Baller Alert Entertainment & Lifestyle Now that you have you food prepped for the week it’s time to eat it! But when? Timing is everything! It will prevent you from getting hungry throughout the day and losing energy. To keep this from happening you should be eating 5-6 meal a day, and keep them small. I usually eat about 5 meals a day and manage to stay under my caloric goal for the day. Here’s a sample:
Breakfast: 2 egg whites, 1 egg and a bagel with 2 tbsp of whipped cream cheese
Post- Workout: Protein Shake with unsweetened almond milk(and sometimes oats and natural peanut butter)
Lunch: If I’m working I usually bring a Lean Cuisine with me to work, but if I’m at home I grill a piece of fish or a piece of marinated meat with brown rice or sweet potato and a vegetable.
Snack: Greek Yogurt, or a Soy Protein shake. Something low in calories but high in protein to keep me satisfied until dinner.
Dinner: I like to get creative with dinner. Anything from the usually marinated chicken/ turkey breast with a carb and veggie, to buffalo chicken burgers, to whole grain pasta. It’s my last meal of the day, so the amount of calories I have left usually determines what I will make.
Pre-workout Meals
When it comes to pre-workout meals I say it depends on what you’re doing. If it’s weights, then it would be wise to eat something especially if you plan to lift heavy or take a cardio weight lifting class like Bodypump. You want to make sure you have something on your stomach, so you don’t get dizzy while lifting or fatigue too quickly. I’ve noticed that I usually have a better workout if I eat before. For cardio, however, unless it’s something intense like Zumba it’s not really necessary to eat anything beforehand. Actually, a lot of people say that Fasted Cardio(cardio on an empty stomach) is better for you.
Post-Workout Meals
Post workout is simple. A good source of protein within an hour of finishing your workout. You need to feed and repair the muscles you just ripped to shreds. A protein shake is usually the quickest and easiest source, but if you’re super hungry cook some eggs or a piece of lean meat.
Tracking Your Food
With all the apps out there, it’s too easy to track your food and weight loss. My favorite site is myfitnesspal.com. MFP allows you to track your meals, calories, weight/ inches, and water intake. It’s like a mobile community. Like Facebook for weight loss! (My username is BodybyBerry if you wanted to add me). When you track your foods it makes you more accountable. Seeing what you’re eating and how many calories you intake will make you less likely to cheat. Think of it as a game. Give yourself a deficit to aim for each day. For example, aim for a 500 calorie deficit each day. Meaning you should have at least 500 calories left over at the end of each day.
Matter of fact let’s make that our Challenge! 500 calorie deficit a day equals a 3,500 deficit a week, which will lead to around a 1 lb weight loss a week. Make sure that you still eat at least 1,200 calories a day! Do not go under 1,200 calories! You still have to stay fueled but it is possible to do so and make your deficit! Even if it means adding an extra workout in, it won’t hurt! YOU CAN DO IT!!!
***If you have any questions, comments or concerns, you can message me here at BA. On Twitter ( @Claudette_Berry), Instagram (@Claudetteberry), and MFP (BodybyBerry)
