Network member Dori Zerlin posted this as a comment to a post and I wanted to be sure readers didn't miss it. Thanks for taking the time to write, Dori!
I also would love to share my daily eating habits and recipes since I feel that my diet is pretty tasty even though it is quite healthy too. However, I do practice what I preach quite closely. And what I mean by that is as a dietitian working at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, consulting with pre-and post-op lapband and gastric bypass patients, I teach them the importance of planning their meals ahead of time and eating balanced meals that contain a lean source of protein, a complex carbohydrate, and some heart-healthy fats. I do plan out most of my meals ahead of time and prepare them over the weekend or the night before since my weekly work schedule is tight and I have very little time for preparation let alone petty cash to spend on eating out. Therefore, this meal plan is what works for me and my lifestyle and my body type. I would not expect everyone to follow it or to enjoy it. My menu varies from day to day as well, but I am going to give 2 variations of what I might eat on any given day. I also take the following supplements with my meals spread out over the day: Krill Oil (contains omega 3-fatty acids), Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin D (2000 IU), Basic Multivitamin, and Vitamin C.
Here is a sample with a variation for each meal or snack:
Breakfast
1 cup of nonfat plain sugar-free Greek Yogurt (by Trader Joe’s brand)
1/2 cup high fiber cereal (Organic Heritage Heirloom whole grains) or 1/3 cup of Trader Joe’s High Fiber Cereal.
1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries or strawberries
Cinnamon and stevia to taste
1 tablespoon of Salba seeds ground
or
1/2 cup yogurt (same brand as above)
1/2 cup organic non-fat cottage cheese (by Nancy’s)
1/4 cup of raw oat bran hot cereal + a little bit of water to moisten it
1 Tbl. Salba
1/2 cup strawberries
I use liquid stevia vanilla flavor to add a natural sweet vanilla flavor
(Let this chill in the fridge over night and it is delicious the next day!)
Lunch
2 slices Turkey Bacon on 2 slices of Ezekial bread
2 slices of tomato or roasted red peppers
spinach
mustard
With a salad on the side
or
Egg-white omelet w/ spinach, onions, and mushrooms, hot sauce
I cook it with 1/2 cup of wild rice or two corn tortillas and salsa and a ranchero sauce
Snack
A sugar-free dark chocolate protein bar called a Paleobar/or 10 raw nuts (almonds, pistachios, brazil nuts, etc.) with an apple or 1 cup of strawberries
Pre-workout snack
1 cup of the greek yogurt with 1/2 cup of cereal or fruit
Dinner (I don’t measure that much during dinner since I always end up taking double or more of the serving size on days I workout, so I go with my hunger here)
Usually is a large stew made up of the following ingredients:
Steamed veggies (asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, cabbage, etc.)
Some sort of protein (fish, chicken, turkey, etc.)
Either Corn tortillas, wild rice, brown rice, or ezekial bread
I use marinara sauce a lot to season my stews or salsa or other spices for variation
I also have a large salad with it and use some store bought salad dressings from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.
Snack
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup of frozen berries
1 oz. of raw nuts
Sometimes I will also have a cup of unsweetened non-fat almond milk (vanilla or chocolate) and mix in some stevia, cereal, fruit, and nuts.
I generally do weight training 4 days a week and use the elliptical machine at the gym for about 30 minutes as well. I do a pilates class once a week if I can make it. Staying active and physically fit help me to stay in shape and is very important to me. I schedule it into my days the same way that I schedule my meals ahead of time. Therefore it goes to show you that it does take consistent hard work for even myself to get the results that I have achieved thus far. (Although it does become second nature after awhile: ).)