Protein Protein Protein!

I've got to start eating more protein. I've reviewed my food diary and I am not getting nearly enough protein for the exercise and strength training I am doing and it might be the trick to getting me off this blasted plateau. How do I add protein to my diet you ask? I've decided that I'm going to start eating more of the following foods:

1. Protein Shakes - I know, not the best for something to make you feel full as it goes down quite easily, but it's fairly low in calories and there is a high percentage of protein in them.
2. Cottage Cheese - I love cottage cheese, high in protein, low in fat and calories and makes me feel full full full! Love it with a bit of chopped up tomato, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Delish!
3. Cans of Tuna - perfect for lunch with a couple of crakers or some avocado, tomato and spanish onion. 1 small can of tuna keeps me full for up to 4 hours!
4. Smoked salmon - yep, tough I know.... but it's gotta be done, another rich source of protein, high in good fats and low in calories.
5. Tuna and Salmon Sashimi - I'm obsessed with the stuff at the moment, and it is such an amazing source of protein.

As you can see, 3 out of those 5 food choices is seafood! COOL! I went out yesterday and picked up some cans of salmon and tuna, some smoked salmon, some cottage cheese and some velish soups (cos I'm definitely not getting my 5 servings of veges per day!) 1 small velish gives me 3 servings... COOL again!

Yesterday was a great day for me food wise as well. I felt a little bit better than Friday (hangover had pretty much gone) I did 1.5 hours at the gym, grabbed a coffee with my bandit friend, I had a velish soup for lunch, a couple of cheese and crackers for a late afternoon snack and then went out for a hen's night. I ordered this mushroom goulash, it was a MASSIVE serving... but there was a nice slopppy mushroom sauch and I was able to eat about 5 mouthfuls and felt full. (The black forest cake was also pretty good, and easy to get down, but we won't talk about that now will we???) *lol* My fiance came and picked me up and I felt like something salty... hot chippies from mcdonalds! So I got a small fries, had 2 and then gave the rest to fiance. I enjoyed the taste, got the craving out of my system too. I also burnt off those calories a little later on in the evening *wink wink*

It's 11am and I've had a Celebrity Slim Protein Shake and a small bowl (around 100g?) of cottage cheese with some salt and pepper just now. I'm feeling content, not sick or stuck or sore or overfilled.

I've realised with the increase in my restriction that I really have to get back to basics with my food. I quite often let my tastebuds control what I am eating, not my band (and I know it's a two way street but my band wins more than not, yet I give in to what my tastebuds want... with dire dire consequences!!). Too often, when I have gone out for meals I have chosen to have foods that I know I won't be able to get down, because I feel like eating them, I feel like the taste. So I order it, and more often than not, the band doesn't like the choice and lets me know about it. I've got to start thinking about what I'm able to eat, not what I would like to eat. This doesn't mean that I should only choose soups... but I really shouldn't be having a spaghetti bolanase or a woodfired pizza because I can't eat pasta or bread anymore... does that make sense? It's only when I don't get a choice of what I eat (when I go over to someone's house for a meal) then I have trouble, and I usually make up some excuse for why I don't eat alot... which i feel really bad about.

Another exciting thing that's happened is that my bandit friend has been asked to go for a photoshoot (before and after shots) for Johnson and Johnson (the makers of her band) and has been asked to talk about her banding story for one of the women's mags! HOW EXCITING!!! I will definitely be posting up more information about her story and where you can find it as soon as she tells me! The best thing is, is that by doing this story, she is "outing" herself to the world that she has had a lap band, because, like me, she was very private about getting one. I think if I was to "out" myself I would Love to do it in this way!

Have a great Sunday!

LBG xx