A Day in My Diet

[bama41 1]

I am about 4 weeks out from my surgery date. I am an ex runner and an active business man. I travel a lot and I want to run again. Tell me about a day in your life with your diet. What do you eat each day. What are your go to foods? What do you eat on the go?

[shriner37 249]

I'm a little over 4 months post surgery, so I'm back on regular foods. Breakfast is usually a small omelet with egg beaters and some 2% shredded cheese. lunch is either a chicken breast with a few steamed vegetables or maybe another Protein based entree. dinner varies but can be another serving of lean Protein with some vegetables, small chicken/cheese quesadilla, lean cuisine or maybe some Soup. If I'm in a rush a meal may be as simple as a piece of string cheese and some raw almonds. I've also found that some of the Lunchables make a good quick meal as long as you go with the ones with higher protein content.

i add a Protein Bar or shake every day, and have tried to eliminate most all breads and starches from my diet, focusing on lean protein and vegetables. I will occasionally have part of a sandwich or a tortilla but it is not a daily occurrence.

My target right now is to stay under 1,000 calories per day which is pretty easy to do as long as I stay away from any sort of Snacks or slider foods. I try to keep my protein intake at 80 grams or more per day. This is usually plenty of calories and unless I have some type of head hunger issue I don't find myself hungry.

As far as liquids I have a couple cups of coffee each day. I've eliminated all carbonated drinks and usually drink Water with some occasional iced tea. At home to switch things up I'll have some Crystal Light. The biggest change here is seriously reducing alcohol intake. Before surgery I was a social drinker having beer a couple days a week. I've had alcohol a handful of times post surgery and found that once I got out of the habit I didn't miss it very much. If the setting is right I will have a cocktail or beer once in a great while but it has gone from a regular part of my routine to a special occasion item. If I do have a beer I need to pour it into a glass and let all of the carbonation escape before enjoying it. Generally not worth the hassle.

MyFitnessPal is a great app and website for tracking calorie intake which I have found is the key to managing a successful eating routine. I've looked at various different options and it seems to have the most extensive menu of food choices. Whatever you choose to eat, someone has most always already created an entry for it.

I also travel a lot and have found that eating in restaurants is still a little challenging. I can usually find a menu choice that works out okay, knowing I will only eat part of it. For a while I tried ordering off the appetizer menu because the portions are smaller but appetizer items tend to be high fat selections that are lower in protein, so I decided that it was ultimately better to order a good protein item from the regular menu and just leave some of it behind.

For air travel I always pack a Protein Bar in my carryon bag, and if I'm traveling over a meal period will add a Lunchables or a string cheese and some almonds for the meal in the air.

Good luck in your journey!

Edited January 23, 2016 by shriner37