Thought I would take a little time to show you the inner workings of my mind (scaaarrrryyyyy) and how I put my meals together. There is a rhyme and reason to how I do it. For those that don’t know, I pretty much exclusively exercise in the mornings. It just is easier for me to do it before I start work (at 10 a.m.) as I don’t always know what time I will be done. Plus it’s nice to get it done. 😀
Brekkie:
Since I usually work out pretty hard, breakfast is the biggest meal of my day. It is also the meal that normally contains the most carbs, because I need to replace all that used glycogen! So, this is the time when I have oats in some form, whether that is through protein pancakes, oat bran, oatmeal, or even cream of wheat (not oats, but same deal). I also try to get in some fat and protein to balance out the meal and make it stick longer. If I just have oats without fat and protein, I am hungry pretty quickly.
So, that is where these babies come in:
Normal calories for my breakfast are 450 – 500 calories.
Lunches:
Lunches are usually a little lighter. I also will include some type of bready thing, like a wrap or sandwich thin or crackers. The meal center is the protein, though. I also try to make sure I get in at least a fruit and sometimes a veggie (although this week, veggies are a must for lunch).
Lunches are usually 300-350 calories
Dinners: Dinners are also built around the protein source. Whether that is eggs, meat, or non-animal protein source – I always start with that and add around it. My plates are almost always divided into thirds.
Sometimes I mix the veggie and protein as a stir fry, which I do fairly often. I rarely have bread or starches at dinner time, because it is the furthest meal from my workouts. Although, the occasional pizza dinner is eaten, cause hey – life is good, right?
I know the protein source, and then I add the veggie to that. Most times it’s broccoli or brussel sprouts. Okay, who am I kidding – it’s always either of those 2. There is always a fruit, unless I have potatoes with dinner, then sometimes fruit will be a snack later. Dinner calories are 350 – 400.
I also have 2 to 3 snacks of 150 to 250 calories each during the day as well, and try to keep them balanced, but sometimes plain old chocolate wins out. When I stick to these rules, I do the best weight wise. When I start dinking around with them, I eat too much. If I can stick to this way of eating 85-90% of the time, I will keep this weight off.