So I used to think potatoes were evil. I only ate them if I was being “bad” or having a “fat day”.. or week… or month… or year?
In my efforts to get off of a “diet” and break my thought distortions around foods, I am making a point of reincorporating REAL foods I’ve seen as “bad” back into my daily menu. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still avoiding nutritionally void fake foods and frankenfoods like high fructose corn syrup and bleached flour… I’m just taking steps to reincorporate REAL, natural, and whole foods back into my life.
In my past weight loss efforts, I remember how quickly I lose weight when I cut out ALL fruits and ALL starchy veggies. I have gone whole MONTHS without eating a single bite of fruit. I’m not even kidding. The first time I lose weight, and the second time I lost the baby weight, everyone marveled at how I was losing a steady 2-4 pounds per week. But I also remember how neurotic it made me once the weight has come off and I was ready to go back to “normal”. What is normal when an APPLE is scary? A potato is terrifying?! That’s not healthy. No wonder I lost my head, started binging, and eventually got right back to my previous unhealthy weight. I wasn’t trying to be healthy… I was trying to be thin, at any cost. And the cost was a healthy, normal and well-balanced diet. So screw that. Right now, I’m all about health.
And part of my journey is removing the fear and the stigma and the trepidation I feel about the humble potato. I know this sounds silly, but this is HUGE for me. Eating potatoes while weighing in every morning on a weight loss journey has historically signified that I was food binging, or depressed, or having a “cheat meal” for a birthday or a holiday. To eat potatoes for breakfast JUST BECAUSE?!?! This is radical ya’ll. 😉
So I’m starting out my weekend morning with the fam with this potato and tempeh breakfast bake, using some of the yummy vegan cheese that I found at the Grocery Outlet earlier this week. No guilt, no shame, and 100% in alignment with my weight loss efforts. Bon appetit!
Potato and Veggie Burger Breakfast Bake
2 tablespoons coconut oil
½ onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium russet potatoes, diced into small cubes
4 vegan veggie burger patties, chopped
½ cup mushrooms, chopped
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
½ cup shredded vegan cheddar
How to Make:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute.
Add the potatoes, veggie burgers and mushrooms. Saute for 5 minutes.
Add the thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a 13×9 inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
During the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle the vegan cheese over the potato mixture and bake until the cheese melts.
CURRENT STATS
Start Weight (May 15, 2020): 201 pounds
Current Weight (July 4, 2020): 184.4
Total Pounds Lost (Since May 15, 2020): 16.6
Pounds Left to Lose to Reach Goal Weight of 130 pounds: 54.4
