When you tell people you’ve lost -115lbs, their initial reaction is always “You had gastric bypass, right?” No offense to anyone who has had bariatric surgery, but my answer is “No, I used Weight Watchers, a Fitbit and lots of gym time!”
So the immediate followup question is “What do you EAT?”
My short answer is “Everything!”
Nothing is off-limits for me, but I do have to practice moderation and plan my days to incorporate the nutrition I need with the foods I love!
I want to take you through my day so you can see the fresh choices, big portions and indulgences I get to enjoy because I practice moderation! Check it out:
Wake Up: 5:30am
I usually work out 2 mornings a week and get up at 4:30am, but when I do afternoon/evening workouts I can get up a little later!
The first thing I do each morning is drink a liter of water while I shower and get ready. This water gets my system off and running for the day, and gives me a leg up because I usually try to drink 5-7 liters of water a day on days I workout (and that takes a lot of time!). Rest days are more like 4 liters.
If I remember I will add lemon juice to my water, which gets my metabolism moving, too!
Breakfast: 6:30am
I love espresso, and my days always begin with a double espresso and an egg white omelette.
I make the “veggie guts” for my omelettes on Sunday’s when I meal prep and they usually include sautéed kale, mushrooms, onions and fresh herbs like basil, thyme or oregano.
You can check out these meal prep omelette jars by Tammy for some inspiration.
I saute half a cup of raw zucchini and one chopped Al Fresco Chicken Breakfast Sausage Patty until brown, then add 1 cup of the “veggie guts” and mix. Then I add 1 cup of liquid egg whites.
This is a BIG portion but it keeps me full for four hours, which is a remarkable feat given how high my metabolism is!
Snack 1: 10:30am
I like to keep my snacks fresh and “whole” as much as possible, so my go-to choices are fruits, veggies and high-protein items like almonds, hardboiled eggs, shrimp cocktail or cheese or yogurt.
This fruit salad plate was a perfect choice when I was out for a coffee date, and way better for me than the scones and muffins! I also usually add an iced tea or an iced coffee for a little caffeine boost.
Lunch: 12:30
I find that I stay fuller longer if I eat bigger portions of protein, so I aim for 5-7 ounces of protein and some veggies at lunchtime. This Is 5 ounces of boneless pork chops and a broccoli slaw that I bulked up with some shredded zucchini. I make the dressing for the slaw with olive oil, champagne vinegar, fresh herbs, lime juice, garlic, salt & pepper, but you can use your regular low-fat salad dressing if you prefer!
Also try these high protein mason jar salads.
Snack 2: 3:00
I have found that the healthier I get, the more I like spicy foods, and this black bean hummus is spicy and balances perfectly with the sweet of the sugar snap peas. The hummus also has lots of protein, which helps keep me satisfied longer. I add another iced tea or iced coffee here to get me through the ho-hum of the afternoon.
Snack 3: 5:30pm
I’m a commuter, so often I do not get home until 6:30pm and need to fit my workout in after that. So another protein-packed snack on my ride home helps fuel me for that workout. These Siggi yogurts are super thick, super tart and I really like the blueberry, raspberry and rhubarb varieties!
Gym Time: 7:00pm
I like to work out 4-5 days per week, and at least one of those workouts is a 10-mile bike ride with my boyfriend. No headphones, no distractions, just a great opportunity for us to decompress and discuss our days.
In the beginning when I was working out by myself I would find myself feeling bad or guilty that I was taking time away from being home, and the easiest way to fix that was to find an activity we enjoy together and do that!
Dinner: 8:45pm
Yes, we eat pretty late when we work out but to balance that, we usually skip carbs in the evenings.
It’s just too much starch turning into sugar for me (especially if I want a late night snack), so we do big portions of lean protein and two veggies, or one veggie and a salad. We also add 2-3tsp of olive oil to our dinner, which is important for your hair, nails, joint health and even your digestive system!
Snack 4/Dessert/Cocktail: 9:30pm
A few times a week we will have a late night snack like fresh cherries, watermelon or maybe bell peppers and tzatziki, or maybe one dark chocolate square. Or if we’re feeling fancy we might indulge in a cocktail like my beloved cosmopolitans. A big part of learning moderation has been learning to enjoy one cocktail, one piece of chocolate or a sensible snack, and also learning that these sweet treats are not everyday occurrences but rather things to be enjoyed occasionally.
Bed: 10:30pm
Getting a good night’s sleep is so important to me because it gives me the rest and energy I need to tackle the next day. It’s also important because I tend to make impulsive decisions when I’m tired, and those almost always involve eating something I did not need!
I aim for 7 hours a night during the week, and at least 8 hours of sleep (and sometimes a nap!) on the weekends.
That’s what my days look like! I hope you find this inspiring and helpful as you begin your weight loss journey.
Kim F says
This is exactly what I have been looking for! Thank you for breaking it down. I really don’t have a lot of weight to lose, but I would like to be more comfortable with my daily meals and know that I am making a concerted effort to do better. I am not very good at putting good meals together for a whole day.
Kay says
Hello I just started on Saturday not eating starch and just eating baked meat and vegetables and I use to be addicted to koolaide and now as of Saturday I’m just drinking nothing but water and on weekends I will have me a glass or 2 of wine also I’m not eating sweets anymore I’m going to try to eat almonds and celery with peanut butter and grit as a snack, i had no idea that starch turns into sugar I really loved the suggestion of 2 vegetables instead of starch are their anymore suggestions you can suggest to me also I love the suggestion of 1 dark chocolate square that my husband and I can share. I’m right now weighing in at an embarrassing 300lbs I hope that these changes will help me and I am also going to start working out a a gym starting next week for 4 days out of the week and another thing the only meat I eat is seafood
Jennifer says
Thank you for sharing! You give me hope I can get up at 4;30am.. and workout late..
Shannon Raney says
I’m going to try this or something simular. Various people in my family have weight issues. This looks reasonable..
Wendy says
This is a very good and informative post! I wish more people would post their usual meals and thing like that. Your diet is loads better than mine ever was! I lost 120 pounds and have kept 80 of them off for seven years now, but I unfortunately had a relapse where I regained those 40 pounds and have been stuck every since. I don’t think I could go as low carb as your diet looks (low carb diets make me feel awful, even well past the first few weeks when that is supposed to be normal), but maybe I should try cutting them down some. I do still eat plenty of veggies, and maybe I need to pick up the exercise as well. Thanks for posting this! I’m starting to get my motivation back. I really want to hit my goal weight, which was once about 50 pounds away, and is now around 90 pounds away. I guess it could be worse and I could have gained it all back. I seem to be pretty good at maintaining which I’m sure will help if I ever get there.
Chalique says
Thank you, I found your post to be very helpful!!!
Salina says
Thank you for your helpful post! I love your meal plan and can’t wait to try it, Tammy!
Vicki says
Thanks for sharing I need to lose 30 And free a bad accident can finally work out again so I need meals and encouragement!!
Victoria says
This is the first detailed account that I have found and I must say, THANK YOU. I have used your daily log as my guide and I’m excited to see how it works for me. I do a low carb/higher fat diet so my meals are slightly different. But, I have started getting up at 5:30/6 and eating breakfast at 6:30 instead of 9:30 am (scarfing down at work). And I have found that my balance of meals are better when I eat earlier. Again, thank you!! And so happy for your weightloss!