| While training advice is fun to learn and apply to our programs, there isn’t enough attention paid to one’s nutrition practices. This is something that shouldn’t be an issue but unfortunately is for many people. Have you ever heard the phrase “you can’t out train a bad diet”? That old adage is true and has been for a long time. |
By Roger Lockridge
Here’s the thing you should know. There are tips and tricks that you can apply to your daily eating that are simple to do just like there are easy tweaks you can make to your form while training and exercising regularly. Starting today, begin mastering these new common sense habits and you can start seeing improvements in a matter of weeks.
Drink Most of Your Water First Thing in the Morning
We all know about the importance of water both from a health standpoint and in regards to our fitness. Those benefits are awesome but there can be a slight problem. We have to go to the bathroom a lot by the end of the day and into the night. Sleep is important too and it can be rough getting up more than once to relieve yourself. To hopefully prevent this, we don’t drink as much later in the day which means we’re not drinking as much as we should.
Here’s your solution. Drink the majority of your water first thing in the morning. Try to drink two tall glasses first thing in the morning – as soon as you wake up and with breakfast. After that, drink another tall glass every hour you’re awake until you reach the amount you need for the day. For most athletes, a gallon is the standard.
Eat Your Protein First
While each of the major macros (protein, carbs, and fat) are important for multiple reasons, the big one you should pay attention to is the protein. It’s the one that affects your muscle growth or the protection of muscle while you’re trying to lose weight. This is why that when you’re about to enjoy your next meal, you need to make sure you eat your protein first.
Aside from the fact that this assures you eat all of your protein for that particular meal, this tip provides more benefits. It can help you regulate your blood sugar levels as well as help you feel more full so you don’t eat an excess of calories for that meal or in between meals. In other words, it can help you prevent cravings.
Eat Slowly
You’ve had a long day, got held up for whatever reason, and didn’t have a chance to eat before heading home. So you’re starving! You rush in, grab your food, and you can’t start eating fast enough. Because of this, you eat more than usual and you’re eating it faster too. By the time you’re done, you feel like you can’t move and might get sick. Been there? I thought so. Basically what happened is you overloaded yourself with food before you got the signal that you’re satisfied. Your body can’t process all of those calories so the extra gets stored as fat. It will benefit you greatly if you take the time to chew your food, take a few breaths, and prepare for the next bite. You’ll notice that you might be satisfied sooner than usual and will be less likely to eat until you’re “full”.
