Key Points
-You can have the best diet in the world but if it's
something that you can't be compliant with its destined to fail
-Make it easier on yourself to eat healthy by having
easily accessible meals and snacks.
Focus on progress not perfection.
-When you eat out, embrace your inner kid
1. Have a
go-to meal
If possible have 2 or 3 recipes, a go-to-meal is a
quick easy healthy dish that you know you can prepare in under 20 minutes with
no more than 8 common ingredients. Often times we deviate from our normal
eating patterns because of fatigue and convenience. If you’re someone with a
busy schedule it’s a familiar scenario: you arrive home late from work or the
gym, very hungry and too tired to make a whole dinner so you reach for the
easiest calorie source you can find. Often times these easy packaged sources
are low nutrient calorie bombs. This scenario isn’t a problem if it happens
every once in a while, since your metabolism is a continuous thing impacted
over a sum of choices rather than just one. A high sugar kid’s cereal dinner
won’t sabotage your diet, but if it becomes a continuous thing then you can
have problematic results. A good go-to-meal will have easy to cook proteins,
starches, and vegetables that you can make in one pot or pan.
2. Embrace your inner kid
While you’d much rather prepare lunches at home
because you can better control the nutritional quality and save money, fast
food lunches are very much a prominent staple in the diet for people with
hectic schedules. An easy way to control your calorie amount without having to
scan through various menus is to order from the kid’s menu. The portion size
for the kid’s menu at the majority of restaurants is often the appropriate
serving size for most adults. Many restaurants are also especially more
conscientious of the nutritional quality of kid’s menus and as a result have
added fruits/vegetables sides that you can’t find on many adult combos. As an
added bonus at some fast food places you still get a cool toy too.
3. Pack
snacks
A great way to manage hunger levels is packing
nutrient dense snacks. High protein and fat sources rich in monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fats are the best choices because of their satiating effects.
Things like beef jerky and nuts are convenient, easy to pack healthy snacks.
4. Super
smoothies
Have one super smoothie a day as a nutritional
insurance policy, it serves as a simple action that you’re committed to a
strong and healthy life. The ideal smoothie would have vegetables, protein, and
healthy fats. If for whatever reason your schedule makes it difficult to have
nutritious meals for the day, have one super smoothie as an anchor you can
depend on to meet most your nutritional requirements.
Erick Avila, owner of www.ergogenichealth.com a company that provides individualized training programs and
nutritional consultations for athletic events and weight loss. Erick works as a
strength & conditioning coach/nutritionist with a variety of professional
boxers including two ranked in the top 50 of their respective weight
divisions. He’s experienced having worked in both sport and clinical
settings, with focuses ranging from general weight loss to hormonal
optimization. Erick has bachelor’s degrees in Exercise Science &
Nutritional Science.
