Usually, I prescribe and follow the "get fit, stay slim" diet - lots of watery soups and vegetables to fill you up and keep you full. And that is how I have been feeling for the last two days - always very full of fiber and water, yet frustratingly undernourished because I can't get in enough calories! Which is good for weight loss, but not so good if one is trying to maintain lean body mass as I am.
Trick #1: No more soups! I plan to lightly saute my vegetables in oil instead of simmering them in liquid for 30 minutes. This will increase nutrient density (heat x length = destroys vitamins), increase calorie density (oil has 40 calories per teaspoon) and decrease water volume in my tummy, which will allow me to eat more at one sitting (yay, more calories!)
Trick #2: Modify the oil rule. Since my goal is not weight loss, I am going to break the rules in the rule book (page 15) and eat more than 7 teaspoons of oil each day. 7 tsp x 40 calories/tsp = 280 calories from fat. For a 2000 calorie diet, that is only 14% fat. The acceptable range for total fat intake for adults, as establish by the Institute of Medicine, is 20–35%. Using the low end, I can eat at least 10 teaspoons of fat per day (that's 120 more calories).
Trick #3: The perfect smoothie. One cup frozen fruit + 3/4 cup carrot juice + 20 g protein powder = the perfect consistency and about 300 calories of deliciousness (depending on the type of fruit used). I thought the carrot juice would make the smoothie taste bad, but it actually complements the fruit flavor. Also, using carrot juice increases raw vegetable intake for the day :)
Fruit combinations I've tried and highly recommend:
- 1/2 c. strawberries + 1/2 c. blueberries
- 1/2 c. mango + 1/2 c. pineapple
- 1/2 c. strawberries + 1/2 c. mango
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