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What I Eat in a Day (with Macros)

Hi friend! Welcome to a fresh, new week! We had a really good weekend, starting with Jordan’s basketball game on Saturday.  All her practicing in the driveway is really paying off- she’s a little hustler on the court!  She made several shots and it’s so fun to watch!

I was in charge of the snacks and this collapsible tote came in very handy for transporting!

And, the best news of all- we got my mom moved into her new apartment!  It’s a really cute home and only 2 miles from us.  It’s been a long time coming and we’re all thrilled that she’s finally here!  Now for all the unpacking and organizing, but I love helping with that kind of stuff.

WHAT I EAT IN A DAY

Last week I shared the simplest way I know to lose weight.  Note that I said simple, not easy.

It’s really working for me, I’ve lost 4 pounds since the new year. I asked y’all on Stories if you wanted to see more fitness content here and nearly everyone said yes.

In the follow-up poll I did, most of you said you wanted to know what I eat in a day, so I’m happy to share here.

MY MACROS

I use My Fitness Pal to track everything, and once you get the hang of it, it’s really easy and quick to use.  And, you can quickly access things you’ve logged before in your history.  Or add a whole recipe and save that.

You can use My Fitness Pal to calculate your macros (protein, carbs and fats) if you want to know how much of each you’re eating in a day.  You can adjust the percentages and MFP will let you know what that equals in grams.

I aim for 1,250 calories (see why here) and 40% carbs, 35% protein, and 25% fat.

The breakdown looks like this:

If you want to see how many calories you should be eating for fat loss, go here.

For me, to get 1,250 calories in a day, I usually break it into 5 meals with 250 calories each, or 4 larger meals.

WATER

First things first!  If you’ve been following me for long, you know one of my daily healthy habits includes making sure I drink enough water each day.  To help with this, I fill up two big water bottles right when I wake up.  One stays downstairs and one goes up so that I always have a drink handy.

I like these water bottles because they travel well without spilling in my purse and also fit in my car’s cup holder.

I usually wake up around 5:30 or 6:00 a.m., fill up my water, make my coffee and sit down to read, journal and I’m trying to meditate also.

COFFEE

I can’t write a “what I eat in a day” post without mentioning my coffee.  Yes, I’m that kind of girl that doesn’t get her day started without a cup of coffee – and 3 tablespoons of vanilla caramel creamer. #letmelive 
But I’m continuing to experiment with other, lower calorie creamers.
Lately, I’ve been taking the kids to school, then heading to the gym for a workout around 8 a.m.  I add BCAA to my gym water bottle to help give me energy and aid in muscle recovery.

PROTEIN PANCAKE

After I get home from the gym, I shower and make breakfast.

A protein pancake is delicious, filling and packed with protein.

1/3 cup Power Cakes Protein Pancake Mix

1/2 cup Water

1/3 cup Liquid Egg Whites

1/2 scoop Protein Powder (optional, but I feel like the pancake cooks better when I add this extra protein)

*Spray 8-inch pan with cooking spray.  Mix together and pour into pan over medium heat.  I usually cover the pan with a lit for a bit until the liquid is mostly solid (about 4 minutes), then flip.  Cook on the second side for about 2 minutes.  Makes 1 pancake.

I top with a handful of blueberries and 1 tblsp sugar free syrup.

Faux Tulips • Placemat • Dinner Plate • Similar Bud Vase

If I don’t have a protein pancake, I might have oatmeal with 1/2 cup oats, some cinnamon and topped with a splash of almond milk.
Or, I’ll cook two eggs and eat them with a piece of toast.

COFFEE

By this time, I’m getting ready and usually sitting down at my computer to get work done.  Two – three times a week, I’ll enjoy a Starbucks Brown Sugar Shaken Oat Milk Espresso.

It’s not that high in calories for a tall, but it does have about 10 grams of sugar.

MEALS 3, 4 & 5

Then, for Meal 3, 4 and 5 I usually have some combo of lean protein (fish, chicken breast, ground beef), tempeh, tofu and a veggie, with rice or sweet potato sometimes.
Prepping my ingredients in advance helps me quickly pull a meal together.
Even just getting things unpackaged, rinsed and chopped is a time saver in the long run and removes one more hassle when preparing lunch or dinner.

SHRIMP, RICE & VEGGIES

Here are a couple of examples of meals I like.

I buy frozen, peeled and deveined shrimp and thaw it.  Then, it’s easy to sauté in pan or cook in the air fryer.  I use my air fryer daily!

Veggies are usually steamed and then put in the air fryer for a few minutes to crisp up.  I love seasoning with onion powder, garlic salt, or truffle salt. Sesame seeds and scallions add a bit of texture and crunch.

SHRIMP & VEGGIES

I’ve also realized that sometimes, I can skip the rice or potato carb I usually add with my meals and just double up on the veggies.

This meal is air fried shrimp, asparagus and purple cabbage with a touch of this sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds.  It’s also yummy with a side of avocado.

TUNA WITH SPINACH ON DAVE’S KILLER BREAD

I don’t eat many sandwiches and if I’m trying to lose weight and want a burger, I’ll make sure it’s lean and eat it without the bun.

That being said, I do like a tuna sandwich and sometimes eat it in a salad or open faced with one piece of bread.

SALMON, BROCCOLI & GREEN BEANS

Over the years, I’ve come to really enjoy eating fish.  I usually buy it frozen and individually vacuum sealed so it’s really fresh when I prepare it.

A side of steamed veggies with seasoning goes perfectly with it.  Add a squeeze of lemon for a bit of acid and zing.

ROTISSERIE CHICKEN WITH SIDE SALAD

This is a super fast meal to put together.  Just a slice of rotisserie chicken (pulled the skin off before eating) and a green salad with Bolthouse Farms Creamy Ceasar Yogurt Dressing.

Or you could use Walden Farms dressing – they have zero calories.

I usually have grilled chicken breast tenders prepared, but rotisserie works in a pinch.

I TRY NOT TO EAT AFTER DINNER

I’ve also been trying not to eat after dinner, around 6 or 7 p.m.
If I do get hungry, I’ll have a cup of yogurt with blueberries or an apple with a little bit of peanut butter.
I will say, not eating after dinner has been a big contributor to my recent pounds lost.
You can see I’m not perfect and about 200 of my 1,250 calories in a day may be in the form of coffee, but I want to keep it real with you!
The cool thing with tracking your macros is that you not only see how your calories are adding up, but what source they’re coming from – protein, carbs and fat.  I try to keep my protein at 100 grams per day so I maintain muscle while losing fat.
The My Fitness Pal app, also tracks vitamins, sugar, fiber, etc.
I can kind of make a game out of it, like a puzzle to see how everything fits together each day.  And, after awhile, you get a much better sense of how many calories you’re consuming – even without using the app.  But the app doesn’t lie and helps keep me accountable if I’m trying to lose weight.
This post isn’t sponsored and I pay for an upgraded version of the app, but the regular version is free.  I know there are other macro calculators, MFP is just the one I’m familiar with and have used for years.
Let me know in the comments if tracking macros is something you do or want to start doing.  If so, what questions do you have that I could go into more depth in a future post?
If you’re looking for more fitness posts, go here!
Now let’s go kick Monday’s booty!

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