As a full-time student working two jobs and exercising almost daily, food is my main energy source; if I didn’t eat as much as I do, I would not be successful with my busy schedule. This being said, because I actively ignore diet culture, my eating habits vary. Some days I gorge on frozen pizza and candy bars, and other days I snack on cherry tomatoes and almonds. The main theme of my diet is eating what I want, when I want: also known as intuitive eating. I do not count calories or think too much about what I’m putting into my body. Yes, sometimes I overeat, but for the most part, I am very comfortable with my relationship with food. Here is what I eat in a week.
*Note: I am not writing this as a diet guide. Different foods work better for different people because of varying schedules, tastes, and body types: my habits are not perfect. This is simply a reflection of what I eat to model how intuitive eating can take different forms.*
November 1st
On the first day of the week I was very hungry and ate a lot until around 3 p.m. Then I snacked on some candy and had a smaller dinner before heading to bed. On this day, I napped and ran three miles, both of which can impact your need for calories.
- Breakfast: Two protein waffles, ham, salami, and homemade bread
- Lunch: Leftover pork stir fry
- Dinner: Dino nuggets, chili beans, and pita chips with spinach dip
- Drinks: 3 cups of tea
- Snacks: Dried coconut, candied mandarins, celery with peanut butter, ginger chew, Dots, Reeses, and candy corn
November 2nd
Unlike the previous day, I didn’t really have an appetite today. However, I did have lots of energy, so I ran 1.5 miles before teaching an hour-long cycle class. Even though I wasn’t feeling hungry, I made sure to have a snack before and after exercising because if I don’t have some fuel for my body, I tend to get light headed. This is a perfect example of knowing your body and what works best for you.
- Breakfast: Two pears microwaved with cinnamon, brown sugar, and sunflower seeds with asiago and crackers
- Dinner: Dino nuggets and nachos
- Drinks: Apple coffee, Haunted orchard boba with oat milk, and a cup of tea
- Snacks: Snickers, M&Ms, dried coconut, granola bar, and homemade bread
November 3rd
Today was a normal eating day for me. I ate a bigger breakfast, a later lunch, and then snacked throughout the afternoon before having a smaller dinner. Since it was cold, I bought a honey citrus mint tea at Starbucks before teaching my 45 minute fitness class. Once I got home in the evening, I had some soup and some more snacks. I wasn’t planning on having donuts, but my roommate came home with a dozen mini donuts and I treated myself.
- Breakfast: Two pumpkin spice waffles
- Lunch: Two bean burritos
- Dinner: Pumpkin soup
- Drinks: Apple coffee, vitamin c water, tea
- Snacks: Salami, candied mandarins, craisins, beef jerky, apple, granola bar, Oreos, carrot sticks, pita chips, nachos, donut
November 4th
I woke up at 5:30 a.m. for a yoga class today, but because I usually feel nauseous doing hot yoga, I had a large breakfast. Afterwards, I came home and had some coffee and a snack before going to school. After class I made myself a BBQ chicken bowl, did some homework, and then later went out to eat and had a corndog.
- Breakfast: Two pumpkin spice waffles, ham, and a piece of pizza
- Lunch: Chili beans, dino nuggets, asiago cheese, pita chips and pickle
- Dinner: Corn Dog, french fries
- Drinks: Coffee, tea, Kiwi-Strawberry ICE, Shirley Temple
- Snacks: Candied mandarins, Reeses, beef jerky, Twizzler, Baby Ruth, dried coconut, lollypop
November 5th
Because I had a lot of homework to do this weekend, I woke up early to go to the gym. I had a granola bar and some dried fruit before my workout, and when I got home I ate a large breakfast. Then I did some homework, went to the football game, came home for lunch, and took a nap. I wasn’t hungry for dinner, so I went without.
- Breakfast: Two pieces of toast with jam, two eggs with salsa verde, and some grilled ham
- Lunch: Two bean burritos and cheese with crackers
- Drinks: Tea
- Snacks: Granola bar, candied mandarins, craisins, ginger chew, Butterfinger, Reeses, lollypop, Tootsie Roll
November 6th
I did a morning yoga class again today, so I woke up and ate some oatmeal. Afterwards, I got coffee with some friends and ate a delicious burrito. Then I went home to do homework, meal prepped for the week, and watched “King Richard.” I had a big dinner and went to bed warm, full, and tired.
- Breakfast: Oatmeal with blackberries and peanut butter
- Lunch: Vegan burrito
- Dinner: BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a buttered toast
- Drinks: Matcha, tea
- Snacks: Cookie, dried coconut, ginger chew, smoothie bowl, Butterfinger, seaweed
November 7th
I was not feeling motivated to cook this morning, so after a small breakfast, I was still hungry and made myself some popcorn. Then on campus I got a free energy drink, ate my packed lunch, and somehow made it through the day. When I got home, I had dinner and then went to a talk with Jennette McCurdy.
- Breakfast: Apple sauce with blackberries and sunflower seeds and a bagel
- Lunch: Leftover mashed potatoes and BBQ chicken
- Dinner: Caesar salad and rice with shrimp
- Drinks: Tea, NOCCO Energy drink
- Snacks: Craisins, ginger chew, popcorn, granola bar, Cheez-Its
Eating healthy can be super difficult, especially as a busy college student. By eating intuitively I not only can make sure I’m getting enough nutrition and calories for the day, but I also have learned how to trust my cravings. If I’m snacking a lot, then I probably need more calories. If I’m craving something salty, then I’m probably dehydrated. The first step to eating healthy is respecting your body and eating what you want when you want. Once you get comfortable with treating yourself and eating “unhealthy” then you can start targeting specific diet goals. Remember: fueling your body is more important than tracking calories and being a certain weight.