For fitness instructor and Daily Burn 365 trainer Erika Shannon, eating is about satisfying her palate-and powering through the eight workout classes she teaches each week. “I require it for brainpower and physical stamina,” Shannon says.
But simply because she eats clean most days, doesn’t mean she’s safe from cravings. “Like a lot of people, I’m an emotional eater. I eat because I think I ‘deserve it’ or I’ll eat because I’m tired,” she says. That’s why she tries not to banish everything from her diet-and makes sure to eat a little chocolate each day. “If I deprive myself, I’ll want to go overboard,” she says.
Being a fitness instructor doesn’t offer her license to “eat whatever” either, she notes. “I eat often because if I wait to long I recieve hangry and impatient and can eat whatever’s there,” she says. Carefully measuring her portions-a habit she’s acquired as a lifelong member of Weight Watchers-helps her avoid going overboard on trigger foods like cereal, too.
Want a peek inside her pantry? This is what this fitness instructor (and mom!) eats in a typical day.
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Talk about a breakfast of champions! “Breakfast is an important meal for me,” Shannon says. She calls this plate her “ultimate combo”: Something functional (protein-packed eggs), something that makes her feel like she’s getting a treat (bacon!) then one that satisfies her sweet tooth (the orange).
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Reading concerning the anti-inflammatory benefits of coconut oil inspired Shannon to begin mixing a teaspoon from it together with her coffee every single day. “Healthy fats and healthy oils are really essential to a healthy body,” she says. Blended in her Quick fix, she says this mixture is frothy and sweet-and tastes great.
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This trainer’s guideline: Also have a snack on hand. Fruit often satisfies her dessert cravings, too. “I don’t keep a large amount of sweets in my house, today an apple was sweet enough for me personally,” she says.
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“Lunch is generally on-the-go or at home working, so I want to keep it around the lighter side so I can still move my body, nothing too heavy,” Shannon says. Working at home causes it to be tricky to avoid snacking all day, so she ensures to include a filling protein in each and every meal. “The refrigerator and cabinets are really close by however i eat and walk away,” she says.
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“I ate the whole thing, because YOLO,” Shannon says of the sweet snack. When you eat a little bit of chocolate every day, Shannon says she never feels bad about indulging.
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Dinnertime is a two-part production as Shannon typically feeds her three-year-old daughter first and constitutes a separate meal for her and her husband to enjoy later. “I chew gum while I make my daughter’s dinner,” Shannon admits.?”She doesn’t eat everything on her behalf plate so it’s very easy to have those little bites of Annie’s Mac and Cheese, that we call ‘Crack and Cheese!’ -I have to get in touch with the Trident troops!”
For her meal, Shannon tries to avoid eating red meat or anything too heavy or she finds it interferes with her sleep at night. “And my main goal would be to get enough rest!” she says.
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The key to dominating dessert without feeling guilty: “I take six almonds at a time and set the one thing away!” Shannon says. “If I ensure that it stays in front of me, I’ll mindlessly eat them.”
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This article originally appeared on Life by Daily Burn.
