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What Are You Eating?
Food is one thing all people have in common…let me re-phrase that…EATING food is one thing we all have in common…and the similarities seem to end right there.
What Are You Eating Over There?
It’s very hard to find two people who eat exactly the same diet. These are all the factors that make up your diet:
1. # of Meal per day (meals, snacks…feedings whatever)
2. Beverages
3. Alcohol or not
4. Cooking style and habits
5. Food selection (limitless combinations of food)
6. Time of each feeding
7. Location (country, city, region)
8. Social events
9. The company you choose to eat with
10. How Much Food You Eat
As you can see there are many factors that go into your daily eating pattern and it’s impossible for a nutrition ‘expert’ to tell you how to structure all of this.
One of the major shortcomings in most popular diets is a set of unrealistic rules that usually ask you to control all of these variables (and probably more that I haven’t listed)
It is simply impossible for most people to change all of these things, and you shouldn’t have to. It is entirely possible for you to lose weight and reach your body shaping goals without radically changing this entire list, except for item #10.
In fact, #10 is the only one you’ll ever have to pay attention to for weight loss. And for muscle building you don’t have to pay attention to any of them.
This is why I find it odd that people are so curious as to what other people are eating. I’ve had many people ask me what I eat. And the answer is pretty boring. There just isn’t any magic to food…it’s just food. It tastes great, it’s great to share with friends and family at social events…but after that, there isn’t much it can ‘do’ for you.
Just remember it’s not what everyone else is eating that matters, it only matters what you are eating and if you’re happy with it.
In the spirit of the title of this post I will throw it out there….”What are you eating?” Please answer in the comment section, and be honest.
I’ll start:
Last night I had 12 chicken wings with half bbq/half suicide sauce, after that a friend of mine brought over some home made pizza (awesome) and I had a few slices of that (mini slices)…I had a hot chocolate and italian wedding soup as well (for lunch)…this morning I’ve had a coffee with milk and sugar and 4 sprinkled timebits (so effin’ good)
John
33 Responses to “What Are You Eating?”
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February 5th, 2010 at 9:27 am
Yesterday’s meals:
Breakfast – 12 egg whites, 1 tsp olive oil, 3 cups fresh spinach, 1 tomato
Snack – 1 cup strawberries, 1 scoop protein powder, 1/3 tsp olive oil
Lunch – 6 oz steak, coated in 1 tsp olive oil, seasoned with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, grilled, with some grilled asparagus
Snack – 3 oz low-fat cheese, handful of raw pecans
Dinner – 12 oz salmon, covered in 1 tsp olive oil, sea salt and fresh ground pepper, then added 1/2 tsp of honey drizzled over the top for fabulous flavor, 3 cups spinach with 1 tomato, 2 cups broccoli (steamed)
Snack – 1 scoop protein powder, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 cup strawberries
February 5th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Man, this post was written for me. The last few weeks, I’ve rather obsessively read about OTHER peoples habits, OTHER peoples diets & eating principles, OTHER people’s workout routines. Whether or not THEY succeeded in reaching their goals, how, what, when, how long, etc.. You get the point. I’ve enjoyed reading about their successes, and empathized when they didn’t manage to follow their plan. So what about me? Well, I guess it’s the same as always: Eating OK but a little too much, weight pretty much standing still at a few kilos more than what I think it should, spending too much time surfing the web and too little time doing my job or something useful.
So I guess maybe I should take this as a sign to start focussing on myself and not everyone else..
Anyways, since you asked:
I had a piece of bread with salmon & cream cheese for breakfast this morning. Then I had some chocolate that was being offered in a meeting I attended. For lunch, I ate three slices of bread with different spreads and some chicken wings. And I had a waffel with goat cheese for dessert. And two medium-sized chocolate crackers. AND I’m going out to eat dinner with my boyfriend tonight.
February 5th, 2010 at 10:20 am
John,
I’ve asked a couple of questions around here lately, but am still a bit confused – there’s quite a bit of bro-science around the topic of muscle building, so it’s hard to sift through the half-truths.
Is building muscle (ie: getting bigger/stronger and perhaps, gaining weight) really just the body’s hormonal response to exercise? Is it really as simple as doing progressively more work over time while avoiding over-training ?
Thanks,
Scott
February 5th, 2010 at 11:31 am
Scott,
What does “bro-science” mean?
