Work Meals

dannymacros

working a 9-5 requires a bit more planning and preparation. I usually make my lunch meals on Sundays to take with me to work. Depending on your diet, I use the IIFYM approach as far as my intake goes. I try to keep it basic for the most part(chicken, rice, veggies) and I leave a 5LB whey container at my desk and my shaker so I can have shakes whenever I need to. What diets are you on? are you just counting calories? the precooked rice packets are nice to bring too because you can heat them up in the microwave in 90 seconds and have the nutritional info right there, also rice cakes are a good snack to have at your desk.

karajo333

I count calories but am more concerned with carbs. I've been on South Beach and it helped me lose 30 pounds. I just can't eat salads every day...it gets SOOO boring. I try to stay away from rice but chicken and veggies are a total go for me. Do you just cook all your chicken on Sundays and pack it from there? Do you freeze anything or is it good for the week?

amrann33

Are you a scheduled eater and how often do you work out? I try to count calories, well i'm starting up again. I don't really have a specific diet that I'm going to try, just mostly try to eat healthier with chicken, rice, vegetables, stuff like you mentioned. What is the IIFYM approach?

dannymacros

IIFYM stands for if it fits your macros, you can find a lot about it online. fat loss comes down to a caloric deficit. My goals are to look good and feel good so i tend to eat healthier things when I can. Your body needs the three macro nutrients to function optimally: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. With IIFYM you set a goal amount of each macro for the day for example since I am currently cutting, I am in a caloric deficit I am doing 200 grams of protein a day 180 carbs a day and 50 fats a day. I change this on some days depending the routine I have scheduled for the gym that day. IIFYM allows you eat anything that will fit these macro requirements. Rice does not make you fat, it is the caloric surplus that will make you fat or gain weight.

I am not a scheduled eater, I do not eat breakfast everyday, you do not need to eat 6 meals a day but do it if it helps you control your appetite, I lift 6 days a week and try to do cardio 5 days a week at the moment. I try to keep it simple with bringing simple foods to work for lunch but it does not hurt to eat steak or certain breads just make sure you stay within your caloric allowance. I have been using IIFYM for 2 years now so its very simple for me, there is a lot you can do with it and I know several girls that compete that use it and average joes that use it as well.

amrann33

Thanks!!

simbersea

I'm kinda lazy, so I know if I don't bring my lunch to work, then I'll eat out. Bad idea. But I don't want to make something new every night either. So for me, I cook one big batch of "lunches" on Sunday, freeze 5 portions, and that's it for lunch the next week. Its not exciting, but generally, if I bring it to work, I'll eat it.

As for whats actually in the lunches - I start with protein - usually 2 costco chicken breasts. Then I add vegetables - usually costco frozen vegetables (but whatever you have is good); then 1 cup of quinoa and then a jar of any Trader Joes sauce I have. One week I'll go mexican and do an enchilada sauce; one week I'll go for Indian and do the Curry or Masala sauce. Whatever you like. Cook all of the above together and portion it out. The lunches usually end up between 260-300 calories. But with the quinoa and the chicken breast, there is enough protein that I stay full.

Sorry this was so long, but I hope it helps

TheOtherBennetSister24

Hello everyone! I am new to the "normal" work schedule, coming from working 3pm to 11pm for as long as I can remember, so I am having a tough time eating well because my internal schedule is so far off! I have found if I bring lunches that look lovely or have things I love in them, I will be more likely to not snack before lunch because I want to enjoy what I have packed. I recently invested in some PlanetBox lunch boxes, they are sort of like bento boxes and I love the way my lunch looks in them, I am so visual that I am happier to eat something that looks beautiful!

amrann33

Simbersea I like what you do for lunches I think I will try that this week! I usually get bored from being at work and I want to go out to eat just to get away...

DamitJanit

I'm retired but when I did work, I usually had leftovers for the first day or two. Then I would have salads but they had to have meat on them. I would take my chicken or ground beef (cooked for tacos) in a separate container, so I could heat it in the microwave then put it on top of my salad. I often just boil a chicken and debone it so it's ready for salads or my protein at a meal with veggies. Lately I'm adding artichoke hearts to my salad (about 1/2 of one) to really give it a nice addition. I always check the calorie content of any food before I decide to add it to a meal. That way if I eat lower calorie foods, I can have more of them. 1/4 cup of anything just isn't enough for me.