Today’s food diarist, Joseph Sigismondo, is in charge of the personal training department at Equinox Fitness in Bethesda. This involves working both with a team of trainers on business development and with individual clients to achieve their fitness goals. Sigismondo says, “I am certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a CPT/CES/PES, as well as [in] Precision Nutrition, USA Weightlifting, USA Triathlon, Kettlebell Athletics, and TRX.”
When he’s not working, his personal fitness routine involves strength training three times a week—with moves such as Olympic lifts, squats, and kettlebell exercises—and three days of cardiovascular training like sprints, swimming, and cycling. With all that, he says, “one day per week consists of nothing but recovery!” Read on to see how he fuels up for his intense schedule.
Breakfast: Omega-3 cage-free egg, spinach, and bacon omelet, fruit, and coffee. “The high protein and healthy fat of the eggs and bacon keeps me full for the start of the day, the spinach gets me a good start on my greens intake, and the fruit and coffee give me a bit of a natural sugar and caffeine jolt to wake up and get going.”
Morning snack (not pictured): Trail mix with almonds, cashews, raisins, and dark chocolate, and a banana. “The combination of healthy fats, carbohydrate, and a little protein adds more caloric energy to begin fueling for the upcoming afternoon workout.”
Lunch: Quinoa and black beans, stir-fried free-range chicken, and mixed veggies cooked with coconut oil. “A bigger quantity of complex carbohydrates from the quinoa and lean protein from the chicken offer a moderate-calorie meal that will provide lasting energy.”
Post-workout snack: Protein shake with organic reduced-fat milk, berries, whey protein, and almond butter. “The milk offers about a two-to-one ratio of carbohydrate to protein, which is ideal for post-workout recovery, the berries and whey protein maintain the recovery ratio, and the almond butter ensures I am getting enough healthy fat throughout the day.”
Dinner: Grass-fed grilled steak, a baked sweet potato, and a mixed greens salad with berries and olive-oil vinaigrette. “Here I start to reduce the carbohydrate intake by just having a small sweet potato, but I load up on the greens and lean protein for the phytonutrients and muscle-building amino acids from the protein source.”
Dessert: Organic Greek yogurt with berries, honey, and flaxseed. “This is a nice alternative to ice cream to satisfy my sweet tooth with less guilt than would come from a high-calorie, high-sugar meal. The yogurt is high in protein, the fruit and honey add natural sweetness, and the flaxseeds add healthy fat.”
Daily supplements: Fish oil, a glucosamine/chondroitin/tumeric joint formula, and a multivitamin. “The fish oil helps me get enough omega-3 fatty acids, the joint formula helps ward off any aches and pains from workouts, and the multivitamin fills in the micronutrient gaps from anything I am missing throughout the day.”
Disclaimer: The Food Diaries series is intended to be inspirational and is not an endorsement of each individual’s diet.
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