When discussing "discipline" as a process, I mentioned the fact that I have limited my food selection during the week so that it is more convenient for me to eat healthfully. The main reason that I have failed at changing my eating habits in the past is because junk food is generally more convenient to grab when you're on the run. I mean, who has the time to come up with creative breakfasts, lunches and dinners every day?
But I don't like it when health and fitness gurus make general statements like that (i.e. limit the variety of your meals) and then force you to buy their $40 ebook in order to get the details... so below you'll find my current meal plan. It's loosely based on the Paleolithic Diet, though I do indulge in black coffee and green tea in addition to drinking water with every meal and snack.
Breakfast: 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 banana, and a 20 oz. cup of black coffee
Mid-morning Snack: 1/4 cup of roasted almonds (or mixed nuts) and 1 apple
Lunch: Tuna or chicken breast w/mustard wrapped in leaf lettuce and 12 baby carrots
Afternoon Snack: 1/4 cup of roasted almonds (or mixed nuts) and 1 apple (or banana)
Dinner: Stir Fry. I sauté about 2 cups of whatever fresh veggies I have handy (peppers, onions, squash, broccoli, carrots, etc.) in extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, and throw in some lean protein (chicken breast, pork, lean beef, fish), and add whatever spices strike my fancy that evening (except salt).
I don't get bored with breakfast, lunch and snacks because I'm too busy to care. These foods are both convenient and healthy, which fuels the temple and reduces my stress level because I don't have to worry about it. I've also found that by eating about every 3 hours, I've gotten to the point where I can't eat as much as I did just a couple weeks ago and I'm never, ever truly hungry. I eat for fuel, not because I'm feeling famished!
As for dinners, by changing up the mix of veggies, the length of time I cook them (crispy or softer), the spices I use, and the type of meat, I can make dinner taste differently each night. The biggest change has been keeping stocked up on enough veggies because I'm not using potatoes, pasta or white rice (though I've mixed in some wild rice a couple times).
That's my Monday through Friday meal plan. On the weekends I'm a little more lax, but not much. I still focus on large amounts of fruits and veggies, with ample lean protein.
Perhaps you have a different food selection that you prefer, and Lord knows there are plenty of diet programs out there from which to choose. So choose one, select a few meals and snacks that you can easily prepare and eat every weekday, and try this for a few weeks. Building the discipline is the key.
Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Discipline: Process & Outcome
In a recent post, I stated that I believe that discipline is the key to success. Of course, how you interpret "discipline" may be different than how I interpret it. When I say the word, I envision the internalization of rules of conduct that help to achieve and improve a higher level of self-control. In other words, discipline is both process and outcome.
For example, as I try to become more disciplined regarding the way I fuel my "temple," I have both process and outcome in mind. The outcome is that I achieve a state where I have balanced my body through proper nutrition to the point where I have virtually eliminated cravings, and everything I consume is through conscious choice rather than in response to some uncontrollable desire.
The process portion of the discipline is a bit different. I've found that I tend to be undisciplined when I am inconvenienced. When I'm in a rush, it always seems easier to grab something unhealthy than to try to come up with something healthy to eat. And let's face it: most convenience foods are highly processed nutritional nightmares! So the discipline I use to overcome that is to eat a lot of the same things. By limiting the variety of foods I eat during the week, it becomes much easier (i.e. convenient) to eat healthfully.
Do I get "bored" with my limited selection? Eventually, yes. But I've made it convenient to eat those healthy foods, so "convenience" is not an issue and "boredom" is far too lame an excuse. What the occasional food boredom has led me to do is get creative with various seasonings, and to venture out and try new fruits and vegetables that add to the variety.
Over time, the strict discipline of my limited food selection will grow into a much more varied selection of healthful foods that are enjoyable to eat. At that point, I will hopefully have developed the (unconscious) habit of eating right; and the meaning of "discipline" will focus more on the (conscious) choice of whether or not I indulge in an occasional rich and fattening meal, a dessert, or a cocktail.
Whatever you do, don't be afraid of the word "discipline". Don't see discipline as a punishment or some severe and austere plan to make you unhappy (unless that's what you desire, I suppose). When training the temple, an effective way to view discipline is as both process and outcome. Further definition is up to you!
Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon
For example, as I try to become more disciplined regarding the way I fuel my "temple," I have both process and outcome in mind. The outcome is that I achieve a state where I have balanced my body through proper nutrition to the point where I have virtually eliminated cravings, and everything I consume is through conscious choice rather than in response to some uncontrollable desire.
