What does your shopping cart look like?

If you’re like me, you have little to no willpower to resist eating the little desserts that occupy your cupboard. If there is chocolate, ice cream, cookies, hell, even marshmallows in my pantry I will eventually end up eating all of it. So, I try to shop as clean as I can to prevent that from happening in the first place. If I’m hungry and all I have to eat is healthy food, then I’m safe.

Also notice that there are very few packaged foods in my basket. Grape Nuts and taco seasoning are about the only processed foods I bought on this trip, and that’s a pretty standard process for me. I think the more you buy foods that will expire and come straight from the ground or the animal, the safer you are in your diet. I will be packing chicken breasts, walnuts, apples, bananas and grapefruits to take for my meals at work every day for the next week – it won’t require much prep work in the kitchen, nor will it require much added salt, sugar, or anything. At home I’ll be forced to eat what I buy, and at work I’ll be forced to eat what I pack. If I buy right, then I’ll be good to go.

If one of your new years resolutions is to eat healthier and/or lose weight, the grocery store is where you need to start.

You’ve seen him.  You have probably whispered to your friends about him while he sits across the room, inhaling his food.  Three burgers, three slices of pizza, a whole plate of french fries, and an army of cups filled with what combined looks like a gallon of soda.  That’s probably just round one, and he is almost certainly going back for dessert.

If this person sounds familiar to you, then you are probably a college student who has witnessed this feeding ritual in your campus dining hall.  Sad thing is, in the University setting this kind of eating is fairly common.

This uninhibited way of eating starts when you enter college, at which time you are thrust into an environment where, within the boundaries of the campus food system, what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat is entirely up to you.  Haven’t even see a vegetable in months?  You’re an adult now, and Mom will never know…

The common result of this new style of grazing? You guessed it! The “Freshman 15.”   This is a slow-onset affliction, often going unnoticed until one’s parents look confused into the eyes of a round-faced teenager, wondering if it is really the same child they sent away to school.

But never fear, because eating healthy on campus is manageable if you employ some strategy.  With careful attention and a little planning, it is possible to live the dream – getting others to cook the meals that make you leaner and healthier.

The Meal Plan Format

Typically this is what you get:

- A per week allowance of meals.  This may be 10, 14, 19, or unlimited, depending on your school.  These are typically used at the dining hall or other locations catered by your University food service provider.

- A set amount of discretionary dollars (usually 250 or so) usable at various on-campus food locations such as the dining hall, commercial fast food and convenience stores.

The Options

Dining Hall:  Using a meal here gets you either unlimited buffet-style food or a set amount of buffet-style food, depending on your plan.

Fast Food: A meal will get you a typical fast food “value meal.”  You’ll probably have to pay extra to get it super-sized (this is a good thing).

Convenience Store: What you would expect from a typical Wawa or 7-11, plus a few more grocery items suitable for dorm life.

Just Say No.

The Problem

-You’re in for three big meals a day, not the recommended five or six small ones.  This causes late night hunger, which results in cravings for calories at your least active time of day.

- Your choices, while usually diverse, are still limited by the menu.

- You have little knowledge and no control of what is in the prepared food.

- Exercising portion control is difficult.

- Food is prepared for taste and for the typical American, not the physique conscious

Eating food prepared for you is dangerous because of what you can’t see.  Sure, if you are health conscious you will avoid the fried corndogs and the triple cheeseburgers.  But what about the mashed sweet potatoes?  Just sweet potatoes and a little cinnamon, right? Try a few cups of sugar and a few sticks of butter.  You might not even see or taste those discrete little additions, but trust me they are in there.

You have to understand that taste, not health, is what keeps the student body happy, and the food service company under contract.

The Goal

Creating or maintaining a lean appearance requires an effort to keep blood sugar levels stable throughout the day, which will allow your body to burn fat and maintain consistent energy.  Coupled with an effective workout regimen, your body will have no problem shedding excess fat.

To create this condition, you will need to eat a diet containing lots of lean protein, fiber and nutrient-rich vegetables, fruits and whole grains, as well as healthy fats.  Believe it or not, these choices can be found and a healthy meal assembled from the various campus food stops.

