Getting lean gluten free style: A day in the life…

People often ask me what I eat in a day. They are also especially surprised when I tell them it usually consists of five or six meals. I’m lucky enough that my boyfriend is also my personal trainer (perks!) so I’m constantly working to improve my health and clean up my diet. I’m hoping through this, not only will I get leaner and grow stronger, but I might also be able to help tackle my ongoing thyroid issues…

My current mission is to lean up before the Christmas blowout (and get into the perfect party dress!). My nutrition is all tailor-made for me, relying on the fact I train around three – four times a week and also do yoga twice a week too. The general plan is that I follow macros (protein, fats and carbs) and have a calorie limit, but hitting my macros for the day is the main aim. I get carbs post workout, and on non-training days I don’t eat carbs.

I love it – I’ve been on the plan properly  for 10 days, dropped 0.6% body fat and maintained my weight. I’m feeling better already – the next mission is to cut the coffee consumption and up my water intake. That’s going to be tough! So for those who are interested, here’s what a typical day looks like for me…

Breakfast

I love omelettes – or ‘nomlettes’ as me and Steve call them – and they are my go-to breakfast. I normally have either minced beef or diced chicken with feta in my omelettes, and plenty of spices to add some flavour. I love chucking some cress on top, and sometimes I substitute the feta for gouda for a gooey, cheesy feast!

I eat this alongside an Amazing Grass greens shake (a healthy gut is so important when you have coeliac disease!) made with 400ml of water, which is a good way to hydrate after sleep! Once I’ve demolished this, I’ll have a filter coffee made with almond milk.

Lunches

I have two ‘lunches’ in a typical day – one at around midday, and one around 4pm before I go to train after work. These are 99% of the time salad based, but I try to mix them up to make them interesting.

I mostly have chicken or turkey breast steak, and sometimes chuck some prawns in the mix, all flavoured with a mix of spices and herbs. Nando’s peri peri rub is a firm favourite!

I’ll often have these with either feta or avocado, or flavoured olive oils, and if I have time I’ll add some mixed roasted veg, such as peppers, to liven up the salad leaves a bit.

I always prep my meals in advance if I can, so I can work out a day’s nutrition in advance, and dinner is the only hot meal I’ll cook from fresh. I find it easier to manage if I roast up a large tray of chicken and the divide it out over a few days. People always make the excuse ‘I don’t have time to eat healthy’ – but it’s so easy! You just have to make the time.

Dinner

Dinner is where I can add the most variety to my diet so I can cook everything from scratch. Favourites are sausages and veg, chilli con carne, or as a special treat, cauliflower pizza! All low carb options, but if I am training that day, I will have rice in my post-workout meal. I also enjoy stir fries, or sometimes I’ll have something like home-made chicken kievs, using ground almonds instead of polenta to coat them.

Snacks/dessert

If I’ve got enough calories left over, I’ll often manage to work in a ‘treat’ meal which is sweet and naughty-looking, but never breaks the diet! Stacks of protein pancakes, Fage Total Greek yoghurt and berries, Muscle Mousse protein dessert and protein waffles are all regulars.

Walden Farms sauces have been a life-saver for me. They’re zero calorie and gluten free but really help to add flavour to otherwise bland meals.

Supplements

I regularly take the following supplements:

• Multivitamin
• Fish oils
• HCL (to aid digestion and acid reflux)
• Zinc
• Lysine (to help prevent cold sores – see blog post here)
• Probiotic (again, gut health is key to a healthy immune system!)

I hope this has helped to clear up a bit about what I eat. How does your day compare to this? Comment below and let me know!