The process portion of the discipline is a bit different. I've found that I tend to be undisciplined when I am inconvenienced. When I'm in a rush, it always seems easier to grab something unhealthy than to try to come up with something healthy to eat. And let's face it: most convenience foods are highly processed nutritional nightmares! So the discipline I use to overcome that is to eat a lot of the same things. By limiting the variety of foods I eat during the week, it becomes much easier (i.e. convenient) to eat healthfully.
Do I get "bored" with my limited selection? Eventually, yes. But I've made it convenient to eat those healthy foods, so "convenience" is not an issue and "boredom" is far too lame an excuse. What the occasional food boredom has led me to do is get creative with various seasonings, and to venture out and try new fruits and vegetables that add to the variety.
Over time, the strict discipline of my limited food selection will grow into a much more varied selection of healthful foods that are enjoyable to eat. At that point, I will hopefully have developed the (unconscious) habit of eating right; and the meaning of "discipline" will focus more on the (conscious) choice of whether or not I indulge in an occasional rich and fattening meal, a dessert, or a cocktail.
Whatever you do, don't be afraid of the word "discipline". Don't see discipline as a punishment or some severe and austere plan to make you unhappy (unless that's what you desire, I suppose). When training the temple, an effective way to view discipline is as both process and outcome. Further definition is up to you!
Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Breadless Sandwich Wraps
I'm not carbophobic, but I do try to stay away from foods that contain refined white flour, which includes things like donuts, bagels, pasta, and (you guessed it) breads. Of course, this means I have to be a bit creative when it comes to lunchtime because a sandwich is certainly out of the question!
What I've been doing for a couple of weeks now is to make myself a sandwich wrap. But instead of using some sort of tortilla, I use a couple pieces of leaf lettuce. I lay them side-by-side, overlapping each other about halfway, spread on a bunch of tuna or chicken salad (both made with jalapeno mustard and NO mayo), and then roll it up.
It's an excellent, healthy "sandwich wrap", but without all of bread.
Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon
What I've been doing for a couple of weeks now is to make myself a sandwich wrap. But instead of using some sort of tortilla, I use a couple pieces of leaf lettuce. I lay them side-by-side, overlapping each other about halfway, spread on a bunch of tuna or chicken salad (both made with jalapeno mustard and NO mayo), and then roll it up.
It's an excellent, healthy "sandwich wrap", but without all of bread.
Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon
Friday, March 13, 2009
More Energy for Hectic Days
Okay... so who hasn’t been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Well, regardless of whether you agree with the statement or not, there is one thing that everyone seems to agree with: A healthy breakfast is certainly a good thing. Of course, there’s also another statement that many people will agree with: Eating a healthy breakfast can be difficult with the fast pace of life today!
With that in mind, here are two suggestions for ensuring that you get a decent breakfast, even when you’re on-the-run!
1. Prepare something the night before. Most of us underestimate the time we’ll have available in the morning, so take breakfast out of the equation by preparing something the night before. Throw some nuts, raisins and sunflower seeds into a plastic bag for an inexpensive, homemade trail mix. Likewise, you could throw some granola or other healthy dry cereal into a plastic bag to munch on during your commute. Or what about some low-fat cheese slices and some whole wheat crackers? Or pre-peel an orange, slice an apple or pear, or clean some grapes and have them bagged and ready to grab on your way out the door.
2. Focus on the right foods, not on breakfast foods. Cereal and oatmeal are fine, but you don’t have to limit yourself to traditional breakfast fare. The key is to shoot for the right types of foods. Go light on the sugar to avoid a ‘crash’ later in the morning. Focus on fiber by going for complex carbs, not highly processed white flour foods. Try to add in some protein for more sustainable energy. And if you can, include some healthy fats for added brain performance (throw some almonds or walnuts in with your trail mix, or have some omega-3-enriched hard-boiled eggs on hand).
Regardless of whether or not you think that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the fact is that it is important... so don’t skip it. Prepare something the night before and make sure you’re eating the right types of foods, and you should have more energy to get you through your hectic day!
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar
With that in mind, here are two suggestions for ensuring that you get a decent breakfast, even when you’re on-the-run!
1. Prepare something the night before. Most of us underestimate the time we’ll have available in the morning, so take breakfast out of the equation by preparing something the night before. Throw some nuts, raisins and sunflower seeds into a plastic bag for an inexpensive, homemade trail mix. Likewise, you could throw some granola or other healthy dry cereal into a plastic bag to munch on during your commute. Or what about some low-fat cheese slices and some whole wheat crackers? Or pre-peel an orange, slice an apple or pear, or clean some grapes and have them bagged and ready to grab on your way out the door.