The Solution

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Because you cannot choose what is on the menu each day, you are at the mercy of the food service provider.  This is obviously less than ideal, and as such to eat a perfectly clean meal every time is not realistic if you value variety, which is crucial to keeping on track with your nutritional goals.  Eating the same handful of foods day in and day out leads to tremendous dissatisfaction and will make you unhappy and looking to stray.  I am a firm believer that food needs to be not just healthy, but appealing and palatable as well.

The best approach for campus eating is a holistic one in which you eat a foundation of healthy foods which help to offset the nutritional profile of the less-than-perfect foods.  Could you eat only these excellently healthy foods?  Sure, but your diet would get mighty boring mighty fast.

Vegetables and fruit are essential because they contain lots of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that you body needs.  Fiber content from vegetables, fruit and whole grains are crucial in keeping stable blood sugar, which in turn allows fat to be burned throughout the day.  High fiber foods offset those with less fiber and/or more sugar, preventing the dramatic blood sugar spike that a high sugar food would normally provide.  Eating protein and some fat with each meal has a similar effect of slowing the digestion of a meal.  That said, if you can eat a high-fiber meal with a balance of carbohydrates, protein and a little fat, you will be right on track.

Getting fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet is the number one priority, and yes, vegetables are listed first.  If you don’t eat your veggies (like Mom always insisted) you just are not going to get the look you want.  Eat them at every meal and maintaining a tight body will become a snap.  Wearing out the vegetarian and vegan food options is a great way to accomplish this.  Think about it – these populations eat nothing but plant foods, so you bet they are going to find a way to make them taste good.  Vegans also are great at getting protein from plant sources, and every little bit helps.

Like I said before, if you eat vegetables at every meal, the rest will fall into place.  The holistic approach works like this: Say your dining hall only provides a dozen or two very clean whole food choices such as lean meat, whole fruits and steamed or raw vegetables.  There are certainly a good number of other foods that are not quite as good, but are still reasonably healthy and are important for keeping your meals from getting boring and repetitive.

Take Raisin Bran as an example of a less than perfect food, commonly available in a dining hall.  This is probably one of the most healthy cereal choices, as it is relatively high in fiber, but it has a good deal of sugar, both from raisins and added sugar.  Eating Raisin Bran is a decent choice, but becomes much better when eaten with a four egg omelet made with lots of onions, peppers and broccoli, an orange and a few handfuls of grapes.  In this example, you are offsetting the high sugar content of the Raisin Bran with the high fiber of the vegetables and fruit, and slowing down digestion with the protein and fat from the eggs.  As a whole, your meal is almost certainly low-glycemic (having a small effect on your blood sugar) and a good source of nutrients.

The Between-Meal Meals

Again, three big meals per day is not an ideal scheme.  Rather, one should strive for many smaller meals spaced two to four hours apart.

Another problem for the college student is finding healthy foods away from the dining hall.  The fact of the matter is that fruits and vegetables and lean protein are simply difficult to find in easily transportable packages, as is needed to take to and from class, the gym, etc.

Finding carbohydrate sources and lesser amounts of protein is easier in convenience stores and as sides at fast food restaurants.

The solution to this problem is simple: Get a ton of veggies and protein when in the dining hall, where they are more accessible, and take (stockpiling is a good idea) some fruit with you.  This way, you can go to a granola bar and some beef jerky, or a protein bar and a banana for those slightly smaller meals when you are on the go and between the three major meals.  If you skimp on the natural foods in the dining hall, you will find difficulty trying to catch up on your vital nutrients via packaged and more processed foods.

This is also where the fast food options come in: as supplements to the slightly bigger, more nutrient dense dining hall meals.  Sub shops are usually the best option and dressings, mayo, and use of white bread and fatty deli meats should be avoided.  Whole cuts like roast beef, ham and turkey prepared on whole wheat bread or a wrap with a load of vegetables is the way to go.

The holistic approach works here as well.  Sub shop only has white bread today?  Chicken tenders your only source of protein for the next six hours? OK, well eat that large apple you saved from lunch with it, and that five grams of fiber will go a long way toward slowing down the absorption of that white bread or fried chicken.   Carrots and celery, fruit, and salads are all great choices to eat in conjunction with a fast food meal that might be your only choice.

Burgers?  Chicken Tenders? Burrito bowl? Panda Express? Not so much.  These are all far from healthy and rarely able to be saved considering all the fat, lack of fiber, sugar, sodium and other additives that you would expect from fast food.  Look for grilled, roasted, or stir-fried with little oil if you must buy from these vendors, and watch your portions carefully.

