OR vs AND
Monday through Friday, this is what my breakfast and lunch usually looks like. I’ve tried a lot of different lunch meal prep recipes, but this is what works best for my body as it pertains to energy, clarity, regularity, my life and my gym schedule.
It started out as an attempt to go vegan for lunch, but you’ll notice the eggs and thus I failed. However, this little personal failed challenge made me realize that I felt better leading up to and during my afternoon workout when I removed meat from my lunch.
I usually have a caffeine pill, sometimes a coffee (NEVER BOTH) after work and before the gym. I don’t do powered pre-workouts because I don’t like pounding a lot of water before a workout. I prefer to hydrate throughout the day and during my workout.
After my workout I might have oatmeal, OR nuts, OR cheese, OR deli ham, OR a piece of fruit, OR roast beef, OR (newly added) pork rinds. Peanut butter used to be and regular snack for me, but I had to give up eating so much of it. I think it has become an acne trigger – this hypothesis is still in the research phase. Now I only eat it every now and then…usually in a Reese’s peanut butter cup! LOL
You’ll notice all the “OR” above. I can’t drive home how important the “OR” is. It is not interchangeable with “AND”. “OR” means you need to make a choice. Hold on…I promise it has to do with my point.
My dinner is usually meat and vegetables prepared tons of different ways. OR dinner might be pizza and wings. It might also be sliders OR pasta OR fried chicken. LOL It really just depends on how I feel; how hard I’ve been going in the gym and if I’ve been smuggling Skittles and popping peanut butter cups. I frequently eat dinner with a large salad, sometimes I don’t. I make sure I have a salad on the side if dinner is something not so healthy (see above pizza, wings, fried chicken and etc. LOL).
I NEVER feel bad about what I eat at dinner because (1) food isn’t something you should allow to create negative emotions within yourself or toward yourself and (2) I stick to a tried and tested healthy menu for breakfast and lunch so splurging once a week at dinner time isn’t a big deal.
You know what else is as big as putting healthy food into your body?
I STOP EATING WHEN I FEEL FULL.
That means that no matter whether I’ve had something not so healthy or if I'm eating vegetables and lean meats, I still exercise portion control. Just because you are having something you love does not mean you should ever eat to the point of being miserable. The same goes for healthy food. Stop stuffing yourself! Your plate should have more vegetables than meat and more meat than starch/grains.
Now for the “OR” vs the “AND”.
This is so important. Don’t have potatoes AND rice. Have potatoes OR rice. Don’t have rice AND pasta. Yes, there are really people who do this! Have rice OR pasta. If you are dining out, don’t have a backed potatoes and fries…I know, I know. But trust me on this one – people do this!! I know garlic bread came into this would as a compliment to pasta but seriously, LIMIT IT. The only food types you should ever double-up on are vegetables and white potatoes don’t count.
When you are laying out dinner plans, always ask yourself, “Do I have more than one simple carb, starch or grain. If the answer is yes, something needs to come off the list.
If you aren’t sure about what your portions should be, check out my article I Hate the Word Diet which gives tips on determine your caloric intake and portioning different food types. Until then…
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