How I Eat

People always want to know what and how I eat, and I’m more than happy to share.  However, the way I eat works for ME, but may not necessarily work the same way for someone else.

I have a naturally high metabolism, so I can eat higher calories and tolerate higher carbs than most women probably can.  Also, the fact that I have built so much muscle over the years and am already lean means that I can eat differently than someone who has 20-50 pounds to lose.

My activity level is also higher than most average women, and the intensity is probably higher as far as the weight that I lift, therefore, I can afford to eat more.  My goal is to build muscle, which means I can consume more calories than I burn-NOT ideal if fat loss is your goal.

With that being said, I am very mindful of what I eat. I stick to my planned meals every 3-4 hours, all of which consist of 20-30 grams of protein, a healthy carb, and fats at each meal.  I try to stay away from snack foods and eat "mini meals" instead. A snack for me would be something like a protein shake with a rice cake and almond butter.

While I’m not on a low carb diet, I do watch my carbs, and I take them out of my last 2-3 meals of the day. Sometimes I go through phases where I do the carb cycling thing, where on rest days I’ll cut back on carbs and increase my fats.

I am somewhat mindful of my macros, but I'm not obsessive and don’t track them unless I’m trying to get leaner, and then it's around 30-40-30 carbs-protein-fat. 

I have 2-3 protein shakes a day for the extra calories and convenience.  I try to eat mostly natural, non-processed foods, but I’m not obsessive about it.  I have 1-2 servings of fruits a day, and only 1-2 servings of vegetables, which is not nearly enough…but I hate vegetables. 

I have one “cheat” per week where I eat anything my heart desires. Yes, anything. I don't recommend that for everyone, but it's worked for me for the last 6-7 years.

So I’m not gonna say that I eat perfect, but I do try to eat healthy 90% of the time. My diet consists mostly of these foods: whey protein, almond milk, eggs, Ezekiel bread, lean beef, lean turkey, chicken breast, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, oats, quinoa, apples, almond and peanut butter, salsa, rice cakes, broccoli, and cauliflower. 

I have found a place where I don't feel like I'm dieting, I don't restrict myself from any certain food group, and I'm able to maintain the leanness that I want without my diet controlling my life.