As the founder of Urban Adventure Companies—which owns Vida Fitness and Sweatbox, among other local businesses—you could probably guess that David von Storch would be into working out. The gym guru says he works out five to six days a week, both with a personal trainer and at his new boutique high intensity interval training gym, Sweatbox, and he pairs this fit lifestyle with healthy eating. He focuses his diet around vegetables, fish, poultry, complex carbs, and fresh fruit, and avoids fats (aside from avocado and olive oil) like the plague.
“I eat French fries only when on other people’s plates and I rarely buy desserts because there is not a dessert I know of that doesn’t make me want more,” says von Storch. “Processed sugar is evil except when in frozen margaritas because Happy David is much more fun to be around.”
To see how he puts this clean eating into action, take a look at a day in the life of von Storch’s diet.
Breakfast
“I always start my day with good carbs, protein and fiber. When I am not having oatmeal (not yet into the oatmeal season) my standby is GoLean with low fat soy milk and fresh fruit,” says von Storch.
Morning Snack
“The next meal is not far on the heals of breakfast,” says von Storch. “Pure protein. No cholesterol—my genes are not impervious to its effects. Simple and daily.”
Lunch
“Lunch is a challenge because there is nothing really close by that’s worth eating,” says von Storch. “This is my twice-weekly trek to Pica Taco for chicken enchiladas without cheese. I stay away from dairy, fried foods, and red meat. While I will have small amounts of cheese, that’s about it. Red meat is not in my world view, although I will eat it perhaps five [or] six times a year.”
Post-Workout Snack
“Working out is a thing for me. I generally work out five or six days a week—three with a trainer and three sessions of Sweatbox if possible,” says von Storch. “When traveling, I will generally get five workouts a week although they are never quite as good as what I can get at VIDA and Sweatbox (perhaps a wee bit biased but absolutely true!). So my post-workout protein shake is always low fat and sugar…My favorite at the VIDA Fuel Bar is called Skinny Build It with soy milk and yoghurt.”
Dinner: Part I
“Dinner tonight was a fall salad with roasted Brussels sprouts, feta cheese, and croutons,” says von Storch. “I didn’t take an ‘after’ pic, but I promise I didn’t eat the cheese but I did eat most of the croutons. Eh, no one was looking.”
Dinner: Part II
“Dinner was grilled salmon with a butternut squash puree and kale underneath,” says von Storch. “While the purée was good, I could tell there was a lot of butter or cream or something in there that made it quite rich and heavy and not for me. But the salmon was excellent and the service at Logan Tavern is friendly and warm. It’s one of my neighborhood habits.”
Have a Food Diary you’d like to share? Email ccunningham@washingtonian.com.
Consult with your doctor before beginning a new diet. Washingtonian does not endorse any diet without the supervision of a medical professional.
Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.
