You guys like it, so I’m going to try and keep this going as a weekly feature on the blog for as long as I can again (or at least until I get sick of it, ha!).
Today’s WIAW features all of my eats from last Thursday, which was a pretty a-typical day of eating for me. The last post I shared was a pretty solid day, but I wanted to share this one today just so you all know I’m certainly not perfect when it comes to eating (or hitting my macros) everyday.
And this is totally random, but can I just say that there are SO many times I want to type out ya’ll (like above) but I feel like I can’t do it because I’m nowhere neeeear having anything close to a southern accent. Ah well. But now you all know.
So here we have it – lunch out, leftovers (from food we ordered out the night before) for dinner, not enough snacks in between…all with protein counts, too. Let’s take a look!
(*Not sure why I’m talking about protein or macros? Check out this post and this post!)
Breakfast
1 egg + 1/2 cup egg whites, a Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffin + coffee with collagen and creamer
This was a pretty solid breakfast, although I’d typically try to add more fat to the meal. But since I knew we were going out to eat and the rest of the day would be a little up in the air, I kept it a little lighter.
Protein: 33 grams
Lunch
Cedar Grilled Lemon Chicken from Applebees + a few of Lucas’s french fries
The chicken dish was surprisingly REALLY good, and I demolished the whole thing both because it was good and because I was starving (I wasn’t able to get in a morning snack since we were at Lucas’s kindergarten classroom that morning). It’s definitely a meal I’d get again, and I was impressed with its protein content, too (which I later saw after checking it in MyFitnessPal)!
Protein: 43 grams
Mid-Afternoon Snack
1/2 cup cottage cheese + a big spoonful of pumpkin (leftover from my muffins) and a sprinkle of cinnamon
The cottage cheese + pumpkin was good, although I did miss the extra sweetness that my berries usually provide. But because I hate wasting food, I’m trying to use the rest of that canned pumpkin up!
Protein: 15 grams
Pre-Dinner Wine
A delicious glass of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay (one of my all-time favorites, thanks to my girl, Mal).
It had been an emotional week, and mama just needed some wine.
*If I had been logging all of my eats in MyFitnessPal on this particular day and working towards a certain macro goal, then I likely would have logged my wine as mostly carbs. Without going into too much detail (although I certainly could if interested enough!) alcohol is pretty much an entire macro on its own, and you can choose to have it count towards carbs or fats, or a combo of both. So typically, a 5 ounce glass of my favorite chardonnay here would count as 42 grams of carbs.
All of that said, I was not concerned about my macro counts on this particular day and probably had closer to 8 ounces. ; )
Dinner
A leftover half of a roast beef and provolone sandwich on marbled rye + a bunch of homemade chips
We had picked up dinner from Jiff-E Mart the night before (they make THE best subs and homemade chips!!) on our way home from Lucas’s soccer practice, and since my sandwich was huge, I saved half of it. If you’re local, it’s their London’s Bridge specialty sandwich, and it. is. AMAZING.
Protein: Guesstimate of 25-30 grams (including probably about 3 oz of roast beef + 1 oz of provolone)
After-Dinner Snack
Oikos Triple Zero Coconut Creme Greek yogurt + mini chocolate chips (I didn’t have peanut butter, but forgot to take a picture, so you get this recycled one)
I love my Greek yogurt snacks at night while watching a show – one of my favorite ways to wind down at the end of the day!
Protein: 15 grams
How Much Protein?
On this particular day, I guessed to be around 130-136 grams of protein, which is actually a little higher than what I typically aim for. That said, although I didn’t track my full day, I know my carbs and fats were also higher than what I’d shoot for as well. But honestly, it really doesn’t matter. I’m not currently working towards a specific goal and I’m just sort of loosely tracking as a way to keep myself in check. So even though this wasn’t a typical day of eats for me, doesn’t mean I have any problems with it, and doesn’t mean I’m going to say it was a “bad” day. In fact, all of it was thoroughly enjoyed! For me, these days, it’s all about going with the flow and making good choices where I can, and when I can.
What’s the best thing YOU have been eating lately?!
Melissa says
A glass of wine is 50 grams of carbs? I hope that’s a typo ;)
Katie says
I was thinking that too! I think wine has about 25 calories an ounce, which would be more like 30 carbs. So you can have more! ;)
Melissa says
I’m doing keto right now and I’m pretty sure a glass of white wine has 3-4 grams of carbs.
Courtney says
It was a slight typo, but not off by much (I updated the post, so thank you!). For 5 ounces of that wine (which has an ABV of 13.5%) it would count as about 42 grams of carbs (I use the WAG AlcCalc app for quick reference and love it, since it helps you divide the macros into carbs, fats, or a little of both, if you’re looking to really be diligent about your tracking!)
