diet plan - please critique

[circusgirl]

Hi folks, so I think I've found a diet plan that works for me (not hungry, able to concentrate all day at work, not so much geared at cutting but working at getting into "clean" eating).

breakfast - 1/2 cup red kidney beans, apple or kiwi fruit
11 snack - egg white sandwich (egg whites, mustard, small wholemeal pita)
lunch - tin tuna, large tablespoon hummus, small wholewheat pita.
4pm snack - 1/2 cup kidney beans.
If I have a taekwondo session or lifting (most days)-
afterwards, 1 banana, 1/2 pint skim milk. A whole pint of milk on tuesdays, when I have double tkd. The sessions happen to coincide, technical then competition training for an hour each, so I do both.

Dinner - whatever my husband cooks. We have discussed this and decided that eating a meal together is more important for our relationship than getting bigger muscles is for me. He likes to cook for both of us. Usually fish, chicken, bean, lots of veggies, potatoes or brown rice, never any convencience foods or ready meals. Sometimes steak (mmmmm). Usually accompained by a large salad with homemade olive oil french dressing (that's my doing).

My lifting is still novice, lower body + abs Friday, upper body Wednesday (tkd doesn't exercise the upper body much but kills the legs). tkd - Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tkd is very important for me so although this much is probably somewhat catabolic I'm not willing to give it up!

I also stretch intensively 3 times a week (usually while waiting at the train station after tkd). And cycle 3 miles to and from each tkd session from the train station.

I still get hungry occasionally and end up snickers in hand (bad girl! no snickers!). And have the weekly cheat/treat of a takeout (pizza, curry, chinese).

I will look at cutting or bulking specific diets when I am sure I have the clean eating down pat, as trying to clean up too much too fast to begin with led me to fail.

circusgirl

 

[makedah]

Green vegetables? Fats?

 

[doc_pup]

Just from a quick glance there, it seems your calories may be a bit low. I like the use of the kidney beans, if you get sick of those, perhaps try black beans. Your dietary fat also seems near nonexistant, not sure what the macros on that are, but you can't be eating more than 25g right now. A good balance of dietary fat to protein and carbs will also help curb cravings, especially hormonal ones. Your fruit choices are also good, i'd add in some strawberries there though, really nutrient dense with regards to caloric value. Other than upping your calories and your fat, you seem to be in the right direction, but you have fallen into the famous trap of eating like a mouse to lose weight, that never is very effective.

 

[circusgirl]

I can add some olive oil/flax oil dressing to the twice-daily kidney beans. I started on these as I was getting hungry within an hour of eating muesli in the morning (the sugar free kind) and I can't stand porridge (oatmeal to you americans). I find they are excellent fast food (the kidney beans) - I cook a batch once a week and keep the bowl handy in the fridge, they are handy for making chili and stirfry too!

BTW, here in Scotland they eat porridge with salt only too, no sugar, no sweetener, ugh!

Plus my dinner is usually around 700 cals as it includes 1.5 cups of rice/spuds, 300 cals of meat or beans or fish, and liberal quantities of said french dressing (that's homemade oil, vinegar, mustard and salt). The salad contains mucho veggies.

Having read someone else's recipe here though I think I can easily add a bunch of spinach to the egg white sandwich, and fresh veggies to the kidney beans and dressing twice a day.

But it makes sense that I might not be getting enough cals, sometimes I wake up at 3am and go eat loads of bread coz I'm hungry. I try not to ignore hunger as it eventually drives me to the donut shelf at Tescos.... I figure if I get hungry, I've eaten too little, so I try to fill up on non-donuts... before the donuts come and get me like the belly the guy in the Reebok commercial!

circusgirl

 

[chinadoll]

Circusgirl, how long have you been taking TKD? I understand what you mean when you say you have to have it. I take a form called America Shotokan. Other than the fact that the school I attend sometimes gets too caught up in the profit issues their traing is great. I have taken a couple months off due some broken bones, but I wouldn't give it up for the world.
I am sorry I can't give you any advice on diet. But good luck. And also good luck for comp.

 

[makedah]

sometimes I wake up at 3 am and go eat loads of bread coz I'm hungry.

This is a clear sign that you're not getting enough to eat.

Beans taste good in an oil-and-vinegar dressing when cold.

 

[circusgirl]

re martial arts - 3 years. I take a train for 40 minutes 3 times a week to get to my dojang, and cycle 3 miles from the station to the sports centre where the school has its classes. It works out kinda expensive but then since I only pay 60 pounds (90 dollars) a year for gym membership (being a university employee has its perks!) I save that way, also by not having a car (petrol is 8.50 usd a gallon here...).

I cannot live without taekwondo!!! Well, that's an exaggeration, but after 5 days without training I get restless and edgy, and start thinking of patterns and techniques in my sleep....

Looks like I won't be able to do the tournament at the end of the month I hoped to though because I forgot to renwe my insurance - duh! And it'll take 6 weeks to renew it now... there will be others.

I worry about overeating as weight is an issue in tkd, currently I fight women taller than me as they weigh the same, and competing women my height are a lot lighter (the all compact lean muscle no bodyfat distance runner type seems to predominate in martial arts, which is weird, as anaerobic endurance is the most important in tournaments). I have already gone up one category in the last 2 years (mainly due to leg muscle growth though - this is good news) and one more would mean fighting in 72kg+! heavyweight - means fighting 6ft2 tall ladies like Magdelana.... Tall = long legs to kick the head with.

Thinking of fighting my ex coach (she was TALL) should keep me away from snickers and donuts though...

circusgirl

 

[makedah]

How tall are you?

You mean there's no weight-class distinction between a 160-lb (72 kg) woman and a 200-lb (90 kg) woman? Whoa!

 

[chinadoll]

In the tournaments and for all rank testing Weight nor Sex made a difference. I am 125lbs now but was 135lbs and I would have to spar and grapple men and some of the women out weighed me
by at least 40lbs. You learn to use their weakness against them.

At first it was like ohhh my god but then I got used to it. LOL

Chinadoll

 

[Casablanca]

I hope you kick some butts around! question, you said "I also stretch intensively 3 times a week (usually while waiting at the train station after tkd). "
Now let me re-phrase this : You stretch INTENSIVELY while waiting at the train station????? I'd love to be a stranger waiting on the train, what a great entertainer you must be!!! that's right, your ARE THE CIRCUSGIRL (just kidding!!)

 

[circusgirl]

Re weight categories in taekwondo - the highest is 72kg plus. I have the feeling they were designed with Korean/Japanese women in mind. The guys go up to 90kg+ I think. They have a sub 48kg category! I've seen some women fight in that category, they were both about 4ft10. Plenty aggressive though!

Re stretching at the train station - there is usually no-one there as it's a very small rural station on the Edinburgh-Dunblane line. I still have my cycling gear on - I wear a spandex unitard under my dobok (uniform) as the uniform tends to come undone while sparring, and the V of the V neck comes down quite far. To cycle back, I take off the uniform, put a tshirt on over the unitard, and cycle to the station hard, so I'm still warm. If there is someone at the station, I don't care if people think it's funny to see me stretching on the benches, it's none of their business and a good use of my time. I don't do lying stretches obviously as that could put me at risk of attack from some nutter, plus the ground is a bit, erm, unsanitary to lie on there! I do seated stretches on one of the wooden benches and standing ones. I just look like another jogging/cycling nut, and people ignore me. If they ask, I treat them to a long monologue on the benefits of stretching after exercise, and they go away quickly!

circusgirl

 

[circusgirl]

ps I'm 5ft6.
circusgirl