Because you asked….
Basically I eat well, in a way that fits into my schedule and allows me to eat foods I enjoy.
Here is a sample of a typical non-fasting week day:
I don’t usually eat right when I get up in the morning (around 7 AM), instead I normally wait until around 8:30 AM and eat with my son and daughter (my wife eats early).
For breakfast I typically have a little bit of what they are eating, so it’s usually some variation of some applesauce, a piece of toast, a glass of milk, and half a banana, other days it oatmeal with bananas and blueberries.
Typically I leave the house around 9, run some errands and get into the office by about 10.
From 10 until maybe 12 I’m typically answering emails..I’ll usually have a water or maybe a Pellegrino during this time.
At around noon I’ll have a handful of nuts, maybe an apple or an orange, whatever is in the fridge at the office…
Around 2 its time to get out of the office..I’ll grab a book and hit a restaurant or a Starbucks. If Starbucks I’ll get a Grande Americano and an Espresso Brownie. Guaranteed. Every time.
If I feel like more of a meal than a snack I’ll go to a restaurant. it’s cold in Canada right now so I’d go for a soup and sandwich combo, usually opting for a half-sandwich. During the summer it would probably be a salad and sandwich combo.
I’ll leave the office around 5, get home and start making dinner for the Family. This can be anything… Spaghetti and meatballs, Chicken and sweat potato, Steak and veggies, Omelets, home-made pizza. Basically what ever the kids are eating that week, that’s what we’re serving. After dinner I may snack on a handful or two of the kids snacks…Teddy Grahams, Gold Fish, your basic parent thievery. We have some really ripe pears in the house right now, so I’d probably have one of those too.
Kids are in Bed by 8 pm, so I’ll probably have some toast with peanut butter and honey and a glass of almond milk (can’t get enough of that stuff)
Then depending on my day, I’m either done eating, or if I’m training (I workout late at night), I may have a snack after my workout… whatever is in the house… some yogurt, some applesauce, more fruit, whatever. Or If I’m not working out I may have a Guinness or a Scotch.
When I get a craving for chocolate it’s the occasional Cadbury’s Dairy Milk..this will happen typically mid day, if it happens later in the day, I’m a fan of the Lindt Dark Chocolate, especially the stuff with the Chili in it.
We don’t really eat out often (two kids under 3 years of age) but when we do we typically go for higher end restaurants as opposed to fast food…
On weekends my days aren’t quite as structured. There may be a couple cups of Tea on the weekends in place of the coffee, and I might graze a bit more then I do on weekdays. We also do some baking on the weekends (keeps the kids entertained) so I might have muffins or cookies, depending on what was made.
That’s basically it, no magic…just some basic eating. I don’t do the classic fast-food places like McD’s or BurgerK’s, In fact, I don’t do much fast food at all. However, I have been known to opt for a Subway sub in place of Dinner when I don’t feel like cooking, or I’m running late and the kids have already eaten.
So basically I fast once or twice a week, then do my best to eat responsibley, not overeating, yet still enjoying my food and eating in a way that fits my lifestyle.
I don’t argue with people about their food belief systems. You can be Paleo, a Vegetarian, or follow the Zone..I don’t care as long as this style of eating makes you happy. If you are lean and enjoying the style you have chosen you are doing great. I’ve always found the Internet infatuation with what OTHER people eat to be a bit odd. (On-line people are more likely to tell you the billion reasons why YOU shouldn’t drink milk, then to simply tell you that THEY have chosen not to drink milk).
So I’ve posted what I eat, but I don’t expect you, nor will I try to convince you to eat like me….
BP
That definitely sounds like a flexible healthy attitude towards food. Especially if you love variety.
I completely agree with the statment on internet infatuation with what other people eat!
There are also a lot of nutrition and/or fitness blogs or sites out there in which the authors feel the need to endlessly brag about what they do and do not eat as if that makes them a better person. It has been my experience that
one’s diet does not determine how well they treat others.
