What I eat???
In case you are wondering. I thought I’d share a basic overview of what I eat. First of all, I eat 5-6 meals a day. It’s true. All those articles you’ve read in US about celebrities eating 5-6 small meals a day really DO work. AS LONG as they consist of the right foods. What are the right foods? The right foods are whole foods that haven’t been ruined by people. Things like oatmeal, whole wheat, brown rice, some dairy, chicken, fish, healthy fats, veggies (duh), and fruit. Try to stay away from foods that come in a box with a long list of ingredients that would take a scientist to decipher the names. In general, I try to fill my plate with 1/4 protein, 1/4 starchy carbs (like rice, beans, or fruit) and 1/2 veggies. Another way to look at is is the old “palm portions”. A palm-sized portion of protein, a palm-sized portion of carbs, and as many GREEN veggies as you’d like, as long as they are not drowning in high-fat ranch. Instead use a moderate amount of a flax or olive oil based dressing. Most people would easily stay at a healthy weight if they followed these simple guidelines. Add the right exercise into the mix and you’ll have a lean fit body in no time.
For the competition, I’ve taken my diet one step farther and eat my food at specific times and in specific ratios. Here is an example of my meals for the day. I don’t eat this particular “menu” everyday but it gives you a general idea, in case, you’re curious. But remember this is not a everyday diet. As soon as the competition is over I’ll return to the above guidelines.
Meal 1 – 6 egg whites and 1/2 cup oatmeal with cinnamon
Meal 2 – chicken and an apple
Meal 3 – Chicken and Salad (some days I will also have a starchy carb like fruit or brown rice)
Meal 4 – Tuna and raw green beans (I LOVE raw green beans)
Meal 5 – Ground turkey taco salad. (No chips or sour cream!)
Meal 6 – 3-4 Hard boiled egg whites (Honestly, I don’t usually eat meal 6, although I should.)
If you notice the big difference between what I consider an everyday diet and my competition diet is that, most days, I eat all my starchy carbs in the first 1-3 meals. Also, I’m not eating dairy anymore. For the first few months I did eat cottage cheese and Greek yogurt for protein sources but now that I’m 8 weeks out I’ve decided to cut them from my diet. Sometimes I play around with my diet to keep my metabolism guessing by having higher carb days than normal or ultra low-carb days or a free meal (when I eat WHATEVER I want.) I also take some supplements.
I didn’t say much about fats but contrary to what you might believe YOU NEED THEM. The goods ones like fish oil, flax oil, olive oil, avocado, etc. and in moderation. I wouldn’t go out and eat 4 avocados a day unless if was a “free day” and that’s what I wanted to eat. I’ll go more into these sort of specifics another time. But the above is a good example of my typical day-to-day “competition” or “cutting” diet. I know this may look really strict but honestly IT’S NOT THAT BAD!!! Sure, I have really hard days. And sometimes I fail and eat half a jar of peanut butter (good fat but not moderation!) but most days it’s okay because I know my body is being nourished and I feel GREAT! And seeing The Abbey’s again doesn’t hurt.
Wait! What do I drink? Beer. I keep a full keg by my desk. I brew it myself and it’s organic. Not really! I drink WATER. A lot of water. A gallon or more a day. I also drink a cup of coffee in the morning and a few cups of tea daily. I drink mostly green tea but also love black, white, earl grey, chamomile, blueberry and a bunch of other blends. Yep, I spend a lot of time in the bathroom. That’s the downside. But there are upsides! Water helps me lose weight, my skin stays “plump” (seriously I have more visible lines when I don’t get my gallon in), and I feel good knowing toxins are being flushed from my body. Occasionally, on a free day or meal, I’ll have wine or beer. And since, I’m not perfect a few times a year I’ll have a soda. But that is rare b/c it hurts my stomach and immediately upon drinking it I imagine all my cells are corrupting. I know I’m a freak.
xoxo
j
This is my (almost) sane quest for insane health. Let's 
