OK this week I want to be short and sweet. I was in a major car accident Sunday so I have been a little bit shaken the last few days and gotten a bit off track with things in order to deal with the circumstances at hand. All is well however, life is good, and Tuesday is here and now. Just so you know and remember, I am not a nutritionist. I am however, an experienced survivor and accomplished participant of the fitness industry, but what I suggest are merely “suggestions” and I’m just telling you what works for me. Everyone is different, and ultimately to find what food combinations (example protein, carb, fat ratios) work for YOU, it does come down to trial and error, and patience with the process as you learn what works best for YOU. It’s just as important to know what DOESN’T work for you too.
What I have found to be a great daily meal plan for me is as follows. I would suggest men take in twice the serving sizes I do, but again everything does depend on the individual and his/her goals. For more individualized help, please contact me personally in the comment section or Q&A section. See below for my Monday-Friday meal faves!!!
Typically, I get up and have 1/4th cup of old fashion oats (from Traders Joe’s), with 1/4th cup blueberries, and 1 tbsp of flax seed oil, all stirred, heated, and mixed together. I also have 4 egg whites scrambled with cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and other spices/herbs of my daily choice:) This is truly my breakfast of champions, as it really gets me going. On the days I do morning cardio early, I wait to eat breakfast until after I do cardio. Stay tuned for Workout Wednesday where I will talk specifically about my weekly workout schedule and daily routines.
For my next snack I typically have a protein shake, and lately I’ve been at work and what’s been easiest for me is a half of a Muscle Milk shake (about 130 calories, 13 gms protein, 6 carbs, 4.5 gms fat)
Next, I am usually still out and about so I have the other half of my Muscle Milk.
Once I am home around 3 0r 4 pm, I typically have about 1/2 cup mixed veggies, 1/4 cup brown rice, and 4 oz of lean meat (usually tuna or white fish). I also use about 2 tblspns of olive oil, chili pepper, garlic powder, and other spices/herbs I may be in the mood for that day (as long as they don’t have any sodium).
About 2 hours later, depending on the time, I either have dinner, or if its a night I’m eating dinner later, I’ll have 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese, and/or a half of an avocado.
For dinner I have about 2-3 cups of greens (example: broccoli, spinach, asparagus, green beans, etc) mixed with mushrooms, 2 tbsp olive oil, spices and herbs. I will put that with 4-6 oz of fish, or the occasional piece of meat (I typically eat mostly fish, very little meat).
Some nights I’ll eat a snack, but typically I don’t need it. I like to eat half an apple with a serving of all natural peanut butter or almond butter, or a serving of low glycemic milk chocolate that I buy at Trader Joe’s (it’s really gooood!!!)
I ALWAYS aim to drink at least 3 liters of water per day.
So this is what I do often. I also eat a lot of wheat grass when I can, as well as other healthy treats. I’d love to help you figure out things that work for you as well, so please let me know if you have questions!!! Post ALL questions/comments here on the blog please!!!!! Here’s to your health:)
Hey Shannon, so happy to hear from you on the blog and on this topic, I am happy to help. I understand how overwhelming and frusterating it can be when wanting to learn new, healthy habits and not knowing where to even begin. I was once in that very same place. You are right…it is absolutelty about LIFESTYLE changes, and I believe very strongly in taking baby steps, exactly so not to get to the “Oh F… I don’t want to do this” point:)
First of all it’s important to find foods you like that are healthier than what you are eating now. Not perfect choices, just better ones. If you like high frustose corn syrup, saturated fats, and sodium, well you are basically semi-addicted to drugs LOL. Let’s face it, food is very much a drug in it’s own way, and we have to ween ourselves off of them slowly, replacing each bad habit with a healthier one. The toughest part of it all, is seeking out and finding healthy alternatives, which does take a little time and effort and then you must commit to changing for the better. Question, are you exercising now???
I reccommend focusing on wanting to “feel better” more than anything else. The physical changes will follow the more you get yourself feeling good, energized, and healthy again!!!
Here are a few small things you can begin to implement in to each day. After you achieve these, we can hone in on more specific diet and exercise changes.
1) Work on drinking AT LEAST 2 liters of water at least 6 days a week.
2) Do yourself a favor and get no less than 3 days a week of at least 30 minutes of cardio. I really recommend circuit training, and I’ll be posting my exact workout on this coming Workout Wednesday’s blog. However, the baby steps for one not already exercising, call for 3 days/week of 30mins cardio to start. Once you master that, you can advance to some more effective workouts.
3) Make sure you eat breakfast soon after you wake up, every day. You can have one 1-2 slackish days like Saturday and Sunday, but at least 5 days/week, start the day with breakfast. This is important to set the tone for a healthy metabolism throughout the day. Even if one is thin, the goal is to have a healthy body composition. I trust you know some healthy choices that you also like the taste of. If not let me know and I’ll throw some suggestions your way.
4) On those 5 days, also, do your best to eat smaller meals that consist of fruits, veggies, lean meats, grains, and eat every 2-3 hours until ur bed time:) I suggest kashi cereals, ezekeal bread, fat free cottage cheese, high fiber wraps, nuts, almond milk vs regular milk and soy milk, egg whites, turkey, fish, a variety of veggies and fruits, hummus dip, goat cheese vs. cow milk or soy milk cheese, all natural peanut butter and/or almond butter, avacados, whey protein powder, etc. There are lots of ways to eat healthier without feeling deprived and bored…I promiss:)
5)Lets not worry about your sodium for now, unless you decide you wanna start paying attention at least so you can make a concious decission to eat the 3000mgs of sodium or not LOL.
I think this is a good place for you to start. Just begin with getting to know food, and seeking out healthier options for a while. You may find yourself reading the label on everything in the beginning, but it’s ok…it’s part of the process. I did that too ha ha. A bit annoying, but before I knew it, I was a master at knowing the healthiest choices for me. I wish you lots of fun with this and success. I am here cheering you on and for support and information any time you need it! Here’s to your health girl!!!
I get this. But we did once talk about a lifestyle change. How would one start who is “addicted” to high fructose corn syrup, saturated fat, and sodium (you did mention no sodium somewhere in there). I’m not yet inquiring about “what to do”, more like, “how to start” at a natural habit-forming pace where I won’t just be like, “oh F- this I don’t want to do this anymore”…