Re-Focusing on Nutrition
Although it seems that nutrition topics seem to abound in our conversations inside and outside the gym, we don't spend a great deal of time actually doing anything other than talking...the time has come to reverse that trend.
We've been journaling our workouts for quite some time now...and the results are evident as we compare our times/reps/loads to previous entries. So, today (Monday, Feb. 22, 2010) we begin tracking our food intake. This is the first step in determining what sort of changes we need to make to our nutrition plan.
And, just for the sake of clarification, I say "nutrition plan", since a lot of folks are scared off by the word "diet". Regardless of what your "diet" is, it's still a diet. Most "diets" follow some sort of plan, so I've committed to using the words "nutrition plan". Mainly, because the operative word is "plan". An unplanned nutrition plan is still a diet of some sort. Maybe it's the "I plan to eat when I get hungry" sort of nutrition plan.
I think you get the point.
Put some thought into how you can eat better...start out by finding out what you eat. Record everything that goes in. Record how it makes you feel. If you want to get into even more detail, record how it comes out. Yeah, a bit disconcerting, but being mindful of how your body processes what you put into it, might give you insight on feeling better through what you eat.
EAT, then RECORD. The plan is to move toward RECORD, then EAT. Actually planning your meals before you get hungry is the smartest way to control your intake. You simply know what to eat and when. No more guessing at what you should eat or (like me) frantically stuffing the nearest substance into your mouth to satisfy your hunger. Here's my admission: Quite often, I'm so busy/distracted that I forget to eat...really. Then, when, I'm soooo hungry I can't think straight, I jump up, grab whatever is within arm's reach and chow down...and it usually results in overeating, aside from the fact that it's not balanced in macro-nutrients. I wish it weren't true, but my nutrition plan sucks, more often than not.
I digress. Let's get this nutrition piece lined up with the workouts we suffer through together. I like what Rob Miller says: "The workouts were hard. I wasn’t interested in experiencing the pain of exertion and the nausea of metabolic duress without getting the absolute maximum possible benefit from it."
Use the Google machine to search for "food diary" or "food journal" or similar topics. Get a notebook and start recording. Simple as that.
If you are interested in results from your workouts, it's got to start with good nutrition. Have a look at Jessica's blog for tips, recipes and ideas for better nutrition. She's experienced a huge transformation through hard workouts and sound nutritional principles. Others in our workout groups have seen similar results and are willing to share, so don't be afraid to ask. For those of you who have seen changes through hard workouts and changes to your nutrition plan, we hope you are willing to share.
We've been journaling our workouts for quite some time now...and the results are evident as we compare our times/reps/loads to previous entries. So, today (Monday, Feb. 22, 2010) we begin tracking our food intake. This is the first step in determining what sort of changes we need to make to our nutrition plan.
And, just for the sake of clarification, I say "nutrition plan", since a lot of folks are scared off by the word "diet". Regardless of what your "diet" is, it's still a diet. Most "diets" follow some sort of plan, so I've committed to using the words "nutrition plan". Mainly, because the operative word is "plan". An unplanned nutrition plan is still a diet of some sort. Maybe it's the "I plan to eat when I get hungry" sort of nutrition plan.
I think you get the point.
Put some thought into how you can eat better...start out by finding out what you eat. Record everything that goes in. Record how it makes you feel. If you want to get into even more detail, record how it comes out. Yeah, a bit disconcerting, but being mindful of how your body processes what you put into it, might give you insight on feeling better through what you eat.
EAT, then RECORD. The plan is to move toward RECORD, then EAT. Actually planning your meals before you get hungry is the smartest way to control your intake. You simply know what to eat and when. No more guessing at what you should eat or (like me) frantically stuffing the nearest substance into your mouth to satisfy your hunger. Here's my admission: Quite often, I'm so busy/distracted that I forget to eat...really. Then, when, I'm soooo hungry I can't think straight, I jump up, grab whatever is within arm's reach and chow down...and it usually results in overeating, aside from the fact that it's not balanced in macro-nutrients. I wish it weren't true, but my nutrition plan sucks, more often than not.
I digress. Let's get this nutrition piece lined up with the workouts we suffer through together. I like what Rob Miller says: "The workouts were hard. I wasn’t interested in experiencing the pain of exertion and the nausea of metabolic duress without getting the absolute maximum possible benefit from it."
Use the Google machine to search for "food diary" or "food journal" or similar topics. Get a notebook and start recording. Simple as that.
If you are interested in results from your workouts, it's got to start with good nutrition. Have a look at Jessica's blog for tips, recipes and ideas for better nutrition. She's experienced a huge transformation through hard workouts and sound nutritional principles. Others in our workout groups have seen similar results and are willing to share, so don't be afraid to ask. For those of you who have seen changes through hard workouts and changes to your nutrition plan, we hope you are willing to share.
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