My daily nutrition

I get asked a lot what I eat on a regular day to lose weight/get healthier. And truth be told, it is nothing too crazy. Not some secret pill or anything. I will tell you what my meals usually look like and what "rules" I go by, daily. Please keep in mind that this might not work for everyone, but this works for me!

My eating habits are actually quite simple and come down to these basic things: make healthier choices, eat smaller portions and eat on a regular basis so you don't get hungry and binge. I try to stick to these rules for optimized success:

• +/- 1,500 kcal daily
• 5 to 6 small meals or: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, (snack), diner
• breakfast is the biggest and most important meal of the day
• keep diners small and simple (based on veggies and some lean meat)
• no more food after diner (diner not after 7.30pm)
• at least 1,5 - 2L water daily
• at least 1 or 2 cups of green tea daily
• if I want a cookie or some chocolate, I will have 1 or 2 pieces, max (I do not believe in deprivation!)
• if I want to have a bigger diner, I will lower my calories for lunch
• plan my meals every day in the morning

BREAKFAST: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I make sure to always have a good breakfast with proteine and fruit. Especially because I exercise 6 days a week, having a good start of the day is so important. I have a protein shake every single morning, around 8 or 9 am. "But, protein shakes are nasty?!" Yeah, only if you do not know how to make them taste good. Add anything to the shake you like: a banana, berries, a pear, whatever! As long as it is healthy. You have it with water or with skim milk. My breakfast shake contains around 400kcal. It should be the biggest meal of the day. This will keep you from getting hungry throughout the day! I also have other breakfast foods on occassion, maybe 2 times a month. This will be something like oven buns with a cheese omelet or something.

MORNING SNACK: Around 11am I will have a snack. Anything I want, I just try and stay within the 200kcal range. This can be either some fruit (banana, pear, plums, oranges), a handful of nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts), some dark chocolate, granola bar, hard-boiled egg. If I want a snack that is high in fat and/or carbs, I will have it right now, with my afternoon snack I try to stay on the low end of this.

LUNCH: Lunch time is around 1 or 2 pm. I either eat a big bowl of veggies (spinach with sauteed onions and garlic is my favorite!) with some tofu. Or I will have an english muffin with an omelet, cheese, some ketchup, cucumber or whatever. Or an omelet with onions and paprika. I try to be creative here. Most of the time I will have a piece of fruit with it also.

AFTERNOON SNACK: Whenever I get hungry after lunch (which is usually around 3 or 4 pm) I will grab a snack (again, staying within the 200kcal range) low in fat and/or carbs. This is usually some sort of fruit or a mix of fruit and 1/2 handful of nuts.

DINER: I keep my diners as simple as possible. I will have a piece of meat (mostly turkey breast, chicken breast, shrimp or any type of fish, but I also like to have steak, pork, beef - again: I eat anything I want!) with vegetables. I will make enough veggies to fill me up.

I do count my calories, because I tend to undereat, which leads to water/fat retention and thus will cause me to gain weight. I don't go crazy though, I try to stay around 1,400kcal without counting condiments and butters/oils, etc.

Snacks, snacks, snacks!

Snacks are just as important to me as meals are. Snacks are what get my mind through the day. Breakfast wakes up my body and starts my metabolism, lunch will refuel my body and diner gets my body ready for bed, but I couldn't stay sane without my snacks!

As you all might know, I eat 3 meals and 2 to 3, sometimes 4 snacks a day. When I snack, I try to stay in the 150 - 200 caloric range. You have to be really creative with snacks, I think. Step awap from the cucumber, carrots, but try to think more along the lines of satisfying your sweet tooth or filling you up so you won't think about being hungry anymore. Cucumber will not do this for you.

I have listed a few of my favorite snacks to eat throughout the day:

Source

• 30g salted peanuts (187 kcal)
• 30g roasted almonds (177 kcal)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs (140 kcal)
• granola bar banana-chocolate (107 kcal)
• 1/2 avocado with salt & pepper (119 kcal)
• 1 Apple (88 kcal)
• Medium banana (116 kcal)
• 2 oranges (96 kcal)
• 100g greek yoghurt (124 kcal)
• 150g raspberries (64 kcal)
• 2 squares Lindt 85% dark chocolate (105 kcal)
• 1 tablespoon peanutbutter (84 kcal)
• 30g chunk parmesan cheese (123 kcal)
• 1 pear (98 kcal)

Keep in mind, you can really mix and match here. There are so many different things you can try. I am always looking for new snacks. What do you like to snack on?

