Super Green Egg Cups and My Elimination Project

Look at these cute little egg cups! I’ve tried making them so many times and I always get frustrated because getting them out of the tins intact is pretty much damn near impossible. So, I just sprayed the hell out of these and bam, nailed it! I decided to give egg cups a go again because I’m attempting to get more disciplined with my eating habits and with that comes PLANNING. Having these at the ready gives me a great source of fuel without sacrificing my energy levels and waistline. As much as I love popping a piece of dark chocolate when my energy levels dip or I don’t have time to make anything, that habit was becoming a capital “P” Problem.

After a week in Disney with my family I decided it was high time to get myself back in gear with my workouts and my nutrition. While I always find time to workout each day (30 minutes and done!), and finding and making good, clean eats is my favorite pastime, I was noticing that some of my not-so-great habits had returned in full force. That daily dose of half a dark chocolate bar (but I promise, it was at least 70%!), too many end-of-day glasses of wine, not enough sleep, as well as mindless snacking was beginning to show. And guess what? Shocker, I was feeling crappy because of it! My pants were feeling tighter and my stomach, which is usually the last thing to go, had me reaching for that full-piece bathing suit in the back of my closet.

So here’s what I am eliminating:

I’ve hauled my Portion Fix containers back out to get a severely needed reality check on the amount of food I’ve been eating and to reel my macros back in. I mean, as much as I would love to eat dark chocolate, avocado and nuts each and every day all day, there is such thing as too much. Right fat sources, wrong amounts.
I’m ditching sugar for the duration. While I love the “everything in moderation” approach, there are just some foods that are triggers for me and if I have a little square of dark chocolate, heck why not finish off the whole damn bar and be done with it?! Then I’ll go buy another one tomorrow. See the cycle here?
Grains are out. My main carb source will be sweet potatoes. I’ve got a killer recipe for spicy sweet potatoes that will make a sweet potato lover out of you if they aren’t your bag! This one actually isn’t that hard for me because I don’t eat them that often anyway…unless they are in the form of a delicious baked good.

What I’m not giving up:

Dairy, for one. First of all, I only eat it about 1-2x/week and that’s usually a bowl of plain, full-fat Siggi’s yogurt or maybe a bit of sour cream on my chili. After numerous allergy tests, I know that dairy doesn’t bother me so it’s staying.
Alcohol. I’d like to say I will go without for 30 days but honestly, a glass of wine or a cocktail now and again just makes me happy and I’m all about a healthy balance and a sustainable approach when it comes to diet. I will not be imbibing on a random night lazing around on my couch but if I am out for dinner or in a social situation, I am going to have A drink and I’m going to enjoy it. Because honestly, that’s the kind of balance I’m seeking in my life.

So here’s the plan:

Also, just to add another element to the mix, I’m attempting intermittent fasting, meaning my eating window is 11am-7pm (well that’s the window I’m going with anyway). I’ve inadvertently done this before but never for several days in a row. There are a slew of benefits to it but that’s another post for another day!

So here we go, I’m currently on Day 4. No sugar cravings and am finding that planning is everything. We all know the saying, “fail to plan, plan to fail!” Here are some egg cups for you to do just that!

Super Green Egg Cups

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk 12 large eggs, lightly beaten Sea salt (or Himalayan salt) and ground black pepper (to taste; optional) 1 cup steamed broccoli, coarsely chopped ½ cup chopped green bell pepper 1 cup chopped raw spinach

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Prepare twelve muffin cups by coating with spray. Set aside.
Combine almond milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired; whisk to blend. Set aside.
Evenly divide broccoli, spinach, and bell peppers between prepared muffin cups.
Evenly pour egg mixture over broccoli mixture.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of egg cups comes out clean, and eggs are set.