Performance Nutrition

• Get rid of junk food.
  Junk food provides few nutrients and a lot of calories (hence the term "empty calories). Examples include cookies, pastries, candy and processed goods. The less junk food sitting around your house the better.



• Keep healthy snacks handy.
  Celery, carrots, protein bars, etc.



• Select the Nutrition "Special Report."
  Sign up for the free newsletter (top of this page) and select the Nutrition "Special Report" category for learning how to eat for fitness and health.



• Have a shake.
  Ready-to-drink meals and meal replacement powders, when combined with your regular diet, help keep fat intake down and offer a lot of convenience.



• Don't skip meals.
  Starving yourself only lowers your bodies metabolism (it tries to hold on to everything it has) and creates uneven energy levels throughout the day making you very hungry. Sooner or later, you'll give in and over consume. Skipping meals also makes it hard to exercise because you'll have less energy.



• Alcohol facts.
  Alcohol is the only form of calorie your muscles CANNOT burn for fuel. Alcohol slows your metabolism. Alcohol also stimulates your appetite for fatty foods. Many people would lose weight if they did nothing but stop drinking.



• Eat breakfast.
  This should be the largest meal of the day, yet people often skip it completely. Eating breakfast gives you a head start on an energized and healthy day. Also, not eating breakfast may cause your resting metabolic rate to dip by 5 percent - a small decline that may creep up to a 10-pound weight gain in a year’s time.



• Don't eat 2 hours before bed.
  And don't consume any carbohydrates within 3 hours before bed, or it will be stored as bodyfat.



• Read the labels.
  The FDA has done a great job making information available to consumers.



• "Treat" yourself.
  Reward yourself one day a week by eating something like ice cream, cheeseburger, pizza or whatever you know is a "forbidden" food. But do this ONLY if you've been good!

  




• Take a "before" picture.
  Even if you have a big gut or saggy thighs, you have a lot to look forward to. The rewards of proper exercise and diet will become even more apparent when you compare yourself 3 months from now to that picture!



• Keep a food journal.
  I'm not a fan of counting every calorie you take in, but a least write down foods you know you shouldn't have on a regular basis and also the foods that are good for you. On the days you do well, you may want to give yourself 10 points. If you ate poorly (like most Americans do) give yourself 1 point. Give yourself 10 points for your "cheat" day and aim for 70 points each week!



• Do you need that side?
  Restaurants and fast food joints are popular for throwing in a side of greasy fries, onion rings, etc. Ask for a side of fruit, low-fat cottage cheese, or a plain baked potato instead.



• Put a picture of someone you DON'T want to look like on your fridge.
  Be sure this person is wearing a swim suit! This should help motivate you to monitor your diet and exercise.



• Sip green tea.
  Researchers believe that flavonoids in the tea are responsible for a metabolism boost.