Tuesday, April 17, 2012

On any given day

Some of my friends have asked me to just tell them what they need to eat everyday in order to see progress as this is the hard part for them. So, I thought it would be a good idea to share my typical menu with all of you. I would love to hear about your menu and see what great ideas you have that I could possibly incorporate into my menu so feel free to share them with us here!

Please remember that I am not a dietitian or nutritional expert so this is based off of my own experience and what I have found that works for me. My current goal is 1200 gross calories per day, but this has varied between 1200-1500 over the last 4 months. I do realize that I am eating more fruit than needed but this is what is working for me and I am NEVER hungry. This is what my menu looks like on most days with a variation of a few add ons when I feel the need for something more. If you would like to see an actual daily review of my foods you are welcome to take a look at my food diary on myfitnesspal.com (jamieplayer).

Meal 1 (8:15ish)
4 egg whites, boiled
     or
Whole wheat thin bagel with Laughing Cow cream cheese
Coffee with french vanilla creamer **A MUST FOR ME**

Meal 2 (10:30ish)
2 cups fruit (melon, strawberries, mango, kiwi)
     or
12 oz smoothie (spinach, berries, peaches, almond milk, vanilla protein powder, stevia, cinnamon)

Meal 3 (12:30 or 1:00)
4-6oz lean meat (Crockpot chicken most days)
1-2 cups veggies (usually roasted cauliflower or green beans)

Meal 4 (2:00-3:00)
1 cup fruit (melon, strawberries, mango, kiwi)
Coffee with french vanilla creamer
     or
12 oz smoothie (spinach, berries, peaches, almond milk, vanilla protein powder, stevia, cinnamon)

Meal 5 (5:30-6:30)
4-6oz lean meat (Crockpot Chicken, Lean Ground Beef Tacos, Turkey Meatloaf Muffins )
*I will make this into a taco/wrap when I get bored*
1-2 cups veggies (usually roasted cauliflower or green beans)

Meal 6 (9:30, after workout)
12 oz Protein shake made with Gatorade
1 cup Dannon Light N Fit Yogurt with a little granola & flaxseed
    or
1 tbsp Natural Peanut Butter

***1 GALLON OF WATER A DAY***
I also take the following vitamins daily: multi-vitamin, fish oil-x3, garlic, super b complex-x2 & biotin.

The main thing I have tried to incorporate is less processed foods and unnatural sugars. Fruit has a lot of natural sugars but I really enjoy having it so I just don't let it bother me. I have cut back on almost all snack bar type foods (unless in a pinch) and almost all frozen meals (unless in a pinch). I have even tried to cut back on  the amount of yogurt I eat because of the amount of sugar in it. I do not & will not (already tried it) cut out my garlic salt with parsley, but I try not to overdo on other products containing salt because I know I have a heavy hand when using my garlic salt.

So you see, a lot of it for me is about balance and portions. I usually meet a friend for lunch at Subway at least once a week and we usually go out to lunch on Sundays twice a month. I try every day to eat as clean as possible but I am not perfect so I substitute when I can and cut back when I need to.

ALL OF THIS FOOD IS PREPARED ON SUNDAY FOR ME TO HAVE READILY AVAILABLE AT ANY TIME DURING THE WEEK. THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST KEYS TO CONTINUED SUCCESS!

If you want any of my recipes let me know and I will be more than happy to share them with you!

I have found a lot of good meal ideas and menu planning tips from the following sites as well (even though I don't plan on being a fitness model). The ideas and teachings found here are very valuable and can be added in to any healthy lifestyle.

Natalie Hodson

Fat Burner Menu Help

Busy Mom Gets Fit

Jamie


7 comments:

  1. What a great post and I love the foods you eat! (Requested an add via MFP)

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  2. Replies
    1. Hi Alana! I don't think I got the request. What is your username?

      Delete
  3. Great tips on food here, thank you for sharing :)

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  4. Thanks for sharing! I prefer to eat bigger meals less often throughout the day because it makes me feel more satisfied. But my loss has slowed down and so maybe it's time for me to revisit the idea of smaller meals. Thanks for giving me something to think about!

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  5. Meal planning and preparing things ahead is so important! I find when I start to run out of my pre-prepped stuff, then I start to go off plan. This week I did OK - I went off plan because I had no lunch food in the house, but both days I bought simple turkey sandwiches (grain bread, turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, no butter or mayo). But having a fridge full of food makes it easier to eat healthy!

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  6. It's always interesting to see what others are eating. In the end, it is down to each individual to vary food according to fitness level, weight, etc. but it's nice to see what others are doing too!

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