I don’t think muscle building is just a hormonal response to training. It seems like there is significant restructuring going on in the muscle that is not just explained by hormonal response (neuroendocrine changes, architectural changes in muscle fibers, cellular restructuring, capillary density etc…)
And it seems there is no evidence that extra calories has anything to do with it (at least not independent of a potential need for extra calories during juvenile muscle growth)
JB
February 5th, 2010 at 11:51 am
The only rule I have is how much I eat. As long as it fits into my weekly allotment, when it’s time for me to eat, I’ll eat whatever I feel like. Especially since I’m currently maintaining, and I fast at least twice a week, life’s awesome.
February 5th, 2010 at 11:52 am
Yesterday I ate a donut at work for breakfast. A bowl of wheaties for lunch. And for dinnery girlfriend cooked me chicken Parmesan with pasta. I’d say the homemade chicken Parm was the best part.
February 5th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Yesterday was a better day for me.
Breakfast: boiled egg, chicken, English muffin with olive oil margarine, pistachios, grapes
lunch: chicken, apple, banana, popcorn, cheese
dinner: English muffin (one half with peanut butter, one half with margarine,) popcorn, boiled egg, baby carrots, cheese,
And today’s breakfast: cheese, apple, shake (milk, Instant Carnations Breakfast, powdered peanut butter,)
Hmm, I just noticed how much cheese I ate! Normally I don’t eat that much.
Not too bad overall. This is quite a bit better than how I usually eat. A couple of weeks ago I bought a dozen Wicked Whoopie Pies online. 370 calories for half a pie! I probably averaged one a day. lol.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Oops, I also had some Cranberry Almond Crunch cereal this morning.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Let’s see… yesterday was sausage and peppers omelet for brekkie, protein & yogurt smoothie for snack, then veal strogonoff for dinner over home-made whole wheat noodles.
This doesn’t sounds very healthy, does it?
Until you look at the actual ingredients, there is no way to tell whether the food is “good” or “bad”.
For example I use a ration of 2 egg whits + 1 egg yolk for omelets; wild boar (leaner sausage) for the filling, and I go easy on the cheese. Also, minimal cooking fats. And free range eggs.
The smoothie is actually the most disgusting part because my GF mistakenly bought artificially flavored whey protein. Ugh. The yogurt is non-fat plain organic.
The strogonoff was made with ultra-lean veal, very little sour cream, and little cooking fat. The homemade noodles where made out of stone ground whole wheat flour, which is about 1000% better for you than all-purpose flour.
So there are two sides to every coin. Any meal can be good but still good for you, vice versa, or a combination of the two. It’s how you make it and what you use that makes all the difference.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Thanks!
“Broscience is the predominant brand of reasoning in bodybuilding circles where the anecdotal reports of jacked dudes are considered more credible than scientific research.”
From: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=broscience
February 5th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
This morning I had an orange and a banana with 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder
for lunch 4 dry swedish wholewheat crackers
and I just finished a plate of pasta with fried mushrooms, onions, garlic, lots of pesto and some grated cheese, hmmm
February 5th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Whats a timebit? a donut hole or something like that?
February 5th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Chris,
Yes that is what the franchise “Coffee Time” calls their donut hole product.
JB
February 5th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Yesterday:
Chickfila chicken sandwich,w/wheat bun
small waffle fries & a diet lemonade. 400,280,20 calories
Dinner
boneless hot wings 600
3oz fries 300
12oz milk 120 calories
pepsi slurpee 200 calories
1900ish total calories.
I typically eat/cook my own food, but I had class and a two hour drive home.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
oh, man – this looks like fun so let me get in on this one…
(first of all, i need to qualify what i am about to say because i am in the midst of a cutdown so i am only averaging about 1500 cals/day – with one full ESE fast/week – so what i will do is put down what i had this week on one of my 2000 cal. days and then what i had on one of my 1500 cal. days):
day 1:
breakfast – ham with cheese, regular mayo (mmmm…fat) and mustard sandwich on toasted bran bread, small glass of milk
lunch – 2 slices of Papa Murphy’s chicken bacon artichoke deelite pizza (i really love this stuff), small glass of milk
snack – handful of almonds and M&Ms
dinner – bacon cheeseburger from 5 Guys (i really really love this stuff)
snack – smoked salmon spread on 2 rye crispbread crackers
day 2 (on this day i overshot my 1500 calorie budget by 200 so i undershot the next day by 200) :
breakfast – 2 servings of protein powder with flax meal thrown in there
brunch – big salad with chicken, bleu cheese and bacon dressing (the real stuff, no low-fat dressing here) and garlic butter croutons
lunch – peanut butter and banana sandwich on toasted bran bread, small glass of milk
dinner – ham with cheese, regular mayo (mmmm…fat) and mustard sandwich on toasted bran bread, small glass of milk
snack – handful of almonds and M&Ms
not too bad…just had another chicken salad today, and after my workout this afternoon am contemplating another bacon cheeseburger, or possibly a gyro with feta cheese, for supper – either way, i win (and with room to spare below 1500 for the day)!
