Food Diaries: Steve Massimini of Mass Fitness

Certified Personal Trainer Steve Massimini, NASM, AAAI, has been a fixture in the Philadelphia fitness scene for nearly 12 years. Massimini made a name for himself as a fitness manager for popular Philly gyms like L.A. Fitness, Bally's and Optimal Sport.

Then, in 2010, Massimini realized he wanted to go out on his own — and so, Mass Fitness was born. Specializing in corrective exercise, Massimini works primarily with clients who suffer from overactive muscles issues, structural issues, and the like.

But Racked Philly's newly awarded "Hottest Male Trainer 2014" knows that fit bodies aren't just made in the gym.

As a personal trainer, Massimini is always exercising and on-the-go. Burning (an estimated) 3,000-plus calories per day, of course, the Precision Nutrition Certified coach needs a meal plan that can keep up with his active lifestyle.

Massimini estimates his meal plan averages an intake of about 3,162 total calories a day — with 45 percent of those calories coming from carbohydrates, 24 percent from fat, and 31 percent from protein.

"I realize my diet is not for everyone," said Massimini, who weighs in at 190lbs with only eight percent body fat.

A low-fat, high-protein diet helps Massimini avoid slipping into a catabolic state. Catabolism — the wasting away of lean muscle tissue — can make you more prone to injury and a slow metabolism, which decreases the amount of many calories you burn at rest.

"Many people suffer from catabolism and they don't even know it's happening," said Massimini. "That's why I aim to fuel my metabolism as much as possible. It's important for me to eat, but also eat healthy, and to never let myself get into starvation mode."

For those looking to adopt healthier eating habits, Massimini recommends making small changes.

"Too many people jump on fad diets, with a long list of foods you can and can't eat and it becomes analysis paralysis; its too much," said Massimini. "It's better to choose a new habit and stick to it for 20 days. After that, add another new habit for 20 days, and soon you'll easily create a new eating regimen."

Below, in his own words, Massimini shares his typical day of healthy eating:

Breakfast: Egg whites, avocado, fruit and a Mass Shake.

"When I wake up in the morning, I take a deep breath, grab a bottle of water and eat some fruit before my morning shower. This early morning wake-up routine serves as a reminder that "Today will be awesome!"

After my shower, it's shake time while the egg whites are cooking. I throw in some fruit, nuts, ice cubes, veggies, almond milk, Optimum Nutrition vanilla protein powder, and Optimum Nutrition creatine. That's Mass Shake No. 1. This helps me put the brakes on catabolism, increase nutrient density, fill those empty muscle glycogen stores, and slow down cortisol output.

My eggs are organic cage-free with some hot sauce because kemosabe needs some flavor in the morning, along with half of an avocado with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.

After breakfast, it's time for my mug of morning coffee, followed by an Optimum Nutrition multivitamin and 1 tablespoon of liquid fish oil."

Snack: Apple slices, nut mix, and a Greek yogurt.

"After training four or five clients, it's time for a snack. I go for my Wawa apple slices, my Omega-3 nut mix, and a Greek yogurt to get me back into a day of punishing happy clients."

Lunch: Chicken, superfood salad and a Mass Shake.

"Lunchtime is simple for me. My main meal includes three slices of chicken, lightly drizzled with a low-fat balsamic vinaigrette for flavor, along with a superfood mixed salad of kale, quinoa, pomegranate, cabbage, almond. And of course, a liter of water to wash it down.

It's also time for my second Mass Shake. This one is made with fruit, veggies, nuts, almond milk or coconut water, protein powder, and some cinnamon for flavor."

Snack: Nut mix and a pre-workout shake.

"Before a massive hour and a half workout in the afternoon, I'll snack on a few more bites from the Omega-3 nut mix and sip my Optimum Nutrition Pre-workout shake."

Dinner: Steak with brown rice, a sweet potato and a vegetable.

"Dinner is typically a low-fat, grass-fed steak with spinach or broccoli, brown rice, and a sweet potato."

Dessert: Mass Shake.

"Yea, you guessed it — Mass Shake No. 3! This one is mixed with some casein protein to help slowly digest through the night, along with a spoon full of liquid fish oil to help with the healthy fats, lubricate joints, and keep from inflammation."

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