An Ideal Eating Plan...

Hey Hey so after talking to Natalie (a personal trainer and nutritionist) yesterday I have a renewed dedication to my diet and my exercise plan. I showed her what I have been eating so she could get an idea of the types of food I normally ate and basically she said that I'm not eating enough calories number one and my body is always in starvation mode so its holding on for dear life to what its got and that I need to eat a protein and carbohydrates together to prevent peeks and valleys in blood sugar. She also weighed me (164lbs yikes!) took my body fat percentage (21% which is better than average for women my age in America, however she pointed out the Americans are increasingly becoming more obese and thinks I can safely get to 18%) and told me my body mass index (36lbs of fat)

As far as my diet goes she insisted that I start eating breakfast, of course, dur da dur! **Side Note about Breakfast** She said think of your body as a fireplace, you have to keep fueling the fireplace in order for it to keep going right. So if you after 5-9 hours of no fuel the fireplace is weak and skipping breakfast is a sure way to put the fire out. Needless to say I ate breakfast this morning. Ok continuing... She also warned me against eating anything out of a box, anything that is "free" of an ingredient since they usually add something else to fill it, to watch my sodium intake and to read the ingredients on the package and if there are more than 8 you should put it back. Also, I know we have been tracking our calories but I have not been entering any notes in the note section. Natalie suggested that I write down how I'm feeling that day, how much sleep I got the night before, if its that time of the month etc. She said this will help me to keep track

Now for the high quality h2O. She said I should be drinking at least 2L per day. I think my jaw hit the floor! She said I would be uncomfortable and that it would be hard but that it was essential to getting the toxins out of my body and to keep it hydrated after working out so much.

So armed with my new meal plan I promptly drove to Trader Joes to stock my fridge with the essentials, since all that was previously in it was mustard, eggs and garlic.

Now I come to the hard part for me...As you will see in the Ideal Eating Plan, only 1X per week of alcohol is allowed and I'm sure binge drinking is not allowed either. For me this will definitely mean a lifestyle adjustment and its going to be hard for me to stick with it, however I feel like the force is with me so I know I can be strong!

I've attached the "Ideal Eating Plan" she gave me, however it is an "ideal" plan and may or may not work for everyone and sure there are those times that you need to cheat. For me this is a great place to start and measure my progress from here. Natalie also suggested to make as much as you can for the week ahead of time so you are always ready and also to keep rice cakes handy for those unexpected hunger cravings.

Phew that was a lot...sorry for my ramblings but it helps to put it out into the universe so I'm held accountable! Natalie and I are going to chat again in a month to see my progress.

An Ideal Eating Plan

M-W-F

Breakfast - 1/2 c. uncooked oatmeal & 2 eggs

Snack - 1 Med Apple/ 1 oz. Cheese

Lunch - 5 oz. fish or chicken / 1 c. steamed veggies/ 4 oz. sweet potato or equivalent (ie. 1/2 cup brown rice)

Snack - 6-8 almonds or 2 plain rice cakes with 1/2 can solid white tuna

Dinner - Salad - romaine lettuce with a variety of veggies and 1 tblsp olive oil and 1 tblsp. balsamic vinegar dressing/grated cheese (opt.) 5 oz. sliced chicken or fish and 1 hard boiled egg

T-Th

Breakfast - 2 eggs with 1 piece whole wheat toast or Ezekiel Bread

Snack - 6-8 almonds or 2 plain rice cakes with 1/2 can solid white tuna

Lunch - 5 oz. fish or chicken / 1 c. steamed veggies/ 4 oz. sweet potato or 1/2 cup brown rice OR Turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with veggies, cheese and mustard (opt).

Snack - 1/2 pear/ 3/4 c. cottage cheese OR Fage greek yogurt

Dinner - 5 oz. fish or chicken and 2 c. veggies OR Salad (above)

Saturday

Breakfast - 1 egg/ 3 oz. steak/ salsa on Ezekiel tortilla

Snack - 6-8 almonds or 1 med apple/ 1 oz. cheese

Lunch - 4 oz turkey open faced on 1/2 whole grain bun with 1 oz. low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese melted on top and 1/2 c. berries or mango

Snack - 3/4 c. cottage cheese OR Fage greek yogurt w/ tomato

Dinner - 1 c. whole wheat pasta/ 1 c. ground turkey/ 1 tblsp olive oil/ pepper to flavor

Sunday

Breakfast - 2 eggs w/ 1 piece whole wheat toast or Ezkiel Bread

Snack - 2 plain rice cakes with 1/2 can solid white tuna OR 3/4 c. cottage cheese with tomato

Lunch - Whole wheat quesadilla with chicken and salsa

Snack - 1/2 c. Fage greek yogurt with 1/2 c. berries or mango

Dinner - 5 oz. steak or pork chops/ 1/2 cup whole wheat pasta with olive oil and pepper to flavor/ 1-2 c. veggies

Notes

*Always have a carb and protein together to avoid a spike in blood sugar.

*Choose organic whole foods when possible

*Steer clear of foods that are light, non-fat, sugar-free, etc.

*Liquid intake should primarily consist of water or green tea = 1/2 gallon-1 gallon.

*Limit alcohol intake to 1x/week.

*Use olive oil to cook instead of butter.

*Vegetables can include zucchini, eggplant, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and green beans.

*Go for fruits with fiber (ie. Apples, pears, berries, mangos, kewi)

*Add season to flavor food (esp. cinnamon), just make sure there is no sodium in the seasoning

*Use Stevia (no calorie natural sweetener) as a sugar substitute.