Going Public: Competition Nutrition - Part II

     Personally, I feel the main obstacle between me and achieving my goal physique is in the issue of food intake. Poor nutrition has taken its toll on my mental, physical, and even spiritual health in the past so I intend on mastering this aspect of my life. I am getting better daily and improving my food quality and variety daily while eating the amounts necessary to achieve my goal weight. However, I feel we can all attest to the sometimes almost overwhelming desire we might feel to eat. Boy did I feel that this past week! I am learning that eating for health and controlling food intake is absolutely possible, though I am still working out the kinks in my strategy. Check out my food diary to see how I've been doing!

CURRENT MEAL GUIDELINES

 
     Meal #1: 1 serving protein, 1 serving carbs

     Meal #2-5: 1 serving protein, 1 serving carbs

     Meal #6: 1 serving protein, 1/2oz almonds, no carbs

• Unlimited vegetables (mostly non-starchy) & leafy greens
• Broccoli / Cauliflower
• Mushrooms
• Asparagus 
• Green Beans 
• Bell Peppers 
• Celery 
• Zucchini 
• Cucumber 
• Squash
• Dark Greens - Leafy 
• etc...

• Proteins
• 4oz Chicken Breast 
• 4oz Turkey Breast 
• 4oz Lean Ground Turkey Breast 
• 5oz white fish
• 5oz Tuna
• 4oz Lean Ground Beef 
• 4oz Venison
• 4 Egg Whites and  1 whole egg
• 4oz Filet Mignon 
• 4oz NY strip 
• 30g whey/Casein protein shake
• 1 cup: Greek yogurt, Cottage Cheese, skim milk

• Carbs
• 4oz baked Potato 
• 4oz sweet Potato 
• 1/2c oatmeal
• 1/2c steamed white/brown rice 
• 4oz quinoa cooked
• fruits (pre/post workout only)

• Healthy Fats (1-2T/day)
• coconut
• canola
• olive

• Allowed Condiments, Etc.
• salt-based sauces
• lemon juices
• vinegars
• stevia, splenda
• hot sauces
• pretty much anything low kcal

SUPPLEMENTS

• EFA’s (essential fatty acids) 1000mg three times per day
• CLA’s 4000mg at bedtime 
• BCAA’s serving AM/ PM or postworkout
• 2000mg vit C per day
• 800IU vit E per day
• 2 multivitamins per day
• 5g glutamine AM/PM or postworkout

    This might appear limited but its important to note these foods have proven incredibly effective for bodybuilding competitors historically and have worked for the clients of my coaches. My eating in centered primarily around sustaining my muscle while fueling my workouts and cutting fat. 

CREATING MY WEEKLY MENU
I have learned over the past few months some awesome recipes that will fit perfectly into these dietary guidelines with a bit of tweaking. Here are a few I found, but there are definitely more that I'll think up before my Sunday meal prep.

Jaime Eason's Turkey Muffins
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/video-jamie-eason-turkey-meatloaf-muffins.htm

Loaded Turkey burgers
http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/nutrition/recipes/low-calorie-summer-recipes/

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/nutrition/recipes/allis-slim-pickins/low-carb-strawberry-roll-ups/

Ratatouille
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-essence-of-emeril/ratatouille-recipe/index.html

Sweet Potato Strudel
http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/nutrition/recipes/allis-slim-pickins/sweet-potato-strudel/

Cauliflower Mash
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/38913984253754450/

Cinnamon Rasin Protein Bread
http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/nutrition/recipes/allis-slim-pickins/gluten-free-cinna-raisin-protein-bread/

Pumpkin Fried Rice (sub soy for egg)
http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/nutrition/recipes/allis-slim-pickins/pumpkin-fried-rice/

Veggie Loaf
http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/nutrition/recipes/allis-slim-pickins/veggie-loaf-cake/

Surf N' Turf Kabobs
http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/nutrition/recipes/allis-slim-pickins/surf-n-turf-kabobs/

MYFITNESSPAL

    For greatest transparency, I made my MyfitnessPal progress public, which you can view here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/adrianniestephp

     I log all my workouts, food, and water intake on the site as well as notes to myself for improvement. Everything is as accurate as possible with the exception of the weight I inputed to allow me to create an account. I will be weighing myself during the last stages of prep to ensure the best monitoring of my progress for my purposes. I highly recommend the use of MFP for tracking workouts, nutrition, and notes on progress!