Day in the Life - Nutrition

What I eat on a daily basis

If there’s a single thing I’ve learned from watching health & fitness vloggers on YouTube – it’s the following:

People love knowing what exercise junkies eat day to day.

Alright, maybe I’m just caught in a very niche algorithm but it’s not a coincidence to see that these types of videos get the most views and interactions.

I’m not sure what it is, but I fall into the trap and click on them as well.

Anyway, after watching one of them recently, I realized that I talk a lot (probably too much) about what I eat… yet, I haven’t discussed how these meals fit into a typical day for me.

And especially as my training volume is steadily increasing with the half marathon coming up in just over a month, my nutrition has also become more dialed in.

In addition to breaking down my typical meals, I also included a conversation on intuitive eating and what I’ve learned over the last 10-15 years of closely paying attention to my diet… let me tell you, it’s been quite the journey.                        

In fact, let’s start with a chat about intuitive eating before we jump to my favorite meal of the day… breakfast.

Intuitive Eating

Intuitive eating is a simple approach to structuring your nutritional intake … it’s actually an “anti-diet” approach.

It’s centered around the concept of not over-restricting, not over-consuming, but eating what feels right to you and allows you to be healthy while concurrently not being obsessive about each morsel you add to your calorie bucket.

Sounds like something we all should be striving for, right?

Sure, I would say so.

Yet, there’s a caveat here and it may rub some the wrong way.

Food Tracking

In no way, shape, or form am I the person suggesting that everyone should track calories, put their food intake into an app, and overly concern themselves with their dietary intake daily.

This can lead to bad habits, obsessions, and an overall poor relationship with eating for SOME people.

However, I do find that intuitive eating is INCREDIBLY easier to follow after a person has gone through the effort of food tracking for a period of time.

This is because after you’ve tracked your food intake in detail for some time, you’ll truly understand what a serving size is… and what isn’t.

For example, look at the stark difference here:

On top, we have a serving size of peanut butter – this is 2 tablespoons and contains 190 calories and 16 grams of fat.

The below example is what most individuals see as a “serving” due to lack of understanding. Rather, this is 4 tablespoons and comes in at 380 calories and 32 grams of fat.

This subtle yet meaningful difference of 190 calories adds up and makes a massive difference in the long haul. Especially since these seemingly minor mishaps in measurements are likely happening at every meal for some individuals.

The same holds true for measuring out ounces of lean meat to reach your protein goal, the amount of rice you put on your plate, and even how much salad dressing you use.

After a period of food tracking, putting an “accurate” portion on your plate, and not one of excess, becomes second nature.

You no longer need to track because you intuitively recognize serving sizes.

So, what am I saying?

Intuitive Eating = Good

To get better at it, consider tracking (even as short as two weeks) your food intake on an app like MyFitnessPal.

After that, you’ll have a better understanding of portion control and can stop tracking (if you wish) and take advantage of this newfound skill.

What do I do?

Personally, I don’t consistently track my calorie intake.

I record my bodyweight every other day and if my weight is trending in a way opposite of my goal, I slightly adjust my calorie intake and re-evaluate.

Right now, I’m currently in maintenance mode so I want the scale to stay relatively consistent on a week-to-week basis.

It was trending downwards recently, so I simply added an additional portion of calories on the front-end of my day.

Incredibly effortless.

Now let’s get to the meat & potatoes.

Meal #1 – Breakfast (~7:30am)

Currently I’m training (typically running) first thing in the morning so I’ve been waiting to consume breakfast until I’m showered up afterwards.

It’s an incredible motivator when I’m going through the trenches at the end of a challenging run to know there’s a bowl of protein-loaded oatmeal ready to be consumed.

My concoction varies but includes many of the following:

Oatmeal (of course), lactose-free milk, protein powder, cacao powder, cinnamon, canned pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, pumpkin seeds, frozen berries, almond butter, chia seeds, coconut flakes, and beyond.

Nutritional Content

• Calories - 912

• Protein – 60g

• Carbohydrates – 98g

• Fat – 31.3g

Meal #2 – Lunch (~11:30am)

I typically eat lunch around 11:30am where I often consume 8 ounces of a 90% lean ground meat (turkey/beef/chicken) with jasmine rice, stir fry vegetables, and plain Greek yogurt on top as a sour cream substitute.

I typically walk after this meal to promote digestion and ensure I don’t experience the dreaded afternoon crash.

And yes, I ran out of Greek yogurt on the day I took this picture, so I had to settle for cottage cheese – another food I have a weirdly strong connection with.

Nutritional Content

• Calories – 625

• Protein – 60.2g

• Carbohydrates – 54.3g

• Fat – 6.4g

Meal #3 – Snack (~3pm)

Since I’m training at a relatively high volume and intensity, I incorporate this meal prior to strength training or mobility exercise in the afternoon.

Sorta an odd snack choice but it’s been doing the job.