That's what I am made of! Actually, very little sugar now - but I'll save that for next week's blog.Truly, though, we are what we eat.
I get asked a lot of questions, but mostly when people find out that I am a personal trainer and fitness professional who happens to run as her favourite hobby, they blanket me with some of the following thoughts:
"you must eat like a horse"
"you can eat anything you like"
"do have a protein shake for breakfast, lunch and dinner? With a side of raw egg and some rare steak"
"with all the working out you do, why aren't your muscles huge?"
"do you eat,like, five thousand calories a day to fuel?"
and once in a while, I get the question, "So what DO you eat to stay healthy, keep up your energy and do you ENJOY eating?"
Let me address the above.I do not eat like a horse,hippo or a linebacker. I cannot eat anything I like in copious amounts. We can all eat anything we like, moderation is the key. My muscles are not huge because I do not eat accordingly. To look like those dedicated fitness models takes a very specific diet and exercise regime. I train 6 days a week, and I train my body to withstand the rigours of my job and my running addiction, ahem..hobby. I also work out to clear my head and maintain sanity - it's my me time. I do not eat any protein shakes or raw eggs. Or even a lot of meat protein (that's a taste thing for me, not a health choice). I have no idea how many calories I eat a day - if I had to guess, I would say probably around 2200. I have gotten pretty good at eating to satiety/reasonable fullness.
So these are the principles that guide my personal food choices.
i) fruits/vegetable choices are a priority
ii) avoid all processed foods. I eat almost nothing that comes out of a box/bag/pouch with the exceptions of canned beans/frozen fruit & veg/brown rice & brown rice pasta. I also try to source my ingredients and buy the most local and freshest where feasible.
iii)eat junk food - but make it yourself. If you really want a brownie fix, trust me, you'll make it at home from scratch. If you don't really want it, you won't. You know what you are putting in it, and you can add yummies like chia, flax and more. Same goes for our breads. We make our own bread, rolls, pitas, etc... This way we enjoy the food more, and subsequently are satisfied with less quantity.
iv) eat protein at every meal, especially after a workout.
v) NO added refined or processed sugar. I don't take it in my drinks, or add it to cooking. We have been using honey, apple sauce or maple syrup where a sweeter taste is required.
vi)when faced with making not great choices, I ask myself how the food will make me feel. It's not hard to choose when you think of it this way. Deep fried onion rings - indigestion, sluggish feelings, over full, hard to get my job/life taken care of OR baked sweet potato fries - energy, mood boosting vitamin C, no stomach repercussions. And both are delicious, and take about the same time to prepare (or sit at a drive thru, where you know you aren't getting just rings. Sometimes I enjoy the onions rings - just saying, but on those days I don't regret it because I made this choice knowingly.
vii) LIVE. Enjoy splurges in moderation. Nobody ever got fat from eating one piece of cheesecake. Love it then leave it and choose well the next meal. Sometimes my body is SCREAMING from hunger and I am caught out, or I am at a social occasion that is at a friends home or restaurant. No sugar added, no dairy (in support of my daughter) and all my go-to tricks must be thrown out the window. And it doesn't bother me...I partake and enjoy.
So this is a random day of Annie nutrition/exercise from last week:
5am: wake up Large Glass of water, 1.5mile run, then 45 minute workout.
7pm: Breakfast - 1/4 C steel Cut Oats, 1tsp chia and flax, small handful of raisins, handful of fresh berries
11pm: handful of mixed nuts
2:30pm: Lunch - bowl of mixed greens, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes and cucumber. Handful of mixed beans, toasted. Balsamic vinegar and olive oil drizzled on top. Apple, Homemade banana choc.chip bread
6:30pm: Homemade Shepherd's Pie with Green Beans. Frozen mango/banana Yo-Nana (fruit icecream with nothing but fruit - it's a miracle machine - get one!)
9pm: Slice of toast with butter and marmite, orange
I drink water all day - way more than recommended, because I am a thirsty girl. Now all of the above works well for me. It may not be for you, and may make a nutritionist gasp in horror - but my body functions at it's best when fed regularly, with fresh nutrients and lots of H20. It's working well, I'm satisfied and rarely get hungry.
I do get HANGRY though. But that's another weeks blog.
Find Your CORE!~
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