Lunch?

diet is a tough one for me. when work is hectic i tend to go out a lot for lunch (my coworker is a bad influence and i have no willpower). i also tend to drink a mountain dew after lunch.

i have also been watching the NBA playoffs, but we don't have a tv so i go to the pub, eat a burger, drink 3 beers. i hope the thunder sweep the heat so i can quit spending 50 bucks and 5000 calories.

This is all very motivating. Since I work at a place where I have every kind of fast food humanly imaginable at my finger tips for a lunch it is very easy to get side tracked. For lunch I really like a hearty salad: romaine lettuce, strips of grilled chicken, raspberry vinagrette, sharp cheddar, roasted almonds, and dried cranberries. Even just using lemon juice over this is great and sometimes if I've had a bbq the night before I might do strips of steak. Oh so tasty. Stay away from processed foods. Fresh is always best.

I've been working full-time for 5 months now, actually climbing harder than ever by staying on a strict training regimen. Diet is definitely my biggest challenge though. As a video editor I literally sit at the computer all day, therefore burning zero calories while at work. I genrally bring a big leafy salad every day with lots of vegetables and a little turkey. However, I get super hungry mid morning and mid afternoon...I've been eating clif builder bars in the afternoon but I doubt this is the best with all the sugar and chocolate. Anyone have any tips on how to curb appetite while in the office?

ian watson wrote:Wraps are your friend, romaine lettuce, spinach, avocado, chicken and a nip of ceasor dressing. you can add lots of different things to wraps to keep them new and tasting good.

T_jones wrote: Anyone have any tips on how to curb appetite while in the office?

Matthias Lang wrote:The Elvis Burrito: Put peanut butter on a tortilla, wrap it around a whole banana. Depending on your personal preference, add honey. Best hand-held lunch ever for any outdoor activity!

Lots of good ideas here, I definitely agree with the real foods thing. Eat lots of healthy fats and proteins and tons of vegetables. I'm pretty much over grains and any kind of 'bars' as they are usually too processed and I may have a gluten intolerance. Took a while to figure out that it was the grains giving me heartburn since I used to eat them at virtually every meal and just assumed they were benign.

For lunch I usually make a huge salad. When you forego the bread you can eat a ridiculous amount of veggies. Baby spinach, romaine, red leaf as a base, half an avocado, bell peppers, banana peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, olives, cucumber, blueberries, raspberries, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and ALWAYS a hefty portion of freshly grilled meat and/or hard boiled eggs. Probably snack on an apple or pear later on as well. If you keep the olive oil and balsamic in a separate container and then dress the salad when ready it won't get soggy. I always try to grill up a whole package of chicken thigh meat (dark meat's so much tastier), a couple nice steaks, and maybe a salmon or tuna filet at the beginning of the week to go on all the salads.

You can get some serious variety with those meats/veggies, I never get sick of the EVOO+balsamic vinegar+ half an avocado for dressing but if you do, try some other dressings and you can make a million different combos.

On climbing days I usually just eat a massive breakfast and then bring trail mix and a piece of fruit and then eat a massive dinner. Massive breakfast usually includes bacon, eggs, potatoes, spinach, onions, mushrooms and possibly some cheese. Dinner almost always includes a big ol' steak and a bunch of brocolli/asparagus/carrots/other veg. and a sweet potato covered in butter and cinnamon for dessert.

T_jones wrote:Anyone have any tips on how to curb appetite while in the office?

T_jones wrote:Anyone have any tips on how to curb appetite while in the office?

Where's the "like" button for Mia's attitude about food?

Seems like everyone is on the same page about big salads and whole foods and vegetables being best. What about breakfast? I was doing a protein shake in the mornings with fresh fruit, spinach, avocado, and skim milk...but I found that it wouldnt leave me satisfied for long. Now I usually make two eggs and eat them in a wrap, and that keeps me full much longer.

For breakfast, I generally eat nonfat plain greek yogurt mixed with blueberries and a dollop of honey. It keeps me from being hungry until lunch much better than cereal or a bagel used to.

For lunch, I generally eat a small sandwich and a ton of veggies dipped in hummus. Hummus is really easy to make if you have a food processor, cheap, and the homemade version is much tastier and healthier than storebought, which I generally find to be much too salty.

I keep some nuts like almonds or walnuts handy to help with hunger cravings. 6-8 nuts and a glass of water fills you up as well as a bag of cheetos and a coke. I'm pretty horrified by what I used to eat now.

Mia Tucholke wrote: Yeah!!! Eat something!!!! :-D