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Food is a daily necessity. The challenge is when it comes to what to eat and how many calories to consume. It took me almost a year to learn what to eat and how many calories. I was definitely not eating enough to maintain my desired weight. My fitness regimen goal is to gain more muscle mass and with this, I needed to eat more calories each day. For 6 weeks I worked with a trainer and followed a meal plan. The meal plan required me to eat every 3 hours with protein in every meal, carb, fruit or vegetable. This was easy for me at the end of the summer because schedules were not hectic.
Meal Plan
Now after the 6 weeks training plan, I am trying to incorporate the same plan with three meals, 2 snacks, and a one cheat MEAL a week. I think a misconception is to take a CHEAT DAY and this is a way to sabotage progress. The trick for me is to pick a cheat meal that is closer to the weekend or on the weekend.
Grocery List
I will say that grocery shopping means more trips to the grocery store each week. It is mainly for me to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. Perishable items spoil quickly. I found myself throwing out lots of spinach so now I use spinach in a large salad, add to eggs, and saute for weekly meals. Strawberries and blueberries are my staple fruits. Adding fruit to oatmeal or including with breakfast meals, and as an afternoon snack. My grocery bill is a bit higher due to purchasing more quality products. One thing I have saved on is buying frozen fruit for smoothies.
New Favorite Foods
The best way to stick to eating the right foods is to diversify what you eat. Some of the foods I have added are lots of avocados, chia seeds, flax seeds, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, brown rice, basmati rice, sweet potatoes. I find that my body is less bloated if I eliminate the wrong carbs and dairy. For a small treat, a small piece of dark chocolate is good for a craving.