Don`t Get Hungry! + A Full Day of Food
I recently watched a video on Youtube about intuitive eating versus calorie counting when trying to stay in a caloric deficit. The fitness influencer was talking about how it's important to eat the right foods so you don't get hungry. If you are like me, bad things happen when you get hungry. My willpower to eat healthy goes out the window. I am not only likely to eat anything in sight, but also WAY too much of it! While I haven't been strict on counting calories lately, I have been adhering to some general "rules" to help keep me full. For each meal, I try to make sure I have a source of protein, healthy carbohydrate, and healthy fat, and I have been eating 5-6 small meals throughout the day.
On the topic of counting calories, I spent the past two years or so weighing my food and tracking macros. I took breaks here and there, but I have done it long enough to get a general idea of what I am consuming without having to weigh it out each day. Plus, I tend to eat much of the same things on any given week.
So here's a look at what a typical day looks like for me. Breakfast is not pictured, which was a protein shake with one scoop of Dymatize chocolate protein powder, 2 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter, half a banana and 1 cup of almond milk.
Snack one is a miniature beef stick, string cheese, and 2 ounces of mixed nuts with sea salt. I don't have set times for when I eat. I really just eat whenever I feel like I'm getting hungry, but that generally tends to be every 2 hours or so.
I will eat my lunch next. Alex and I meal prep all of our lunches for the week on Sundays. Here I have 2.5 ounces of grilled sirloin, 2 ounces grilled asparagus, and half a baked sweet potato.
My afternoon snack is roughly 3 cups of seedless watermelon and about 2 cups of chopped cucumber. Both of these foods are hydrating and help keep you feeling full.
Lastly, I will have a Quest protein bar and the other half of the banana I had with breakfast this morning. I've been liking something sweet in the evenings, so I brought three squares of dark chocolate with almonds. This meal I usually eat after I get home, but I keep it with me just in case!
My main concern right now is not to lost weight as much as it is make sure I am feeding my body the nutrients it needs for the training I'm putting it through. I've wondered if being so focused on weight loss in the past has been counterproductive, causing me to not eat enough and therefore not be able to train hard enough. I am still learning about not only what foods to eat, but also when to eat them. Protein after a workout? Carbohydrates before a workout? I need to do some more research on that. If you have any advice, I would love to hear it!
I was curious how this week's meals were stacking up, so I did weigh everything this morning. Today is a rest day, so I'm eating a little lighter.
Here's the breakdown -
Calories: 1,610
Carbs: 150g
Protein: 97g (this needs to come up!)
Fats: 81g
The app that I use to track macros is called Senza.
If you would like an idea of what my workouts look like each day, be sure to follow me on Instagram @okto21k
Here's that Youtube video if you are interested in watching:
Talk soon!
Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or a certified trainer. All opinions expressed in my posts are simply to share my fitness journey and what has worked for me. You are encouraged to seek the advice of a medical professional before starting any exercise program.
Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or a certified trainer. All opinions expressed in my posts are simply to share my fitness journey and what has worked for me. You are encouraged to seek the advice of a medical professional before starting any exercise program.
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