lHeyyyyyy guyyyysss! Sooooo I wanted to talk to you guys about protein and some things I have been doing to up my protein intake! Little backstory here, I have been a vegetarian for about three years. I started this because I learned a lot about the blood type diet and decided to try it out. Blood Type Diet means you eat according to your blood type and that your blood type effects how you process/break down food. I am A+, so basically that means little to no meat, this is because it takes me longer to break down and process meats because of my stomach acids, taking all of my energy and leaving me with little energy to carry out everything else I need to do. So when I initially went vegetarian, I had SOOO much energy, like bouncing off the walls energy it was pretty crazy. It leveled out eventually but I still had way more energy than before. It wasn’t difficult for me to give up meat because honestly most meat grosses me out anyway, especially chicken breasts (weird I know).
It was pretty easy for me to eat this way and I stuck with it for a while and outside of it being tricky at some restaurants it was pretty easy. When I went to someone’s house or to a place that didn’t have vegetarian options I always ate meat and didn’t think twice about it. I also never talked flat out about being vegetarian so not many people even knew. I a) didn’t want to be annoying and b) didn’t want people to freak out if I ate meat just because I wanted to and was craving it. Sometimes people box us in more than we do ourselves! So any way that’s my whole speal on that!
So where am I at now with all this? Well, a few weeks ago I decided to take my workouts to a whole new level. It is difficult for me to put on muscle and always has been, my body will lean out and get skinnier way before it puts on muscle. I knew that for the amount that I was exercising there was no way I was consuming enough protein. I started adding more protein shakes, and adding gelatin, which has 10g of protein per teaspoon. I also ate at least one protein bar a day. I tried to eat more protein dense veggies and more eggs but I still felt like it wasn’t enough so the only thing left was to start adding meat.
Like I mentioned before I am not a big chicken/turkey person so when I got presumptuous and bought ground turkey and cooked it I could not deal. I struggled big time and ended up throwing it out. I just can’t take the smell… anyone else??? I then bought this ground beef that I am obsessed with and cold cuts and started adding them to each meal.
To give you an example of my day, I wake up have coffee usually teach a class, go home drink a protein shake while I shower (haha), then eat some eggs and turkey sausage (love this brand), a salad with this cold cuts (usually sliced turkey) for lunch, protein bar and nuts for snack, and ground beef in a soup, tacos, or salad for dinner and of course dark chocolate to finish the night off! I love Lily’s!! (no sugar sweetened with stevia!) This is what I am eating today so it was the easiest to think through. So pretty protein heavy! I have been slightly more tired but that could be from just upping the workouts too.
*I’ll post this recipe soon!
I still believe in the blood type diet and did find that it worked for me for a season, I could go back to being a vegetarian in the future, I just always stay open to what my body needs and never super commit to any certain type of eating just in case my body needs something else!
Moral of this story listen to your body and it’s needs! Eat the way that works best for you! If you guys have any others ways you sneak more protein into your diets comment below I would love to know!
P.S. I ordered this kit off Amazon to find out my blood type but you can also ask when you go to a blood drive or your doctors might have record.
