What I Eat Over the Course of a Day

I'm always amazed at the number of people who ask me what it is I eat and drink in the course of a day.  This is a really hard question for me to answer, because I don't eat the same things all the time, but here are some general guidelines I try to follow:

1. I always have at least one serving of complex carbs.  This is usually 1/2 C of dry oatmeal, cooked, about an hour or so before I workout.  Often I'll have more servings of complex carbs than this throughout the day, though.

2. I usually eat oatmeal or some kind of whole grain cereal and a lean protein (Most often an egg with 3/4 cup of egg whites) for breakfast.

3. I eat before I workout.  When I don't I find myself short on both strength and endurance.  This meal is usually the above breakfast.

4.  On the way home from the gym I have a whey protein shake and a piece of fruit (usually a banana).

5.  I try to eat at least one salad a day, either for lunch or dinner.  My favorite is some kind of a southwestern salad so that I get some carbs from the corn.  It always has a source of protein (usually shrimp or chicken breast), and I ask them to leave off any chips or croutons and go easy on the cheese.  If the meat is grilled on a griddle I ask them to go easy on the butter.  I get whatever dressing I like (usually creamy), but order it on the side and fork-dip for the non-flavorful bites.  Very little is gone by the time the salad is finished.

6.  I usually have two afternoon snacks, because it's a very hungry time of day for me.  Almost always one is a small protein bar (I make sure it's really a PROTEIN bar with about the same grams of protein as carbs and low fat- otherwise I consider it a carb bar).  If it's a big one (over 300 calories) I cut it in half.  The other snack is usually low-fat string cheese and lean beef jerky OR a scoop of protein powder mixed into Greek yogurt.

7. I try to limit my fruits to 2 servings a day (I consider a banana 2 servings), and have at least 3 servings of veggies.  More is better on the veggies.

8.  The meal that is not a salad is usually a lean source of red meat (I have low iron), a whole-grain carb like brown rice, OR a baked sweet or regular potato, and a LOT of non-starchy veggies.

9. I don't drink my calories (unless it is a protein shake).

10. I drink at least a gallon of water a day (read my blog on The Importance of Water to see why).

11. If I drink anything in addition to the water, it is unsweetened tea.  Sometimes I'll put a little Stevia or Splenda in it, but I've learned to usually drink it unsweetened.  I just don't think the additional stuff does my body any good.

12.  Before bed I have a scoop of Casein powder mixed with cold water into a pudding.

If you were counting, that's seven feedings on most days.  I am always eating!  :-) 

I'll blog about supplements next blog, but that's what I ingest as a general rule most days, whether losing or maintaining.   When I am in maintenance mode my portion sizes get larger.  I hope this helps someone!