How are you fueling your body?

What a perfect post for Valentine’s Day, right? Especially since my husband got me Sweet Tart gummy hearts and I seriously could sit and consume the bag at once!

Are you properly fueling your body?

I don’t take pictures of everything I eat but I do try to keep a log of everything that goes into my mouth throughout the day.  I find that keeping a food journal keeps me accountable and makes me think twice before consuming something.   I have had several people ask me lately what I am eating, what “diet” I am on and for meal suggestions.  I am not a certified dietician or qualified to give you any nutritional advice, but I can share what I have been eating, how its been making me feel and the success I have been having with my clean diet.

I love the saying “Fail to plan, plan to fail” and it really rings true for me when it comes to my eating clean.  If I don’t plan out meals, especially lunches, I will: A) spend more by going OUT to eat for lunch, B) eat something that is convenient vs. nutritious, or C) not eat (and shop or read instead) and then get so hungry that later I eat whatever I can find – normally not something I should eat.

When I plan out my meals, I feel the best, I feel like I look the best and it keeps me on track.  I tend to stick with something for the week (e.g., grilled chicken one week, tuna the next, etc.).  For instance, last week I ate veggie spinach wraps for lunch – pretty much all week.  The week before that it was grilled chicken with veggies.  This week, it is tuna.  If I don’t have to come up with something new for every day, I am much more apt to stick to bringing my lunch.  I am too lazy to make “new” lunches every night!  I like them made for the week so all I have to do is grab it and go.

So, you want to know what a typical day of eating has been for me (or has been the past week or so)?  Here you go:

First thing in the AM: GNC GenetixHD Pro-Sculpt.

Breakfast: Coffee or tea.  The past week I have been doing tea only (Twinings Earl Grey) – no sweetener or cream added.  This week I have been having a green smoothie each morning.  1 cup almond milk, two handfuls spinach, one scoop Dymatize Iso 100 (vanilla).

Mid-morning snack: fresh juice (this week has been: carrot, bell pepper, celery, broccoli, apple), raw almonds or fruit.

Lunch: one can tuna, one (or two) boiled eggs, one heaping tablespoon plain humus with truffle oil, s&p and one heaping handful of spinach on top. Either more fresh juice or an apple with the meal.  That is the only picture I have of my current lunch fave (tuna, humus, egg and spinach) – I sit under a huge tree during lunch to eat and read – it’s glorious!

Afternoon snack: (if I have one) More juice, or a boiled egg or raw almonds.

Pre-workout: 3 GNC GenetixHD Meta-Ignite.

**I know I should  be having a post-workout recovery before dinner, and I have a great one from Dymatize, but honestly I always forget it.

Dinner: sausage, grilled onions and bell peppers with baked asparagus, baked tilapia (which I will never consume again) with steamed broccoli, *cheat night* 2 crunchy beef tacos from our favorite Mexican restaurant with some chips and salsa.  GNC GenetixHD Physio-Burn with dinner.

WATER THROUGHOUT THE DAY! I will consume at least 128 oz. of water every single day regardless of working out or not.  If I work out (which I do at least 5 days a week) that number will shoot to well over 200 oz. of water.  I keep a 64 oz. water bottle with me and will go through it twice during the day, and one more time during/after a workout.  At home, with dinner and after dinner, I will still be drinking water all the way up until I make a glass to put on my nightstand.

Where I go wrong and have issues is during the weekend.  It’s harder with a loose routine to keep to my normal weekday plan and will usually indulge more throughout the weekend, especially since the hubs is NOT as strict with what he eats as I am.  If I plan ahead though, I can succeed even through the weekend!

This works for me.  I am lucky in that I truly enjoy veggies, but don’t get me wrong, I can plow a think and crispy pizza.  I am finding though, that I do truly feel better when I am eating a totally clean diet.  I sleep better, I feel more rested in the morning, I don’t drag throughout the day and I don’t crave sweet.  My meals leave me feeling satisfied and healthy.  There really is nothing worse than finishing a meal (something you shouldn’t eat) and then feeling miserable for hours.  I have been there, done that and hate it.  Whenever I do get the urge to indulge in something, I remember that a taste won’t kill me, but to walk away after that taste.

Basically, if you are looking to feel better, have more energy, fuel your body with REAL food and fuel it so that it functions the best it can – then just eat real food, shop the perimeter of the grocery store, cut the processed crap and drink more water.  It’s not crazy or complicated, I promise!  And for real, your ability to change your body starts with what you are putting in your body, not how much you exercise.  I love the saying “You can’t out train a bad diet” and it’s true!  I am at my best, when I am eating clean.  The scale NEVER moves up on me when I am eating the right way – even if I miss a workout.

If you are trying to clean up your diet, my first piece of advice would be to take note for a few days of everything you are eating.  Then sit down and check it out.  You may be amazed at what or how much you are eating.  Then, pick something to work at eliminating.  Start small, don’t beat yourself up if you slip up and never give up.  If it’s important to you to be healthy, it should be important enough to work at and make a priority!  You only have once chance with the body you were given – take care of it while you can!

**I saw that Lay’s is testing some new flavors: Chicken & Waffles, Cheesy Garlic Bread, and Sriracha – I just may have to cheat and indulge….just one taste!