You might be familiar with the saying "Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym". I heard it once a couple months back from an instructor at the gym... She modified it a little by saying 85% in the kitchen 15% in the gym. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. If your abs are covered in fat, who cares how strong and defined they are! And vice versa, if you do 500 crunches a day, but eat nothing but crap, well, again, who cares, you aren't going to see results! So that brings me to the main point of this blog.... eating. I had a few requests for more recipes and meal ideas. I am going to repost the diet plan that I follow, and then post some meal ideas that fit into that plan. Personally I am following a stricter version of the plan this week, and maybe next, simply because I have been on the maintenance phase for weeks now, and I think my body is getting complacent, so I like to switch it up a little. I will be omitting fruit and most whole grains (brown rice, popcorn, oats, etc). The meal Ideas I share will follow the diet given below though, and will include fruit and whole grains.
Bad List
Sugar (include hidden
sugars- orange juice)
Breads/baked goods and
flour
Potatoes
Yogurt
Beer
White wine
Bananas
So-So List
Serving Size = tennis ball
Pasta
Rice
Good List
Everything else.
You can eat any
meats,
fruits, vegetables, or nuts
that aren’t listed above.
Dairy products are also good.
There is no need to limit portion size.
Red Wine may be consumed in
moderation.
Nothing from the Bad List
1-2 Servings/week from So-So List
As much as you want from the Good List
This should help with the cravings and
give you impressive results.
You may be hungry between meals for 1-
2 weeks. Eat snacks from the good list.
Phase 2
(Maintenance)
2-3 servings/week from Bad List
3-4 servings/week from So-So List
As much as you want from the Good list
Since this eating plan is so cut an dry it does leave a lot of room for your own interpretations. It doesn't say anything about whole grains, corn, oats, brown rice, etc. So I assume they are part of the "Good list" and fall under the "Everything else" category. That being said, I believe that the pasta and rice under the "so-so" list is white rice and regular pasta. Any recipes I give here that include rice or pasta will be Brown rice, and either whole grain pasta, or Brown Rice flour pasta.
Breakfast, the most important meal of the day! I struggle with this one. 6 days a week I get up at 5:00 AM and am working out by 5:30 AM. I can not eat before I work out, It makes me feel slow and lazy... I get home around 6:30 and have my coffee, and then lots of days have another work out later that morning, so it is sometimes around 10:00 AM before I eat for the morning. Not a good practice, but it is what it is. But, for those of you that are breakfast people, here are some meal ideas!
Breakfast
-Oatmeal - plain, unsweetened.
Sweeten with one of the following:
Splenda, sugar free maple syrup, berries
-Eggs- I hard boil 6 eggs almost every Monday.
Quick and easy to grab and eat in a hurry.
Scrambled eggs or egg whites
with veggies are another one of my
favorites. For those of you in a hurry in the morning,
you can make them in the microwave :)
-Bacon and Sausage- Yum! I make these ahead of time as well.
For instance, yesterday morning I cooked a whole
package of turkey bacon, and put it in a ziplock bag
in the fridge. That way I can use it through out
the week without having to worry about cooking it.
-Crustless Quiche- great make ahead breakfast.
Portion it out Sunday evening,
then grab it on your way out the door in the mornings.
obviously you can change the veggies and cheese type to fit your taste.
- Protein Shakes- Be careful here, these can have lots of sugar,
Atkins brand is acceptable, and "Advantage Carb Control"
is as well (and cheaper, $4.98 a 4 pack at Walmart).
The more protein that's in it, the longer it will stick with you.
-Atkins Oatmeal Cinnamon Baked Squares-
or other Atkins bars.
-Cottage cheese- check the carb count on it,
some brands are higher than others, and low fat tends to be higher
than full fat. Add fruit, or my favorite, tomatoes :)
Let me mention that I tend to eat more of a snack sized meal every few hours through out the day rather than sitting down at 12 and having an actual lunch. I prefer to eat smaller quantities more frequently that eating a large portion at once. Even at dinner I tend to have smaller amounts, and then have another "snack" after dinner before bed. So here are some of the things I eat, maybe you can combine a few together for a full sized lunch if that is more your style.Lets say this topic covers "snacks" as well.
