Sometimes people are shocked by how much I eat.
I’m not a large person. By Western standards anyway. Of course by Filipino standards I’m still an XL, but I just can’t let that get to me…
I’ve been posting regularly “What I Ate Wednesday,” and Wednesdays (along with Mondays and Fridays) are heavy training days for me… about 6 hours of my weekly workouts occur on these days, what with the bootcamp classes, high-intensity cardio, and often, tennis with my son. So yes, I’m hungry!!
But here’s the thing: everyone has their own individual calorie needs, based on their body’s metabolism. Several factors play into metabolism: height, weight, age, gender, body fat percentage (and therefore muscle mass), and activity level. (Actually, how much and how often you eat also plays into it, though that’s a subject for another post.) Although I’m not a large person, I’m active and have a lot of muscle relative to my size. So even though I’m 45 years old, and a woman, my calorie needs are high. How high? Well, I don’t know the exact number. I don’t count calories. But I must be eating the right amount for me, because I maintain my weight and enjoy a high energy level.
But just so you can see what happens to my food intake on my “non-heavy” training days, I thought I’d let you see “What I Ate Tuesday”… here you go:
Once a week I DON’T have my favourite green smoothie. I have my favourite pink smoothie instead. Isn’t it beautiful? It’s made with fresh juice (a combination of beetroot, carrot, cucumber, jicama, & green apple), soy milk, banana, and frozen mango. Ok, yes… it is labor intensive and makes a huge mess in the kitchen. Do I still love it? Yup! And so do the kids, even knowing the beet is in there. I feel like I win every time I serve it.
Along with my smoothie I had a banana oat cookie smeared with almond butter, and some sliced fruit, including this gorgeous red dragon fruit.
After a brisk 10k walk with my friends, I rehydrated with some fresh buko juice.
Then at Bible study I snacked on some apple slices with Alexis’ chocolate hummus, and this fab banana slice made by my friend Jude.
I was starving by the time I got home, so I had an early lunch of leftover broccoli cheese soup, steamed green beans, cheese, and a whole wheat pumpkin seed roll.
I finished it off with a fresh pear & some toasted pecans.
The afternoon blew by filled with dentist appointments and a fish funeral, none of which is conducive to eating, so I found myself ravenous for dinner.
Luckily I had planned something quick & easy: baked halibut with homemade (leftover, love what you find in the fridge sometimes!) pesto, mashed potatoes, and Greek salad. Fresh and satisfying!
After dinner I ate this vegan banana chocolate chip muffin that I’d been thinking about while at the dentist. It tasted awesome with my newly-cleaned choppers!
So… was this any less than I eat on Wednesdays? I don’t think so!! Bottom line is, I eat a lot and I eat it frequently. Works for me!!
How is your appetite and do you feel like you eat a lot or a little for your size?