Expert: Tony Spain - 6/8/2009

Question
Hi, ive been training for about 2 months at a local boxing gym.  I know the basics of what to eat through out the day during my training season but i feel limited to eating the same foods every day. For example i always eat eggs in the morning. Do you have any advice that can guide me to come up with a weekly meal plan with a variety.

Answer
First, portion sizes for most Americans have become ridiculous. Therefore, the Boxing
Fitness eating system starts by reducing portion sizes. You can let your clients eat six
meals a day. In fact, insist on it. However, each meal can be only the size of a coffee cup
saucer (about 6 inches across, which is the width of the writing on this page). Your client
can eat pretty much anything they want (one layer high) so long as it fits on the saucer.
Second, challenge your client to drink nothing but water. Research is beginning to show
that diet sodas and drinks actually cause weight gain. And of course, sugary drinks are a
waste of calories. Encourage your client to start each day with two glasses of water, since
that will help cut their appetite and re-hydrate them for the day. Then have them drink six
more, at least, throughout the day. Simply by switching to water (and decaffeinated
coffee and tea), your client can take off lots of pounds.
Third, create a meal plan with your client so that each meal includes:
• One lean protein (chicken breast, turkey breast, lean ground turkey, fish, shellfish, top
sirloin steak, buffalo, lean ham, egg whites, or low-fat cheese).
• One vegetable (broccoli, asparagus, lettuce, cauliflower, green beans, green peppers,
spinach, tomato, Brussels sprouts, artichoke, cabbage, zucchini, cucumber).One complex starch or carbohydrate (sweet potato, yam, squash, pumpkin, steamed
brown rice, whole wheat pasta, barley, beans, corn, strawberries, melon, orange).
• One or two servings of whole grain bread each day (a single slice is a serving).