How's my Eating?

[swayzepetsitting]

This is typically what I eat on a daily basis, with a few changes here and there.

5:30am - coffee w/ 1 tsp fat free half and half and splenda
6am - Smoothie (1cup rice dream, banana, raspberries and blueberries)
9am - 100% whole wheat shredded wheat cereal with 1/2 cup milk, grapefruit w/ splenda
12pm - pita bread w/ hummus and 3 slices of turkey and romaine lettuce, piece of fruit
3pm - blue corn chips (only contain blue corn and sea salt) w/ salsa and gaucemole, piece of fruit
6pm - salad (romaine lettuce w/ tuna and 1/2 tbsp dressing, sometimes chick peas as well), brown rice, veggies, fruit
9pm - 150 calorie snack, whatever I want

Usually I insert another salad, either at 12pm or 3pm. Comments? Suggestions?

 

[kariev]

i would add some protein into your 6a.m. and 9a.m. meal Mabe at 6 add a scoop of protein powder into your smoothie and just use a half a cup of rice dream and at 9a.m. could you add some eggs/egg whites, cheese or cottage cheese? what is your fat intake like? it seems like it may be a little low but i don't know how much guacemole, what type of salad dressing, or if your snacks are incorporating fats. other then that it looks great. lots of complex carbs, fruit, and veggies.

 

[swayzepetsitting]

That's what I was afraid of, not enough protein. Maybe that would explain my inability to build muscle for the past few months?

Where could I buy protein powder? Any brands to recommend?

Yes, I used to eat an egg or two in the morning, but for some reason I just kind of stopped. I will definitely resume the habit. No cheese, thought, stopped eating the stuff about 5 months ago.

I have just recently raised my fat intake. I forgot to add that I eat a green apple w/ smart balance peanut butter (crunchy, 2tbsp). I love this stuff (no hydrogenated corn syrup!) and only add a drizzle of honey for sweetness. I eat about 1/2 cup guacemole, the salad dressing is usually a balsamic vinegar or garlic dressing (due to the natural ingredients and low fat) and yes, my snacks usually contain some fat.

Thank you for the input!

 

[cpritch_ks]

I would drop the Splenda. Do you know how they make that stuff? It's actually very toxic - they take a sugar molecule and merge it with a chlorine molecule so you are essentially eating chlorine when you eat Splenda - they are "banking" on the fact that your body will not recognize it as a food source and therefore will not process it. However, what usually ends up happening is your body will begin storing the "cholorinated sugar" in your fat cells which over time can cause some pretty serious health issues. Not good.

Try Stevia instead, it's completely natural and safe. It won't do anything to your blood sugar or glucose levels, diabetics can eat Stevia without any issue. It comes in packet form just like Splenda and you can usually get it at a health food store. I have been able to find it at big chain stores like HyVee and Price Chopper. You can even grow your own Stevia if you enjoy gardening.

Sorry to butt in, I just cringe a little whenever I hear of someone using Splenda. . .and my big mouth can't stay shut most of the time.

 

[NY25]

I agree with "cpritch" 100%. I won't use any sugar substitutes - I don't believe any of them are truly safe. And why eat chemicals or modified foods when you don't have to. Stevia is one option. I just use the real stuff. I don't eat sweets, at all and don't have a sweet tooth, so I have no risk of "overdoing it". So on the occassion that I'm having a grapefruit or some cereal that needs a little "spice" or something, a teaspoon of sugar simply isn't going to do me any damage. I try to do the same thing with the "fat free" stuff. A lot of those items are made fat free via chemical additives. I'll take the olive oil, and just watch the quantity instead.

 

[kariev]

>That's what I was afraid of, not enough protein. Maybe that
>would explain my inability to build muscle for the past few
>months?
>
>Where could I buy protein powder? Any brands to recommend?
>
>Yes, I used to eat an egg or two in the morning, but for some
>reason I just kind of stopped. I will definitely resume the
>habit. No cheese, thought, stopped eating the stuff about 5
>months ago.
>
>I have just recently raised my fat intake. I forgot to add
>that I eat a green apple w/ smart balance peanut butter
>(crunchy, 2tbsp). I love this stuff (no hydrogenated corn
>syrup!) and only add a drizzle of honey for sweetness. I eat
>about 1/2 cup guacemole, the salad dressing is usually a
>balsamic vinegar or garlic dressing (due to the natural
>ingredients and low fat) and yes, my snacks usually contain
>some fat.

i order my protein powders from www.bodybuilders.com I love whey gourmet in the chocolate peanut butter flavor. i also buy lean dessert by bsn. all of the flavors for that one are good. i have the vanilla right now. i totally agree with the splenda. i'm trying to cut back. i'm ashamed to admit but i eat about a cup a day of the stuff. it has grown over the past year. today i have had 2 tablespoons. unfortunately i'm not a fan of stevia. did you all like it right away or did it take some time? i'm thinking that for my coffee i will just add one packet of the real thing and then that will be it for the day. i'm tired of eating these chemicals. plus i think that it is what is holding on to my last 5lbs of fat b/c it is not calorie free when you use as much as i do.
>
>Thank you for the input!

 

[swayzepetsitting]

Wow, I had no idea that was how they made splenda! Thank you so much, and don't feel bad about expelling the information. It's important and many people, like me, just don't know about it. Thanks again!

I just heard about stevia about a month ago (Rachel Ray's Inside Dish). My sister also mentioned it. I have a Wild Oats and a Fresh Market here in Memphis. Hopefully I can find it there.

I will definitely look into the protein powder. Thank you!

 

[CollinsMom]

I agree about the protein powder. I make a smoothie in the mornings -- drink it asap after my workout -- and I use fresh or frozen fruit and a scoop of protein powder and I feel full until almost lunch time.

Check out GNC or search for it on Amazon.com.