So, this fit bitch...

DIET

BREAKFAST (roughly 420cals)

• 1/4 cup dry steel cut oats (cooks to about 1/2 cup). For flavor, I have done: a tablespoon of peanut butter and a touch of honey, a tablespoon of maple syrup and a touch of cinnamon, a tablespoon of honey with a bit of almond extract, unsweetened cocoa powder with a bit of vanilla extract and palm sugar. I like steel cut oats more than rolled/instant oats because they have more of the grain still intact.
• Hard-boiled egg or 2oz of chicken breast or a few slices of deli meat.
• Piece of fruit, depending on what’s in season.

I try to eat breakfast within one hour of waking up. If you are skipping breakfast, STOP IT. Your car can’t run on an empty tank and neither can you.

LUNCH (roughly 350cals)

• 3oz tuna fish with about half a tablespoon of real mayonnaise mixed in on 2 slices of whole wheat bread. 2 cups of salad with red wine vinegar.

OR

• 3 (whole) egg omelette with lots of veggies, whatever I have around the house. Examples of what I tend to use: bell peppers, broccoli, onion, spinach. About a tablespoon of cream cheese or boursin spread over top.

OR

• 3oz cooked chicken breast, seasoned with lots of spices/herbs. One medium sized baked sweet potato, with about a teaspoon of butter, pepper and other various herbs.

I tend to keep my lunches fairly simple. I like to be more creative with dinners, so keeping my breakfast and lunch to some of the same things lets me not only control my calories, but also my food budget.

SNACKS (roughly between 50-250cals, each)

Snacking is where a lot of people struggle. If you’d like to avoid snacking, eat a lot of food with high fiber and protein, as both keep you feeling full for longer. I usually snack between lunch and dinner, here are some ideas for snacks…

• Fresh vegetables with hummus or vinegar
• Fresh fruit
• Cottage cheese or yogurt
• A handful of nuts (nuts are great, just don’t go overboard, they’re calorie dense)
• 1oz of cheese
• 8oz protein shake
• Hard-boiled egg
• Deli meat

DINNER (roughly 450-600cals)

My dinner’s change frequently. I like cooking and have always lived with people who share that feeling. Here is a few examples of dinners I might have:

• These chicken & lentil burgers on oat bran, whole wheat pita bread served with mashed garlic cauliflower.
• Chicken, broccoli and quinoa curry casserole.
• Chili with chipotle and chocolate with whole wheat cornbread (I just replaced the AP flour with whole wheat).

EXERCISE

• Monday: 3 mile run outside followed by a 2 mile walk (approx 1 hour)
• Tuesday: Strength training/weight lifting - upper body & back/core (45 minutes)
• Wednesday: 3 mile run outside followed by a 2 mile walk (approx 1 hour)
• Thursday: Strength training/weight lifting - lower body & back/core (45 minutes)
• Friday: Minimum 6 mile run, this increases each week as I train for races. Followed by a 2 mile walk (approx 1:30)
• Saturday: Yoga (approx 1 hour)
• Sunday: Rest day, maybe a few walks. Nothing intense.

Sometimes I switch it up and have M/W/F as bike riding, where the mileage increases to about 10/10/20, respectively. If it’s terribly cold outside, I’ll do interval sprinting on a treadmill or some other form of intense cardio indoors (plyometrics, holler).

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