2. Focus on the right foods, not on breakfast foods. Cereal and oatmeal are fine, but you don’t have to limit yourself to traditional breakfast fare. The key is to shoot for the right types of foods. Go light on the sugar to avoid a ‘crash’ later in the morning. Focus on fiber by going for complex carbs, not highly processed white flour foods. Try to add in some protein for more sustainable energy. And if you can, include some healthy fats for added brain performance (throw some almonds or walnuts in with your trail mix, or have some omega-3-enriched hard-boiled eggs on hand).
Regardless of whether or not you think that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the fact is that it is important... so don’t skip it. Prepare something the night before and make sure you’re eating the right types of foods, and you should have more energy to get you through your hectic day!
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar
Monday, February 23, 2009
Grapefruit Diet? Not quite!
Okay, so that ridiculous grapefruit diet was just that... ridiculous. That doesn’t mean you should completely write-off this wonderful citrus fruit! Grapefruit is actually a whole-body food that is great for you in plenty of ways. Many people don’t realize that grapefruit can protect your skin, improve your breathing, and it really does help you lose weight (though not in the way prescribed by the infamous Grapefruit Diet).
Grapefruit, like other citrus fruits, has high levels of d-limonene in the zest of its peel. D-limonene is a compound that appears to help suppress skin-cancer cells. But don’t worry. In order to get these healthful benefits, you don’t have to eat the grapefruit peel and all. What you can do instead is grate a bit of grapefruit peel over salads or grilled fish. Likewise, you can add some of the zest to hot tea or water.
Another added benefit is that grapefruit is loaded with vitamin C. This top-notch antioxidant may lessen the breathless, gasping symptoms of adult asthma. (Obviously grapefruit will not replace other asthma medications you may be taking, though it may bring some relief, along with great taste and a wonderful smell!)
Okay. Those are some nice benefits of eating grapefruit -- but is that really so incredible? No, not really; but I’ve got one more thing to share with you. For years, many doctors, nutritionists, dieticians, and fitness professionals have slammed on the Grapefruit Diet. Heck... Weird Al even wrote a song about it! But here’s the big shocker: some very well-respected scientific muckity-mucks did a study and found that when a person began each meal with half a grapefruit (or even a glass of grapefruit juice), he or she lost about half a pound a week. Big deal, you say? Well, consider this: the people in the study lost that half a pound without dieting! Nor did they spend extra hours in the gym or doing cardio or blasting through high intensity intervals. In fact, they didn’t do anything differently except eat a boatload of grapefruit.
Now, before you click away in disbelief, let me explain that there is a seemingly valid scientific explanation for the weight loss. Apparently grapefruit contains specific compounds that lower insulin levels in most people, which tends to promote weight loss. And lest you think that the results are scoff-worthy, consider this: Eat about a dozen grapefruit a week, don’t change anything else that you’re doing, and you could weigh 26 pounds less next year!
Somehow I think you’ll be sick of grapefruit long before that happens, but you’re welcome to try! My advice is that you get active, eat unprocessed foods (including plenty of grapefruit and other fruits), get plenty of rest, and drink water by the gallon. Oh... and keep reading the TrainingTheTemple blog for plenty of inspiration, hints and tips along the way!
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon
Grapefruit, like other citrus fruits, has high levels of d-limonene in the zest of its peel. D-limonene is a compound that appears to help suppress skin-cancer cells. But don’t worry. In order to get these healthful benefits, you don’t have to eat the grapefruit peel and all. What you can do instead is grate a bit of grapefruit peel over salads or grilled fish. Likewise, you can add some of the zest to hot tea or water.
Another added benefit is that grapefruit is loaded with vitamin C. This top-notch antioxidant may lessen the breathless, gasping symptoms of adult asthma. (Obviously grapefruit will not replace other asthma medications you may be taking, though it may bring some relief, along with great taste and a wonderful smell!)
Okay. Those are some nice benefits of eating grapefruit -- but is that really so incredible? No, not really; but I’ve got one more thing to share with you. For years, many doctors, nutritionists, dieticians, and fitness professionals have slammed on the Grapefruit Diet. Heck... Weird Al even wrote a song about it! But here’s the big shocker: some very well-respected scientific muckity-mucks did a study and found that when a person began each meal with half a grapefruit (or even a glass of grapefruit juice), he or she lost about half a pound a week. Big deal, you say? Well, consider this: the people in the study lost that half a pound without dieting! Nor did they spend extra hours in the gym or doing cardio or blasting through high intensity intervals. In fact, they didn’t do anything differently except eat a boatload of grapefruit.
