{Nutrition FAQ}

How many meals do you eat per day? 

I eat 3 main meals a day — breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with ‘snacks’ in between the meals, including one snack post-dinner.

What does a typical meal look like for you?

A typical meal includes a majority of protein, some type of veggie {to get that fiber in}, some type of healthy fat, and some type of carb.  I tend to eat a lot of chicken, ground turkey, and filet {I secretly love red meat}.  Veggies vary — sometimes it’s a side salad, sometimes it’s some roasted brussel sprouts.  I also usually eat sweet potatoes as my carbs or brown rice.

What are some healthy snacks that you love?

Some snacks that I love are: hummus with carrots/celery, protein bars, protein shakes, sliced deli meat wrapped around a low fat cheese stick, greek yogurt, handful of almonds, mixed fruit, homemade muffins, oatmeal, or cream of wheat {mixed with a scoop of protein powder}.

What do you use to track your macros?

I love using My Fitness Pal to track my macros.  You can ‘quick add’ items and repeat meals from previous days.  It’s super easy to use!

What do your macros look like/how many calories do you eat?

I never like sharing my macros, because everyone’s bodies are different.  What I might eat to fuel my body, might not necessarily be what you eat.  There are free online macro calculators that you can use to give you an idea of where to start, and then tweak your macros from there.  However, I would recommend eating 1 g of protein per lb of body weight.

Do you carb cycle?

I don’t have set days where I cut back on carbs, etc.  In the summers, I typically slowly cut down carbs every few weeks and then carb up {doubling my carbs} on the third day.  If you train less one day, I suggest cutting back on carbs, and if you know you’re going to have a hard workout {waddup leg day}, then I would definitely eat a good amount of carbs.  On days where I have a low amount of carbs, my body feels tired.  It’s hard for me to even get through cardio on those days!

What supplements do you use?

You can check out my supplements post over here!

When do you take your supplements?

I take pre-workout 20 minutes before I go to the gym {typically drinking it while driving there}.  BCAAs are taken while I workout {or you can take them post-workout}.  I also typically drink a scoop of protein powder immediately post-workout {you need protein within 30 minutes of being done}.  If I know I’m not going straight home to eat dinner, I’ll bring a scoop of protein whey in a shaker and just mix it with water.

Do you have a cheat day?

I have a cheat meal! Once per week.  I’m typically strict about this in the summertime, and in the winter, I’ll chill out a bit. A piece of chocolate isn’t going to kill you during the week.

How much water do you drink a day?

I personally drink 120 oz a day, but I recommend drinking at least 100 oz.  Drinking too much can flush you out, and not drinking enough can obviously cause dehydration.  It’s a delicate balance.

Do you drink alcohol?

Most of us here know that yes, I definitely do drink alcohol.  I LOVE a good glass of wine.  Actually, I LIVE for a good glass of wine.  I tend to stick mostly with wine — just because it’s healthier and I prefer the taste.  I stick with dry red wine {both out of preference and macros ha}.  There are some weekend nights where I’ll go out with friends.  I try to avoid hard liquor, but in those cases, it’s a bit hard to {especially when margaritas are involved}.  I’ll plan my cheat meal for that night then and side note: don’t be binging the next day during that hangover.  Stay hydrated and sweat it out a bit at the gym, following the typical daily macros.

{Other Types of FAQ}

What is your HIIT Routine?

I do sprint intervals.  I typically do the stairmaster because I find it fun {is that weird? yeah}.  You can do it on any cardio machine or spin bike — I also love using the arc trainer and treadmill!  I do 30 seconds sprinting and 30 seconds rest for 20 minutes.

How much weight do you use for your exercises?

I don’t provide the amount of weight I use because everyone is different.  What I might do for shoulders may be too heavy or too light for you.  Just make sure that the weight is challenging, without too heavy causing injury.

Do you like the Polar A360 watch and would you recommend it?

I LOVE my Polar A360 watch! I’ve always worn Polar items, but when I wanted one that had a wrist-based heart rate, everything I had tried just wasn’t good enough.  I’m picky when I work out and check my watch — I want the HR to be accurate.  So, regardless, I knew that I would have to continue wearing my polar strap.  Luckily, the Polar A360 can still sync with the polar strap {making it more accurate} or it can stand alone with a wrist-based heart rate.  You can swap out different colored wrist bands too! Definitely recommend it!

What earphones do you use?

I use wireless Powerbeats 3 earphones and I love them! They really did change the way I work out.  The only problem is that you have to remember to charge them every few days {which is an issue with most wireless earphones}!

{Advice}

• Get enough sleep every night! Sleep is crucial for protein synthesis and overall health.  I suggest getting 7-9 hours per night.
• Stay positive.  You may not see results immediately, but with patience, you’ll see them soon! Focus on how your body feels, rather than focusing on the scale.
• Manage your stress. Stress takes a serious toll on your body.  Try hot yoga or something more calming, while still being active for one of your daily workouts!
• Don’t be scared of fats! Healthy fats, that is.
• You can utilize supplements, but remember that they only ‘supplement’/aid your diet/nutrition. They are totally optional!
• Take a rest day.  It’s really important to let your muscles and body recover. Plus, you don’t want to get burned out.
• Remember to challenge yourself in every workout.  If you think you can increase by 5 lbs or even 2.5 lbs, do it {without injury though}!

I hope this Nutrition FAQ helped y’all! If you have any more other questions, please let me know below and I’ll make sure to address them!