After I published my weekly workout routine for you guys, I got a lot of questions about my diet as well! Since diet is probably 80% of losing fat (and making sure you maintain muscle for a lean, toned look), I knew I had to share my knowledge with you guys!
Why I Count My Macros
My diet takes an extra bit of meal planning because I track my macros. Tracking macros (macronutrients) basically means that I keep track of the amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates that I eat per day. Counting macros is better than counting calories because eating 2000 calories of junk food is NOT the same for the body as eating 2000 calories of well-balanced amounts of protein, carbs and fat for optimal fat loss.
We want to make sure we eat enough protein so that we are actually able to build and sustain muscle while losing weight (so we only lose the fat and not the muscle we worked so hard to gain!) and we don’t want to deprive ourselves too much of carbs or fat because we need those for energy and hormonal balance as well!
If you’re interested in reading more about macros, I recommend looking at IdealFit’s Ultimate Guide to Macros–it has a tons of great information in there that can help you tailor your own diet plan. Otherwise, use this Macro calculator to figure out what your diet should consist of based on your weight loss goals.
Why You Should Drink Protein Shakes
If you take ANYTHING from this post, however, make sure that you work in a protein shake to your diet. You always should drink a protein shake (IdealFit has the best protein shakes!!!) after working out because it’s a great way to help your body recover. Protein shakes are important because protein is used in the production of muscles, and delivering protein to the body right after working out (which makes micro-tears in the muscles) can help speed up the healing process so you can workout sooner and harder! Ideal Lean’s protein shakes are specially formulated for women. They help boost fat loss while maintaining muscle mass (which is the MAIN goal here!!). This is a great addition to any woman’s diet, especially considering that recent studies found that over 30% of women aren’t meeting their daily protein requirements! (source)
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My Weekly Diet: Lose Fat, Maintain Muscle
Here’s an example of what I eat in a week (sometimes it changes, but you’ll get the basic gist of it–proteins can be substituted for different proteins, veggies for different veggies, etc. to keep things interesting):
Monday/Thursday (Leg Days)
Breakfast
1/2 Cup Oatmeal + 1/2 Banana (great pre-workout meal for energy!)
Iced Coffee w/ Almond milk (avoid diary)
Pre-During Workout
BCAA Shake (IdealFit makes the best ones!)
Post-Workout
Protein Shake (IdealFit makes the best ones!)
Lunch
Turkey Burger (no bread or sauce, just patty) + Broccoli/some green vegetable
Snack
Handful of almonds/cashews (just a few can hold you over until dinner time)
Dinner
Chicken breast (light or no seasoning) + asparagus/some green vegetable
Dessert
Blueberries/grapes
Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday/Saturday (Upper Body / Cardio Days)
Breakfast
3 Eggs Scrambled (Olive Oil Spray – 0 calories) + Prosciutto
Iced Coffee w/ Almond Milk (avoid dairy)
Pre-During Workout
BCAA Shake (IdealFit makes the best ones!)
Post-Workout
Protein Shake (IdealFit makes the best ones!)
Lunch
Turkey meatballs + Cauliflower/veggie
Dinner
Salmon + Asparagus/some green vegetable
Dessert
Frozen banana (tastes like ice cream!)
Sunday (Rest Day)
Cheat Day! Make sure to give yourself a day where you eat anything you want. This is not only to keep you SANE, but also good to reset your metabolism so your body doesn’t get too used to your diet (which makes it less effective). EAT THAT BURGER GIRL!
Other tips:
1. Drink LOTS of water. This reduces bloating!
2. I personally avoid dairy, gluten and processed sugar. It makes me feels SO much better!
3. Make sure to add a protein shake to your post-workout routine.
4. Drink a BCAA blend during workout to keep up your energy levels and make the most of your workout!
BCAA shakes are essential to your muscle recovery. BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acids) are naturally occurring amino acids that help increase muscle growth, decrease muscle soreness, reduce exercise fatigue, and prevent muscle wasting (source). IdealLean’s BCAAs have a unique fat-loss blend that helps you maximize muscle growth and fat loss–I’ve been drinking it for years and highly recommend. Plus, it tastes really good!
Note: Make sure to consult a doctor or dietician before starting a new diet (I’m not either of those, and this is just an example of my own personal diet that works for me)!
