How I Fuel My Week

Over time, I realized how much of what I eat comes down to how my body reacts. My body reacts poorly to a plethora of foods, sometimes as extreme as doubled-over stomach pain, sometimes just slight heartburn or gas. I cut out anything that gives me even the slightest reaction. It leaves me with fewer options, but I’d rather feel my best than enjoy something for five minutes at the cost of my energy.

A big part of that clarity came from learning about the blood type food list. My mom, who shaped my early approach to supplements, food, and mind-body health, first introduced me to it. Once I started paying attention to how certain foods either fueled or drained me, things clicked: some foods gave me a steady kind of energy, while others just left me with unwanted side effects.

I used the blood type framework as a starting point and fine-tuned it through trial, error, and intuition. The list breaks foods into beneficial, neutral, or detrimental. Funny enough, most of the foods in the detrimental section are ones I had already avoided because they never agreed with me. What really helped was clarifying which foods were beneficial versus just neutral. Now I aim for about a 70/30 balance, giving me variety while still feeling my best. My least favorite “detrimental” food? Chicken, I limit consecutive days but still eat it regularly.

I don’t track calories to restrict myself, it’s more of a tool for awareness. Since I don’t always have much of an appetite, keeping a rough tally in my head helps me make sure I’m actually fueling enough, especially when I’m trying to gain weight and stay consistent with lifting. It’s less about numbers and more about noticing when my energy starts to dip and adjusting so I feel ready to go.

Side note: I love animals. I try to source the highest quality, humanely raised poultry and beef possible, always choosing local sources and avoiding any type of fast food. I would love to be vegan/vegetarian, but I find it doesn't work for me. I feel terrible. The closest I got was being pescatarian, and even that had me feeling sluggish and with brain fog constantly.

Here's what a typical day looks like for me, I chose to break one day down, as everything during my weekdays is the same except for dinner (more on that below.)

Monday

9am – Protein shake (oat milk, whey isolate) – 210 cals

L-Tyrosine & DLPA

Guayaki yerba mate – 120 cals

11am – Double shot (4 tbsp) of olive oil – 480 cals

Fish oil (Nordic Naturals, 2 tbsp) – 90 cals

Creatine (Thorne, 5mg) & green superfood (Amazing Greens, 8g) mix – 30 cals

2nd Guayaki yerba mate – 120 cals

1pm – Smoothie (1,224 cals):

Frozen strawberries (2 cups) – 144 cals

Water (6 oz)

Rolled oats (Bob's Red Mill, 3 cups) – 900 cals

Greek yogurt (Fage, 1½ cups) – 180 cals

Liquid stevia (To taste)

5pm – Dinner (1060 cals):

12 oz sirloin – 530 cals

3 cups fingerling potatoes – 450 cals

2 cups cooked kale – 80 cals

7pm – Nighttime supplements

8pm – Bowl of yogurt (Fage, ¾ cup) and fruit spread (Crofter's, 1 tbsp) – 120 cals

10pm – Fig Newmans (Newman's Own, 9 bars) – 450 cals

11pm – 5-HTP and sulphur

For the rest of the week, I throw in different proteins and sides, typically incorporating chicken once a week, some type of grass fed beef twice, and then salmon once a week. Friday's dinner is usually just an astronomical amount of pasta, or I will go out to eat with friends and family. While out, I eat the best I can, but I don't restrict to the point where it ruins my experience. The rest of the weekend is more of the same, for Saturday, dinner is up in the air. My "cheat meal" is eating a Maple Donuts devil's food and glazed ring in lieu of my usual yogurt and fig Newman snack. Sunday I usually make a homemade pizza or sub for dinner and shift back to my healthy snack to get ready for Monday. This keeps it fun, while ensuring I never feel too run down to enjoy my weekend.

For me, having one part of the day that’s completely concrete makes a huge difference. I love starting my day with my morning smoothie; the first half of my day is entirely structured around fueling my energy. It’s not that I hate eating, but if I could take a pill and get 3,700 calories of food, I probably would. That is why I only have one “standard meal” each day, eating feels like a chore. The rest of my intake is mostly shakes, snacks, and supplements, and having those be the same every day ensures I hit my energy and recovery goals even when the rest of my day is flexible.

At the end of the day, it comes down to observing your body, trusting your intuition, and making small adjustments that compound over time. This process has built the foundation for my energy, and it can work for you, too.

Next week, we’ll wrap things up and take a look at the bigger picture: all the other areas that shape your energy. We’ll explore habits, environment, mindset, and the subtle things that either fuel or drain you.

Keep choosing yourself 🧡