Well, it is really not too hard. And I say that having morphed throught the years on my eating. I (like most of us) am very busy with job, social life, hobbies outside of tris, and training. I keep a running list of things I need at the grocery store. To save time I do things like boil a dozen eggs on Sunday and eat them throughout the week, or cut up enough salad for two or three and wrap in bowls.... make a 2 cup batch of dressing to have on hand. Or cook a bunch of brown rice so I have it on hand during the week.
Fruit--no, i don't think that there can be too much. Eat at least an apple the first part of the day and see how it keeps you full. One might argue that there are too many calories in fruit. I think that the only time it (seems) like it would be detrimental to weight is, say that, you are eating 6 pieces a day but also having lots of cold cereal, ice cream, 1/2 and 1/2 in coffee, chips, etc. Fruit is not the culprit
Bread. Up until recently I owned a restaurant for 11 years. We always had bread around to serve to tables. And this was good bread! Not to mention desserts and everything else. I was constantly around food. While part of my "job" was to try everything, I usually ate 90%-95% healthy. If you incorporate grains such as the aforementioned, beans, fruit and vegetables, you will find that you won't really be craving standard bread. Oatmeal, Barley and Buckwheat Groats are really good for you. I just fueled up on a breakfast of B.Gs with banana, strawberry and 2 teaspoons coconut oil (that is a good read; the medium chain trigycerides in coconuts) before a 3 hour ride/run off the bike. Will prob. have a larabar, fruit and water on ride.
Cottage Cheese--American adults have been conditioned (prob by the dairy and meat councils) that we need calcium for strong bones and protein from birds and mammals. However, humans are the only mammal group who continue to ingest milk after we are weaned. hmmmmm. You can get enough calcium in dark, leafy greens. And if they are raw they have SO MANY NUTRIENTS. Again, a trick to getting those down is to blend them with a couple of pieces of ripe fruit, water and maybe a little honey. Kale shake anyone? LOL. Seriously, it works. Calcium, protein and other nutrients are located in the cellular walls of these plants. So, unless you chew and chew and chew, you won't get all of the nutrients out of them. Let the blender do the masticating.
I still love a great piece of artisan cheese. I consider myself an omnivore, not a vegan. I have just been doing alot of thinking about the american diet. It is evident everytime I am out in public that there is something REALLY wrong.
As a triathlete, I have been at a few symposiums and camps over the years where there is a lot of time devoted to how to train efficently for the swim, bike and run; how to stretch; how to prepare mentally for a race; etc. Hours. But when it comes to nutrition, the focus is on the 48 hours leading up to and during the race. IMO sound nutrition is low hanging fruit for any athlete who wants to improve; you don't have to be genetically gifted or have a lot of free time. You just have to educate yourself and be mindful of what you put in your body and how you go about organizing that. If you can make time for a 3 hour bike ride, or get up at 4:30 in the morning for your swim workouts, then you have WAY more than enough time to pay heed to nutrition. It is essentially the 4th sport. Alot of sports nutition books, while very good reads, are extremely technical. Go back to basics, take out the processed stuff, watch whatever prepackaged or restaurant meals you must buy and I assure you that weight will come off.
Again, my response is again WAY long. I am extremely passionate about this subject. I don't mean to come across as militant (hey, I wanted to sample the local fish fry when I was in Milwaukee last month)
Cheers
leslie myers
http://www.foodsensenow.com