Reverse Dieting - 1800 Calories A Day
If you've read my earlier posts, you know that I’m reverse dieting and trying to increase my calories by about 300 calories a day (from 1500 to 1800 calories). For about five years I've somewhat regularly tracked my daily food intake on the free version of My Fitness Pal. But when I read that other fitness competitors are eating 1500, 1800, or 2000 calories a day, I sometimes still can't guess what that looks like. So this post contains all the details about a typical ~1800 calorie day for me (in total, this was about 1850 calories).
Breakfast
Cottage Cheese Pancakes and Bullet Tea: 481 calories(29P, 23C, 30F)
2 eggs
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup cottage cheese
liquid stevia (to taste)
Walden Farm Syrup
I also usually have a "bullet" tea (similar to bullet coffee) with breakfast. I make this with Earl Grey tea, a tablespoon of MCT oil, and 2 tablespoons of half and half. If you haven't heard of MCT oil, look it up. It's basically a magical elixir that helps regulate blood sugar, improve brain function, and other things. The key to deliciousness is to whip it all up with a handheld frother. You can get these on Amazon for about $10 and they are totally worth it. I never go to Starbucks anymore.
Lunch
Turkey Wrap, 1/2 apple and 2 tbsps. peanut butter: 637 calories (42 P, 36 C, 41 F)
Unless I'm meeting up with friends for lunch, I usually keep lunch pretty simple.
4 ozs. turkey
Tumaro wrap
Slice of swiss cheese
Smear of pesto/mayo
1/2 apple + 2 tbsp. of peanut butter
Afternoon Snack
Protein Shake: 188 Calories (Macros: 26 P, 7 C, 6 F)
1 scoop Optimum Nutrition Cake Batter protein power
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp. PB2 powder
Dinner
Burger, salad, corn on the cob: 572 calories (32 P, 37 C, 36F)
4 ozs lean ground beef w/ 1/2 slice of cheese (my parents raise grass-fed beef, so I have an entire freezer full of it. I do know how lucky I am).
Salad : romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, white onion, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Corn on cob w/ 1 tbsp. butter
Sweet Nectar of the Gods
I run on Amino Energy. What coffee is to some, Aminos are to me. It's like drinking a jolly rancher, but has a post-workout recovery blend that purports to help you recover after working out. I have no idea if it works, but this is how I drink ~80 ozs. of water a day. My favorite flavors are grape, green apple, pineapple, and peach lemonade. And yes, my water bottle is a beer growler from my favorite micro-brewery in Eagle, Colorado (but it's almost always filled with Aminos).
Macros
As you can see, this menu packs quite a protein punch with fairly normal ingredients.This is probably a little higher fat than the typical competitor's diet, but right now I'm just trying to get the calories and protein in. Some days are higher fat and some days are higher carb. This doesn't seem to impact much in terms of my weight or energy (although my dieter's brain is skeptical that this could possibly be true).
When I'm eating this much protein I feel extremely satiated and have great energy. Protein also has a high TEF (thermic effect). The TEF refers to the number of calories your body needs to absorb and process the food. So, yes, you are reading this right. Your body actually burns calories when it is processing protein. And protein helps support muscle growth. If you are looking to optimize your metabolism, these are two reasons to focus on increasing your protein intake.
Want to learn more about metabolic health? Join our private Facebook Group (Boost Your Metabolism After Age 30), listen to our podcast, follow us on Instagram, get our free video on how you can increase your metabolism, or book a free metabolic assessment. Finally, feel free to reach out to us at info@couturefitnesscoaching.com with any questions!