What a lot of people fail to realize – myself included in the past – is that getting a great body, or getting in great shape isn’t just going to happen with a few intense workouts a week. It’s a process of changing your whole lifestyle so it helps you reach your goals on a daily basis. Everything you do has to benefit you in some way or another.
It could eating 1000 more ‘good’ calories a day to add lean muscle, or eating healthier, smaller meals to lean out and shed fat. It could also mean having a cheat meal to take care of a craving or packing a lunch to ensure you’re going to have a healthy meal. Whatever your goals may be, it’s important that you take small steps to ensure that your lifestyle is bringing you closer to your goals and not pushing you further away.
For myself this meant having certain “go-to” meals that I could always have if I was in a pinch for time or the ol’ noggin wasn’t coming up with anything special. Me meals are covered from breakfast to dinner with snacks in between. Here are 6 meals/snacks that are healthy, they give my metabolism a boost, they help me burn fat, help my muscle recover, and bring me closer to my goals everyday.
1. Breakfast
3 eggs, 4 egg whites + 1/2 tomato + spinach + onion
1 cup oatmeal + 1 cup blueberries + 2% milk
Whether you’re trying to gain lean muscle, burn fat or just get in great shape, having a big and healthy breakfast is important. A big breakfast gives your metabolism a boost for the remainder of the day, helping you burn fat even if you’re not on the move. You hear it all the time on the commercials for cereal, “a part of your balanced breakfast,” well this meal is actually balanced, unlike those useless cereals.
Eggs are high in protein and good fats – I’ll add egg whites in to get a big more protein, but only as an addition to the whole eggs (yolk included) which are important to have in there. I’ll add veggies into the mix as well, both to add flavor and nutrients that my body needs to stay healthy.
Oatmeal is a slow release carbohydrate and boosts your metabolism as well. Blueberries are great for you and are very high in antioxidants which help your body fight cancer.
2. Snack 1 – Shake
Prograde protein powder + sports drink + Prograde men’s mulivitamin
I usually get a workout in after breakfast and this shake is what I’ll have right after. The purpose of it is to replenish my muscles with the nutrients they need to recover properly after having been broken down and depleted in my workout.
3. Lunch – T-N-T (Taco-no-Taco)
9 oz ground meat + 1 cup red beans + 1 cup brown rice + 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt + salsa + assorted veggies
I’ll have one of my biggest meals of the day after a workout. I have the shake, come home and make this. I’ll cook the meat, add in some pre-cooked rice, then beans, then top it off with the salsa, yogurt, and veggies.
4. Snack 2
Cottage cheese + fruit
It’s a simple and easy meal to put together that’s high in protein and vitamins (fruit) that’ll help my body recover.
5. Dinner
2 chicken breasts + brown rice + asparagus + salad with oil and vinegar dressing
One step to take when changing your diet is to get rid of all sauces and dressings – except hot sauce which give the metabolism a nice little boost. Olive oil and vinegar can replace other salad dressing that are high in saturated fats. Olive oil is full of good fats, is great for you and tastes good too (along with the balsamic vinegar).
6. Before bed snack
Cottage cheese + cinnamon + apple sauce
It’s important to have a snack before you get to bed that’s low in carbs, high in protein and good fat. Before you head to bed you’re not going to be working out and burning calories, so if you’re consuming carbohydrates or even bad fats they’re not going to be burned off and used as energy, which means your bodies are going to store them for the future. By having protein and monounsaturated fats you’re going to help your body burn fat as an energy source rather than store it.
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What are some of you go-to meals?
I’d love to hear some recipe’s!
