Click here then "Make a Copy" of these Macro Cheat Sheets
What should I be eating? What should I NOT be eating?
Let’s first address what you should NOT be eating – I am never a fan of saying “No XYZ – this is OFF LIMITS!” there is a lot of talk of how labeling food as “good” or “bad” leads down the road to a poor relationship with food. However, I do think there is a caveat here – that being that you probably shouldn’t be regularly consuming food that does not agree with your body.
For example, me and dairy ice cream are not a good pair. For you, that might be meals packed with gluten or you consistently burp up green peppers or what have you… my mom is the green pepper gal, I actually didn’t just pull that example out of my butt (although it would have been really creative if I had).
Keep in mind, though, that even removing an item from your diet doesn’t necessarily mean all bets are off between you and that food item forever. You can totally find its sibling AKA non-dairy ice cream. Can I take this moment to shout out my favs? They need recognition.
Ben and Jerry, you have done us lactose-intolerant folks a great service. You, my friends, deserve a true round of applause. Maybe even a kiss. I see you expanding your flavors! I see you, I see you.
Beckon? Hell. Yes. You, too, are the real deal. They’re also female-owned and operated so what’s not to love?
So Ben & Jerry’s you can find at Ralph’s (west coast people) AKA Kroger (Midwest friends) while Beckon can be found at Sprouts (west coast people). So sorry Midwest friends, I don’t have the DL on Beckon back in the homeland.
All of this is to remind you that we’re living in 2022 now (holllly shit…) so alternatives have been made available for practically everything. You will not go without any craving being satisfied, I promise you. So hopefully by now in the episode, you’re still feeling optimistic about digging into your nutrition and day-to-day meals because we’ve eliminated the items that make you feel like crap while reminding you that their sister alternatives are most likely already in existence – full patent, in the grocery store, the full 9 yards. It’s already been done. Hallelujah.
What else should you be NOT eating? I’m not going to give any further specifics here but I will say that every single meal of yours should not be vacant of nutrients. So, while donuts are not sworn off the menu, I don’t personally think it’d be a great idea to have donuts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Nommsayin?
Now that we’ve sorted through what NOT to eat, let’s shift to what makes most sense for you to be eating on the reg.
Before we dive into the actual food items to fill up your individual daily menu, I want to mention that from a portion perspective, everyone is going to have different needs. I know, I know – so cliché. But truly! From my experience in coaching women towards weight loss and/or body recomposition, 95% of clients were eating too little throughout their day and once we slowly increased their food intake, their body composition became more favorable. What I mean by that, is that they started to experience regular digestion, a decrease in the number they saw on the scale, a slimmer waist, the whole 9 yards that many (I’m not saying all, but many) women desire. I want you to really hear this – eating less is not always the answer. The answer MAY be that your body is accustomed to inconsistent caloric intake and it’s just downright confused and doesn’t know what to expect. And because of that, it isn’t cooperative in the way we’d like it to be AKA it’s unresponsive to all the hard work you’ve been putting in in the gym, at workout classes, and the diets you’ve given a shot.
I know, crazy. It’s definitely not what my textbooks said when I was studying this stuff in college.
I hope that gives you hope and feelings of optimism, too! Because your journey to achieving your fitness goals does not *have* to be miserable.
For the actual content of your meals, now, I want you to think of your very favorite foods. Not just dessert-ish items like chocolate cake, but ALL of your favorites foods – your favorite fruits, roasted vegetables, how you like your meat cooked, any family recipes that make you smile – and write them down somewhere. When you finish this episode or get home from walking the dog, I’ve included a link in the show notes of this episode where you can download a free Macro Cheat Sheet I created that lists examples of every food group for you to be able to really identify all the opportunities that are possible for you. Isn’t that awesome? To think that there are plentiful options you can enjoy while simultaneously working towards your fitness goals?
Remember, I don’t want you to be circling eggs on the cheat sheet if eggs make you break out in hives. That would be listed under the “NOT TO EAT” category even if you do like them, K? The sister substitution for that would be “Just Egg,” by the way…
Now that you have a thorough list identified, let’s figure out how we can now combine these foods to best support you in this journey.
Unless you are in an extreme dieting phase for a bodybuilding competition in which you need to decrease your body fat from 12% to 9% for an upcoming show, it will most likely benefit you to consume *balanced* meals. But what does that mean, you ask?
For us, a balanced meal is going to look like a combination of all 3 macronutrients. It’s going to look like a combination of a fat source, a carbohydrate source, and a protein source.
For a vegan, that can look like beans and rice with tofu, topped with avocado. The beans and rice servings as sources of carbohydrates, the tofu serving as the protein source, and the avocado providing fat.
For an omnivore, that could look like beef Bolognese pasta mixed with a delicious cheese. The beef serving as the protein source, the pasta as the carbohydrate source, and the cheese as the fat source.
So mess around with the items you’ve selected and you’re on the right path.
That’s it for today!
Love, Francesca