June 23, 2013, By: Jon Boldireff
With my charity bootcamp less than 10 weeks away, nutrition has been on my mind daily. Knowing that I’ll need to take off my shirt along side 11 other jacked trainers has me feeling a little nervous. I mean, I’m in great shape and I eat much healthier than the average person, but some of the guest trainers I’ve recruited are in FANTASTIC shape. They live in the gym like me, but some of them have been gifted with a double dose of awesome genetics. You know what I mean. All of you out there have a friend, male or female, that eats twice as much and trains half as hard as you yet somehow is ready for a calendar shoot all year long. Well that’s genetics and there’s nothing you can do about it. So suck it up. Time to focus on what you can control.
It seems like lately I’ve been trying to make up for my broken thumb (still) by eating 100% healthy. If I can’t lift heavy and be both huge and lean for the event, then I may as well be SUPER lean. The issue I’m running into is that I end up indulging in “bad” food more than I usually would. What the heck?! I’ve decided that I’m putting too much pressure on myself. As an admitted emotional eater, I end up eating junk because of said pressure! I do a good job of coaching my clients through these issues. It’s all about small, manageable changes. Time to heed my own words.
So let’s talk nutrition a bit. Like Superman, I have my kryptonite (Man of Steel was AWESOME by the way). Ok, maybe I have multiple kryptonites. I’ve discovered it’s impossible to cut out the delicious, bad food you like altogether. You do have to limit its intake though. This is how you’re gonna do it. Replace your demon snack food with something healthy. When you eat an entire bag of Doritos while watching The Walking Dead 30 minutes after dinner, it’s not because you were hungry. It’s habit. A fattening one at that. These are some of the “replacements” I’ve made:
– I’ve replaced Doritos/any kind of chip with raw red pepper. They’re crunchy, sweet, and will keep your mouth busy while you relax in front of the tube. You’re looking at 50-75 calories depending on the size of the pepper. An excellent source of fibre and vitamins A and C.
– I’ve replaced ice cream with a bowl of berries. Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries… any berries really. Berries offer you a tonne of antioxidants! They’re also frickin’ delicious.
– Granola bars. I know. You’re thinking: “I thought those were good for you!”. Better than a Snickers bar? Yes. Good for you? Not really. Replace those suckers with baby carrots and some grape tomatoes. Fewer calories, more vitamins, less refined sugar.
I know I’ve missed some other delicious cheat foods like cookies, muffins, nachos etc. You get the idea. Most of the cheat food you eat isn’t a meal. It’s a snack when you’re not even necessarily hungry. If you make some of these replacements you’ll be getting closer to your recommended daily fruit and veggie intake. Way better than the lone banana and occasional broccoli you eat. Make these changes 90% of the time and then once in awhile you can indulge. THEN, you won’t feel bad when you do. Make sure you cheat once a week to keep your sanity, just do it within reason.
Next time you read this blog I expect a bowl of veggies to be at your side. Don’t forget to spread the word about my charity bootcamp! It’s for a great cause (Kidsport Edmonton). You can find all the info you need about the event at www.topsofftrainers.eventbrite.com.
2 thoughts on “Who’s eating Gilbert grape? Not enough of you.”
Don’t forget about cubed cheese. So many varieties and a great source of protein.
Good one! Almonds and other nuts are good too. As long as they’re eaten in moderation.