Now, before you click away in disbelief, let me explain that there is a seemingly valid scientific explanation for the weight loss. Apparently grapefruit contains specific compounds that lower insulin levels in most people, which tends to promote weight loss. And lest you think that the results are scoff-worthy, consider this: Eat about a dozen grapefruit a week, don’t change anything else that you’re doing, and you could weigh 26 pounds less next year!
Somehow I think you’ll be sick of grapefruit long before that happens, but you’re welcome to try! My advice is that you get active, eat unprocessed foods (including plenty of grapefruit and other fruits), get plenty of rest, and drink water by the gallon. Oh... and keep reading the TrainingTheTemple blog for plenty of inspiration, hints and tips along the way!
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon
Friday, February 6, 2009
Pick-Me-Ups that don’t Pack-It-On
In spite of what the candy bar manufacturers would have you believe, a sugar-packed candy snack is not the best way to get past a mid-afternoon energy slump. Likewise, firing up the coffee maker again is not the best choice (even though coffee may not be the evil drink that many people would have you believe).
So when your eyelids are weighing heavy in the afternoon and you’re struggling to stay awake while the boss drones on and on, here are three things you can try in order to keep you going for a few more hours!
1. Drink water and walk around. Especially if you’ve been chugging java in the morning, your feelings of fatigue may actually be dehydration. Drink some water and then take a walk to get your blood flowing better. After your walk, drink some more water and continue to sip for the rest of the afternoon. This is a no-calorie tip that will actually help you burn more calories throughout your day.
2. Fresh fruit, tempered with protein and fat. Instead of grabbing a candy bar, get an energy zap from a high fructose fruit such as watermelon. You’ll get your sugar rush, but also a dose of fiber and a shot of vitamins (A and C), all for about 100 calories for 2 cups of fruit! Throw in some protein and a little fat (low fat string cheese, seeds, or nuts) and the sugar will metabolize slower and make the energy boost last longer. Keep it to 1 cup of fruit and 1/4 cup of nuts (or one serving of cheese) and you’ll keep it around 200 calories for this excellent pick-me-up.
3. Ye’ old PB&J on whole wheat bread. Much like the fresh fruit with protein and fat described above, this old childhood favorite packs quite a wallop because of its wonderful combination of carbs, protein, and good fats. And if you only make a one-slice sandwich, then you should come in at about 200 calories.
So when you’re eyelids are droopin’ and you don’t know how you’re going to make it through the rest of the day, try one of these 3 tips to get a pick-me-up that’s not a pack-it-on!
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar
So when your eyelids are weighing heavy in the afternoon and you’re struggling to stay awake while the boss drones on and on, here are three things you can try in order to keep you going for a few more hours!
1. Drink water and walk around. Especially if you’ve been chugging java in the morning, your feelings of fatigue may actually be dehydration. Drink some water and then take a walk to get your blood flowing better. After your walk, drink some more water and continue to sip for the rest of the afternoon. This is a no-calorie tip that will actually help you burn more calories throughout your day.
2. Fresh fruit, tempered with protein and fat. Instead of grabbing a candy bar, get an energy zap from a high fructose fruit such as watermelon. You’ll get your sugar rush, but also a dose of fiber and a shot of vitamins (A and C), all for about 100 calories for 2 cups of fruit! Throw in some protein and a little fat (low fat string cheese, seeds, or nuts) and the sugar will metabolize slower and make the energy boost last longer. Keep it to 1 cup of fruit and 1/4 cup of nuts (or one serving of cheese) and you’ll keep it around 200 calories for this excellent pick-me-up.
3. Ye’ old PB&J on whole wheat bread. Much like the fresh fruit with protein and fat described above, this old childhood favorite packs quite a wallop because of its wonderful combination of carbs, protein, and good fats. And if you only make a one-slice sandwich, then you should come in at about 200 calories.
So when you’re eyelids are droopin’ and you don’t know how you’re going to make it through the rest of the day, try one of these 3 tips to get a pick-me-up that’s not a pack-it-on!
Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Keep a Food Log
I don't get on the scale very often -- maybe once a week -- mainly because I don't believe that it's the best way to measure health & fitness. (Checking your body fat percentage? Now that's a bit better indicator!) However, "weight" is one of the measurements I've been tracking over the past few months, but I'm cautious about fluctuations our bodies have due to water retention or temporary dehydration. I mean, if a pro fighter can sweat out a dozen pounds in one day so he can qualify in a lower weight class, is it so hard to believe that our bodies can fluctuate a couple of pounds from day to day?
