One of the hardest parts of convincing my patients to adhere to my prescribed diet is convincing them that it is feasible and enjoyable. I express to them that I never tell them to do anything I don’t do on a daily basis. We all have different needs- ie. mine are different than most of my patients with obesity-related comorbidities. However, the principles remain the same and I try to use my own diet as an example. With that being said, I thought it was time to display an example of a weekly diet log that I kept while on a work schedule that would be somewhat similar to the general population (other than some of my call nights).
I will provide three different days to show some variety and provide the types and approximate amounts of food followed by their macronutrient contents before concluding on my typical caloric intake and ratios. I do want to emphasize that I preach quality over quantity, and I do not calorie count so these are approximations in terms of numbers so focus on the content. Also, the math may get fuzzy when adding it all up, but should be close enough to cut me some slack.
DIET LOG
Monday
Breakfast:
- 4 fish oil capsules + 2000 IU vit D + Glycosolve (36cal, 4gm fat)
- 1/4c low carb milk with my coffee (22 cal, 1gm fat, 0.5gm carb, no fiber, 2gm prot)
- Egg Scramble using 1 egg + 3 tbsp egg whites + 1.25oz turkey sausage + 1/4c fat-free cheddar cheese + tomatoes and colored peppers
(210cal, 7gm fat, 7gm carb, 3gm fiber, 26gm protein)
Snack:
- 3 scoops of Lean Latte (225cal, 5gm fat, 13gm carb, 9gm fiber, 31gm protein)
Lunch:
- 4 oz Cod (173cal, 5gm fat, 1gm carb, 30gm prot)
- broccoli stir fry about 1c (45cal, 0 fat, 10gm carb, 3gm fiber, 2gm prot)
- sliced yellow squash 1c (69cal, 4gm fat, 8gm carb, 3gm fiber, 1gm prot)
- salad with spinach, cucumber, tomato, cheddar cheese, and fat free Italian
(140cal, 7gm fat, 10gm carb, 3gm fiber, 7gm protein)
-mini Hershey bar (40cal, 1.5gm fat, 5gm carb, 0.5gm fiber, 0.5gm prot)
Snack:
- 2 scoops choc Leaner Living MRP (168cal, 4gm fat, 10gm carb, 6gm fiber, 21gm prot)
Dinner:
- 4 oz tilapia (100cal, 3gm fat, no carb, 20gm prot)
- 2.5c sauteed asparagus mix veggies (65cal, 0gm fat, 10gm carb, 5gm fiber, 5gm prot)
Snack:
- 2 tbsp almond butter + 1tbsp high fiber jam on Joseph pita
(260cal, 18gm fat, 20gm carb, 10gm fiber, 12gm protein)
Monday totals: 1,397 calories, 60gm fat, 84gm carb, 43gm fiber, 159gm prot)
Tuesday
Breakfast:
- 4 OTC fish oil capsules + 2000 IU vit D + Glycosolve (36cal, 4gm fat)
- 1/4c low carb milk with my coffee (22 cal, 1gm fat, 0.5gm carb, no fiber, 2gm prot)
- burrito using same egg scramble as Monday but with low carb tortilla
(410cal, 12gm fat, 38gm carb, 24gm fiber, 34gm prot)
Snack:
- 3 scoops of Lean Latte (225cal, 5gm fat, 13gm carb, 9gm fiber, 31gm protein)
Lunch:
- baked chicken thigh/leg (skin removed) (175cal, 8gm fat, 0 carb, 0 fiber, 23gm prot )
- 1c asparagus, steamed (40cal, 0 fat, 7gm carb, 4gm fiber, 4gm prot)
- 1/2c carrots boiled (27cal, 0 fat, 6gm carb, 2gm fiber, 1gm prot)
- salad with romaine, tomato, broccoli, garbonzos, black beans, feta cheese, olive oil
(420cal, 23gm fat, 39gm carb, 12gm fiber, 17gm protein)
Snack:
- 2 scoops choc Leaner Living MRP (168cal, 4gm fat, 10gm carb, 6gm fiber, 21gm prot)
Dinner:
- Leaner Living Pizza: low carb tortilla, 4 oz chicken breast, 1 tbsp olive oil pesto,
1.4c low fat cheese (510cal, 26gm fat, 32gm carb, 21gm fiber, 39gm protein)
Snack:
- Joseph flat bread lavash (100cal, 4gm fat, 14gm carb, 6gm fiber, 10gm prot)
- 4 tbsp hummus (140cal, 12gm fat, 8gm carb, 2gm fiber, 4gm protein)
Tuesday totals: 3286 cal, 99gm fat, 198gm carb, 86gm fiber, 186gm prot
Saturday
Breakfast:
- 4 OTC fish oil capsules + 2000 IU vit D + Glycosolve with berberine (36cal, 4gm fat)
- 1/4c low carb milk with my coffee (22 cal, 1gm fat, 0.5gm carb, no fiber, 2gm prot)
- Leaner Living pancakes (see “Wowser Waffles” recipe, makes 2 pancakes)
(350cal, 20gm fat, 14gm carbs, 10gm fiber, 44gm protein
Snack:
- peanuts (240cal, 22gm fat, 7gm carb, 3gm fiber, 10gm prot)
Lunch:
- 1/2 cornish game hen (148cal, 4gm fat, 0 carb, 26gm prot)
- salad w/ spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, black beans, cheddar cheese, FF French
(208cal, 9gm fat, 18gm carb, 6gm fiber, 13gm protein)
Dinner:
- 6 oz roasted turkey (350cal, 16gm fat, 0 carb, 48gm protein)
- sauteed mixed veggies (90cal, 0 fat, 15gm carb, 6gm fiber, 6gm prot)
Snack:
- 2 scoops choc Leaner Living MRP (168cal, 4gm fat, 10gm carb, 6gm fiber, 21gm prot)
- peanuts (240cal, 22gm fat, 7gm carb, 3gm fiber, 10gm prot)
Saturday Totals: 1852 cal, 102gm fat, 72gm carbs, 34gm fiber, 180gm protein
As you can tell, I keep a variety of foods in diet which are all generally high in quality and actually palatable. The range of caloric intake appears to be fairly variable, which is okay since as I’ve stated before – the quantity (aka calories) are not as important as the overall consistency of quality (types of foods).
I would like to make a note that this week did not include any dining out. I generally do not like dining out as it leaves much more question up in the air regarding the healthful quality of the food. When dining out, I either chalk it up as a loss, or try to make the best choices possible which include our general principles of consuming high quantities of vegetables, lean meats, and moderate/quality fats like olive oil or fish fat (Editor’s note: we will have a guide to dining out).
It should also be noted that I do have my vices. I generally do not buy sweets and treats, but if chocolate (especially with nuts) is offered in small quantities, I will accept. I, for the most part, will not partake in the consumption of cakes, donuts, and the like. But of course, on an infrequent basis, these are not going to be overly detrimental when eating an otherwise high-quality diet and exercising regularly.
For beverages, in addition to morning coffee and our meal replacement shakes, I always drink calorie free items which include water, tea, and diet sodas. Some evenings I will drink wine, especially if the preceding dinner was otherwise pretty low in carbohydrate load. As you may know, low to moderated consumption of low calorie alcohol has been shown to improve cholesterol, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health. That does not mean you should take up drinking alcohol if you don’t, but enjoying some wine in the evenings may be beneficial.
Overall I hope this gives our readers some insight into my dietary life and an idea of how a quality relatively low-calorie diet can be pleasurable and variable. Perhaps this will stir up some questions in the blog and begin a discussion amongst those who are trying to get started on their healthy fat loss journey.
Leave a Reply