Steph says
Best healthy thing – oatmeal + peanut butter + fruit and TONS of watermelon
Best non-healthy thing – any and all baked goods. i’m 31 weeks pregnant and saying no to sweets is not my strong suit right now :)
Courtney says
Congrats on your pregnancy, Steph!! They all sound like some great eats (especially the baked goods, haha!)
Shashaqueefa says
Congrats Steph! I thought i was pregnant too but it was just after a trip to Hometown Buffet!
Brigid says
Alex cracks me up! I love him in the background of the backyard picture with the paddle up to catch the ball. So funny! Glad Lucas is enjoying school!
Mallory says
I guess I don’t really understand the point of macros? I know you explained it, but to me it seems like counting calories, just in a different sense. Also, isn’t 136 grams of protein a bit excessive and unnecessary? An average 140 pound woman only needs about 50g in a given day. Excess protein has been linked to osteoporosis, kidney disease, calcium stones, etc. Why the focus on it? Is it because you feel fuller and therefore won’t “over” eat? Not snarking, genuinely wondering. I think you look beautiful no matter what your diet is. I love following along and that no matter what you’re trying out, you keep it real and don’t deprive yourself.
Emily Field says
Hi Mallory! Thanks for asking what I think a lot of people might be thinking while they read posts like this one! First, to address your concern about 136 g of protein for a 140 pound woman, no that is not excessive or unnecessary. Courtney is like many of the women I serve who are interested in losing body fat and gaining or maintaining lean muscle mass. The women I serve, like Courtney, engage in regular strength training and need to support lean muscle building and recovery from exercise – which requires the basic block for muscle, protein. Unfortunately, the recommendations for protein per day that you’re referencing are not sufficient for an active, strength training female who has specific body composition and athletic performance goals.
You should know that the consequences (like those you mentioned) for excessive protein are only seen in people who have impaired kidney function and are also consuming roughly more than 2 times their body weight in grams of protein. We have shown in recent, high quality studies that .8 g of protein up to 2 g of protein per pound of body weight is safe and effective to build lean muscle mass in a calorie surplus, and lose primarily body fat in a calorie deficit.
Macro tracking is different than calorie counting in some fundamental ways. While they do involve logging food, “budgeting” your meals and planning ahead, calorie counting does not inherently encourage a person to eat well rounded, balanced meals. It also does not ensure that the body is getting fed enough of the right stuff – i.e. enough protein, enough fat and enough carbohydrates. Your body has specific needs for all 3 macronutrients and by undereating some, and overeating others, you could not only stall your progress, you could feel miserable while doing it! I usually give this example: does 300 calories of gummy bears feel the same as 300 calories of chicken breast? NOPE! Not at all. And while, in a calorie counting world these foods would be considered equal, you absolutely will feel less full and satisfied eating 300 calories of gummy bears; you’ll likely be hangry, moody, or tired from that blood sugar spike and dip as well! And lastly, when it comes to body composition changes – those hundreds of calories from carbs vs. protein means the difference between gaining or maintaining lean muscle mass – or not.
I made a free download to show you the difference in a full day of eating if you’re counting calories or counting macros. You can check it out here >> https://tinyurl.com/caloriecountingvsmacrocounting
– Emily Field RD (Courtney’s coach and Registered Dietitian)
Courtney says
Hey Mallory! Just wanted to follow up on Emily’s reply and say thank you for your comment! I didn’t take it as snarking at all, and totally appreciate your question. I think it’s something that a lot of people question and/or are confused about, so it’s good to get some more information out there about it! Thanks so much, as always, for reading! <3
Katie @ Live Half Full says
I’ve really loving seeing how you fit in more protein- this is something I majorly struggle with!!!
Shashaqueefa says
I had a whole bottle of wine in the morning then i woke up and had a cup of mayo with rice and chocolate syrup for dinner! I slept throughout the whole day and missed all my shows! My man wasn’t pleased cause I was supposed to pick him up at the train station! Oops!
Heather says
I love seeing your daily run-down!! Question, how was your breakfast 33g of protein? Are the pumpkin muffins also protein muffins? I would love the recipe if they are!!!
Courtney says
Hey Heather! Sorry for the delay on getting back to you on your comment! Here’s the breakdown on the protein from that breakfast:
1 egg + egg whites = 20g
Collagen (in my coffee) = 10g
Pumpkin muffin = 3g
You can see the recipe for the muffins here: https://www.sweettoothsweetlife.com/cream-cheese-filled-pumpkin-muffins/
Laura says
I really enjoyed this post, and I really appreciate seeing your ideas for meals and snacks! Please keep this up!!! You do what works for you, and I think that is perfect.❤️
mapquest directions says
The pictures of the dishes shared in the article are really delicious and beautiful.