Food Food Food: Get It Right

Okay ya'll. There is a LOT of information in this post. A LOT. It is worth printing off and putting on your fridge. Just so you don't forget the little things. It's those little things that add up on your waist line. Juice for breakfast. Latte for mid morning snack. Five beers before dinner. Those kinds of little things. 

Marietta’s Food Thoughts…

• ALWAYS eat breakfast. ALWAYS eat protein for breakfast: whether it is eggs, greek yogurt, add a protein drink to this first meal of the day. 
• Be sure to eat at least 300-400 calories for breakfast. It is a proven fact that if you eat eggs for breakfast you will eat 150-300 LESS calories during the day.
• Try to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks. Each meal should contain 300-400 calories and each portion should be no larger than your palm... not your hand, your palm! Snacks should be 200-300 calories. 
• Eat LEAN meats: fish, chicken, grilled pork, tuna, avoid red meat.
• Don't eat carbs after 4:00. - protein & veggies for dinner...yum!
• Drink at LEAST 70 ounces of water per day. 
• A lot of people think that they are hungry when they are actually thirsty - your body does not send different signals for hunger and thirst. So always drink 8 oz of water when you feel hungry, wait 10 minutes and if you are still hungry then eat some protein - string cheese or almonds.

I eat “right” Sunday night thru Saturday lunch. I take off Saturday night thru Sunday lunch for a couple “splurge” meals. 

Literally eat 5 meals a day - every day. Most of the time I'm not hungry when it is "time" to eat again, but I make myself so that my metabolism stays up. I compare it to a fire - if you put 12 logs of wood on a fire at once it will take forever to burn away. But if you put 2 logs on every hour then it will burn away quickly! The same is true with our bodies, don't expect to burn off your food if you eat one or two huge meals - spread out your calories thru out the entire day.

Example of a day’s meals:

Breakfast: (think protein!) Scrambled eggs, greek yogurt, whole wheat toast or oatmeal.

Snack: almonds & apple OR string cheese & piece of fruit

Lunch: (think protein!) Grilled chicken, green beans, whole grain rice, side of fruit

Snack: 6 or 7 whole grain crackers & a piece of fruit

Dinner:  (think protein!) Chicken, pork or ANY fish: salmon, tilapia, trout.. with a healthy salad w/ light dressing, veggies: sweet potato is ok, green beans, asparagus. Avoid any carbs at dinner and try to always eat before 7pm. 

This is totally do able... I (used to) travel all day long for my job and would have to take a lunch box in the car with me. You MUST prepare in advance or you WILL get really hungry and run thru a fast food place instead.   

Fast food options that are okay: McDonald’s oatmeal. The grilled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-a on a whole wheat bun is only 320 calories and you can order a side of fruit. The walnut/apple/chicken salad from Wendy's with the vinaigrette dressing.

I showed you all my food log in this post (YOU MUST KEEP A FOOD LOG IF TRACKING CALORIES!) and posted it along this picture.

I would love to hear your suggestions and questions. Thanks for stopping by today!

-Marietta