While we are on the topic of portion control, smoothies and coffee drinks are some of the most innocuous looking yet evil concoctions around.  These make health claims or pose as simple little drinks, but they are a disaster in disguise.  Ever read the nutrition info for a typical 20-ounce smoothie?  Be prepared to find around 80 grams of sugar or more, which you will not burn off en route to your next class.  That chai-mocha-latte-whatever? As much fat and sugar as a hearty ice cream cone.  Go for water or low-fat milk – they will never lead you astray!

Tempting but Deceptive

Not sure if that burrito, coffee drink or tuna salad is off-limits? Commercial restaurants almost always have nutrition information available, so use it.  So will your dining hall food provider, for that matter.  These pamphlets will tell you if that so called “healthy” food or drink really delivers.

Eating numerous moderate sized, evenly spaced meals of good quality will pay dividends in a short time.  Using all of what is available to you is key, and you have to make informed decisions when you are forced into limited options.  When you are eating food prepared for you, often you have to choose the lesser of evils to stay on track, but if you make enough quality choices the lesser ones won’t get much of a say in how you look.

The Offering

So what is up for grabs on campus?

Poor Choices (lots of added fat, sodium, sugar)

- Pizza

- Burgers

- Chicken wings

- Processed deli meats (salami, bologna, etc.)

- Hot Dogs, sausage

- Anything Deep-fried

- Almost all fast food

- Most smoothies and coffee drinks

- Adding syrups, jellies, sauces, dressings, sugar

- Desserts

- Foods of unknown composition (as mentioned, like mashed potatoes, some stir     fries, meat sauce)

- Anything Alfredo or heavy in cream or cheese

- Sugary beverages, including chocolate milk, soda, sports drinks, juices

Decent Choices (have a little too much added sugar, fat or sodium, but reasonable)

- Sauteed, glazed, lightly breaded meats and fish

- Fattier cuts of meat like ribeye, flank, chicken thighs and legs

- Less than whole-wheat grain products

- Wheat cereals with added sugar

- Canned and drained fruit

- Stir Fry, white rice

- Pasta (stick to red sauces)

- Regular yogurt (usually high in sugar)

-Whole cottage cheese

-Canned and drained fruit

- Broth based soups

Excellent Choices (largely whole foods without much added aside from seasoning)

- Roasted, grilled, baked fish, chicken breast, turkey, beef, pork, etc. (fat trimmed,    skin removed)

- Vegetables

- Fruits

- Whole grain products

- Low fat dairy products

- Eggs

- Tofu, soy milk, soy beans

- Brown, wild rice

- Vegan and vegetarian offerings

Note: This is a short list, but hopefully extensive enough to give an understanding of the sort of foods that fit into each category.  You will want as many excellent choices as possible, but as was already said, the decent ones will keep you sane, while still keeping you trim if you keep them paired with the best available foods.

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that the menu will be ever changing and always limited, but make the best of it and don’t blame yourself if your meals are not bodybuilder perfect.  If you employ the strategies mentioned, you should be able to get the body you want while still getting the satisfaction from food that we humans need.  Food is more than nutrients, so use the holistic approach and eat what you need to stay committed.

You will see results if you keep at it and continue to educate yourself while you work hard.  It is easier than you think to transform yourself and your habits while young, and get on cruise control for the rest of your life.

And remember, once those four years are over it is going to be you doing the cooking.  Live the dream while it lasts!

But it doesn’t just stop there. Aside from being provided with multiple loaves of bread, plastic silverware and two orphanage-sized jars of Skippy and Smuckers to stave off the pregame hunger, players are typically provided with a big spread of concession-stand hotdogs, hamburgers, corndogs, soda, popcorn, or whatever the ballpark was selling that night. 10 pizzas from Papa Johns after the game?

Absolutely.

Sure, the pasta and other catered meals sometimes find their way into the clubhouse after games, but those meals appear with less frequency and certainty.

Plus, it’s the little things. There’s actual Gatorade in the cooler, a big tub of Dubble Bubble, and all the free bags of David sunflower seeds you can spit. And yes, I know Dubble Bubble tastes like soggy newspaper roughly 25 seconds after your first chew, but hell, just spit it out and grab another piece – it’s free, after all.

