Feel good about yourself during the weekend

During the weekends, I like to slow it down a bit, after the hustle and bustle of the week. One of my favorite feelings is to open my eyes on a Saturday morning and know I dont have to rush off anywhere or get the kids ready. I have no one else to answer to that day and no urgent schedule to meet, and it feels heavenly.

As I wake up feeling a sense of freedom, it often overlaps into my breakfast or brunch choices. An instinctive thought for me on a Saturday morning is, “After THAT week, I need something to reward myself!” Usually my top choices include homemade pancakes, buttery fried Indian flat bread or an almond croissant from my neighborhood bakery.

I dont feel like DEPRIVING myself on the weekend. I want to fulfill my cravings and feel totally free.

Two weekends ago, I indulged in my craving for an almond croissant and donut from the bakery next door (I live next door to a bakery and it is hard!). Yes, they were delicious! The croissant was light and buttery, and so was the donut.

As a result of eating those, though, I began feeling lazy. . .really lazy. I ended up falling asleep for the entire afternoon and missing out on time I could have spent playing with my kids and enjoying myself — and I regretted the way I felt that day.

Yes, the sweets were good — but they werent worth the way I felt AFTER eating them.

After eating a heavy, sugary breakfast/brunch I physically feel heavy and bloated. My stomach starts to expand and make my pants tighter around my stomach — which makes me feel guilty that I wasted all the hard work I did during the week.

I also feel a major dip in how I feel — mentally. I begin to feel lethargic, slightly depressed, and more unproductive than I want to be.

Sure, I want to be relaxed during the weekend, but I also dont want to feel bad about myself and have a lack of energy. I want to play with my kids, go out and see friends, and feel good about my body. I want to eat food that I love and also feel positive. Is this possible?

One of the best ways to feel good about yourself on the weekend is to wake up and have a satisfying, high protein and low sugar “weekend breakfast”. When you start your weekend with higher protein and less sugar you will:

• Feel more energy during the day
• Be less likely to crave sugar and unhealthy ingredients during the rest of the day

For our healthy weekend breakfast, my husband makes us a lighter version of Huevos Rancheros — he heats up beans, fries a few eggs in cooking spray or light olive oil, layers and tops with salsa and cilantro. The traditional version of this Mexican dish also has a tortilla, sour cream and high-fat cheese — but we dont miss it.

As we sit down to enjoy our weekend breakfast, we savor the satisfying flavors. We look at each other and I always say, “I cant believe this is healthy!” because the meal tastes so good! We still feel like were indulging! As we begin to realize how filling the breakfast is, any cravings for sugary ingredients quickly disappears.

Once were done with breakfast, I begin to get excited as I think about the rest of my weekend plans — maybe its apple picking with the kids, an afternoon exploring the city, or dinner with my husband or girlfriends. I feel energetic and awake, and I cant wait to enjoy the rest of my time!

Try our perfect weekend breakfast and tell me how YOU feel! Leave a note in my comments below.

Ibe's Heavenly Huevos Rancheros

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Servings 1 serving

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 can black or pinto beans, (rinsed and drained) OR refried beans
• Cooking spray, or olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 tablespoon onion, chopped, for garnish
• 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped, for garnish
• 1/4 cup low fat cheddar cheese, shredded or reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Instructions

 

• Warm beans (purchase refried or blend rinsed pinto or black beans in the blender) on the skillet
  
• Using 2 egg whites and 1 egg, make a fried egg with cooking spray or a touch of olive oil on a separate skillet.
  
• On a plate, layer eggs, beans, and salsa/hot sauce
• Sprinkle fresh onions, cilantro, and low-fat cheddar or feta cheese (optional) on top. Serve with a ½ cup of strawberries or other berries.
  

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Have a fabulous, high-energy weekend!