February 5th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Pretty boring. When not fasting, its almost always an entire (about 1 pound) frozen pizza pie, plus a 16 oz jar of Skippy reduced fat peanut butter (sweeter than regular PB) and maybe a chocolate donut tossed in for religious reasons. After this feast, I go back to a 3 or 5 day straight water fast and break it with the same boring menu. Losing about 5 pounds a week on this routine since September 09.
February 5th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Yesterday I had mexican for lunch, a half order of beef nachos and snacked on chips and salsa while waiting for the meal. For an early dinner I had two plain double stacks with cheese from Wendy’s. I started my fast at 7pm.
Today I haven’t eaten anything yet (my fast lasts for another 2 hours. Then I’ll either fix a frozen pizza or go out to Taco Bell or something.
I know I should be eating better, but fasting allows me to make those dietary changes at a pace I’m comfortable with, while allowing me to cut way back on my calories. In only 2 fasts I’ve learned a lot more about why I eat, what triggers I have and when I really need food. I’ve done both cardio and weight lifting in my fasted state and I haven’t gotten dizzy, lightheaded or felt bad.
Incidentally, I’ve only just started fasting at the beginning of this week, but in the last 3.5 weeks I’ve lost 9 pounds while continuing to eat ‘junk’. Being able to reduce my intake without resorting changing all the habits, foods and behaviors surrounding eating is what has helped me lose weight.
February 5th, 2010 at 7:21 pm
My whole perspective on eating changed when I heard how little John and Brad ate during their cutdown…I think it was the ‘how many calories’ podcast.
I’m now constantly playing with my food, meals and eating times to find the perfect balance while cutting
Yesterday…
Breakfast:
1 x Black Coffee (4 cals)
3 x Gingerbread biscuits (65 cals)
Snacks:
2 x Vita Weat Biscuits (50 cals)
Lunch:
Roast Chicken & Salad Wrap (between 300-400 cals)
1 x Sprite Zero (2 cals)
Snacks:
1 x Chomp Chocolate Bar (120 cals)
3 x Gingerbread biscuits (20 cals each)
1 x Ice Coffee (200 cals)
Dinner:
1 x Bacon Cheeseburger (300 cals)
1 x Coke Zero (2 cals)
Total: Around 1200 cals
Today (Saturday in Australia):
Breakfast:
1 x Black Coffee (4 cals)
2 x Gingerbread biscuits (65 cals)
Snacks:
2 x Vita Weat Biscuits (50 cals)
1 x Ice Coffee (300 cals)
Lunch:
1 x Lamb Rissole in Tortilla Wrap (350 cals)
1 x Coke Zero (2 cals)
Snacks:
1 x Black Coffee (4 cals)
2 x Sweet Biscuits (100 cals)
Dinner:
Have a big reunion dinner planned so I’m guessing:
1 x Roast w/Veg (500 cals)
5 x Beers (400 cals)
Total: Around 1700 cals
I didn’t realize how many biscuits and types of caffeine drinks I pack away each day until doing this.
I probably wont eat until tomorrow lunchtime after that big dinner and will try to go easy until the SuperBowl the next day
February 5th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Yesterday I had two small banana muffins and a coffee for breakfast (conference food). Lunch was half a salmon wrap, half a ham/cheese wrap, some turkey with roasted peppers and salad (more conference food). Dinner was vegetable soup w/ a tuna sandwich. Then after hockey I had about 8 chicken wings and 3 beers.
Today I didn’t eat breakfast (tea), lunch I didn’t eat either (tea). At 4pm I had a home made chocolate chip cookie that my secretary brought in, and when I got home it was Friday night Pizza night!! 4 slices of pizza and a Keith’s Red Amber Ale. Now I might just go crack open my second beer!!
February 5th, 2010 at 8:24 pm
Awesome post John,
You should do a post like this every week where you tell what you ate that day.
