Where every Tuesday: I confess.

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Confession: The other day I ate a brownie the size of my hand (no really, the size of my entire hand) at 10pm at night AFTER I had gone to the Minnesota State Fair.

And I lived to see the next day. I didn’t explode. I didn’t gain 50 pounds. I could still fit into my spandex work out pants (and my jeans later that day). And the biggest win of the whole thing – I didn’t feel bad.

I will tell you why, but first, let’s talk about state fair food.

For those of you who are interested in my verdict about the Minnesota State Fair vs the IOWA STATE FAIR…..Minnesota always wins for food but Iowa wins for being a FAIR.

But on the day of the brownie eating, I consumed these foods at the fair:

• 1/2 of a breakfast Lucy (english muffin with two sausage patties with cheese in the middle)
• 1/2 of a poutine (fries, gravy, and cheese curds) YUM
• Some spoonfuls of nitro ice cream
• 3 cheese curds
• A few free samples of kettle corn
• Porketta (sp?) ribs. The most amazing pork on a bone you can ever imagine with the best seasonings.
• 1/2 of the new dairy barn sundae – Caramel Puff Corn Sundae. Also YUM.
• And TONS AND TONS of WATER

Now let’s talk about that huge brownie – and did I mention it was SALTED CARAMEL? I love all things salted caramel. The brownie was a gift. And to me – when someone says “I saw this and I thought of you and knew you would like it” that is special and should be eaten and enjoyed.

So knowing I was going to eat this huge brownie, I decided on 3 eggs for dinner before consuming (balance the blood sugar a little). Then I slowly ate the brownie. Half at first (I’ll save the other half for tomorrow – I said). Then I paused, savored, enjoyed. Took a few more bites and quickly determined that there was NO saving for tomorrow and I was going to consume the whole thing.

It was delicious and I loved every bite. And the next day, I woke up, made coffee, eggs and chicken sausage and went about my day. I worked out. I ate Chipotle later and then grass fed burgers (no bun) with veggies for dinner.

The difference between me eating that brownie now and what it would have been like years ago  – is that it doesn’t send me into a spiral. I can wake up the next day, eat healthy, and keep trucking along.

I got an email asking me how to reset yourself after a day of overeating – do you exercise more, eat less?

The answer is – do not stress out about it. Eat healthy, move the next day, and all the days after that.

To wrap up this confession I want to share with you a few staples I always keep in my refrigerator/kitchen to help me stay on track no matter what.

• Roasted veggies – whatever you like. Make a huge batch and keep them in the fridge.
• Roasted potatoes – same as above. Make a huge batch at the same time you roast the veggies.
• Quick proteins – ground turkey, ground beef, bake chicken ahead of time (same as potatoes, and veggies)
• Almond milk, protein powder, and veggie supplement powder. Quick and easy protein shake at any time.
• Coffee – for obvious reasons. With heavy whipping cream or full fat half and half or full fat coconut milk (helps me feel full right away in the morning)
• Applegate hot dogs – what is easier than a hot dog?
• Eggs – remember the food right before the brownie?

Essentially I always have roasted veggies, roasted potatoes, and an easy protein so I always have a healthy meal within minutes. Make big batches on Sunday night or what I did this week was cook them during American Ninja Warrior (my favorite show!).

I hope you can ease the stress of food this fall, enjoy it, and don’t feel guilty. I didn’t feel guilty this time because I knew that on most days and most of the time I make good choices, eat healthy, and move a lot.

Have an amazing FALL week.

lindsey