Now that you know you have to eat to lose weight, and if you don't you actually may gain weight, let's talk about how to make your nutrition game plan easy, accessible, and successful.
First and foremost, your best results will happen when you are consuming 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, eating at least every 2-4 hours, and making sure you avoid letting your blood sugar dip so low that you create "metabolism chaos," Rule of thumb: eat right before you get hungry. That's why it's important to time your meals and know the time of your last meal, approximately how many calories you are consuming, and when you will eat again. I know this may sound a bit anal or even boarder line "compulsive" however, timing your meals is essential to a healthy and functioning metabolism, a trim waist line, a positive attitude, long-lasting energy, and productive workouts.
Sample Daily Meal timing: Morning Workout
6am: Wake up call
6:30 am: Pre-workout meal
7:00am: Workout
8:30am - 9am: Post-workout/Breakfast
10:00 - 11:30am: Mid-morning snack
12:00-1:30pm: Lunch
2:30 - 4pm: Mid-afternoon snack
5:00pm - 7pm: Dinner
7:30pm: (If you ate early, you may need to have a light snack before bed so you do not go to bed hungry)
Sample Daily Meal timing: Evening Workout
6am - 7am: Wake up Call
7am - 8am: Breakfast
10:00am - 11am: Mid-morning snack
12:00am - 1:30pm: Lunch
3pm - 4pm: Mid-afternoon/Pre-workout snack
5:00pm - 6:00pm: Workout
6:30pm - 8:00pm: Dinner
The best piece of advice that I can give you is to determine what works best for you! This is fundamental. In order to see the most results from your exercise game plan it is important to understand what your body needs as far as nutrition through out the day, then you can begin to plan, prepare and time your meals according to your personal schedule.
As far as how many calories you need to consume, this will obviously vary for everyone. Knowing how many calories your body needs is extremely important. You want to make sure you are not in a deficit or an overload. There are several websites and calculators that can help you determine approximately the number you need to stay close to. The Daily Plate is one of my favorites and it also helps you make smarter and healthier choices. Also, knowing your Resting Metabolic Rate will help determine how many calories your body needs to function at it's optimal performance. An RMR test measures your unique target caloric zones so you know how many calories your body burns when just sitting in a chair, when performing basic daily activities, and when you are exercising. Knowing this number will help you plan and prepare a personalized nutritional program to promote weight loss. Pure Austin offers this testing. Just contact me if you are interested.
Okay, once you have an idea of when you need to eat and how many calories you need to consume, now it's time to talk about planning and preparing your meals. This is the hardest part of a nutritional game plan. There never seems to be any time and most people think it's just too hard to plan meals for the week. I'm not going to tell you that it's an easy to do or it doesn't take much time at all. What I will tell you is that it does get easier the more you do it and once you have determined what works for you it really only does get more convenient.
Planning and preparing meals to take to work and to heat up for dinner may take a little more than two hours on the weekend, but it will be the best two hours you can give to yourself. On Sunday you can whip up 2 to 3 dishes that are easily stored in Tupperware, placed in the fridge or freezer, and when it's time to pack your lunch or prepare dinner for the family you already have a healthy option ready. All you have to do is heat it up and serve with a green leafy salad or a side of sauteed vegetables. (You can even have these prepared as well.)
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Planning your snacks for the week I think is the easiest part. Snacks will benefit you most if they are at least 150-300 calories. Make sure they contain both protein and carbohydrates. Remember that snacks keep your engine running. They are your go to when you cannot sit down for a meal or when you are heading to the gym.
Snack Suggestions: You can prepare most of these for the week to come on the weekend by storing each portion in Tupperware in the fridge and then all you have to do is pack them with your lunch in the morning.
* Mozzarella cheese stick and Kashi Granola bar
* 1 Tbsp of Almond butter with 4 celery sticks,1 piece of Whole grain toast, or 1 small apple
* 1/2 cup skim milk and 3/4 cup high- fiber/high-protein whole grain cereal
* 5 oz 0% Greek Yogurt with 1 cup of berries
* 1/8 cup almonds with 1/4 cup grapes
* 8oz Fruit smoothie with protein powder or skim milk
Second, always know what you will eat for breakfast! This is the most important meal of the day, even if it's not your favorite. Breakfast gets your body ready for the day. It starts the engine. Aim for consuming 300-400 calories. Without breakfast you will be one to two steps behind for the rest of the day.
Breakfast suggestions:
* Cottage cheese, Greek Yogurt, or Fat-Free Yogurt with berries and slivered almonds
* Oatmeal with walnuts, 1/4 banana and berries
* 1 egg, 1 piece of whole grain toast, sliced tomatoes and 1/2 cup skim milk
* Whole grain cereal with berries and skim milk
* 1 breakfast taco: (made at home) - 1 Ezekiel tortilla, 4 egg whites, 3 oz of turkey ground meat, 1/2 cup veggies, 1/2 handful of low-fat mozzarella cheese, salsa
* 8oz Fruit smoothie with yogurt, skim milk, and berries
Third, pack your lunch! Or at least choose a restaurant that offers nutritional low-calorie options. Lunch is where one can consume the most calories of the day. Shoot for no more than 450 - 500 calories. Just because it's a salad bar does not mean it's healthy! And those client lunches can have you consuming 500-1200 extra calories a day. I suggest you pick the restaurant. Zen and Whole Foods are not only tasty but they can help keep your waist line trim. If your struggle is not client lunches but rather lunch in general, opt for a healthy meal to go. Of course I am going to dote on Mel's Meals, but living in Austin you have an array of options for healthy meals to go, and most places deliver and the prepared meals cost as much as or even less than going out to eat at a restaurant. TOUGH LOVE: YOU HAVE NO MORE EXCUSES WHEN IT COMES TO EATING HEALTHY WITH ALL OF THE HEALTHY MEALS TO GO PLACES POPPING UP IN AUSTIN. Enough said!
Lunch Suggestions:
* Get your lunch delivered from one of the healthy meals to go places. 5 meals a week will cost approximately $35-$45 a week. How much do you spend going out to eat?
* Avocado Turkey Wrap
* Grilled Chicken Salad
* Tuna Pita
* Salmon Spinach Salad
* Grilled chicken and veggie tacos
Dinner may be difficult as well because when you get home from a long day of work or school the last thing you want to think about is preparing a meal for your family. But you don't have to worry because you have prepared on the weekend. See how simple it is? Dinner can be just as dangerous as lunch, for happy hours, invites from friends, and exhausting work schedules can lead to unhealthy choices. I will suggest you only eat out for dinner a few times a week and try to make this as healthy as possible. Again, aim for consuming between 400-500 calories. You can also rely on a healthy meal to go if you haven't prepared dinner for that day.
Dinner Suggestions: Easy to prepare and heat up
* Whole wheat pasta with vegetables and chicken
* Grilled chicken breast with vegetables and sweet potatoes
* Chicken burritos prepared at home
* Turkey Burgers prepared at home
* White fish, brown rice and vegetables
* Large green salad with a protein source
Yes, planning and preparing takes time but you are so worth it! Don't you want to accomplish your goals and fit into that piece of clothing that has been taunting you every time you open your closest? I thought so. So take a few moments a day to take care of yourself and that rumble in your tummy. Eat to fuel. Fuel to move.
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