To ask if u go to the gym, what do you eat?

[Anon6713]

Just a rough daily meal plan ?

Listen to those that talk about nutrition rather than tiny amounts of food or fad diets. Great advice on some posts. Focus on healthy meals with plenty of nutrients, proteins and yes carbs are needed. Fuel your body.

I have a general rule of three meals a day and trying to have minimum (approximately) 30g of protein in each. I don't weigh or track my food, I have learned what 30g of protein looks like though.

So breakfast might be eggs on toast + greek yogurt and fruit
Lunch homemade (so extra) chicken and veg wrap, protein yogurt, crisps
Tea - beef chill, or chicken fillet chips and veg, salmon and sweet potato, baked potato and tuna.

I snack - I love chocolate, and nuts - and I use mayonnaise, butter etc quite liberally. I enjoy myself when I eat out.

I strength train twice a week and do other sports that require strength, and have done for a few years.

Most online calculators tell me that I need around 1600 calories a day and would need to eat 1300 to lose weight. It has taken me a while to build enough strength to get to this point, but a few months ago (last time I tracked) I was eating around 2300 calories a day and lost weight eating 1950. I'm in my forties. At 18 you need more calories anyway.

Please think about fuelling your body, and please don't calorie count or track food if you have a history of disordered eating. Id recommend looking up the Mind Pump podcast episode 'why women should bulk '
Personally I hadn't realised that every time in the past that id started a gym habit I'd also tried to 'eat healthy' which meant I cut out sweets and snacks and inadvertently cut calories at the same time so I never made much progress (you can't really get stronger on a calorie deficit, it's rare) Ever since hearing that episode I try and eat 'normally' but with enough protein and I've gained so much more strength. Eating enough protein means I'm too full to overeat things like chocolate and it sort of regulates itself. I'm a whole 2kg heavier than when I first started, a dress size smaller and hell of a lot stronger.

Good luck!

Train for fun, not weight loss. Abs are built in the kitchen. Google TDEE (I think it's TDEE.com or co.uk) and see what you should be consuming. Don't use MyFitnessPal for weight loss. Set it at maintenance if you must monitor.

I love toast so breakfast is 2 slices with butter and a protein shake. Matrix anabolic gold is the best.

Chicken and veg or salad for one meal and another meat with veg or salad for the other. Usually with toast 😂

I snack on fruit and veg if I need to.

I have a history of disordered eating and am not happy until I'm so full I hate myself so it is hard and it does take time. Don't put pressure on yourself or shame yourself.

I'm using Joe Wicks as well, to lose weight again after a year of (currently still unsuccessful) IVF. I've gained quite a bit in the past few months, due to laziness and eating crap, and hadn't been allowed to exercise. I'm back to doing 3 or 4 workouts via the app at home and then I'm going to the pool for another session.

Breakfast:

• Almond pancakes with Skyr/yoghurt and berries
• Porridge with banana
• Granola with Skyr/yoghurt

Lunch (needs to be easy to take to work):

• mushroom and chicken soup
• chickpea salad with feta

Dinner (this week):

• veggie bolognese
• paella
• Thai green curry
• homemade chicken pizza
• cashew nut curry

Snacks:

• fresh fruit
• apples with peanut butter
• cheesy popcorn
• protein yoghurt from Aldi

We do have protein powder at home but I'm not too keen on the taste, so I tend to substitute it with Skyr instead.

@Minimochi I mix with milk and water so it's not bad. Also helps which one you get. The anabolic gold is 82% protein and doesn't have that bitty whey taste when mixed with milk.

@KendrickLamaze I've only got the stuff from Aldi but so far I've managed without it in most recipes. I've got one for pancakes where you are meant to add the protein powder and that's been OK.