Lunch: Paprika-onion cheese omelet

I love eggs. I try eating them every single day, but eggs can get really boring. It is easy for me to get sick of eggs. But I found that experimenting with them, will help you find amazing recipes. Here is one of my current favorite omelets that I love making:

You'll need:

2 eggs

1/4 paprika (doesn't matter which color, yellow is the sweetest)

1/8 onion

olive oil

grated cheese (I love Emmental cheese)

salt & pepper to taste

First you heat up the olive oil in a small pan. In the meantime you dice the onion and paprika, I like my dices to be a bit big, so they have a bite to them. When you're done, you throw the onion and paprika into the pan and let them brown a little. You then crack and beat the 2 eggs. When the onion and paprika are a bit browned, you stir it and divide the dices all over the pan. Evenly distribute the egg mixture over the onion and paprika. Put the heat on medium and let it sit for a minute. I lift the sides to help the mixture run from the center to the sides, which allows the omelet to cook evenly. After 1 minute I throw some cheese on it. I let it sit for a bit mroe until the omelet is cooked completely. Season with salt and pepper, flip half over the other side and enjoy!

This is very simple, and you can basically throw in anything you like. I've used spinach and garlic, but you can also use broccoli, tomatoes, etc.

How I broke my plateau

2 weeks later and I hadn't lose or gained a single ounce...

I knew about plateaus and I was hoping it wouldn't happen to me this time around, but the plateau came sooner than expected. What is a plateau? Well, after about 2 months of losing weight, my weight simply wouldn't move. I was eating well (hadn't change anything about my diet), I worked out every single day, but nothing happened, no gains and no losses. For two weeks straight. Frustrating to say the least, especially being a slave to the scale, like I am.

I had taken pictures before and after those 2 weeks and saw a difference, I got smaller but damn it, why wasn't the scale moving?

I knew some tricks to break a plateau but I needed to refresh my mind and read up about it. There are a few reasons a plateau occurs:

1. You are not tracking calories and they are slowly sneaking back into your diet.
2. You are not eating enough; your body goes into starvation mode, storing all the fat, because it needs the fat for energy (as it is not getting any calories for energy).
3. Your body is getting used to the exercise routine. You're getting better at it, so your body is not challenged anymore.

I knew number one wasn't true, because I kept track of my calories all throughout those months. If anything, I was trying to limit my calories. That takes us to number two. Yes, guilty as charged... We always underestimate the amount of calories we need. There is something called your BMR, which is the amount of calories your body needs just to get through the day. We burn thousands of calories just by doing our daily activities.

So why has 1,200 calories become the norm for people that try to lose weight? Because it is a quick fix and we like to see fast results. Me being one of them, even though I knew better. But I also knew, that plateau is going to come and I will know why. I consumed between 1,200 and 1,300 calories on a daily basis. And that was easy for me, I was never hungry.

1,200 calorie diets were used in starvation studies. Scientists would put focus groups on 1,200 calorie diets to see what the effects were. Starvation. So when you stick to 1,200, at one point your body is going to go: "hey, feed me?" and if you don't, it'll go all "alright, bitch, I will hold on to your fat. Muahaha!" There is a more scientific explanation, but this blog is about keeping things simple.

So what did I do? I simply upped my calories. I know, terrible right? ;) I added 300 more calories. I also switched up my routine. I quit my 90 day program (on like, day 77) and decided to do Insanity - a program that challenged me more than the other program did. And lookey what happened - after 1 day of change, my weight dropped 1 whole kg (that is about 2,2 lbs!).

Breaking your plateaus is all about keeping your body guessing and feeding your body enough so your metabolism will keep going and you will burn fat along with the calories.

Eating right on a tight schedule

I got a question concerning eating healthy when you have a busy life, and I think this is a topic that a lot of people struggle with, because they work full-time, they have other social responsibilities or children to look after.

When I started changing my eating habits, I faced that challenge also: I worked 40 hours a week at my internship, and we would always eat together at lunch. I knew I had to create a plan to keep myself on track. It is really easy for people (at work or school) to influence your eating habits, but if you have a plan, and you try not to listen to what people say, you are very likely to succeed.

