Timed nutrition…sounds interesting, hard, strange, time consuming, different…

Yep- that’s what I thought, too.

Basically timed nutrition is simply eating the right foods (especially protein and carbs) at the right times to help you fuel your workouts, build muscle, and recover from workouts while keeping your metabolism and energy levels high. Over the course of the day, our bodies fluctuate between breaking down muscle and building it back up. Timing your nutrition can help ensure your muscles have the protein they need during those building-up phases.

It also helps you get the perfect ratio of macronutrients (carbs, protein and fats) each time you eat.

Eating like this did take a little time to get used to, but the pay off for me has more energy all day long!

Now that I am starting week 7 of this plan, I have found this schedule very easy to follow.  My meal planning took no time this week and by 1:30 on Sunday I am prepped and ready for most of the week!

Eating this way also seems to have a positive influence on my day in general.  I am more productive with my work and it seems to create a flow for my day.

Here is what a basic day looks like for me:

4:30- alarm goes off!
4:45- eat my pre-workout meal
5:15- drink my energize
5:30- push play
6:30ish- drink my post workout while getting the boys ready
9:00- eat my post-workout meal
12:00- lunch (usually my biggest meal of the day- meal option #2)
3:00- afternoon pick me up (Shakeology- meal option #1)
6:00- dinner (usually meal option #3)

*this schedule is easy to adapt to your day and when you workout.  4:30 am wake up calls are not a requirement!  😉

Here is my meal plan for next week:

Am I perfect at this?  NO
Do I always get the timing perfect?  NO

I will say this, as we are about to hit the halfway point I can tell you that I have not cheated one time!

What I love about this plan:

No guessing!
I know what to eat and when in order to fuel my day best and recover from my workouts!
I have noticed a huge increase in my energy levels and have had minimal soreness.  That is saying a lot because these workouts are longer than I am used to and pretty intense.
I do not feel like I am missing out because I eat a ton of really delicious stuff!

What I don’t love about this plan:

Not much.
I guess I miss having a glass of wine on Friday, but honestly, I kinda don’t.  I will have fries or a margarita again, just not for another 41 days.  😉
I did have a 2-3 week period of feeling hungry or getting used to the timing, but that would be true of any new meal plan.

Here are a few of the recipe I will be enjoying this week:

Spinach Pancakes (sounds strange I know!!!):

• 1 cup of spinach
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup quick oats
• 1/3 cup cottage cheese or yogurt (I used almond milk yogurt)
• 1 tsp almond butter (or other nut butter)
• cinnamon
• vanilla extract

Blend everything together and make pancakes as you normally would.  This makes 1 serving of 3-4 pancakes.

Tempeh BLT (tempeh bacon):

• 8 oz tempeh (250 g)
• 1 tbsp liquid aminos
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for the marinade plus extra virgin for frying the bacon
• 1 tbsp maple
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Slice the tempeh as thin as you can without it falling apart.
Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Soak the tempeh slices in the marinade for 1 or 2 minutes.
Heat extra virgin olive oil in a saute pan and when it’s hot, add the tempeh and cook for 1 or 2 minutes each side over high heat until both sides are browned and crisp.

I will be having this with lettuce and tomato in a sprouted grain wrap!  This recipe makes about 2 servings.

Avocado Egg Salad

• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 1/4 avocado
• salt and pepper

Mash eggs, avocado, salt and pepper.  I like to also add dried dill.  Serve on a wrap, slice of break, 1/2 english muffin, or over lettuce.  This makes 1 serving.

What do you think?
Sound like something you might want to try?

My March group is forming and several of my newest challengers will be starting this program together!

Here is what you can expect!!!

I am accepting applications to join!

APPLY HERE!

Hope to hear from you soon!

 

I love me some breakfast and with timed nutrition I get to eat it twice a day!!!

The other day I shared my favorite pre-workout (at 4:45 am) meal.  Check it out here!

After I workout, get the boys off to school and get myself ready for the day I have what I like to call breakfast #2 (aka post workout meal)!!

I have been experimenting with my new cast iron skillets so I couldn’t wait to try a frittata in one of them.  After searching Pinterest, I decided on one using sweet potatoes as a crust!  YUM!

My Recipe:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, shredded
• 3-4 cups of spinach
• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• salt
• pepper

Heat the oven to 450 F.
Beat the eggs, some salt, and milk in a small bowl until well combine, set aside.
Sauté the sweet potato, thyme, and turmeric in the olive oil over medium heat in a 10” cast iron skillet. Cook until the sweet potato is starting to become tender, about 4 minutes.
Pat down the cooked sweet potato on the bottom of the pan to create the base layer, salt lightly.
Turn down the heat to low, add the spinach. Let the steam from the base layer cook the spinach for about 3 minutes.
Pour the eggs into the pan.
Put the skillet in the oven, and bake for about 10 minutes, or until set, and browned in places. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Store left overs in refrigerator.

This makes 4 servings of deliciousness!
Each serving counts as 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Green and 1 tsp for those of you following Portion Fix or Timed Nutrition.

For my T1D friends it is about 15 carbs per serving.

This makes a great meal prep recipe but would also be perfect for a brunch with friends.  I may need to host one soon!  😉

PS- My frittata is dairy free, but you could easily add cheese to this if you wanted.

Enjoy!

 

I would call myself a morning person.

I like to get up early.
I like to workout early.
I like to enjoy coffee in silence.
I like to get a head start on my day before everyone wakes up.

I love almost everything about mornings…except eating something first thing.  I tend to workout on an empty stomach and finally eat my breakfast once I get everyone out the door and on there way.

Then TIMED NUTRITION came into my life.

I was less than excited about the thought of eating first thing and before my workout, but I am always game to try new things and to trust the process when I do a new program.

So off I went in search of something I could make up ahead and that wouldn’t sit too heavy in my stomach since I would be working out about 30-45 minutes after eating it.

My usual combo of eggs and spinach in an egg muffin just did not go over well at 4:45 am.  I pretty much had to choke them down.

I needed something a little sweet so this zucchini muffin recipe (adapted from the Beachbody Blog) seemed like a good option.

I love them and I have been eating them every morning for the last 3 weeks!

Zucchini Muffins

1 medium zucchini, grated
1 egg
¼ cup dry old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp. coconut oil
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon will do)
6 Tbsp. part-skim ricotta (I used Kite Hill Ricotta made from Artisan Almond Milk)

Heat oven to 375° F.
Sauté the zucchini with 1 tsp. coconut oil until it has decreased in volume by about half.
In a large mixing bowl mix together the zucchini, oats, egg, ricotta and spices.
Spoon the mixture into muffin cups or a muffin pan coated with nonstick spray.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Let cool, then store in the fridge until ready to eat.
The amounts listed are for one serving (about 3 muffins), but you can multiply the ingredient amounts to make multiple servings.

This counts as a red, green, yellow and tsp for anyone following the Portion Fix.
For anyone following the 80 Day Obsession Timed nutrition this makes a perfect Pre-Workout Meal!

I think these would also be good with shredded carrots.

I hope you enjoy them, too!