Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
In this series, we lift the curtain on how real people feed themselves with real-life nutrition. Each weekly journal will showcase a MyFitnessPal member’s nutrition goals, habits, and meals to inspire your journey—progress, not perfection, is what really matters.
Currently, the chief engineer at MyFitnesspal in Texas is training for a half marathon and increasing her fiber intake.
location: Austin, Texas
occupation: Lead Engineer at MyFitnessPal
the age: 38
Weekly food and grocery budget: I really don’t keep track!
Diet plan: I recently went low FODMAP
Diet restrictions: No onions or garlic; wheat, barley and rye limited
Goals for the week:
Weekly calorie goal: 14,000
Daily macro ratios: It’s the only nutrient I care about fiber– doctor’s orders!
Typical weekly training schedule: I run every day, about 40-50 kilometers a week.
When did you start learning the importance of nutrition?
I always “knew” it was important, but I don’t think I really did anything about it until I started to realize that food can improve many aspects of my health.
When and why did you start food logging?
I started logging my food in 2015 (before I even worked at MyFitnessPal!), when I unexpectedly found myself much heavier than I thought. Since then, I’ll be logging in more or less regularly depending on my life goals.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned on your nutrition journey?
The foods you eat are much more than just the calories they contain. For me, some foods that most people would consider “healthy” have a negative effect on my body. Your health is not one-dimensional.
What health-related goals are you working towards?
I’m training for a half marathon in January, so as part of that, I’ve been working on getting to a healthy running weight. I’m 24lbs short of my 30lb weight loss goal
How do you plan for life events that may affect your regular eating routine? (For example, holidays, birthday or wedding parties, etc.)
I usually focus more on the big picture than on individual days or events. For example, I like to budget my calories weekly rather than daily. If I know I have a busy weekend or event, I usually plan at the beginning of the week.
How many times a week do you eat out instead of cooking at home?
I probably eat half of my meals at home. I eat a lot sandwiches.
You might even like it
7-Day Nutrition for Real Life
day 1
Breakfast: I started the day with a warm bowl of instant brown sugar and maple oatmeal, comfort food in 90 seconds. I topped it with a slice of banana and a handful of blueberries for the “look, I’m eating fruit!” energy Total: 433 calories
Lunch: For lunch, I had a bowl of chicken from Waba Steakhouse. Lean protein, check. Rice, check. Vegetables, check. It’s actually my behavior when I want to accomplish something but don’t also heavy Total: 640 calories
Dinner: OK, balance. I topped off the day with a medium cheeseburger and crisp, straight fries. Just sometimes the need hamburger No regrets Total: 681 calories
Daily total: 1,754 calories
Day 2
Breakfast: My go-to: instant brown sugar and maple oatmeal, topped with bananas and blueberries. Easy, reliable and gets the job done.
Lunch: I grabbed a scoop from the deli and poured some cream cheese on it. Simple happiness, carbia.
Dinner: I ended the day with a medium neighborhood Poke food truck. Ahi Tuna and salmon, rice, all the side dishes… To be honest, poke is always a good choice for me, even if the calories pile up a bit.
Daily total: 1,547 calories
Weekend update
I took a short break to collect the groceries. Sometimes you just need to enjoy your meals without doing the math!
Day 5
Breakfast: Back to the routine: instant brown sugar and maple oats with bananas and blueberries. Why mess with perfection?
Lunch: I grabbed an Italian panini from the local bodega, went with the top option checked on the app. It hit the spot and didn’t require much effort.
Dinner: Jimmy John’s for dinner! I went looking for number 7, with bread, not a witch. Sometimes you need the full sandwich experience.
Daily total: 1,533 calories
December 6
Breakfast: You guessed it: Instant Brown Sugar Maple Oats with Blueberries and Bananas. It’s reliable, and I love it.
Lunch: I bent my Jimmy John’s line and ordered spicy east coast Italian again, this time as a witch. The lettuce makes it lighter but still filling.
Dinner: Two slices of pepperoni pizza to end the day. Sometimes pizza is just calling your name. Total: 496 calories.
Daily total: 1,379 calories
December 7
Breakfast: Instant brown sugar and maple oatmeal again, with banana slices and blueberries for added whole-fruit nutrition. Can’t beat a classic.
Lunch: I stopped by Thundercloud Subs and got a New York Italian sandwich. I paired it with a side of Sun Chips because, let’s face it, sandwiches are better with chips.
Dinner: Dinner with friends at a local brewery! I kept it simple with an order of Lemon Pepper Wings. Tasty, shareable and not too heavy.
Daily total: 1,505 calories
The mail A week of high-fiber meals as a runner appeared in the first MyFitnessPal Blog.
