DIET DESTRUCTION - Tips to Survive the Year-End Calorie Crash

DIET DESTRUCTION

Tips to Survive the Year-End Calorie Crash

The ghosts and witches are gobbling up their Halloween treats. C’mon people, who among us can resist those outrageous peanut butter cups? Even I can admit to giving in!

In all seriousness, we have officially landed on that long, bumpy road that steers our helpless hands to a never-ending path of excess eating.  The “joyful” time of year has just begun, when literally everyone wants to stuff our six packs with junk. Empty calorie-packed catered lunches at work and trays loaded with home-baked treats from our co-workers' happy holiday kitchens are our biggest distractions ready to attack.

Like me, I do not doubt that many of you spend countless hours in the gym each and every week aspiring to metamorphose your physiques into something statuesque and incredible. Justifying that donut that you secretly ingested in the break room by adding 20 extra-minutes of cardio in after work just doesn’t cut it. In fact, that is as big red cross off your fitness survival list. At work the other day, a friend had me hysterical as he coined this disorder as “Exercise Bulimia.” We cannot workout to eat. We need to eat smart calories to fuel our bodies so that they will energize us throughout the day. Bottom line, your nutrition goal is to consume a diet full of whole, clean foods that will compliment your fitness routine and encourage you to push your strong body to the next level of physical success.

Pack, Pack, Pack

If you are not pre planning and packing your food everyday, you are setting yourself up for failure…no joke! We’ve all been there: you're feeling weak, your blood sugar drops, you are starving and you are not prepared with healthy, nutritious foods that are ready to eat. Disaster strikes, and helpless and weak, you grab whatever is in front of you. Ten minutes later you are completely disgusted with yourself after inhaling those 2 big, fat slices of pepperoni pizza. Oh, the guilt is just killing you as you realize that one very wrong meal has absolutely deleted the hard work you completed in the gym the day before. Not only should you invest in some sturdy plastic, top-locking containers that stack securely in your fridge, you need to make time to plan your meals for the week so they are ready to go. Be prepared, be organized and be strong!

Your Body Is Your Engine

Eating too many calories at once encourages the body to store calories for future use. In basic terms, it promotes fat to stick to you. When sitting down to a meal, you must have the mentality that you only need to eat enough food to keep your belly happy for about 3 hours. Training you body to use calories that are supplied in small blocks throughout the day will result in a high-fired metabolism, ready to ignite again as you digest more clean foods a few hours later. Small, frequent meals throughout the day not only promote a leaner and tigh

ter-looking physique, but they will prevent your insulin level from plunging, making you happier and less likely to binge and overeat.

White Withdrawal

Simply give up on eating anything white! Breads, pastas, refined sugars, enriched flour…need I say more? White edibles are our enemy! I include dairy products on that list, but I’m pretty extreme. One little teaspoon of sugar opens up the door to those mean, little sugar monsters that tell your brain to keep eating sugar all day long. They are truly relentless and once you let them in your little belly, they don’t want to leave. There are very few, if any, nutritional gains made by eating enriched, processed white carbohydrates such as breads and pastas. In fact, once you eliminate them you will feel more energized, less bloated and more satisfied. Carbohydrates from whole grains, yams or sweet potatoes, wild and brown rices are key, as they breakdown slower and steadier in the digestion process. Take this a step further and go gluten-free, like me, and avoid eating wheat as much as possible.

Hydration Station

Saturating your body with clean water throughout the day is crucial for metabolism, digestion and avoiding water retention. Water supplies you with the feeling of fullness, while promoting digestion and satisfying thirst. If you do not already own a BPA-free 32 ounce water bottle, grab one today and fill it at least 4 times-a-day with fresh water.  A minimum of one-gallon a day is crucial for any exercise advocate. In fact, I try to reach my hydration goal of drinking 2 gallons a day.

Your nutrition and exercise plans are partners that need to fit like a puzzle. Once you get them locked in place, you are headed for miraculous benefits that will not only compliment your physique, but elevate your soul to a place of bliss. Yes, we are human and should enjoy eating our favorite meals and snacks.

I can’t even imagine never biting in

to a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie again. It makes me drool just writing about it. Life is about enjoyment and true enjoyment is found by living a life in a body that is properly nourished with high-quality foods that truly make you feel and perform your best. We are many against a world full of highly-processed foods that are killing our spirit and growing our size. But, with a little extra will-power, you too can reap the rewards of conscious eating during a very busy season.

Lisa Robins is an ACE-Certified Fitness Professional, dually educated in both Group Exercise and Personal Training. She is the Group Fitness Director at her club in Scottsdale, AZ, where she resides with her family, and is an NPC and FAP Show Competitor.  She is a fitness journalist, fitness model and personality hoping to inspire real people to join her in living an incredible life full of health and strength.