What I’m Eating These Days
Lots of interest on this at the moment so I figured I’d take a minute and put together a long form blog post. Everyone is prioritizing protein and I’m no different.
Jeff and I have been saying for YEARS that at some point my poor eating was going to catch up with me. I can’t really illustrate how bad my eating was- if I was grabbing fast food for the kids, at least I was getting a meal? Like an overall disregard for what I was eating, snacking, grazing- certainly not prioritizing protein- and there were days I know I wasn’t hitting 1,000 calories by virtue of being totally unaware. Other days, I’m sure it was closer to 2,000- but full of total junk. Obviously- not a recipe for health, particularly paired with a lot of fitness, and I found myself wrapping up the 2022 holiday season feeling like absolute trash. It had caught up with me.
Jeff has been tracking his food for the past 10 or so years, seriously- he never misses a day. This isn’t to say there isn’t room for treats or going out to eat- I’ll hit on that later, but he knows what works best for his body and is familiar with the macros that are ideal for him. At this point I should note that neither of us have any education in this field- by no means are we equipped to hand out advice, but if it motivates you to take a look and eat more Whole Foods- and eat MORE, then I may as well share!
We quickly realized I needed more protein. I am currently trying to get approximately 1 gram of protein for each pound of body weight every day. I’ve found it’s not terribly hard to meet that goal. The first 2 weeks, I immediately shedded what I can only call “crap weight”- it was like 10 lbs. fell off of me by virtue of not eating total crap and prioritizing my workouts. Reminder this was coming off the holidays, but it was wild to me. I am the type of person where if I am seeing results, I can keep moving- and this wasn’t to say there weren’t nights where I was just ticked off and wanted junk food- going from ice cream before bed nightly to a cold apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter ISN’T the same- but the results have kept me going.
I was sleeping better, feeling better- this was worth it. There was a natural plateau with the weight loss- I stopped weighing myself, but clothes were fitting better and I was feeling better. 6 months in, I’m still eating mostly the same things Monday through Friday. I’m not totally sick of them because they’re still hitting the spot. Snacks change daily- and dinner changes daily. Usually we find a recipe with a primary protein source and is generally healthy otherwise.
While I hate to share a day of eating because it may not be perfect for you, here’s a little insight into a typical day for me:
BREAKFAST: COFFEE with Chobani Oat Milk Creamer
Option 1: Protein smoothie on days I work out
Recipe:
• 1 overflowing cup spinach
• 1 cup frozen organic mango chunks
• 1 T flax seeds
• 1 scoop of vanilla protein. I use @fnx_fit (code MOLLY to save 15%!)
• 1/2 scoop of greens. I use @fnx_fit rebalance.
• 1 tsp fiber
• 1 original blender bomb –> do not freeze these, I add it before blending
• coconut water to the top!
Blend and enjoy!
Option 2: 3 eggs scrambled with 1/3rd cup of shredded cheddar on non workout days (sometimes I add egg whites or make with cottage cheese)
LUNCH:
Near Daily: Iceberg Salad with Chicken
Recipe: (generous to call it that)
• 1 grilled chicken breast (more if I’m super hungry)
• half a head of iceberg lettuce (use something more nutritious if you’d like!)
• 2 Tbsp Baked By Melissa Green Goddess Dressing LINK
DINNER:
Defined Dish Cuban-Inspired Pulled Pork with Mojo – The Defined Dish: I have found that Defined Dish has some really great recipes that aren’t too bad for you. While I don’t sweat the small stuff when it comes to dinner, we do what we can to find healthy recipes where protein is prioritized. This one is great as you can have chipotle style bowls the following evening- the pork is awesome and the mojo sauce is GREAT.
SNACKS: one or two throughout the day, depending on my activity. I never go to bed hungry.
Cottage cheese & fruit
Cottage cheese & fruit blended and frozen for 15 mins + granola
Apple with 1 Tbsp Chunky Peanut Butter
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions!
