Crap Free Week Reflections and Turkey Quinoa Stew

I’ll give you one guess what I was so happy to have yesterday morning.

Strangely, I felt SO guilty for purchasing this. I wish I could tell you it tasted like dirt and chemicals and blech. It did not. It tasted like heaven.

What I loved about CFW is that I learned SO much about my eating as far as things that I need to change or improve. Here’s what I learned:

I learned that:

• I don’t have to have dessert each and every night. There is absolutely nothing wrong with dessert! When you are hungry, that is. I always just assume I’m going to have something at night (usually a bar or an ice cream bar…or two!), and I need to start asking myself if my hunger really warrants those treats.
• I need to eat more fruits as snacks! It was amazing how some grapes or an orange could really fulfill my sweet tooth. I am definitely buying grapes in bulk from now on!
• I need to eat bigger meals. This is so simple, yet I’ve been so SCARED to eat bigger breakfasts and lunches for so long because of point #1, above. I found that I didn’t need a morning snack OR an afternoon snack because my breakfasts and lunches were so hearty! Eating bigger dinners also helped prevent me from wanting to raid the pantry at night.
• I can go without diet coke and SURVIVE! For maybe a day. lol. I don’t want to give up DC for EVER because it makes me happy. I DO want to cut back and not depend on it each and everyday. I’m going to try going 1-2 days a week without diet coke. If I can do that, MAYBE in the future I will cut back now. I’m just not a cold turkey gal.
• I can go without caffeine and SURVIVE! I slept better (although usually I’m a good/heavy sleeper anyway) and loved having “natural” energy – it felt different to me, if that makes sense. I’m going to go one day a week without any caffeine from now on…I might increase that in the future.
• Hearty meals = Happy Holly. I was in the habit of bringing a Lean Cuisine everyday for lunch…as soon as I eat them up, I’m resolving NOT to bring them for lunch anymore! I’m really going to work on cooking on the weekends or Monday nights and taking leftovers. I heart leftovers.

Things I didn’t like about CFW:

• having to go to bed a little hungry sometimes. Especially since I wake up early to workout (before having breakfast), this wasn’t so much fun.
• going low on my calcium intake. I have weak bones, and don’t drink milk. I did have yogurt a few times during the week, but normally I have it at least once or twice a day.

All in all, I am very glad I did CFW. I learned so much, and while this is NOT a way I could eat all the time (too restricting for me), I am going to try to do one Crap Free Day a week. I think it’ll help open my eyes to heartier, healthier foods…and I also hope it will also help me with intuitive eating.

Psssst….I celebrated Sunday by eating waaaaaay too many Thin Mints.

Last night I was VERY excited to try Erica’s Turkey Quinoa Stew! My regular grocery didn’t have quinoa (that I could find), so I didn’t get around to making it until last night. I was very excited to try this stuff:

I’ve seen it all over blog world and it looks…interesting.

This stew is SUPER easy and very filling – and YUMMY.

I will definitely be having this for leftovers later this week. So good! I’m such a soup/stew girl…my co-workers are going to wonder if I eat solid foods? Ever?

And check out these 3 great contests below!

* Erica’s Oikos Coupons Giveaway

* Missy’s Erin Baker’s Giveaway

* Heather’s Coconut Milk Product Giveaway

Happy early Hump Day!