From what I read it seems that you eat multiple times a day (5+ feedings a day). Do you think it makes a difference that you never overeat at one meal setting? I have a feeling that gorging one or two meals a day makes it harder to lose weight than eating smaller meals. (forget the whole mwtabolsim crap). What do you think?
my bad, its metabolism*
You know that silly discussion people have? “If you could choose your superpower, what would it be? Invisibility? Flying? Xray vision?” Mine would definitely be to eat whatever I want in whatever volumes and not gain weight.
So I have huge, huge envy of the amount of calories you can eat on non-fasting days.
I also have massive envy that you cook dinner every night. *Wow.*
great post Brad!!Thankyou for sharing what you eat to us! I was wondering what time do you start your fast? and if you start your fast early like at 12 noon do you eat dinner?or something lighter?im tyring to find a good time to start a fast i notice i get hungry if i start it later
Lately my fasts typically have started at between 2 and 3 pm…seems to work best for my current schedule.
B
I’m well trained
B
Great post Brad! I think you are right about being happy about what you eat. Just don’t over eat!! Portion sizes are just out of control these days. You eat a lot of veggies and fruits and good snack through your day. That’s all very good. Thanks for sharing your busy schedule!! Take care
Jen
Brad,
where do you guesstimate this puts your calories everyday? It doesn’t seem to be under 1700 or so. Is this a maintenance diet for you or are you losing weight doing this?
Interesting. I eat mostly paleo, and also do (ADF) – fairly easy 4 me- and yes, on my non fasting day i ALWAYS indulge with some ice cream, chocolate
( also Cadbury ) or BOTH! ;P
I have done that misstake, listening/reading to much about how to eat and what not to eat and not actually concetrating on what I like and works for me. That got me totally screwed up in my mind. So now I am trying to not take in to much of what others have to say about how one should eat and not, but sometimes I fall back in that obsessive-compulsize thinking
I’m always maintaining.
I got down to 173-177 about 6 months into following ESE and I’ve been here for the better part of two years.
B
Your best post ever on this subject was the Zen of Nutrition. Hands down. As you pointed out – paleo, vegetarian, zone, etc…
“Before you study Nutrition, food is food and drink is drink; while you are studying nutrition, food is no longer food and drink is no longer drink; but once you have had enlightenment, food is once again food and drink is again drink.”
Although I’ll still contest that pulling that off on Zone/Vegetarian/WW/most diets is harder than primal/paleo if you /aren’t already lean/ or /enjoy the lifestyle/.
Awesome post Brad. You should do these posts once a week haha. How many calories would you say you eat on average on your fasting days and nonfasting days. Thanks
You know, I have no idea how many calories. I guess the best answer is ‘the amount of calories it takes to keep me around 175′.
B
Brad,
What’s your take on people who will tell you why they may choose to avoid (or only sparingly eat) food “X” and may recommend it to others but ultimately are not about trying to convert people to any particular philosophy when it comes to eating?
When people ask me about nutrition, my recommendations are obviously shaded to some degree by what I have read and absorbed over time, but as with most things in life, my goal is not to project my current beliefs on any particular person (especially since those beliefs are apt to change based upon a new, better, or completely different understanding of any set of information). I want to be as helpful as possible to those who may actively solicit my thoughts on the matter, but I want to avoid becoming the type of guy who parrots whatever the guru du jour is peddling to the point where I may scare someone off of a perfectly harmless dietary habit based upon information (misinformation?) I may have received from having my BS filter slightly off on any given day.
Hi Brad.
This is off topic but I guess nonetheless important.
Did you know that your before & after pictures are posted at this page, under someone elses name, to promote the sales of some supplements (acai and co.) that are supposed to get you ripped: http://www.getting-ripped-fast.com/?f18049d436a14dadada8fb5e77ada783
(Scroll down to the middle of that web page).
The whole thing is a bit ridiculos and I am pretty sure you are not really the one endorsing these products. Just wanted to let you know.
Rickard makes a good point. It’s easy to get caught up reading and thinking about losing weight, without actually getting it done. Lots and lots of theorizing and analyzing. Right now leptin is the popular topic. So many people believe that if somebody lowers calories enough, eventually leptin will drop and all sorts of awful stuff will happen. Lately I’ve been reading about people complaining about going on diets and suffering from lowered body temperature, thyroid problems, crap like that. And occasionally the set point theory will rear its ugly, nasty, sadistic head. Lots of people filled with anxiety out there in cyberspace.
