On- and Off- Season
I try to eat clean year-round, with the exception of certain holidays. I also use the weekends to indulge in my favorite foods, and when I go on vacation I make sure to get my workouts in, so I can order what I want at dinner. Believe me, I love pizza, ice cream, and Krispy Kreme donuts, but I save them for my "cheat" days, which makes them all the sweeter (no pun intended).
Enough about the cheat foods, onto the healthy stuff. Like I said, I try to eat whole, natural foods. I don't like most protein bars or shakes, so I have to get all of my nutrients through real food. This is extremely difficult. I get it done in 5-6 small meals. I eat plenty of lean meat, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. Each day I try to consume 1 gram of protein for each pound of my body weight (~120 g/day). I also eat tons of vegetables and one piece of fruit early in the day. I get whole grains with my breakfast, but use vegetables for my carbs later in the day. I like to snack on almonds, lo-fat string cheese, and natural peanut butter. When I'm looking for something sweet that kind of resembles ice cream, I eat sugar-free popsicles. In addition to my food, I try to drink at least a gallon of water a day. I get bored with plain water, so I usually add an artificial sweetner to jazz it up a bit.
Two months prior to a competition, I cut back to cheating only on Sundays (all day). I always try to workout on this day though, to feel a little better about not eating clean. At the one month mark, I cut down to one cheat meal on Sunday night (pizza & ice cream). I have my last cheat meal two Sundays before the show. The only thing I really change close to competition time is the amount of carbs I eat. The week of the show, I eat very little carbs on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, then start adding them back Thursday and Friday, for a Saturday competition. At that point I have brown rice and plain chicken at each meal. I also watch my sodium very closely two days prior to a show. This helps me get rid of any excess water I may be holding. However, I don't cut my water intake drastically like some competitors. It is very important to stay hydrated for the fitness routine!
I hope my plan gives you some good ideas. I have found what works for me through years of trial and error, and you will have to do the same.
Sample Day
5:30 am - Genisoy Lo Carb Cruncher Bar (chocolate chip)
9:00 am - 1 whole egg, 3 egg whites, 2 slices canadian bacon diced
1:00 pm - 6 oz. 96% lean ground beef, 1 slice 2% cheese, mustard, salad with 2 tbsp. lt. italian dressing
3:00 pm - 1 oz. raisins, 1 oz. beef jerky
6:00 pm - 6 oz. chicken, 1 cup broccoli with spray butter and lemon juice
9:00 pm - 1 oz. almonds, sugar free popsicle
Buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, remove the skin and fat, and have meals and snacks all day long.
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