When I need to put a weight on my chart, which I had to do this week, I weigh myself for 3 days and take the highest of the three. I'm not sure why I don't go with the average. I guess it's just to make it more of a challenge.
Whatever the case, I weighed myself over the last three days and here are the results:
Sunday: 234 lbs.
Monday: 232 lbs.
Tuesday: 235 lbs.
So I noted on my chart that I now weigh 235 pounds, which means I've lost 23 pounds since the end of August.
Now I know that might not seem like a lot given the claims of all the fad diets these days. "Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!" Sounds great, but most of them basically suck. The truth is, a lot of people lose weight on those diets because the food selections are so limited that they end up restricting calories because they have no more appetite for the few things they can eat!
"Eat all the protein and fat that you want!" Sounds great, but what am I supposed to do with this stick of butter and a pound of bacon? And what about this cup of lard? Oh yeah... I forgot... I can dip my pork rinds in it.
Over the next few months, as I continue my journey to better health, I'll take the time to share what I'm doing with you. It's not overly complicated, but it is too much to share in a single post.
However, here is the first thing you should do (it's the very first thing that I did):
Start keeping track of everything that you eat and drink, every day.
I began by jotting everything down in a little notebook. Eventually I opened a free account at FitDay.com and started tracking everything online.
I'll be very honest with you: this was an absolute pain when I started, and sometimes I still have to make myself do it. BUT it's worth every second of time that it takes!
If you struggle with your weight like I did, you will probably be absolutely amazed at the amount of food that you eat! And don't, don't, don't just guess at quantities. Get yourself a little kitchen scale and really weigh that chicken breast or those fish fillets. Eventually you'll get better at more accurately eye-balling quantities, but make sure those eyeballs are wide open first!
Health & Fitness Tip #1: Keep a food log and use a kitchen scale to measure quantities.
Health & Fitness Bonus: When tracking your weight over a period of time, weigh yourself for 3 days in a row and record the average weight (or the highest weight, like I do). And whatever you do, don't weigh yourself every day. Fluctuations in water weight can be demoralizing when they're actually quite healthy and normal.
Train hard but pray harder,
Brandon Jubar
When I need to put a weight on my chart, which I had to do this week, I weigh myself for 3 days and take the highest of the three. I'm not sure why I don't go with the average. I guess it's just to make it more of a challenge.
Whatever the case, I weighed myself over the last three days and here are the results:
Sunday: 234 lbs.
Monday: 232 lbs.
Tuesday: 235 lbs.
So I noted on my chart that I now weigh 235 pounds, which means I've lost 23 pounds since the end of August.
Now I know that might not seem like a lot given the claims of all the fad diets these days. "Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!" Sounds great, but most of them basically suck. The truth is, a lot of people lose weight on those diets because the food selections are so limited that they end up restricting calories because they have no more appetite for the few things they can eat!
"Eat all the protein and fat that you want!" Sounds great, but what am I supposed to do with this stick of butter and a pound of bacon? And what about this cup of lard? Oh yeah... I forgot... I can dip my pork rinds in it.
Over the next few months, as I continue my journey to better health, I'll take the time to share what I'm doing with you. It's not overly complicated, but it is too much to share in a single post.
However, here is the first thing you should do (it's the very first thing that I did):
Start keeping track of everything that you eat and drink, every day.
I began by jotting everything down in a little notebook. Eventually I opened a free account at FitDay.com and started tracking everything online.
I'll be very honest with you: this was an absolute pain when I started, and sometimes I still have to make myself do it. BUT it's worth every second of time that it takes!
If you struggle with your weight like I did, you will probably be absolutely amazed at the amount of food that you eat! And don't, don't, don't just guess at quantities. Get yourself a little kitchen scale and really weigh that chicken breast or those fish fillets. Eventually you'll get better at more accurately eye-balling quantities, but make sure those eyeballs are wide open first!
Health & Fitness Tip #1: Keep a food log and use a kitchen scale to measure quantities.
Health & Fitness Bonus: When tracking your weight over a period of time, weigh yourself for 3 days in a row and record the average weight (or the highest weight, like I do). And whatever you do, don't weigh yourself every day. Fluctuations in water weight can be demoralizing when they're actually quite healthy and normal.
Train hard but pray harder,
Brandon Jubar
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