Stay Healthy, Not Fit: What I Eat In A Day

Here are is the truth about health and fitness:

Eating HEALTHY does not make you FIT & being FIT does not mean you are HEALTHY

Most people think both things go hand in hand but the truth is it doesn’t. Looking fit (or skinny) comes down to two things, lower body fat percentage and having muscles. Gaining muscles require performing workouts that continuously stimulate the muscles and eating to feed those muscles. To lose fat, one must eat below your Basal Metabolic Rate or perform enough exercise to burn off the excess calories. To become fit it takes a lot of work and time, but to be healthy it really doesn’t.

Being healthy, on the other hand, is about making good decisions. It is eating proper nutrients and calories, as well as exercising so that the body functions properly. In reality, you can eat healthy at your basal metabolic rate and never lose weight. It is possible to be both healthy and fit, but just don’t be mislead by any great body. Those who are healthy are eating well-balanced meals, with plenty of vegetables, fruits, good fats, complex carbs, and protein, and workout regularly. Here is what I eat on a typical day, in order to stay healthy and on my way to be fit.

Meal 1: First thing I do in the morning is drink water with lemon juice. There are many benefits to lemon water to list here, so I will link this article on “7 reasons drinking lemon water is beneficial“. After my morning walk, which I try to do daily, I will have my breakfast bowl. The breakfast bowl consists of, 1/4 cup of oatmeal and blueberries, a tablespoon of raisins, a tablespoon of peanut/almond butter, a teaspoon of hemp protein and chia seeds, and almond milk. I take my daily vitamins with my breakfast and an 8oz cup of coffee.

Meal 2: Since I’m not doing any physical activity around this time, I will have fewer carbs and higher fat and protein content. I usually do a smoothie or occasionally yogurt. For my smoothie, I add a cup of fruit, 1/2 scoop of protein powder, a tablespoon of flax meal, and a cup of almond milk. This smoothie will keep me full and provides me with energy as the fiber keeps my sugar levels steady. Also, this meal is full of calcium which is important for aging women as a drop in estrogen can decay our bones.

Meal 3:  I’m usually sitting down and working, so I have fewer carbs in this meal. Not that carbs are bad, but they have a place in our diet. Because I had plenty of carbs on my first two meals, the goal of this meal is to get my micronutrients. My lunch will consist of either a salad or egg bowl. The egg bowl has two eggs, one slice of turkey bacon, and plenty of veggies. I am a big fan of breakfast food.

Meal 4:  I typically workout around evening after work, so this pre-workout meal has protein and a carb with sugar. The carb with sugar will give me energy. I like this meal to be portable to eat on my way to the gym. I typically have a protein shake and applesauce (no added sugar) or banana.

Meal 5: As a post workout meal, I have a balanced meal and eat carbs based on my workout intensity. I will choose the starchy carb (for intense days) or fat/complex carb (for less intense days). So this meal consists of 4oz of meat (size of a fist), cups of roasted sweet potato and veggies. I will post this roasted sweet potato recipe on our Instagram story.

Meal 6: If I am hungry I will eat one more time. I will eat something small like an apple with almond butter or cottage cheese.