My Eating Plans Then and Now and What I Learned
Past Eating Plan
When I first started my transformation journey I mistakenly thought I could just workout and lose weight. I did not put a lot of emphasis on how I ate.
It wasn’t until I changed the way I ate that I noticed a dramatic change in my body. And the better, more nutritious food, I ate the better the changes.
My first meal plans were centered around 6 meals a day because I was told that this was the best way to do things. But you know me I am always telling you guys to do the research and find out what is right for your body.
Normally my eating consisted of 6 meals that were high in carbs, with moderate protein and some fats. You can view the plan here, but in total it looked like this…
Total Calories: 2000
Carbohydrates: 254 Grams
Fat: 37 Grams
Protein: 187 Grams
Sodium: 2197 milligrams
Sugar: 102 Grams
This was a lot of food, but it was higher in some sugars, and had some processed foods in it. As I refined my eating through research I found a simpler and easier to prepare eating plan that I really like.
Current Eating Plan
From when I started till now my eating plan is only a little different. Some things are the same, the foods are still prepared and from mostly raw foods, its simple, and has some of the same meals.
But there are differences, I do a daily intermittent fast, eat less calories, and enjoy a little more latitude in the foods I east. But for the most part I eat mostly proteins, vegetables, and limited carbohydrates.
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But for me, it is the meal that helps me “break my fast” so after getting rid off all my glucose reserves a replenishing breakfast is key.
I always work out in a fasted state to help burn more fat and so by the time I eat breakfast I will have fasted for about 18 hours so I am ready for a good one. Breakfast for me is about 11:00 A.M.
BREAKFAST MEAL
4 Whole Eggs
1 Egg White – I do this on occasion which depends on how hungry I am.
1/3 Cup Cheddar Cheese – also dependent on how hungry I am.
Topped with Green Salsa Verde
1 Aidells Chicken Sausage
2/3 Cups of Dry Oatmeal – covered in water and cooked in microwave for 2 minutes
Toasted Pecans or Walnuts
Topped with Strawberries, and 1 Banana
Before I used to eat 4-6 meals per day but now I only eat 2-3 meals per day. Why the reduction? Well I just don’t buy into the hype about eating all day long,
I am more about how food affects your body and nutrient efficiency. But that is a topic for another day. So typically I eat my last meal or “dinner” about 4 P.M. I am finished eating by 5 P.M. and I then begin my intermittent fast until 11 A.M. or 18 hours.
DINNER MEAL
I will link to these meals as I prepare them, but I have been making a variation of these meals for a while, they are easy to make and healthy.
1 Bowl of Split Pea Soup, Small Salad with Lite Dressing
1 Bowl of Italian Wedding Soup, Small Salad with Lite Dressing
Shrimp or Skirt Steak Stir Fry
Chicken Salad (Cafe-Rio) Style – this is my favorite go to right now.
Pork Loin, Sweet Potatoes Mashed, and Mixed Veggies
After dinner snack includes KETO Ice Cream Bar, Banana Bread, or some Greek yogurt with berries.
WHAT I LEARNED FROM ALL OF THIS
I learned many lessons on my journey from my first meal plan to the way I eat now. As my research continues I am sure that I will change this to. The one constant in my journey has always been change.
Simple is better – this concept was hard at first because I was hungry. When you weigh more your body is used to a certain amount of food, work out hard and it wants even more.
In the beginning I was looking forward to eating. And I ate all of my food most of the time. But it was difficult to track, harder to prep, and a lot of chewing.
In the end a simpler way of eating and an easy meal prep has been good for my maintaining this way of eating.
Eating less often is better – in my research I have found that you are either storing energy or using it. When your body is eating and digesting it is storing, when it is not is will be using that energy.
But if you are always eating then you are to busy storing energy, not using it. And it gets tiresome eating 6 meals a day. Constantly checking your watch to see if it is time to eat, then chewing all that food.
Not to mention the prep work. Honestly it got tiresome. Now I only eat three meals and it has made a huge difference for me.
Flexibility is OK – for me a little flexibility in my eating has been a great way to maintain my way of eating. I allow myself a cheat day or 3 meals where I don’t worry about what I eat.
Now this is not a license to go how wild if you don’t possess a little bit of self control because one day can easily turn into a weekend. But this really works for me, getting rid of cravings and giving my body a signal that it is not really dieting.
And finally getting into a groove of eating is key – this, for me, was the most important thing to do. Deciding how I wanted to eat the rest of my life and getting into a nice habitual groove doing it.
By keeping it simple, focusing on flavors, and making it easy to prep has attributed to my success of staying on the plan. I cannot stress this enough, a simple way of eating is successful. At least that is what my research has discovered.
So what are you waiting for, get out there and do some research. There are plenty of ways of eating, Keto, Paleo, low fat, or high protein. Whole clean foods, all organic, and others. Find out what works for you and develop your own simple meal plan and find success in it.
