For the most part, I chose healthy foods.

I made the necessary swaps (low-fat, whole wheat, diet), inclusions (more veggies, protein every meal) and exclusions (egg yolks, pop, fruit juice).

I still found myself struggling to get my body to cooperate, to look and feel how I wanted. It was confusing. Below is a sample of how I normally ate.

I mean, it was healthy right? I was making all the right choices, barring a cheeseburger and fries argument. But fact of the matter is, my portion sizes were out of whack. Even though I tried to include protein sources in most meals, it wasn’t enough. I was over eating on a healthy diet and still ending up nutrient deficient. Whomp womp.

When actually tracking my ‘healthy’ diet, I discovered I was not only over doing on overall calories, but my nutrients were falling short. Extremely high carb, low protein, vitamin and mineral deficient, and high fat.

My body started changing when I made a few deliberate changes

1. Daily calorie intake was separated into macronutrient goals (protein, carbohydrate, fat)
2. Tracked diet using MyFitnessPal and focused on eating nutrient dense foods
3. Weighed and measured my food (to make sure calories/macros were accurate)

Adding protein powder was extremely helpful to keep a balanced diet. It is convenient, portable, and is available in chocolate!

It has proven to be very motivational to get my workouts in to earn a chocolate shake, and as you can see I like to mix it with milk over water to get a real shake like consistency (and added protein :))

Choosing a protein powder that tastes good, mixes well, and isn’t hella expensive can be a bit challenging. I’ve found a few reputable brands that have been worth while to add to my pantry:

• • Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder–My favorite flavor is Extreme Chocolate Milk, Strawberry is okay too
  • BPI Sports Best Protein–Chocolate Brownie is where it is at! The Vanilla Swirl is what I add to my oats and cinnamon for a Cinnabon like treat.

Casein is a slow digesting protein and it has it’s benefits consuming before bed. I don’t know about you, but I usually get the munchies right before bed and crave something sweet. Having Casein powder around (definitely in the chocolate variety) has been beneficial for a high protein dessert before bed that keeps me satisfied until breakfast.

• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Micellar Casein
• KAGED MUSCLE KASEIN

1 scoop of powder mixed with 1/2 cup of milk creates a protein packed pudding snack! Less milk makes it more like chocolate mousse. If you have room left in your macros, some dark chocolate chips and a dab of peanut butter make it even more decadent, ya know, for those really rough days! 😉

It certainly can get annoying in a hurry weighing and measuring food and I don’t mean for it to feel like there is a disorder about it. I simply encourage you to try it, especially if you feel like you have been ‘dieting’ and not seeing any results. We, as humans, have a real hard time being honest with ourselves. When it comes to portion sizes, there is no exception to that. Get some Measuring cups and spoons, a Kitchen Scale, and get yourself familiar with serving sizes and nutritional facts!

It’s easier than you think. Harder than what you want it to be, but definitely easier than you think! You will be amazed with how you feel once you get it down and are giving your body the nourishment it needs.

Have any questions? Feel free to reach out or find me on Facebook and Instagram!