Football Season

Kick-Off Your Eating Plan

Football is back. It’s the start of drinking beer, eating nachos, devouring chicken wings, and spending endless hours on the couch in front of a TV – the perfect recipe for trouble when it comes to your eating and exercise regimen. So just like our Broncos, you need an offensive and defensive plan.

Going on the offense – think ahead so you don’t sabotage yourself. Eat something before you leave the house. Nothing too big, just a healthy snack so you don’t arrive pregame starving and make a beeline to the food table. If you’re not going to a bar, make or bring something healthy – this way you know there’s at least something you can nibble on successfully without all the guilt. Load up on fruits and veggies or choose a high protein option. This doesn’t mean go crazy on the chicken wings and blue cheese sauce. Did you know that ten fried chicken wings have roughly 1590 calories and 107 grams of fat!1 So try and stay away from fried foods (get grilled if you can) and fill up on high fiber veggies instead. If you’re going to drink, try lower calorie versions of your favorite cocktail. Light beer for instance or club soda instead of fruit juice in a cocktail. And always remember the one to one rule – for every cocktail or beer you consume, drink a full glass of water. Remember, alcohol increases your appetite and decreases your willpower.

Send in the defense. So all the preplanning in the world didn’t keep you away from those nachos…it happens. Time to rebound and tackle those missteps with the fortitude of a strong defensive line. Get back on track the very next day. Don’t let a food coma keep you from working out. If all you can manage is a 45-minute brisk walk, something is better than nothing. Eat breakfast. It may seem counter productive but having a solid morning meal helps prevent overeating the rest of the day and kick starts your metabolism. According to an article in WomansDay.com, “research has consistently shown that including protein is key. That’s because protein (think eggs, lowfat cheese, yogurt) has the most staying power, so you stay fuller longer and wind up eating less overall.”2 Next, you should avoid foods that cause water retention and add ones that help flush out extra salt. Odds are those football snacks were loaded with sodium, especially if you were eating out. Don’t add to your hangover bloat. Eat lots of fruits and veggies throughout the day and drink plenty of water.

Rerun the game day footage in your head. What could you have done better to set yourself up for success? Or did you do a healthy job of moving down the field? Congrats to you then on your win! However, with roughly 256 games in a football season, you’re not going to win them all. Enlist the help of a friend or even a Personal Trainer at Advanced Physical Training if you need some extra encouragement. It never hurts to stack the deck. Hope to see you at the Super Bowl lean and mean!

1 http://www.thatsfit.com/2006/12/13/how-many-calories-in-10-chicken-wings/

2 http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/nutrition/how-to-overcome-overeating

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *