What I'm Eating

I've gotten a lot of requests from my friends and some family members to post about what I'm eating.  It's no secret that I started to clean up my diet last year as I prepared for our wedding, but as time went by, I got lazy.  I wasn't meal prepping as much during the first part of the year.  I did better over the summer, but slacked again recently. I think the most common phrase we use in the fitness world is "Failing to plan is planning to fail." It's so true. If you forget your wonderful handmade lunch, chances are you'll be eating leftover work lunches or processed snacks, drinking a DDP (that's diet Dr. Pepper for the layfolk), and then feeling crabby and gross by 3 PM. 

Sound familiar?

I don't subscribe to any type of label on how I eat. It's mostly low carbohyrdate, but I do love some Italian food and will treat myself to pasta every once in awhile.  But it's not Atkins.  I've found that cutting out food groups altogether makes me drop weight quickly, but then I also want to kill everyone around me.  Like Adam Levine did.....I would NOT mind being all covered in blood next to him....just sayin'.....

WOW, that escalated quickly!!!!!

Anywho, I don't do the South Beach Diet.  Or the famous Jen Anniston The Zone diet. It's not really a diet of any kind.  It's not Paleo, although I do love looking up some Pinterest paleo recipes.  Plus I've found that if I post something like "Look at these paleo pancakes I made!!!!", then some of my crossfitters will judge me because I may have used like a smidgen of non-all natural, bought right from the WalMart-honey. Don't judge me!

People have also asked if I cleanse from time to time.  YES.  I absolutely do.  I do it safely though. I still eat.  Non of the cayenne-pepper lemon juice deal, but I know some people that do that, so I won't be all Judgey-Wudgey-was-a-Bear on that. I have used Advocare a few times.  It made me feel wonderful and so clear-headed after 10 days.  LOVE it!

Let's just put it this way.  I eat a lot of food, but I also eat mostly whole foods.  I would definitely lean towards this is more clean eating than anything else. Meaning grown in the ground, or it might have walked on land or flown in the air or swam in the sea at one point.  I love fresh fruits and veggies.  If I could grow it in a garden, I'm probably eating it.  I've started looking at food as fuel, not comfort or a way to ease stress.  That's what hardcore, butt-busting workouts are for.  Seriously, if you are angry, and want to throat punch all of the things, why not funnel that into a positive force and go run? Or throw heavy things? There have literally been times to where I've been fretting and stressing over something, and I will go all beast mode because sweating and hard work makes me feel better.  I have cried in the gym and covered it up like I was sweating to death.  It's a release and it just works for me rather than a bag of cheetos.  Plus if you cry on your cheetos, you will have perma-orange fingers.  Nobody wants that!

Here is a sampling of what my meals have looked like in the past month.  

Protein shakes.  I'm plain old vanilla, but love to throw fruit in there and some flax seeds.  If you're in a fall mood, blend with some pumpkin puree and cinnamon.  Like fall exploded right up in your mouth.  

Lean protein and good carbs.  Chicken strips, sweet potato and broccoli.  And hot sauce. Can't leave that out.

Zoodles! For real, I love the Vegetti (say it in front of your friends and watch them laugh at how dirty your kitchen tool sounds), and it does make great "noodles" if you don't want pasta.  I saute with whatever is in my fridge.  Usually some grilled chicken, there's some turkey meatballs in there, and sundried tomatoes.  YUM.  Very filling.

For snacks, I try to stick to fruit and nuts.  Pretzels too, I feel like straight up chips are too greasy and too salty at times.  Boiled peanuts (hey it's football season, that's a staple right now). Protein balls are awesome too.  They are usually made with some type of nut butter, cinnamon, vanilla protein powder, and maybe some chocolate chips.  If you want a recipe, Pinterest is the place to go, there are THOUSANDS of balls out there......#twss :)

That's just a glimpse into what I've been preparing the last few weeks.  I posted about how I was working out like a beast but not feeling my best and it definitely pointed to my food intake.  I can tell you that this week, I've kept myself honest with all of my own meals (minus a work catered lunch on Wednesday), and I feel great.  I've also started going to the gym at 5 AM.  And then I go home after work and have still had the energy to do things like redecorate a bathroom.

They say you are what you eat.  I believe it.  Abs are indeed made in the kitchen.  I am seeing results and noticing the effects of it up front.  I feel 100% better than I have in a few weeks.  Also, for you ladies out there, I feel like eating this way balances me out on the hormone side.  Which we all know can be like trying to figure out a calculus equation.  Food does effect you no matter what you think.

One of my trainers, who happened to be my spin director for years, gave me a document one time that "graded" food.  It really helped me learn how to shop, read labels, and learn what to avoid.  I'm sharing it with you guys today hoping that you'll rethink some of the choices you make.  I shared this with a good friend who was a bagel and cream cheese girl for breakfast everyday for years.  She took this as Bible truth and slimmed up and now runs marathons.  It was so cool to watch her transform.

Hope you guys enjoy this! Happy Friday and here's to a great weekend!

The condition of your body today is the sum total of all the food choices you made in the past. The condition of your body in the future will be the sum total of all the food choices you make today and here on out. Choose low grade food and you will get low grade results and performance. Choose low grade food and get a low grade body. Choose high grade foods and you’ll get a leaner, stronger, more muscular machine with more energy.

When choosing what you eat at each and every opportunity, ask yourself this question:  Did this food come out of the ground or off a tree or plant this way? If it grew from the ground, walked, flew or swam, it’s natural.

Grade A Foods- Fibrous carbs

Spinach, Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, tomatoes, asparagus, onions, cucumbers, colored peppers all other fibrous green veggies or salad vegetables,

Grade A- Starchy carbs

Yams, sweet potatoes, barley, oatmeal(old fashioned unsweetened), beans(all types, black eyed peas , slow cooked brown rice, red and white potatoes, carrots

Grade A Simple Carbs

All fresh fruit(not canned or sweetened)

Grade A Proteins

Chicken breast, extra lean ground turkey, all fish, shellfish, egg whites, non fat cottage cheese, top round steak (leanest cuts possible)

Grade A fats

Flaxseed oil, fish oil, fatty fish

Grade B Carbohydrates

A “B’ grade is a good grade. Not the best but it’s good nonetheless. There are many good B foods to choose from, 100% whole grain unsweetened cereals, pastas, breads, pitas, whole grain unsweetened muffins, quick oatmeal, quick brown rice.

Grade B Proteins

Flank steak, extra lean sirloin, extra lean ground beef, nonfat or 1% fat sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt, whole eggs

Grade C – average, not poor, not failing, but not good either

Grits, cream of rice, cream of wheat, white rice, pasta from enriched flour, bagels, cheerios, sweetened/flavored oatmeal, enriched wheat bread

Grade C Proteins

Turkey thighs, lunch meats, low fat cheeses, cottage cheese, yogurt, low fat ham, pork or ground turkey

D Grade Foods- foods that are high in refined sugars or made from bleached flour. Highly processed.

Sweetened box cereals, pretzels, crackers, bleached/enriched bread- Wonder bread, muffins and baked goods made from white flour, sugar and/or hydrogenated oil.

Grade D Proteins

Full fat cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and half and half

Grade F foods- The ones that you should almost never eat. Hydrogenated tropical oils (palm, coconut, palm kernel oil. Hydrogenated vegetable oils, anything deep fried, margarine, very high calorie cuts of pork or red meat. Candy, sweets, chocolate, cookies pies, croissants cakes, doughnuts, Cinnabons, and soda! Potato chips, fast food burgers, full fat milk. Processed full fat meats, bologna, salami, bacon, beef jerky, sausage, lunchmeats, hot dogs. 

Everything you eat, either helps or hurts. Make sure that your body is changing for the better and getting the best possible fuel by choosing the highest grade of food.

T