I want to be open-minded and receive information from a variety of sources, meaning that occasionally I’m going to run across this stuff. It’s a little frustrating, but I guess it’s the price I pay for having all of this information- some good, some bad- at my fingerprints.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Brad Pilon, lowfat_recipes. lowfat_recipes said: What I Eat… take two: Because you asked…. Basically I eat well, in a way that fits into my schedule and [...] http://bit.ly/8J0Jmj [...]
Thanks! Makes me feel great! lol. Surprisingly I eat close to the same as you. Also, I’m glad I’m not the only one that works out late at night (between 9-10 sometimes later). So are you doing bicep curls while making the “sweat potato.”
By the way did you ever post your point about being tan can make you look more toned? Craig Ballentyne, I believe, was talking about how you had pictures of before and after of you being tanned.
Thanks again!
-Michael
Xenia,
That pic of Brad has been around for a while and he’s spoken about it in the past. What’s funny about it is that apparently he took those photos to prove how easy it is to fudge/manipulate before and after pics. If I’m not mistaken, those photos were taken either the same day, or within like 24hrs of each other or something. Of course, that website is NOT using the pic with his permission, nor is he endorsing the product, but they have refused to take it down.
Thank you Brad, for keeping me sane in the internet jungle of fitness & nutrition “experts”. Although I do feel better (and find it easier not to overeat) when I stick to less white bread & sugars, I could never ever follow a 100 % primal/paleo/whatever diet for the rest of my life. That is unless it was my only occupation (as it is for some of the gurus), then I might be able to plan, shop and cook all the stuff that is required.
Variety, tempereance and occational fasts may seem too easy to be true, but perhaps that’s exactly why it works so well? For me, at least, it means a stable weight, a happier me, and best of all: No more feeling guilty when I’m not able to resist my boyfriend’s fresh, home made walnut bread or a cup of lovely hot cocoa with cream on a cold winter day
Brad, do you think people get it wrong because they tend to blame the food and not themsleves for the weight gain. I feel that this is my problem: blaming the “bad” food (carbs) instead of myself. Is this a right way of thinking? Thanks!
I’ve never thought of it in that exact way, but I think it makes a lot of sense.
B
mmmm…walnut bread
thanks for the post Anne.
And a quick thought for everyone – instead of referring to them as ‘experts’ or ‘gurus’ lets call a spade a spade. They are fitness & nutrition personalities.
By the way, I would love to hear more about your transition from the supposed “way of doing things” of bodybuilding to where you are now. I think it takes guts to go from a bodybuilding way of life to wher you are now. Thanks!
“instead of referring to them as ‘experts’ or ‘gurus’ lets call a spade a spade. They are fitness & nutrition personalities”
Oh I love this re-frame!!! May make a good post, Brad.
Michael
Great advice. Reminds me of the “S” diet I read about online a number of years ago. No snacks, sweets, or seconds except on days that begin with “S”. That combined with a day or two of fasting, and you’re golden
Why do people like to complicate everything so much? Thanks for a great post, Brad.
WoW,thats what i do read about every diet book and blogs on the net about insulin and bad carbs ect,and try to follow every diet plan out there i just cant do it.All meat,low carb,books stacked to the ceiling about diet take this take that it’s no wonder the obese like myself are confused and cought in a trap.Should i just eat the foods i enjoy and count my calories and enjoy life and stop worrying about the whole im fat because i eat to many carbs,i dont have any problem fasting once a week or counting calories as long as i enjoy my food.This fat man really needs a answer please.
great post brad,
Thank you Brad for your article n idea of ESE. since reading your article, I really enjoyed my life (yeah like u said). I had one question.I liked to eat with the big portion, because this made me full all day. So as I no longer eat other food all day until dinner. its okay?
@bill
yes, you should bill.
if u really fat, try to fast 2 times a week, this thing will help u. i swear
Hey brad
I have been thinking quite a bit about caffeine lately and in your latest post it is clear that you do take in some caffeine. The argument on the net is that cafeine before a workout can 1. Improve performance by making you work harder (ok I get that) and 2. Help your body use fat as fuel rather than glycogen.