My first tip is: keep it simple. I know I've said that you should experiment with your meals, but you can still keep it simple then. My breakfasts are always the same. I have protein shakes every single morning. If I have time in the morning, I will drink it in the morning. If I don't have time, I will take it with me. I am in love with my purple Coffee Bean tumbler!

Since I have 3 meals a day and 2 snacks, depending on how long I will be out, I will take some snacks with me. I find that a granola bar (not too often!), some almonds or peanuts, a hard boiled egg or fruit are easy grab-and-go snacks to carry with you.

If I am away for lunch, I will prepare something, either the night before or the morning of. When I worked at my internship, I loved to whip up a big pot of spinach with sauteed onions and tofu, the night before. Just nuke it for a few minutes the next day and that's it! It doesn't have to take up a lot of extra time, while you are cooking diner, just make extra or have an extra pot on the stove making your lunch.

If I don't feel like cooking something for lunch, or I just want something super simple, I love english muffins. They are amazing! You can do so much with it. Throw on some ketchup, a piece of cheese, 1/2 avocado and cucumber and pack some extra fruit with you to have with it.

Our diners are always extremely simple. After school or work we are not always in the mood to make big diners. We always make sure we have a shit load of turkey and chicken in our freezer, and a lot of different veggies. Frozen veggies are great. Contrary to popular belief, they are just as healthy or even healthier than fresh ones (fresh veggies lose their nutrients during transportation, frozen veggies are frozen when they are at their best, so they still contain all the healthy nutrients!). Plus, they are easier than fresh veggies. You just throw them in a pot and you're done - no cutting, no washing. As for our meat, we spice it however we want and bake it in a pan for a few minutes. Preparing diner never takes up more than 20-25 minutes.

There are also people that like to prepare all their meals on Sundays for the entire week but I haven't gone that far yet, as I have found that food goes bad over time, no matter how well you store or refrigerate it.

Try not to overthink your meals, only if you have time for that and you want to! I try to experiment with my meals on weekends, so during the week I don't have to think about it too much.

Carbs, Fats and Proteins, oh my!!

The truth about food, simplified.

Let me say first: I am not a licensed nutrionist or in anyway a professional in this field, but I do know more than the average person about healthy food, so here goes:

Like I have discussed before, it is important that you educate yourself about food. Be honest to yourself and know what you are putting into your body. Else you will never understand your own body and what it does. And this is even more important for people that gain weight easily. I am one of those people, luckily I also lose weight quickly.

I think we all know the basic food groups, right? Forget about those for a second. Because guess what, they will tell you we need to eat from all food groups, they just don't tell you how. Let me show you this one, for example:

Source

Are they flippin serious? So many things wrong with this "eatwell plate." Or shall I just say "obesity plate." Yup, I used to eat like this. This plate tells people that they should consume "food and drinks high in fat and/or sugar". Reading this already gives me diabetes. Then they say "bread, rice potatoes and other starchy foods" are 30%(!!!!!) of your daily intake. I need to take a breath and step away from the computer for a second.

Alright. If this is what you think a healthy diet looks like (and you refuse to see differently), please get off my website. I know we aren't all rocket scientists here, but come on!

Now, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention actually knows what they are talking about, and aren't trying to fatten their people. Their basic food groups consist of: vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy and protein foods. Sounds a lot better. These are all the things you need in your life. These are all whole foods.

The terms carbs, proteins and fats - you should know them. We need them. All foods can be categorized like that. What a lot of people forget, is to subdivide these, and then look at them more closely.

Carbs: foods high in fiber, sugar, grains, starches, etc. Not all of these are good for you. First of all: natural foods are always better than processed foods. Fiber and grains (complex carbs): good. Vegetables, fruits, whole-wheat, whole-grain, brown rice, even brown pasta. These are all great for you as they take longer to process, especially veggies and fruits of course. Sugar and starches (simple carbs): bad! All the obvious things like chocolate, cookies, cake, soda, but also starches like potatoes, white bread, white rice. They are all unhealthy foods. They will cause your blood sugar to spike, and we don't want that, right? Again, this does not mean you should never eat them. If you like them, eat them in moderation. But to get the best possible results, do not eat them on a daily basis.