-Lunch meat roll ups- Any kind of lunch meat (as long as its unsweetened)
add cheese (cream cheese, sliced cheese, shredded cheese) and roll!
-Pickles - I like these with the lunch meat roll ups,
sometimes I put them in the middle of the roll.
-Popcorn - it's a whole grain, I buy the
"Kernel's Seasons" and sprinkle
them on to change up the flavors.
No sweet popcorn! (ie Kettle corn or caramel corn)
-Salad- This is a wide category! I stick with
Dark lettuce, iceberg has less nutrients. Add veggies- my
go to choices are broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes,
olives. I add a little shredded cheese, and some protein-
Diced lunch meet, grilled chicken, hard boiled egg, etc.
-Apple and PB- I used all natural PB because it is
lower in sugar.
-Fruit- apples, grapes, berries, etc,, just no bananas
-Veggies- carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms,
snap peas, etc (just be careful with ones like tomatoes, carrots, and corn,
they have lots of natural sugar in them). I like them raw with ranch, or
other veggie dips.
- Brown Rice- I buy the little single serving cups, toss it in the micro
with some broccoli or chicken, or whatever other
protein or veggie you had around.
-Wrap- Flat Out wrap, fill with meat, lettuce, and other veggies,
wrap, and enjoy!
-Left overs!- whatever is left over from dinner the night before
is already cooked and part of your diet!
And then we have dinner! Dinner is the hardest for me, because I cook for the whole family. The family that likes pasta and bread. The kids are pretty easy going, and not too picky. Don't get me wrong, they'd rather have spaghetti and pizza, but they do eat what I make. The husband on the other hand, he wants his meat and potatoes, so I am always on the hunt for something new and appealing that will keep everyone happy.
I have shared quite a few dinner recipes so far, I'll repost those, and add some new ones. I'll start with what I am making tonight:
-Flat Out Pizza!- This is a double whammy, it's low
carb, and low cal/fat. Just be mindful of your toppings and you'll
have a healthy meal! Tonight I am using grilled chicken, artichoke hearts,
and olives.
Cook lightly oiled Flatout in 350°F oven
directly on grate for 7 minutes.
Remove, top with sauce and toppings.
Return to oven, cook 7 more minutes.
Remove and cut into slices. Serves 2.
only thing I changed was I didn't add orange juice.
serve with some fresh corn on the cob, and pinto beans (check ingredients for sugar)!
-Pizza Stufed Chicken Breast-
I used a pesto sauce instead of a tomato sauce (less sugar),
and I put some chopped pepperoni in the stuffing
as well as the slices on top.
Paired with steamed broccoli and a green salad.
-Taco Salad- Lettuce, tomatoes, avocado,
cheese, salsa, and meat (ground beef, grilled chicken,
steak, etc) I add whole pinto beans sometimes.
The only changes I made:
1)Brown Rice pasta, instead of whole wheat pasta.
2) Add 2 cups of cubed ham.
I have a few more dinner recipes coming up later this week as well, so stay tuned!
While we are on the eating subject... I did very well at the wedding until dessert. I had stuffed mushrooms, chicken, and veggies. No potatoes or rolls... but I did cave at cake time, and I ate a few bites of frosting and a bite of the cake. Then, last night, I ate a whole freaking piece of cake. Ugh. FAIL. Sunday IS my cheat day, but that was pushing it!
Kayle couldn't make it to stadiums this morning, so I went back to bed. None of the other girls made it last week, so I didn't want to get ready and drive over there and have no one else show up. I am too nervous to do it alone (I envision falling or being robbed, lol) so then I would have left and gotten no work out anyway. So I went back to bed! LAZY. Then I planned on going to class at 8:30, and woke up with a horrible back ache, and so I didn't do that either!! I am rather disappointed in myself at this point. As of now my plan is to go to the gym before noon, do a set of weight intervals, and a run on the treadmill. I took some advil, and my back feels better but not great, so fingers crossed I follow through.