It’s the second point I wanted yourtakr on. There is further debate as tithe source if that caffeine. How much and when to in take and whether it should be taken with asa. Is this just more of the ‘fat burning zone’ bs or is tere actually something to it?
Thx
@Bill
Sure, you can eat the foods you enjoy and count calories, it doesnt matter which foods youre eating. You just have to take in consideration that there are foods that make you more hungry than others and trigger cravings (refined carbs), and there are foods that are very calorie dense, from which you would need to eat MORE to feel satiated. Other than that if you can control your hunger and cravings, eat whatever you want as long as youre in a caloric deficit.
Try not to underestimate your calories.
Hello Brad! I’m a swedish fan of you, very great/fantastic blog you have and you seem’s to be a nice person, I fell that i must comment:
Or If I’m not working out I may have a Guinness or a Scotch.
I wish you all good in life ! Peace
Great post. Makes me feel more confident about my food choices.
[...] I also noticed around some of the other blogs I follow, that they are getting the same thing. Brad Pilon did a post last week of a typical eating day for him . I also noticed John Barban talking about his own eating routine and morning coffee . It fits [...]
Hi Brad, i think this system on intermittend feeding is the best thing ever, my only problem which leads to my question is that its hard for me to fast during the week because i get hungry during lunch watching watching everyone eat, and lunch has become that important break during the day otherwise the day just drags, again, theres no way i can fast during the weekends, because, come on do i need to explain why!!! please what do you advice? i managed to loose about 5kg doing a more warrior style fast everyday but its too rigid for me. thanks
Sorry I put these comment in the post “Ideas for Haiti”:
Hi Brad, I write you from México city hoping my english is a little bit fluent. I have been fasting 2 days a week and I don´t know why but the days I fast I do not experience hungry at all and its easy, but in the days I eat “in a normal way” I always experience a crazy need of chocolate and big portion of meals. Also experience midnight cravings …any advice?
Hi Wolvy,
I’m a lunch guy to, so what I do is fast 1 pm to 1pm or 2 pm to 2pm…this allows me lunch almost every day. It’s all about fitting your fasts into your day.
B
Alexis,
I’d say, eat the chocolate, take it easy on the ‘big portion meals’ and do what you can to find the midnight cravings.
B
hey brad,
a couple of weeks ago, i started the eat stop eat program and i feel awesome, and i love it too!
recently though, i made the mistake of mentioning to a friend that i was doing intermittent fasting. and besides the initial, “oh my god, that is so bad for you, that will screw up your metabolism and your blood sugar, and if you stop you’ll gain a ton of weight”, now everytime i see her, she has to make some sort of dig about it. like when i made a joke about my dog getting chunky, she made some comment about me putting my dog on a fast. or she’ll just ask me if i am “eating that day”. i did ask her if she was going to stop with those comments anytime soon, and she just laughed and said no.
so, can you help me with…
1) any suggestions on how to handle people like this
2) a simplified way of explaining to them why eat stop eat won’t do any of the “bad” things they seem to think it will
thanks for your time brad, and sorry for the long message.
Lisa
LisaMc,
I do hope Brad has some good tips for you on this one. Same problem here – so I try to avoid telling people I do fast (a LOT easier than hiding a “regular” diet, since I can eat whatever I’m offered at dinner parties etc.).
Anyways, my tip is: Make her comments your motivation to be even more persistent – keep doing ESE, and let her eat her own words when she notices how well you are progressing! And if she doesn’t want to listen to your arguments, she’s probably just jealoux because she don’t think she could ever do it herself..
Brad Pilon – What I Eat … 2nd pass…
Weight Control Article – Basically I eat well, in a way that fits into my schedule and allows me to eat foods I enjoy….
I’m printing this one out and putting it on my wall!
simply awesome – I tend to have commitments late, and I know you don’t like making training recommendations – but out of interest how late is late for you to train?
Thanks,
Tim
[...] a while Brant came across Brad Pilon’s blog and once he read what Brad eats during his day he was completely confused. Because Brad is in exceptional shape and he eats like an average person [...]