If you read my blog post, “Weight Loss After Baby #3”, then you know I was dedicated and determined to feeling like myself again. Healthy nutrition is super important to me, not only for weight loss, but to reduce my chances of developing any chronic disease, especially diabetes, given my history of gestational diabetes in two of my pregnancies. My “diet plan” is basically a portion controlled diet, where I measure my portion sizes using portion containers so it doesn’t leave me guessing how much food should be on my plate. With the containers comes a pamphlet that uses a formula to calculate your daily calorie target.
Please keep in mind I am not a dietician or nutritionist and what worked for me may not work for everyone else. With that being said, below is my daily diet
I wake up at 5:30AM and head down to my home gym to do a virtual class with Chris for 6:00AM. When class ends at 7:00AM, I shower, get ready, then get the kids ready for the day and make them breakfast. Now its 8:00AM and time for mama to eat! The first thing I do is turn on my Breville espresso machine to warm up cause I need some caffeine to start my day! I make an unsweetened vanilla almond milk latte with one pump of vanilla syrup.
I like to eat a big breakfast, especially after a workout, that consists of a protein, vegetable, and carbohydrate. I LOVE eggs so they’re always my protein of choice. This morning I am having sauté mushrooms, onions, and grape tomatoes in coconut oil mixed with 1 egg and egg whites along with two blueberry protein pancakes. Chris is the pancake master and makes the best pancakes, the kids even love them. We make a bunch and freeze them which makes for a quick and easy breakfast.
Around 11:00AM, two to three hours after breakfast, I have fruit with a protein. Protein shakes are my go-to, plus they make great on the go meals! In a Nutribullet I blend a small frozen banana, strawberries, a scoop of peanut butter, almond milk, and chocolate protein powder. Another good option is mixed berries with plain Greek yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon.
I usually grab a healthy snack if I’m still feeling hungry after breakfast. I love snacking; now I know where my kids inherited it. A little while after my shake I grabbed a small handful of almonds which are my favorite.
2:00PM is lunchtime. I love salads, so that’s typically what I reach for. I make them myself instead of buying premade. In my salad I always make sure to mix a protein, vegetable, and carbohydrate. In the beginning of every week I make sure my fridge is stocked up with all the salad essentials. I already had prepped vegetables in the frig which made this salad quick and easy to make. I combined spring mix lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, roasted red peppers, grape tomatoes, marinated artichokes, organic roasted turkey breast, and quinoa. For my dressing, I drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.
After lunch I snacked on rainbow carrots with roasted red pepper hummus
I like to keep my dinners on the lighter side with lean proteins and vegetables. Tonight I am making Turkey Taco Skillet Bake from “The Defined Dish” cookbook. I added some steamed rice cauliflower to my dish for more veggies and paired it with grain free tortilla chips! This is one of my favorite go to cookbooks, I made a bunch of recipes from here and they were all delicious!
Anyone else find that they want something sweet after dinner? That’s me every night! So, after putting the kids to bed, I head to the fridge and grab whatever fruit I am in the mood for. Tonight I mixed strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and a few dark chocolate chunks then drizzled peanut butter over all of that. I honestly look forward to this every night!
Before bed, I have a cup of hot decaffeinated green tea with lemon or peppermint tea.
So there it is, what I eat in a day! Making these simple nutrition changes has left me feeling more energized, thinking clearly, and improved my overall mood. The best advice I can give to anyone looking to change their eating habits is to plan ahead with your meals and meal prep. Stick to whole grains, lean proteins, and lots of veggies. Lastly, drink LOTS of water to stay hydrated.