February 5th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
(i went with the gyro – which put me at around 1000 cals for the day – so i am anticipating either a peanut butter and banana sandwich for late supper, or three Chips Ahoy cookie/peanut butter sandwiches dipped in milk for a late snack to put me right at 1500 cals for the day. once again, it doesn’t really matter which way i go because either way i win!)
February 5th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Breakfast:
80g Oats/Wheatbran (90:10 mix) soaked overnight in water
25g Whey Protein (chocolate)
20g Blueberries
Lunch
80g Oats/Wheatbran (90:10 mix) soaked overnight in water
25g Whey Protein (chocolate)
20g Blueberries
Dinner
250g Home made Vegetable soup mixed with
120g canned Tuna in spring water drained
Late snack
1 apple
1 small slice of cheddar cheese
February 6th, 2010 at 5:23 am
Ohhh I thought you meant “timbits” from Tim Hortons lol wow Coffee Time just totally copied Timmies!
Today: a block of cheese, half a large pita, a banana, a peach, an apple, and 2 whole eggs
February 6th, 2010 at 10:43 am
Here’s an interesting conversation about steriods.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlLztdlC14s
February 6th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
I cant stand to tell You John, that Your (and Brads .. sorry
) views are against the whole fitness world, almost every “expert”, every research i have read and mostly against all common experience
Damn I wish You are right…
February 6th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
i watched this clip and thought there were a couple of really interesting things that came out (first of all, though, i need to say i don’t know who any of these people are – they are fitness magazine models apparently but i don’t read fitness magazines so i don’t know who they are, still…):
first, i liked how the first guy was very open about his steroid use, and just saying that if you want to use them don’t cheat and say you are not, and then just don’t abuse them (i am not into steroids at all, but the libertarian in me appreciates his point of view).
second, in the context of this forum and the whole Adonis Index thing, the second guy (luke guldan?) was also very interesting in the sense that he obviously has an amazing physique and yet says he ‘only’ weighs 175 lbs. (compared to the first guy who says he weighs like 255 lbs. or something). given my height and goals, i assume that i will end up being around 175 lbs. when i hit my golden AI ratio. of the two builds, i much prefer the second for a number of reasons – more proportional, more aesthetically pleasing, actually realistic and achievable without steroids, etc.
anyway, the juxtaposition of the two and of their viewpoints was actually quite interesting…
February 6th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Wood,
At one time everyone believed the world was flat and actually killed people who suggested it wasn’t. The wisdom of the masses is not wisdom at all it’s actually a weak minded follow the leader position. And those people don’t have the courage to step up and say what they know to be true.
Good scientists are in pursuit of the truth and don’t have time to deal with the mass marketing of the nonsense you get in this industry. This is partly why academics are so turned off by speaking up in this area.
The only reason we know this is because we’ve been on both sides of the coin. I’ve worked for the biggest sport supplement companies in the world and I know exactly what goes into the marketing of the health and fitness industry.
The take home message is this: if everyone in the common masses of people believes in something (but no academics do), then that is one of your surest bets that it’s wrong.
JB
February 6th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
hey John will fasting creeate low blood sugar like hypoglcemia?
February 6th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Hulagrrl,
A 24 hr fast shouldn’t. This is assuming you don’t have a pre-existing blood sugar disorder. Hypoglycemia is actually pretty rare and most people are just going through some degree of withdrawal from eating when they say they ‘feel’ their blood sugar dropping. It’s mostly psychosomatic.
JB
February 6th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
1 more thing. Do You know this?
http://www.jissn.com/content/pdf/1550-2783-7-7.pdf
February 6th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
I meant i am very intrested in You opninon if you have time..
February 6th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
It’s a review paper about supplements done by a group of researchers who many seem to be heavily funded by various supplement companies who have started their own journal to publish these kinds of papers.
JB
February 7th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Well, the day before yesterdays was my friends birthday; I didn’t eat anything during the day, so I could eat without worrying how much I would eat. I ordered a fajita trio platter wich came with a combination of chicken, steak and shrimp; sauteed onions, red and green peppers; mexican rice and beans with some guacamole and corn tortillas. I had a coffee and a soft drink. I also had some chips and salsa as an appetizer. Yesterday I ate some chicken parmesan with some rice, chips and green chili; mexican rice with kernel corn, baked potato, multigrain and sour roll. For drink I had like 3 raspberry tea glasses. I has some cookies and a muffin covered with sweet cream, mmm it kicked ass!!! I will follow a 24 hour fast for today and tomorrow will eat until my family gets together. Not sure yet what we’ll have for dinner.