Ask The Powells: How Can I Structure My Meals?

It’s a brand new year, the fire is lit, and you’re ready to do what it takes to reach your health and fitness goals…the only problem is that your schedule doesn’t want to cooperate with your dreams of a slimmer, fitter you. Guys, this is a question we get all the time – how am I supposed to structure my meals with my crazy, long schedule? It can be so difficult to find a healthy?eating schedule that coordinates with odd hour shifts, long days, and just general busyness. Luckily, after many years on the road and working around the clock, Chris and I have come up with a few solutions to keep you on track. Here are a few of our tried-and-true methods:

  1. Spread out your meals longer than every three hours. Although at first glance this may seem counter-intuitive to what we always preach?”eat every three hours no matter what!”?in some cases, it’s just not feasible, and we understand that. There have been several times that we, ourselves, have worked 20 straight hours, so spacing out our meals was a must. If every three hours is just not going to cut it, try eating a healthy, balanced meal every 3 1/2 or 4 hours instead.
  2. Cut your meals in half, eating each half-meal every 3 hours. Some jobs, like first responders, for example, require you to be up for 24 hours straight, which would mean eating every 3 hours and would give you 8 meals a day! Even if you’re eating clean, 8 full meals is quite the caloric bomb. On days where I’ve been required to be up 16+ hours, I try to cut my meals in half and continue on my regular eating schedule. That way, I’m satisfied and never hungry, but not overdoing it either.
  3. Plump up your meals with extra veggies! I don’t know about you, but when I’m tired, I’m hungry, or hangry (so hungry I’m angry), as Chris lovingly refers to it. 😉 Satisfying your appetite when you lead such a crazy schedule can be difficult, so instead of loading your plates with more carbs or fats that’ll just leave you feeling groggier, fill up your plate with veggies. It’s a great way to make your meals go farther and keep you feeling fuller longer.

Do you work a long schedule or lead a crazy lifestyle? What works for you? I’m always on the hunt for helpful hints for staying on track! Let me know in the comments below. 🙂

For more meal planning and healthy eating tips and tools, check out our new book,?Extreme Transformation, and?subscribe?to my YouTube channel?here!

Xoxo,

Heidi

Related reading:

Ask The Powells: How Do I Gain Healthy Weight?
1-Minute Breakfast in a Mug
Ask The Powells: How Do We Handle the Holidays?
Tip of the Day: Curb Those Cravings!

 

 

115 Responses

  1. Heidi,
    how do you feel about pesto sauce? I assume that it has a fairly high fat content but other than that it seems to be pretty health to me. Thank you for your time.

  2. Hello Heidi and Chris!
    I would like to ask something. I have been attending to the gym for 4 months now, 5 days a week, and I have been in a 2 hours schedule, 1 hour of aerobics and one hour of weight lifting, and even though my shape did change and I look visibly smaller, the scale won’t show a smaller number. I have asked two of my gym teachers what they think about the idea of dropping the weight lifting till my weight drops about 20%, but they I shouldn’t leave the weight lifts and forget about the scale. Problem is I can’t forget the scale at a 260 pounds of weight. Well,I have already seen a nutritionist(she agrees I should drop the weight lifting till some weight loss comes) and adjusted my diet,and still,no drop on the scale. Should I drop the weight lifting for a while and pick it back up later or should I stay in and forget the scale?

    1. Hi Rachel: Both weight lifting and cardio are important. Could you lessen your weight lifting time and add that time to your cardio? Maybe do 30 minutes of weight lifting and add the extra time to your cardio? And I don’t know what nutrition program you’re following, but nutrition is a huge part of weight loss. If you’re interested, here’s a link to the nutrition part of Chris and Heidi’s carb cycling program: https://heidipowell.net/2713. You might be able to find some things you can add to what you’re already doing. We wish you the best!

  3. I have questions about the extreme transformation meal plans. My husband and I are trying it together. This video also helps with hubby’s schedule. My concern though is the meals. Meals have been great, but when I enter my food into myfitnesspal to track calories, mine are way off sometimes. For example Day 3 breakfast was 150 calories and 50g carbs higher then what your plan says it should be. That’s the largest difference so far, but other meals have been off as well. It has me a little concerned…. Like I said the meals are great so far, but I don’t want to get to week 3 with no change because something is off. Please help!

    1. Hi Chelsea: Different apps can figure calories a bit differently, so that might be part of the issue.

  4. Hi! I really don’t know who else or how to reach Heidi or Chris so I’m hoping someone here can respond from their team? I am doing their diet that but I don’t understand why we are weighing in on the Monday after reset day from their extreme transformation book? can we weigh in on the Sunday morning?! The 31st!?

