the ‘You are what you eat’ results (Part 1)
Image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
A little over a week ago we posted details of a little experiment Caroline (@PatsyJ) and I were conducting regarding what food we eat. Within that initial post I gave a brief insight into my lifestyle and a few days later Caroline guest posted a few days later detailing her own. We promised to both keep a food diary for a week. This would include all food and drink (including snacks and alcohol). We wouldn’t cheat since it would make the whole experiment pointless. We’ve collated the results, so without further ado, lets see what Caroline and I consumed and what exercise we took part in:
Thursday
| Rob | Caroline | |
| Breakfast | Sultana Bran, Actimel | 100g of organic natural fat free yoghurt, 1 tsp of honey |
| Lunch | Ham & Cheese sandwich, Apple, Orange |
100g of cooked chicken, couscous salad |
| Dinner | Rice & Chicken stir fry |
Steamed fish (coley), steamed green beans and carrots, parsley sauce. One slice of wholemeal brown bread |
| Snacks | 2x Bananas, Bag mini-cheddars, 2x Digestive biscuits |
2 sticks of liquorice |
| Drinks | 5 pints water 3 pints blackcurrent cordial |
Water (2 litres) with lemon |
| Exercise | None | 60 mins cardio (body attack), 60 mins weights (body pump) |
Friday
| Rob | Caroline | |
| Breakfast | Sultana Bran, Actimel | 100g of organic natural fat free yoghurt, 1 tsp of honey |
| Lunch | Ham & Salad cream sandwich, Apple, Orange, Banana |
100g of cooked chicken, low fat cottage cheese, soya beans & green salad |
| Dinner | Thai beef curry and noodles | Salmon fishcakes, soya beans, ½ pint of semi skimmed milk |
| Snacks | Banana, 2x Creme Egg, 1x Lindt egg |
Nak’d banana bread |
| Drinks | 4 pints water
2 pints blackcurrent cordial 2 small beers |
Water (2 litres) with lemon, Powerade, double cointreau |
| Exercise | None | 60 mins cardio (body attack), 60 mins weights (body pump) |
Saturday
| Rob | Caroline | |
| Breakfast | Sultana Bran, Actimel | 100g of organic natural fat free yoghurt, 1 tsp of honey |
| Lunch | 3x crumpets (2x with chicken and 1 with ham) | Chip shop chips (small portion) |
| Dinner | Curry (takeaway) | Homemade spaghetti bolognaise, 2 slices of ciabatta bread |
| Snacks | Cornish pastie, 1/2 dairy milk, 90g Green & Blacks | |
| Drinks | 3 pints blackcurrent cordial 500ml Coke Zero 1 small beer |
Water (1 litre) with lemon, 3 x large glasses of red wine |
| Exercise | Swimming, walk with son | House move (4 hours) |
Sunday
| Rob | Caroline | |
| Breakfast | 2x crumpets, Actimel | 100g of organic natural fat free yoghurt, 1 tsp of honey
Lean, grilled bacon (2 rashers), wholemeal brown bread roll, 1 tsp of brown sauce no marg) |
| Lunch | 1/3 healthy option pizza, 3 pieces of garlic bread | |
| Dinner | Jacket potato, lamb, mixed veg | Roast pork and vegetables (leeks, carrots and soya beans), onion gravy, Yorkshire pudding (no potatoes) |
| Snacks | Creme egg, banana, orange, Yorkie, 2x biscuit, 2x crumpets | 1 small piece of stilton cheese, 1 small piece of brie, 2 x whole grain cheese
biscuits |
| Drinks | 5 pints blackcurrent cordial
1 small beer |
Water (1 litre) with lemon, 1 x gin & tonic |
| Exercise | None | Horse riding x 30 mins, Ab exercises at home x 20 mins |
Monday
| Rob | Caroline | |
| Breakfast | 2x muffins, Actimel | 100g of organic natural fat free yoghurt, 1 tsp of honey |
| Lunch | Ham & pickle sandwich, apple, small Green & Blacks chocolate bar | 100g of cooked chicken, 50g low fat cottage cheese, 25g chickpeas |
| Dinner | Goan salmon, rice, ice cream | Medium size jacket potatoe, tuna with low fat mayonnaise (no margarine) |
| Snacks | 8 Jaffa cakes | |
| Drinks | 4 pints water
1 pint blackcurrent cordial |
Water (1 litre) with lemon, Starbucks tea with skimmed milk |
| Exercise | None | None |
Tuesday
| Rob | Caroline | |
| Breakfast | Sultana Bran, Actimel | 100g of organic natural fat free yoghurt, 1 tsp of honey |
| Lunch | Ham & pickle sandwich, apple, orange | 100g of cooked chicken, conference sandwiches (4 quarters), fruit |
| Dinner | Cous cous, fish fingers, yoghurt | 100g of cooked chicken, baked beans |
| Snacks | Twirl chocolate bar | 2x biscuits |
| Drinks | 4 pints water
1 pint blackcurrent cordial 1 large glass Baileys |
Water (1 litre) with lemon, 1 x tea with skimmed milk |
| Exercise | None | None |
Wednesday
| Rob | Caroline | |
| Breakfast | Sultana Bran, Actimel | 100g of organic natural fat free yoghurt, 1 tsp of honey |
| Lunch | Ham & pickle sandwich | Conference sandwiches (4 quarters & fruit) |
| Dinner | Chicken stir-fry with noodles | 100g of cooked chicken, 50g of tuna (in brine), 25g low fat cottage cheese, green
Salad, ½ pint of semi skimmed milk |
| Snacks | Apple, banana | Cadbury mini eggs x 3 |
| Drinks | 5 pints water
2 pint blackcurrent cordial |
Water (2 litres) with lemon |
| Exercise | None | 30 mins ab class, 60 mins cardio (body attack), 60 mins kickboxing |
That’s quite a table. The immediately obvious difference (which we warned you about previously) is that Caroline is far more health conscious then I am. I’ve always said I’ve got a problem with chocolate and consciously (within the week) I know I was eating more breaded products than I normally would (the crumpets and muffins). In my defence, all of the meals were home cooked with the exception of the curry takeaway. The majority of our recipes are either made up or are extracted from any number of diet recipe sheets we’ve had over the years.
I’m not too worried – I’ve recently cut out all coffee so the only caffiene intake during the week came from a 500ml bottle of Coke Zero. Sure, I do next to no exercise, but I am very aware that my fastest route to weight loss is to simply cut out about 50% of my diet! Quantity is my greatest issue above and beyond the types of food that I eat. Conversely, I am gobsmacked that Caroline is able to sustain enough energy to conduct the gym trips I know she so enjoys. I lived with a nutritionalist for a number of years (which by no means makes me qualified to make this statement) but I would have thought Caroline could certainly eat more and not be concerned about ballooning in weight. I’ll even post a choc bar or two over or call the Proper Pastie Company and ask them to put a slice of delight to one side once a week!
Look out for an upcoming post by Caroline in the near future with her take on the week’s experiment. In the meantime, what are your initial thoughts?
Related posts:
- The ‘you are what you eat’ experiment (Part 2)
- You are what you eat (Part 3)
- The ‘You are what you eat’ experiment
Filed Under: Lifestyle
