What I Eat in a Day
By Clint Cox | Penance Gym
Let me preface this by stating that what you’re about to read isn’t a prescription—it’s simply what I’ve found to work best for me after years of self-experimentation.
I’ve been a perpetual guinea pig when it comes to training & nutrition. Over the years, I’ve tried just about everything—each for a minimum of six strict months. High-carb, low-carb, intermittent fasting, Paleo, Zone, vegetarian, full meal plans, and everything in between. Some worked for a while. Others didn’t. But this is where I’ve landed, and it’s what’s kept me performing well, feeling sharp, and staying strong and healthy.
Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, the simpler I keep it, the better I feel, the stronger I perform, and the more consistent I can stay.
A lot of people ask me what I eat in a typical day—especially because I don’t follow the usual six-meal-a-day model you see in mainstream fitness. So here it is: one day of eating laid out as clearly as I can describe it, with some insights into why I make these choices.
Morning
Coffee + Butter
Every morning starts with a large cup of coffee blended with 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter. That’s it. I never eat a full breakfast. In fact, I only eat two meals a day—and I do that on purpose.
I believe the digestive system, just like the rest of the body, benefits from time to rest and reset. Keeping the mornings free of food allows glucagon—a hormone that helps the body release and use stored energy—to do its job. This supports energy balance, fat metabolism, and long-term metabolic health.
The butter in my coffee gives me an easy fat-based start to the day, which helps stabilize energy and maintain mental clarity. But more importantly, fat plays a key role in hormone regulation—especially testosterone, cortisol, and other hormones tied to recovery, sleep, and muscle growth. By making high-quality fats a consistent part of my diet, I’m not just fueling my body—I’m supporting the internal systems that keep it running well.
Post-Workout Shake (on training days only)
If I train that morning, I’ll follow the workout with a shake:
- 55g Driven Whey protein
- 55g lemonade powder (this is the only real sugar I get in my day)
- 5g creatine
This helps replenish glycogen and supports muscle repair. But on non-training days, there’s no shake—just the butter coffee until lunch.
Lunch
Leftover Taco Meat + Eggs
For lunch on this particular day, I had 11.5 oz of leftover taco-seasoned grass-fed Longhorn beef and added 2 eggs (cooked in a tablespoon of butter) to it. If I don’t have any leftovers or anything prepped it is common for me to have 7 eggs and about a cup of cottage cheese.
This hits my protein goals and keeps me satisfied for hours, without the crash that comes from carb-heavy meals. The simplicity of it matters—no fluff, no filler, just real food that fuels strength.
Dinner
Pork Tenderloin, Green Beans, Potatoes, and Cream
Dinner was slow-cooked pork tenderloin with green beans and potatoes, finished with a touch of heavy cream. This meal was heavy on the meat—around 10 oz of tenderloin.
It rounded out the day with a balanced plate: solid protein, some starch, and a rich, satisfying fat source. It’s hearty without being heavy, and again—nothing highly processed, just ingredients I trust.
Bedtime
1.5 Tablespoons of Butter Before Bed
About six months ago, I started the habit of having 1.5 tablespoons of butter before bed. It’s done wonders for my sleep—less tossing, fewer wake-ups, and a deeper kind of rest.
Dietary fat, especially when paired with a low-carb end to the day, can support natural melatonin production and help calm the nervous system. It’s a simple, real-food way to encourage better sleep without relying on supplements or stimulants. I don’t know if it works for everyone, but for me, it’s one of the most reliable tricks in the book.
Approximate Macronutrient Breakdown
Daily Total (estimate, training day):
- Protein: ~185g
- Fat: ~190g
- Carbohydrates: ~75–80g (mostly from the lemonade powder, potatoes, and green beans)
Key Ingredients Used:
- Butter: ~6.5 tbsp total
- Whey protein: 55g
- Lemonade powder: 55g sugar
- Creatine: 5g
- Taco meat: 11.5 oz (85/15 ground beef assumed)
- Eggs: 2
- Pork tenderloin: ~10 oz
- Potatoes: ~1 cup
- Green beans: ~1 cup
- Heavy cream: ~1–2 tbsp
Final Thoughts
A shift I’ve been working toward is this idea: If I can produce it, I can consume it. That mindset has changed the way I look at food. Through our work with livestock, I can easily produce meat, eggs, and dairy—and that gives me confidence in what I’m eating. Fruit becomes a seasonal treat, something I’ll enjoy when our fruit trees are giving us their seasonal gifts later this year.
I also pay close attention to ingredients. If it has a long label full of things I can’t pronounce or don’t understand, I leave it on the shelf. The fewer ingredients, the better—and ideally, I should recognize all of them as real food.
This isn’t about restriction. It’s about knowing what you’re putting in your body and keeping it simple enough that you can be consistent. Strength, recovery, and energy don’t come from overcomplicated meal plans—they come from clarity, real food, and habits that actually fit your life.
PS – I’m now wondering if any parents out there would be interested to see how my kids eat in a day…