What do YOU eat Robin? My clients, and people curious about weight loss, ask me that question a lot. I know it can be confusing to know what to eat when there is so much mixed info out there. What should I have for breakfast? What's a good late afternoon snack? So I figured I'd actually write out what a typical day of consumption is for me. This is what yesterday looked like...
Woke at 6am, Breakfast at 6:15
Eating 15 minutes after you got up?!!! Yes. It's called break-fast because you're breaking the fast. Thinking you'll "save" your calories for later is a big no-no. All this does is start your day with a sluggish metabolism. But breakfast doesn't have to be big. Here's what I ate-
Coffee, 2 whole eggs pan fried in Pam cooking spray, 1 tbs of whole flax seeds, 1/2 cup cantaloupe
(250 calories)
Morning Snack 8:30
By now I've trained two clients and I'm going to do 30 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minutes of strength training. I'm starting to get a little hungry. I never wait until I'm really hungry to eat. That just leads to overeating and a very cranky Robin...
3 oz of sliced cold chicken (not deli lunch meat) sprinkled with sea salt
(100 calories)
"Brunch" 10:30
Now is when I eat a pretty big meal. I've worked out and I need it. Almost every lunch of mine starts with the "Big Salad" (Like Elaine used to eat in Seinfeld). Basically my salad consists of tons of lettuce (usually romaine or mixed greens) with lots of veggies,one of my favorite dressings (See my blog "Best Tasting Low Cal Dressings"), about 6oz of protein and a healthy fat (Read Good Fats vs. Bad Fats blog).
5 cups of chopped romaine, 5 baby carrots, 1 tomato, mixed with my own dressing concoction (2 tbs Follow Your Heart Ranch, 2 tbs Gaello's World's Best Miso Caesar, 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar (adds tang and many health benefits), sprinkled with 3 heaping tbs of feta cheese and 2 heaping tbs of avocado
1 large bone-in chicken breast (skin removed after cooking), sprinkled with sea salt
(300 calories)
1st Afternoon Snack 1:00
I'm getting a little bit hungry (and again don't want to wait until I'm ravenous.) It's been 2 1/2 hours since I ate, so I need to in order to keep insulin levels stable and metabolism fired up.
1/2 cup Knudsen's Live Active cottage cheese & 5 almonds
(150 calories)
2nd Afternoon Snack 3:30
Little hungry and know dinner isn't until 6:00 so snack time!
Individual size can of tuna (Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea make ones with peel top lids--good for travel) mixed w/ 1 tbs of BestFoods/Hellman's Canola Oil Mayo, side of 5 celery sticks and 5 carrot sticks
(150 calories)
Dinner 6:00
Dinner is alway made up of tons of veggies, protein and a healthy fat. Grilled or steamed veggies are awesome or another salad. Last night I felt like having something with an Asian flare so this is what I made-
40z of pan-seared Salmon, 1 cup of steamed Baby Bok Choy, 1 cup of steamed Spinach, 1/2 cup of Steamed Sugar Snap Peas, 1/2 cup steamed Red Peppers. (When I say "steamed" I'm actually putting them in a glass bowl with a plate on top in the microwave. No time to steam!) Then I top the dish with 2 tbs of Galeo's World's Best Miso Toasted Sesame Seed Dressing (found at Gelson's and Whole Foods) and a tsp of whole flax seeds
(350 calories)
Boob Tube 8:00
While catching up on my favorite shows I have a little snack. Plus bedtime is 10:00 so I need to eat something or I'll be too hungry to fall asleep.
1 container of Fage Greek Yogurt 2% topped with a sprinkle of Stevia & 1/2 cup concord grapes (got a farmer's market), 1 spelt cake (similar to a rice cake) with 1 tsp of peanut butter
(250 calories)
And there you have it! A day in the life of my eating habits. So the moral of the story is tons of protein, low-glycemic carbs and (I forgot to mention) lots of water. Exciting isn't it?