Diet Tips!!

I have touched on diet in some of my previous blogs, but again, here is the cold hard truth: No matter how much you run or how hard you hit it at the gym, you will never reach your peak potential physique without a healthy, clean diet. 

And unfortunately diet is by far the most difficult component of the healthy lifestyle to master, at least for me.  I can literally make myself run the track at the gym for 2 1/2 hours non-stop, but for some reason when it comes to desserts, I have a much harder time controlling myself!

But it comes down to this- why are you working so hard at the gym or on the track, just to blow all your effort away on a cheeseburger and fries?  It's counterproductive.  So today is the day you are going to take control of your diet.

Maintaining a healthy diet is just like anything else in life worth doing- it takes work.  It is not easy.  This is why so many people start their diet, lose weight, and then gain it all back- the self-control and discipline required is considerable.  So I try to make it as easy as possible for myself- hopefully some of these tips can help you start a good diet and stick to it!

PROTEIN, PROTEIN, PROTEIN

When I first started living by this eat clean principle, I tracked all of my daily calories to see what I was eating.  I was amazed to see that although I was eating low fat and low calorie, my entire diet was consumed almost entirely of carbohydrates.  I absolutely LOVE cereal, granola, bread, etc.  The first major change I made was replacing a significant amount of my daily food intake with protein, and I was amazed at the results!  I started losing that extra layer of stomach fat and the love handles started slowly slimming down.  I am not going to get into the benefits or chemistry of why protein is so good for you, mostly because I doubt you care- neither do I.  I just know that the more protein you have in your diet, the better.  Keep it balanced, but keep at least 40% of your calorie intake protein.

So here are some basic staples you should have in your fridge:
- Carbmaster Yogurts (sold at Dillons and King Soopers for all you Colorado natives): yes the brand does matter.  I used to eat fat free Yoplait all the time- mostly carbs and not a great source of protein.  The consistency is different and it takes a little getting used to, but it's a great sweet alternative to the standard sources of protein.
- Fat free cottage cheese
- Chicken breasts
- Deli meats (turkey, chicken breast): These tend to be pretty high in sodium as they are processed, but they taste good and are a great alternative to chicken.
- Canned tuna: I mix cut up apples and fat free mayo in mine.  You can also do sugar free relish and honey mustard which is pretty good!
- Egg whites
- Fat free cheese: Walmart makes 45 calorie cheese sticks that are a mozzarella/cheddar mix that are delish!
- 96% lean ground beef
- Turkey breast
- Fish (I like tilapia, orange roughy, and trout- salmon is good too; it has a higher fat content, but they are good fats)
- Shrimp

MORE IN THE FRIDGE, LESS IN THE PANTRY

Literally in college I had no use for a refrigerator, but my pantry was constantly stocked.  Reverse it.  Fill your fridge with fresh fruit, veggies, and the proteins listed above.

DRINK LOTS OF WATER

A lot of the time when you think your body is telling you that you're hungry, you are really just dehydrated.  I drink so much water during the day it is ridiculous.  I am such a snob and only drink bottled water, which is completely unnecessary, but just so you get the amounts: 1 bottle before my am workout, 3 during my workout (unless I am running, in which case it is 0, which is horrible, don't do that!) 1 after my workout.  Here is where the trick comes in: I drink an entire bottle of water about 15 minutes before I am going to eat every meal.  It is amazing- it fills me so that I have a way harder time overeating.  So I drink a bottle before my breakfast, 1 before my am snack, 1 before lunch, 1 before my pm snack, 1 before dinner, 1 before bed.  I also drink a bottle of water with every meal.  That is 17 bottles of water.  Wow that is the first time I have added that up- 1: this is probably overkill, and 2: new goal- start drinking tap.  Regardless, drink lots of water, and definitely try the drinking before eating tip.  It will really help control your appetite before you eat.

COUNT YOUR CALORIES

This is how you maintain accountability in your diet.  It doesn't matter which site you use- Daily Burn, My Fitness Pal- there are a ton of great ones out there.  And for those of you with a smart phone, there are free apps you can download for almost every one of these sites.  The key to a successful diet is being honest with yourself- track everything you eat.  If I eat one M&M, I track it!

