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 You can work diligently all week following your menu and adhering to your exercise program only to have the “wheels come off” over the weekend and undermine all your efforts.  It can easily be done with an ounce of fudge here, a piece of pizza there or maybe to large a serving size or an appetizer at your favorite restaurant. 

If eating splurges are a problem for you, it is essential that you stick to your long range planning. The weekends typically encourage people to indulge in high-fat, high-calorie foods that are low in nutrients, and this is also the time we’re most likely to make excuses for skipping exercise.

One of the most significant diet dangers revolves around sugar consumption. Problems arise from riding on a sugar roller coaster. When you binge on sugar, you tend to crave more.

Along with sunlight deprivation, sugar binges cause a drop (after a rise) in serotonin, a chemical in the brain that regulates sleep and appetite. A lack of serotonin is often associated with depression. When you’re deprived of serotonin, you won’t feel calm and in control.

To help boost your serotonin levels naturally, eat small but frequent meals that include complex, starchy carbohydrates. You can also help control blood sugar levels and appetite by eating a balanced amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat at least four times a day. Having protein, carbohydrates and fat in every meal keeps energy levels constant and appetite under control.

You should keep up your regular exercise during the weekends and accept no excuses. When endorphins are high, you’ll cope with stress better, and exercise will boost endorphins.

Here are some other weekend survival tips:

• Avoid eating no fat. Eating moderate amounts of fat at a meal can help you feel full sooner and keep you full longer, just don’t overdue it.
• Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals leads to hunger, low energy levels and improper food choices.
• Don’t pass up favorite foods or deprive yourself completely. Moderate consumption is the key.
• Don’t tempt yourself by keeping trigger foods or comfort foods around the house. If you have them, it increases the likelihood that you will overeat.
• Plan meals by keeping in mind the demands you’ll have on your schedule that day.
• Don’t go to a party starving. Before you leave home, eat something light or drink a meal replacement shake. Also drink a great deal of water the day of the party.
• Alcoholic beverages pack on the calories. If you’re drinking alcohol, stick to light beer or a champagne spritzer. 
• If you tend to overeat during family gatherings, plan and visualize what and how much you will eat before you go. Plan additional daily activities for that day or the following one. The additional activity can be anything from a longer shopping day to additional gym time.

Your Friend and Coach,

 

Zack Philpot CFT, SPN

Follow these simple tips from registered dietitian Jayson Hunter, the Head of Research and Development for Prograde Nutrition, for a lean and healthy body.

1. Eat 4-6 small meals day a day instead of the usual 2-3 large meals. Eating frequently will help regulate and boost your metabolism to burn more calories.

2. Consume whole foods that are high in fiber and low in sugar, such as lean protein sources (lean beef, chicken, fish, and whey protein), fruits & vegetables (oranges, apples, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, peppers, asparagus, carrots, nuts (almonds, cashews, & walnuts), and whole grains.

3. Eat low-glycemic carbohydrates such as vegetables, whole-wheat products and oatmeal instead of refined processed carbohydrates which usually come in a box or a bag.

4. Consume 25-35 grams of fiber per day. Fiber will help satisfy hunger pangs as well as control insulin and blood sugar levels which tend to promote fat storage.

5. Eat some type of lean protein at each meal. Protein helps to satisfy hunger and provide the necessary building blocks to maintain lean body mass while losing body fat.

6. Consume adequate amounts of healthy fat foods such as olive oil, walnuts, almonds, Omega-3 fortified eggs or other Omega-3 products.  Healthy fats are great antioxidants as well as help with brain function and many other essentials processes that take place in the body on a daily basis. Essential Fatty acids also help prevent certain diseases. To guarantee you’re consuming enough Omega-3 supplement your diet with EFA Icon.

7. Eat 5-10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day to meet your micronutrient needs.  Vegetables also contain a good amount of fiber and help to control appetites and curb hunger. Additionally, VGF25+ provides the power-packed nutrition of 25 whole vegetables, greens and fruits in a convenient “super pill.”

8. Consume Green Tea or Water instead of calorie filled drinks such as soft drinks.  Green Tea has many health benefits and should be drinking 1ml of non-caffeinated fluid for every calorie that you consume. This works out between (8-12) 8oz glasses of Green Tea or Water a day.

9. Balance your fat intake for the day. 1/3 should come from saturated fats, 1/3 from monounsaturated fats, and 1/3 from polyunsaturated fats. Again, ensure you’re consuming Anti-Oxidant rich Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids by incorporating EFA Icon into your nutritional plan.

10. Consistent fat loss requires good habits. If you want to create good habits then you need plan. Therefore, map out your meals every day and follow them. If you follow your plan everyday for 2-3 weeks you will form habits that become part of your daily routine and part of your life.

11. Incorporate “superfoods” into your meal plan on a daily basis. Some examples are salmon, low-fat plain yogurt, tomatoes, spinach, mixed berries, whole oats, mixed nuts, olive oil, flax seeds(or flax meal), green tea, and various beans. Many of the super nutrition found in these “superfoods” are also found inVGF25+.

12. Keep total fat intake under 30% for the day.  This can easily be accomplished by avoiding “extra” fats such as butter, sour cream, mayonnaise… This doesn’t mean you have to completely eliminate these items, just use them sparingly and avoid adding them to foods whenever possible.

13. Exercise, exercise, exercise… Yes, you can lose weight just by changing your eating habits. But very few people succeed long-term – and it takes much longer to lose fat – when they don’t exercise. And something most people don’t realize is, just how critical ingesting the research proven Protein to Carbohydrate ratio is to optimizing the results of your workout efforts. Read More About Prograde Workout……

14. Record what you eat and drink. You will be amazed by what you find. Keeping a food journal is critical to your success because you need it to evaluate and analyze your current eating patterns. If your fat loss efforts are stagnant the answer can usually be found in your food journal.

15. Follow the 90% rule. If you can follow your plan 90% of the time you will soon see unwanted fat melt off your body. However, if you find yourself breaking these rules more than 90% of the time your chances of failing increase significantly. 

 

Your Friend and Coach,

Zack Philpot CFT, SPN
Kinetic Synergy
www.kineticsynergy.com