I’m a day behind and using a free moment to catch up. We didn’t get back from bible study until 10 p.m., and then we went straight to bed. (Translation: i hurriedly did all the things I felt needed to be done and was in bed an hour later.)

Breakfast: Two egg muffins, salsa, chicken sausages and sauerkraut and a clementine.

Mid-morning snack: I broke out my mini-trail mix around 10 a.m. While we were reviewing counseling materials. Wednesday is my preceptor’s out-patient counseling day, where she speaks to groups and individuals about rotating topics.

Lunch: Had to re-pack my lunch to make it more car-friendly as I drove from one site to another. Curry chicken salad, carrots and spicy guac. Didn’t end up eating the applesauce/baby food thing.

Not pictured: afternoon coffee from Dunkin as I ran a quick errand. Before I got home, I snacked on two Larabar bites.

I ran three miles with Hadrian and quickly showered before wolfing down lamb and cauli-rice leftovers before bible study.

Another not-pictured: All the (air-popped) popcorn I ate at bible study. Mindless eating at its best! Tummy hurt after that…

Andrew is a ‘cheater, cheater PIZZA-eater!’

I walked into the kitchen around 9 p.m. After he returned home from an event to find him wolfing down Pasquale’s pizza. So much for the challenge!

Breakfast: I took two apple strudel egg muffins (they’re growing on me, and much better from the toaster oven), bacon, sauerkraut and a clementine in the car. I hate eating in the car, in the dark. Gotta get myself ready faster in the mornings so I can eat before I leave the house.

Today was my first day at ECMC, but I’ve been there before with my preceptor, so it wasn’t a completely new experience. We chatted a bit about how I will spend my next month with her, attended a department meeting and I saw two patients.

By 9:45 I was hungry again.

After seeing and speaking with both patients, I took my lunch and a book to the cafeteria. Salmon on salad with avocado, sunflower seeds and balsamic dressing. Side of roasted cauliflower.

Around 2:30, while I was inputting my assessments into the EMR, I got snack-y. Homemade trail mix.

On my way to the gym, I ate two Larabar balls, although I probably didn’t need them. Almost made me full-feeling during spin class, despite how small they are.

On the way home from the gym, I had the last handful of cocoa-dusted almonds from the container in my car.

Andrew was out this evening, and I had just enough time to nuke my dinner before my ‘Writing for Pay’ webinar started. Good thing they couldn’t hear me chewing! I found out that on Wednesdays (so, tomorrow)’during this rotation, I’ll have to eat lunch in my car between out-patient counseling sessions. So, anything that needs to be microwaved is out. I decided to eat tomorrow’s lunch tonight, and whipped up a chicken salad to take with me tomorrow. All are easily ingestible while driving. Stir-fry and apples with almond butter.

I ended my night with a small Paleo brownie and a couple dark chocolate-covered ginger pieces–perhaps my favorite Trader Joe’s find EVER.

Night!

First day back to school! We had an all-day orientation on-campus, and the rest of the semester will be spent in various hospitals and long-term care facilities in a clinical setting. Tomorrow, I’ll be at ECMC from 8-4:30 and will continue there until the end of February. This is my ‘senior practicum’ rotation, and I designed it so I would get experience in both general nutrition assessment, as well as ICU/critical care and out-patient counseling, which is probably what I’m most looking forward to.

All my food was prepped and ready the night before. Definitely going to try to keep doing the advance prep–it’s so nice to just toss items in a cooler bag, rather than have to think and make meals the night before, EVERY night.

Breakfast: Two egg ‘muffins’ with chicken sausage. I forgot that I put a little meat in each muffin, and while eating it I felt like the sausage was too much. But, I need big breakfasts while I’m at the hospital to keep me until lunch–it’s not always easy to snack. I added sauerkraut and a clementine.

Mid-morning snack: Eaten around 10:30. I made it so long, but just couldn’t make it to 12. A tiny homemade trail mix: one piece of chili-dusted mango, some dark chocolate pieces and some coconut cashews.

Lunch: Eaten solo in the cafe, while reading my fad diet book club book. Wish I had more time to finish that up! Chicken stir-fry and 1/3 green apple and about 1 T almond butter. I kept wanting to eat the half-Paleo brownie I brought (pictured), but I was full without it.

Afternoon snack: Around 2:30, a couple of us broke away for a coffee run. I ended up eating both the brownie and homemade Larabar pieces together as a pre-workout snack around 3. Both of those are mostly dried fruit and nuts, so great options.

Post-workout: The friend I’d had over last night for dinner sent me home with some goodies her mom made, as well as some homemade pickled peppers and frozen perch. Random, for sure. One of these was calling my name…. A total Paleo cheat, but it was an ideal time to indulge (directly after exercise), and it’s not like it was going to get any fresher. Just ate the top…

Dinner: I whipped up some Paleo Chicken Pumpkin Curry sliders (we’ve had it before; recipe from PaleoOMG) and more of the broccoli slaw. I served mine with dollops of the spicy guac.

Not pictured: the movie-theater popcorn I ate while watching American Sniper with Andrew and his dad. Excellent movie. I did, however, bring my own beverage–chocolate coconut water–instead of getting soda.