Laura McGraw Fitness 360: Nutrition Program

When you have dozens of things to get done every day, it's easy to take shortcuts and drive right by the gym. Laura McGraw lives by a hectic schedule. To keep herself honest, she plans her days meticulously and keeps her nutrition plan clean and simple.

See how this mom with a full-time career found time to dedicate her life to health and fitness. It wasn't easy; success never is. But the results that come when a person commits are undeniable. Laura won our 2012 Transformation Challenge. Follow her nutrition plan, and next year it could be you!

Laura McGraw Fitness 360

Watch The Video - 11:22

Laura's Nutrition Philosophy

I am a simple eater. I tried calorie counting, but it's not for me. I don't weigh food, either. I can eat the same thing every day. I can have chicken and broccoli every day for 12 weeks. I don't need a lot of variety.

I am always on the go and never out of arm's reach from some sort of protein. I love chocolate protein shakes, so Muscle Milk is always an option in the trunk. Plain Greek yogurt with fresh berries and Kashi is one of my staples, along with my own variation on Jamie Eason's turkey muffins.

I try to eat organic, in-season fruits and veggies, but if frozen is the only available option, it will do! My food intake dictates my weight, so I know the importance of always being cognitive of what I'm eating. At the same time, I'm always down for a Mayan Truffle from Moon Struck Chocolates!

I am not opposed to shakes and bars, but I love whole foods, especially red meat. I buy half of a grain-fed, free-range bison each year from Eastern Oregon. I love it! The meat is so lean. I get a lot of hamburger made and they cut it with less than 2% fat for me. Recently, I have cut way back on gluten. It has evened out my glucose levels and I feel less hungry. Sugar is my nemesis, especially high-fructose corn syrup.

I don't believe in cheat meals, per se. If you are at the weight you want to be, every once in a while, you can have a treat. For the program, I was clean. Diet was my number one obstacle. I enjoy working out, and I knew that about myself. In order for me to get where I wanted to be, I had to eat 100 percent clean.