Fats: foods high in fat, not a shocker. But here, too, you need to subdivide. There's good fats and bad fats. Skip the french fries and fried, breaded chicken, whole-fat milk. Those are your bad fats. So, what are good fats? You might know that fish (oil) is great for you, high in omega-3. Other foods that contain healthy fats are avocado (ohhh yeahhh), nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts), olive oil, even peanut butter (when there is not too much added sugar and salt). And here is  my dark secret: dark chocolate is great for you - it doesn't have a lot of fat, but has other ingredients that are good for you. I love this as a snack!

Protein: This is incredibly important, especially when you work out a lot. So which foods contain protein, you ask? Almost all meats, especially fish and poultry. Lean cuts of beef, lamb and pork aren't bad either, just try to avoid the cuts with a lot of fat! Eggs are great (so much you can do with eggs!), nuts and beans and soy products like tofu. I like to use protein powder to get to my 33% a day.

I try to keep an even 33/33/33 with my carbs, proteins and fats, and I always opt for the healthier options, (unless I feel like having a cookie every few weeks, I will have one or two).

How to lose weight, the healthy way.

"But, aren't you on a diet?"

A sentence that I hate hearing. "How is your diet going?" "Oh does your diet allow you to eat that?" Here's the thing: the word "diet" has been accepted by society as something people do to lose weight. When they are at their goal weight, they stop their "diet". And you know what happens 80% of the time? They gain the weight right back.

Guess what, let's recondition your brains a little here: a diet does not mean eating less, restriction. Diet: the sum of food consumer by an organism or group. Every single person on this planet has a diet, because every single person on this earth consumes food. They are not "on a diet", but neither are people that are trying to losing weight. I think the verb "dieting" is the most retarded verb in the English language.

I am not on a diet, I eat healthy. Big difference there. Being on a diet, referring to it as a diet and thinking of it as a diet (which is temporary), will lead to gaining the weight back. So how do you approach it?

First step: educate yourself. This is something everyone that wants to be healthy and/or lose weight should do. You can't lose weight, maintain it AND be healthy if you aren't telling yourself the truth.You need to know what is truly good for you and what is not. Which foods do you need on a daily basis? What are proteins, carbs and fats? What should I add to my diet when I work out? These were all things I read up on. A lot. For example, I knew I had to up my protein, so I got protein powder. I learned about complex and refined carbs. I now know that complex carbs are good and simple carbs are bad (blog coming soon!).

Source

Second step: do not restrict. So, you are a human being and you most likely love eating cake, cookies, pizza, rice, potatoes, spaghetti. Are these good for you? Hell no. Should you never eat them again? Hell no! Confusing, huh? I believe that moderation is key. I believe that 1 or 2 cookies a week isn't going to make you fat. 1 pizza a month is not going to live on your hips. There are 21 meals in a week. If only one of those is a cheat meal (pasta, potatoes, rice, PIZZA), that is 5% of your meals. Nothing, right? It is not going to make you fat. As long as your brain is strong and is able to tell you: get back to eating healthy. You can enjoy anything you want. In moderation.

Third step: experiment. "Oh no, lettuce, not again!" Sure, you can mix a bowl of lettuce with tomatoes, carrots, sprinkle some low-fat dressing on there and have that as your diner... The thought of it makes me want to die. I will never, ever, eat like that. And you don't have to. Experiment with your food! Don't be afraid of olive oil, garlic powder, salt & pepper, throw in some lean beef, chicken, pine seeds and for the heck of it, why don't you take a table spoon of honey and mix it in? Already sounds better, huh? Just like the protein shakes that I have for breakfast every single morning. How many times have I not heard people say, protein powder is nasty. Yes, I have tried the powder with some milk - not good. So, here is a tip that will make you go whaaatt? (or maybe not) Throw in a banana (whaaatt?), some frozen berries (whaaatt?) and a tablespoon of (preferably natural) peanut butter (omg, for real, Noelle?). I will bet you a thousand bucks you won't mind drinking THAT shake for breakfast every day.

Fourth step: create a routine. Your body works best on a routine, and you will be more likely to stick to a pattern if you make it a routine. I, for example, eat 5-6 times a day - 3 meals (breakfast, lunch and diner) and 2-3 snacks. I try to eat at set times, even though that doesn't always work because of classes or whatever. I try to keep 2-3 hours between every meal/snack. You have to keep your metabolism up and running in order to burn fat, so you better not starve yourself. Never, ever skip a meal!! And also, try to never skip your snacks, again your body needs food in order for you to lose weight. As weird as it sounds, isn't that good news, though? ;)