Normally I'll start my day with a coffee. In the office. After I swam... It looks like this.
So I don't know whether I can call it breakfast but after the coffee I'll have two pieces of fruit. And that is my breakfast. Then by 11 am I am starving so I'll have natural yoghurt with musli (we are lucky to have a cafe at work downstairs so they have this sort of stuff).
My lunch is generally good, a big soup or salad and then I tend to still try and eat healthily. So I will have something like this
And then I will start eating crap... Why oh why!!!! I will look for some Eat Natural bars (OK they are not too bad) or some nuts (not bad either) but by the time I get home and finish evening workout, normally around 8:30 - 9 pm I can and will eat anything and everything. And it usually involves bread and pastry and butter. Argh!!!! Double argh!!!.
When I was younger I had such a strong will and if I decided to eat healthily and not eat rubbish I would do it. And I would stick to it, no problem. But as I am getting older that will is slowly disappearing and I just can't resist some things. I really really need to get back on the track and have no idea whether I'll be able to do it.
Few years ago I used to work and live in the Middle East for 6 months and that was the healthiest and fittest I've ever been . I didn't do triathlons back then, only running, but I used to exercise daily, really watch what I ate, drank lots of water (it is so hot out there) and had weekly massages. I need that time back, I want that time back. I just need to remember how I did it back then and it will all be OK.
If any of you have any tips or advice on how to eat healthy ( I am vegetarian though) and be disciplined, let me know.
8 comments:
I think maybe you aren't getting enough calories earlier in the day, so then later you are STARVING and wanting to eat all the cookies, high-calorie treats :) After a swim you are probably pretty deprived of calories, so maybe add some whole wheat toast or something else to your fruit for breakfast?
My friend who is a registered dietitian tells me that I like to eat candy and sweets and junk because I need to have carbs and protein together every time I eat. I just like to have carbs cause they taste good. When I do eat the protein and carbs together it seems to help.
I've found that if I eat something small right before I work out and then again right after it helps keep the hunger pains down later. I never start a workout on an empty stomach, or I'll eat an entire pizza after the workout. Even if it's just a 40 minute run.
You know what? I used to do the SAME thing as you - really healthy throughout the day and then WHAM! Late afternoon or at night I would be seriously starving. So... a few things to consider -
*Like Charisa said ( I love that girl! She's one of my training partners out here!) - are you getting enough kcal in per day? What you're eating in the morning is healthy, but not really full of calories. Maybe if you added a little peanut butter or fiber that would go a long way to helping you feel full.
*Are you getting enough veggies? What are you putting in the salad? I try to eat plenty of fruits and veggies throughout the day... Also have a little bit of protein with each meal.
*A nutritionist who I once worked with told me to "Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince, and Dinner like a Pauper". Eating MORE in the morning will rev up your metabolism. AND you'll most definitely burn it throughout the day. Starting off with the tank full is key to preventing late night "melt downs".
*Plan and prepare meals ahead of time - when I'm on a really tight schedule, I try to make sure I know what and when I'm going to eat.
*Additionally, you could have a BMR test done to determine your Basal Metabolic Rate - how many kcal per day your body needs to sustain itself. It gives you a good bench mark.
*I'm not weird. I used to be a YMCA fitness director and am currently working with a nutritionist. :)
Good luck!
HI! I think Marit's comments are awesome. Try eating more earlier in the day for sure. You will feel that you will want a lighter dinner and your cravings won't be super high!!
I think Marit has been hanging out with me too long...but it is exactly right.
I eat a HUGE breakfast..oatmeal, fruit, hot tea (or for you, coffee), almonds in the oatmeal, etc....then, a normal lunch and light dinner.....and something healthy before bed....I think people starve themselves all day and by nighttime all the chips and bad food looks dreamy!!!! So, I try to eat early so by 7pm - I am done - but will eat something before I go to bed (I work out early every AM)......
It is not easy, but I would definitely eat some carbs for breakfast, complex with some protein - cereal w/ milk (soy milk) and nuts, etc.
GOOD LUCK! :))
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Another triathlete friend. Yeah! I see we have lots of mutual people we read too! I am a dietitian and as you may have gathered from my blog, I don't necessarily eat all the right things, but I know what I SHOULD be eating. I've made this one of my big goals for the year also..do what I know I should be doing. I see some great comments here from Marit & Jen. If you ever want to just talk, let me know - leave me a message on my blog with your email or something and I would be happy to have a converstation with you about some small changes that could make a big difference (and then, I will take my own advice!!). Oh..and I guess Kyle and I are selfish too from your previous post.. 3.5 years, no children, and no plans right now. I can't even THINK about that right now with everything else going on. Talk soon! I'll put you on my blogs I read list!!
You might consider tempering the process by adding a bit more protein or unsaturated fat. Also, replacing some of the things you listed with an equal calorie amount of, say, salad, will help to sustain you.
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