CHEW GUM

Okay if you know me, you know that I chew gum.  Compulsively.  Its absurd- I go through at least a pack a day.  I did the math once; it is thousands of dollars over a lifetime that I am investing in my gum chewing addiction.  But for me, it is necessary.  I definitely have an oral fixation, so chewing sugar free gum is a way for me to control that and limit my food intake.  I think chewing gum suppresses your desire for food as well.  So while I do not recommend a pack a day, invest in some gum- it’s also a good way to signal to your brain that the meal is over, so pop one in every time you are done eating.

BRUSH YOUR TEETH

This is a more economical alternative to chewing gum.  Brush your teeth after you eat to limit your food consumption.  If I am at home and eat a meal, then go paint my nails or do my hair, I tend to continue snacking, even though I am not hungry.  But again, this is a good way to signal to your brain that it is time to stop eating.

EAT, AND EAT OFTEN!

The biggest mistake dieters make is that they try to not eat at all.  Less calories= more weight lost, correct?  Well yes, in a sense this is true- to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume.  But who can stick with this?  I know if I get hungry, I do not function well, emotionally or physically.  Also, if you try to deprive your body to the point of starvation, you are MUCH more likely to binge when you do finally allow yourself to eat.  STOP DOING THIS.  Eat frequent, smaller meals.  I eat 8 times a day- pre-workout, post-workout, breakfast, am snack, lunch, pm snack, dinner, snack before bed. 

EAT FAT- JUST MAKE SURE IT'S GOOD FAT

Alright people, be honest with yourselves- you eat low fat or fat free everything, and don't see the results you want.  And you are probably hungry all the time.  Good news!  You CAN eat fats, and in fact you should!  They just need to be good sources.  Most days, I consume my fats (that are not small amounts in the other foods I eat) solely from Naturally More Peanut Butter (sold at Walmart and Sam's).  Careful, it's addicting, but at least it is a good source of fat.  Other good sources come from edamame, olive oil, avocados, almonds, and fish, to name a few.

CHEAT ONCE A WEEK

On your diet, not on your significant other.  I absolutely support and obey this rule- I would go crazy if I didn't.  So once a week, eat something you really want or know is bad for you- for me, this is typically some sort of dessert, whether it is cheesecake or a brownie.  Don't try to do low calorie or a healthy cheat- go all out!  Eat a burger and fries.  Not only will this rev up your metabolism, it will keep you sane.  The key here is that you have to stay on track- one cheat meal, then back to your clean diet. 

IF YOU SHOULDN'T EAT IT, DON'T BUY IT

Mostly I am good about what I eat because I am too lazy to be bad!  I only stock my kitchen with foods that are good for me, and I have no desire to go out and get something unhealthy.  Quick tip- do not go shopping when you are hungry.  You may come home with Cheez Its, Lucky Charms, Reeses PB Cups, cookies and an entire birthday cake that some kid's mom forgot to pick up from the store so they put it in the clearance section.  Not that I have ever done this, just beware.

Seriously, I don't even have to make a shopping list anymore.  Here are some foods to stock up on:

-Egg whites
-Carbmaster yogurts
-Fat free cottage cheese
-Chicken breasts
-Veggies
-Hummus
-Fresh fruit
-Ezekiel bread
-Mama Lupes low carb tortillas
- Lean beef
- Deli turkey
- Fat free cheese
- Naturally More peanut butter
- Gum
-Frozen edamame
-Special K Protein Plus cereal
-Salsa
-Bottled water (I promise I am going to work on this one)

I get a lot of questions asking specifically what I eat and when I eat it.  I will post about that in my next blog, and I will also include some of my fave recipes!

Hopefully these tips will help get you started and motivated to eat right.  Like I said, it is not easy, but make the summer of 2011 the swimsuit season of your life!  Stick to a clean diet and rock that bikini or trunks with confidence.  A clean diet is not only good for you physically; it is good for you mentally and emotionally.  It is amazing when you can gain control and discipline over your diet- you will gain it over your life.