Fueling For Success: Hour By Hour

This is so exciting! I’ve always wanted to share “What I Ate for a Day,” because it can sometimes be quite out of the ordinary. Being that part of my year is spent training and eating for figure competitions, my meals can be a bit redundant but still enjoyable. Notice: I did not say “diet”–there is no deprivation here! But just so we’re clear, when I chow down on deliciousness, I don’t nibble—I eat! (And quite often.)  Here’s a sneak peek into my weekday life from working out to work, to fueling my body for success.

4:30 a.m. Wake Up

Yep, I wake up that early to get to the gym. It’s such a wonderful feeling when the clock hits 6:30 a.m. and people are still in bed. It’s like your workout is your little secret. To fuel my workout, I always begin my morning with a Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie using PB2 to get that awesome peanut-butter taste without all the calories.

Morning PB2 protein shake.

5 a.m. Gym Time

Lift things up and put them down!

Don’t try this at home, folks.

7 a.m. Breakfast

This is probably the meal I look forward to the most. I found a recipe a long time ago that was a mixture of eggs and oatmeal, and I haven’t stopped eating it. My Egg-Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Mush hits the spot and is comprised of 40 percent carbohydrates, 40 percent protein and 20 percent peanut butter (good fats!). And no breakfast is complete without some vanilla macadamia nut coffee with almond milk.

Breakfast!

10 a.m. Snack

I’m always hungry in a matter of three hours. What makes me feel better while at work? Delicious nonfat Greek yogurt with blueberries—and sometimes I drizzle on some honey.

Ate it too fast…didn’t get a photo! Oops.

1 p.m. Lunch

I often eat leftovers for lunch the next day, and the Chipotle Veggie Burgers by Morningstar Farms are not an exception. I usually wrap these burgers in lettuce and a bit of Laughing Cow cheese. If I’m feeling extra good about my workout that morning, I may add some homemade sweet potato fries.

Bun-less burger!

4 p.m. Snack

Homemade jerky! One of the best gifts I ever got was a dehydrator—and that is when my love for making jerky started. My favorites are Cinnamon Raisin and Mexican Lime, but today I made Chocolate Peanut jerky…Hey, hey, I know it sounds weird, but I promise it’s really good!

Homemade peanut chocolate jerky for me!

6:30 p.m. Dinner

Lean Turkey Chili—I probably have this once a week. It’s just such an easy staple and can be made quickly. Sometimes I add some homemade cornbread to really feel Southern…Yee Haw!

Chili!

9 p.m. Dessert

I always have dessert! There is not one night out of the week when I don’t end my day with something sweet. Even while training I have to have some chocolate, so to solve my sweet tooth problem I created Protein Ice Cream (recipe to come!). And tonight was pistachio flavored…

Pistachio Protein Ice Cream