:30 pm and usually go out to dinner. Who wants to cook after a 15-hour day? In fact, I’m probably having some wine w/that dinner because, hey, after a Monday like this, I deserve it! I come home pooped and unwind with a good book before falling asleep.

So, while I am eating 4 times a day, which is good, I don’t eat my first meal until I’ve been up for 6 hrs! Then in about the same span of time, I consume 3 more meals. Not so good. OK, so where am I going to take the opportunity to make some needed changes?

Opportunity #1: Eat breakfast daily within 1 hour of waking.

Opportunity #2: Eat low-fat meals/snacks that are balanced w/ protein & healthy carbs every 3 to 4 hours. Total calories: 1,300 -1,400/day.

Although I strongly believe that running around the kitchen for 10 to 12 hours a day should count as exercise, my scale and mirror tell me that it somehow does not. This troubling fact appears to present yet another opportunity:

Opportunity #3: Exercise at least 15 minutes per day and walk 1 hour 2 to 3 times per week.

Unfortunately, it’s also true that wine doesn’t count as a fruit. So, you guessed it . . .

Opportunity #4: Cut out the weekday wine.

OK, I’m a woman, so I’m not going to tell you what I weigh right now, but by capitalizing on the opportunities above, I intend to lose the 30 lbs. of extra weight I’ve put on in the last 4 years by June 1st. So, if you are resolved to lose it too, visit my blog for great recipes and updates with helpful dieting tips.