I've just gotten back on my fitness regimen after a couple months, and I just need advice on nutrition. What snacks do you go for? Foods? I'm eating more chicken and salmon. And some good back strengthening workouts?
here's a big internet high-five for you because hooray for working out again!
i'm tackling this question solo (Tina, btw) - nutrition is my biggest problem. partially because i'm one of those people everyone hates and is eternally skinny. i spent a lot of my adult life binging on shit multiple times a week, and the rest of the time eating a lot of special k and lean cuisines and "nutrition" bars. super disordered eating.
it really depends on your body and what your goals are. you know what kind of body you have, how you hold onto fat, how easily it is for you to gain muscle, etc.
i'm going to answer this question two ways. one with what i've been eating since i'm doing the 30 day paleo challenge with my crossfit box (which i'm just doing to win ca$hmoney and to cut down the very last of the excess body fat that i have before i hopefully start gaining more muscle mass), and the other with what i usually eat.
nuts are filling. plain greek yogurt or cottage cheese (2% or full-fat!) packs in protein and leaves a little more room for variety. sometimes i microwave a yam for a snack, is that weird? avocados. larabars are pretty good - the ingredients are only nuts and dried fruit and sometime chocolate. a lot of fruit. hard boiled eggs. i've been making protein shakes with frozen fruit and milk and a scoop of protein powder, too.
when i'm not on ~paleo~ i do a lot of muscle milk, muscle brownies (see a pattern here?), various other protein bars. i still do fruit regardless. i also do things like a slice of cold leftover pizza or pull one of those "oh my mom made brownies let me eat the whole tray" type things.
foodwise, again, it depends on your body. i recommend staying away from anything low-fat and packaged (ex: 100 calorie packs, any shitty low-calorie yogurt, check your breads make sure they don't have a ton of aded sugars, no lean cuisine type meals, etc).
carbs are essential. keep it real though - oatmeal, whole grain bread, potatoes. pizza. cookie dough. you know.
avoid added sugars when possible, aspartame is the devil, sucralose is a-OK.
i balance my days usually having 1 shitty meal (i don't do "snacks" really i just eat five 400-700 calorie "meals" a day) along with 4 good ones.
but srsly, this is what i do and it isn't for everyone and you should probably get professional nutritional help so you get everything you need, food-wise.
FOR BACK STRENGTHENING WORKOUTS: (my back is ripped btw)
rowing! i'm a cardiowhore at heart and i use the rowing machine. execute proper form and you'll get a full body workout, too. and pull-ups, do them assisted if you have to (because plz, i do), and supermans are part of my calisthenic warm-up usually. lateral pulldowns are good when i go to the gym and not crossfit. those are probably the only things i do.