    1. Hi Crystal: DietBet sets the weigh in days, and for this DietBet, you can weigh in on either February 1 or 2. If you’re concerned about the Reset Day, then wait until the 2nd to do your final weigh in. Hope that helps, and good luck! ?

  5. I watched your show last nite for the first time. God I wish I had seen your show years ago. I am a 57 year old disabled woman and I have even gone through gastric bypass to lower my weight. My mother complains that I don’t eat enough. I wish I could have the bypass reversed so that My vitamin and mineral absorption would get better. I have no bones in the left wrist need both knees replaced and need desparately to know what to do. I drink whey Isolate protein shakes eat salads and greek yogurt as well as skinless chicken and cottage cheese. I keep my meals to three per day and the lightest is at night. I drink water and tea with neutra sweet as my sweetner. I walk as much as I can with my dogs due to my knees and I do isometric exercises. I can not afford special foods so healthy is what I do. My dietition said I need to eat more to loose weight as it is creaping back on. I an 246 at the moment on a 5’1″ frame. What can you recommend. And yes I do have a lot of excess skin that will God willing eventually come off but I need help. I have delt with my emotional problems from the past and need someone who understands the human body to help me figure out what to do to keep loosing weight instead of gaining it. And please don’t tell me to eat more. I am desparate for whatever help you can provide me with. Thank you again for your show. Lorrie McClary
    Coulterville CA

    1. Hi Lorrie: You can read about the basics of Chris and Heidi’s carb cycling program (nutrition and exercise) in this post: https://heidipowell.net/9060. And be sure and follow all the links within the post too. And with your health issues, it would be best to discuss this, or any nutrition and exercise program, with your healthcare team first, and then follow any modifications they recommend. Make that first promise to yourself, choose a cycle, get your doctor’s okay, and go! You can do this!

  6. Hi guys,

    Just got your book, Choose more, and I love it. During the week, I am up at 3:30 am to be at gym at 4 am for weights. I have 1 slice of toast w/ PB and a banana – am type 1 diabetic so need fuel before workout. Then after workout I typically have a protein shake. Do I continue with this as I start the Classic Style?

  7. Hi! I just got your new book and really like it! I had been following the classic cycle from the previous book and really liked it. Do you think I should switch to the extreme cycle, like in your new book or is it okay to stay with the classic cycle? Have you seen better results with the extreme cycle vs the classic cycle?

    1. Hi Liane: You can use whichever cycle you’d like, and you can switch at any time. If you like the Classic Cycle, then stick with that one. 🙂

  8. I’m a type 2 diabetic and I weigh222 lbs, I sleep well but wake up tired. I honestly don’t k ow how to eat. My husband is almost 400 lbs. my youngest daighter is 19 and is 260. I feel I’ve not only failed my self but my family as well. I need a diet plan wrote out for me with everything I need to buy and meal plans to follow. I’m willing to pay for this information just need to know where it is. If it’s a book the name of it just to make sure I get the right thing. Please help!

    1. Hi Lora: Chris and Heidi’s new book (http://amzn.to/1RKDIgo) has everything you need in it, including day-by-day meal and exercise plans. With your diabetes, it would be best to discuss their program with your healthcare team first, and then follow any modifications they recommend. You can do this!

  9. Hi Team Powell! Thank you so much for all the great information that you give! I hear you say to always eat within 30 minutes of waking up and this is something I have had a problem with. I currently wake up at 5am so that I can fit a workout in before going to work. I work out from 5-6 and then jump in the shower and do not eat my eggs until around 7am. How important is it that I fit in something before I workout and what exactly do you suggest I have? I do not have time to make my eggs, eat them, and give them time to settle, then workout and be to work on time. I am sure I am not the only one who has a schedule like this and am curious what you recommend.

  10. Hi there! Happy New Year! 🙂

    I have a question about veggies. I read Chris’ book and I’ve been carb cycling for a couple of months now and I really like it. I’ve seen steady weightloss and I’m so excited to continue this plan. My struggle is happening in the veggie area. While I love the visual aid the book provides on portion sizes, it still leaves me confused at times on how much a fist size of veggies is, especially since they vary in size. (Maybe a video could one day be made to show exactly what they mean?) Also, although I’ve read the book, I’m also still confused on whether I should be having veggies for each of my 5 meals or if I can skip veggies at breakfast. I was under the impression that if I have a high carb day parfait with greek yogurt, granola and berries, for instance I would also add a side of veggies to that somehow. Not sure where I read it, but I think I got confused somewhere along the way. Any tips? Thanks for reading! 🙂

    1. Hi Natasha: Great questions! Two fists full is around 2 cups, and you can have veggies with every meal. For high-carb meals, they are optional if you’re full. Hope that helps!

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