Meal Prep R Us - Current State

Meal Prep

Recently I was asked for meal prep advice. Unfortunately, this will be a short essay as I am trying to write multiple essays and have zero confidence in the school ones. If you have any specific questions, please please please email me or comment so I can address them one-on-one.

Meal prepping has helped me successfully challenge the notion that 24 hours in a day is not enough to work full time, go to school part time, take prn or part time jobs, work out, and live and sleep somewhat. I do not advocate my schedule for anyone who dislikes stress or loves sleep. I am always anxious and I never sleep. It’s how I like it. It’s how I function. But I am very aware that this life is not for everyone.

Typically I meal prep for 4 days because of my work schedule. That means I try to prep Thursday to be ready to go Friday-Monday. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, sometimes I have to skip things on Saturday to make sure I have food Sunday, but a majority of the time, I stick to my guns. Also because I hate paying for people to make food I can make at home. Also because I refuse to eat at my hospital cafeteria (overpriced and potentially dangerous to my bowels).

Recently I started eating only 90-93% beef with white rice. I listened to Barbell Shrugged Podcast where it was suggested that beef and white rice were the key to easy digestion, which was becoming a problem. I listened and so far, I have been rewarded. I feel like I’m eating more while gaining strength and looking better. The scale stays the same, sometimes fluctuating down, but with the stress of school, I’m not asking for more.

I’m also trying to cut down on the enormous amounts of protein powder I drink. Literally I could eat 1^st Phorm all day, it’s delicious. Sometimes I use it as dessert so I don’t go crazy. Sometimes that gets me over on calories, but I don’t really feel too bad because it’s good protein. But I do think that it contributes to the opposite bowel issues I have now and then.

Without further ado, a typical work day:

2 eggs, 20 g oatmeal, Onward, coffee (dash of almond milk) before work 0630

BCAAs

.5 lb 93% beef, .5 cup white rice – depending on work, between 11-1330

BCAAs

Quest Bar or 1^st Phorm protein with oatmeal and almond milk 1530

.5 lb beef and .5 cup white rice 1730-1800

yoga or work out 1900-2000

1^st Phorm post work out shake, Phormula 1 and Ignition, glutamine and creatitine – skip if no work out

1^st Phorm protein with almond milk, before bed 2100

And a typical off day:

1^st Phorm level 1, 150 g fruit, 4 oz almond milk, 20 g oatmeal 0630

work out

1^st Phorm post work out shake

1^st Phorm protein pancake – 1 egg, 3 egg whites, 20 g oatmeal, .5 oz applesauce, .5 scoop 1^st Phorm level 1 – roughly 1000, now 0830ish

.5 lb 93% beef, .5 cup white rice attempt to hold off until 1300

BCAAs, Onward, coffee

.5 lb beef, .5 cup rice 1700

Quest bar, protein shakes as needed to maintain sanity

1^st Phorm shake with almond milk, before bed 2130ish

Of course, this varies and isn’t set in stone. Times are given for an ideal day, which I never have. Stress related to school, schedule changes related to concerts, they all affect my diet and my hunger. Unfortunately or fortunately, I aim to get through the day. I have no goals besides lifting heavier in the gym and improving my intensity and strength, which generally increases with calories and decreases with limits that weigh on sanity.

In all these attempts, I am to avoid processed food, sugar, and carbonation (I feel like it makes me bloated and whether or not it does, you should focus on how you feel).

In saying this, I prep 1 lb beef and 1 cup rice in 2 containers, one of each, times 4. I wake up, cook the eggs and throw the oatmeal on top (because I don’t like cooked oatmeal, it literally comes from the box to the eggs). When I get to work, I eat the eggs. When it comes to lunch, I take one of the meat patties and half the rice into the breakfast container (which should be empty). If I’m working a 12, I’ll eat the second patty and rice. If I’m working an 8, I’ll go home and most likely eat a Quest bar on the way to my car.

When I’m at home, I’ll still do the same prep so I don’t have to cook meat and rice all the time. Maybe Monday or Tuesday after my work out I’ll get groceries and prep for the next 3 days.

To prep the meat, I just grab a huge skillet, throw the ground meat side by side, flip and cut in half with a spatula. I’ll boil the rice at the same time, and through it into the container as soon as it’s cool enough. I’ll through those 2 pounds of meat into containers and heat up the other 2 while I’m working on my computer.

No, I don’t eat vegetables. Or fruit unless it’s right before a work out. Sometimes no fruit either. I’m building for strength, and honestly the intensity in the gym has actually pushed me to look better, regardless of eating more calories. You scientists figure it out, I’m done try to understand my body. I do take 1^st Phorm’s Greens, multivitamin, and fish oil in order to protect my body from deficiencies.

So far, I haven’t died yet. But again, my body also really enjoys raw beef so… Take it or leave it.