Dubble Bubble is to Gum as White Castle is to Restaurants

I just find it ironic that the high level athletes, besides playing a kids’ game, largely get fed kid food, and they love it. I’d be lying if I told you that my first peanut butter and jelly sandwich wasn’t awesome – it was. I eat super healthy when I can buy and cook my own food, so I never eat the stuff that I’ve been eating, mostly because if I don’t, I’ll go hungry. The travel schedule and energy demands of being on the road and at the ballpark all day are high, making packing all of one’s food pretty much a non-option. Sure, you can plan ahead and bring some healthy stuff with you, but overall, you eat what they give you. You can cringe at the options, or allow your smiling inner-child a summer in the sun.

A screenshot from the new Gatorade site

Now, I know I have harped on this book before, but I just can’t harp on it enough – Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition is a fantastic, researched-based book on the hows and whys of sports nutrition timing, which Gatorade is utilizing in their G-series line. What you really need to know is that a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein is optimal not only for post-workout consumption (the most important meal of the day), but also before and during a workout or competition. Having protein in the mix does magical things, allowing your body to perform better in and recover quicker from a workout or competition.

So, Gatorade is making an effort to add protein to their products. This is a good start, but they really don’t knock it out of the ballpark. This article from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute confirms the same approximate 4:1 carb-protein ratio as ideal for sports drinks. Yet, Gatorade’s new “Recover” drink provides 16 grams of protein per bottle coupled with only 14 grams of carbs. This less than 1:1 ratio isn’t even consistent with their own research on post-workout nutrition. It’s great that they’re providing protein now in their recovery drink, but it’s not in the right mix.

Gatorade Recover

And as for “Prime” and “Perform”, steps 1 & 2 respectively in the 3 stage system, there is no protein whatsoever in the formulas. “Perform” is regular old gatorade, providing 14 grams of sugar per 8oz (which some studies say is too much), and “Prime” is a 4oz packet of gel containing 25 grams of carbohydrate, designed to be slurped 15 minutes before competition. This concept has been out for quite sometime, and forced down by runners and bikers by the brand names of “GU” or “PowerGel”.

I don’t see anything wrong with taking the gel and drinking Gatorade during a workout, and it can certainly be beneficial IF you’re working hard enough. Gatorade is right in that the pre, during and post-workout timeframes all require giving your body nutrition to perform optimally. But, the research is saying that:

1. The 4:1 carbs-protein ratio should be used in all windows, not just post-workout, for best performance. (Gatorade only puts protein into its post-workout drink, and in the wrong ratio.)
2. Consumption needs to be tailored to your endeavor and your body size and metabolic needs. (Bigger, more muscled athletes or those with more intense workouts or sports need more fuel, but Gatorade doesn’t provide guidelines for this.)

Overall, Gatorade has wised up a bit, but is still lacking. I wish they would put protein in all their drinks. I also wish they would correct the ratio on their recovery drink, but I’m willing to grant them the charity that maybe they assume drinking Gatorade Perform will leave enough carbohydrate in the system to boost the post-workout ratio. Maybe.

Yet, even though Gatorade has improved, it’s still over-consumed by athletes everywhere. It’s used too often as a recreational go-to drink and a replacement for water, rather than serious workout/competition nutrition which is what it should be reserved for. Guys and gals don’t need to down 2 quarts of it during a baseball or volleyball practice or while walking to and from class. There is still 56 grams of sugar per quart and if you’re not working out hard, you’re better off with water, a more dilute sports drink, and a healthy meal for fuel.

**I am a strength coach and pitching instructor in the Central Illinois area. Personal training, pitching lessons, and custom training programs are among my available services. If you liked this post, please subscribe to my monthly newsletter – you will receive member-only tips, tricks and/or special offers on services and products.**
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Thanks for reading! -Dan Blewett

…or maybe not.

EAT MORE VEGETABLES, LESS CRAP

Enough broccoli to shelter a community of smurfs

I know you feel duped, but there really is no big secret. You just need to eat mostly vegetables and lean protein.

If you want to look good on the beach, stop giving in to your guilty pleasures and eat some veggies, for god’s sake. If you’re not committed to eating vegetables, your body isn’t committed to losing fat. That’s the (not so)shocking truth!

USP stands for U.S. Pharmacopeia, and they test dietary supplements to verify that what is on the label is actually in the product. Right now, all you’re likely to find with the USP seal is bottled capsules and tablets – sports products almost never go through USP verification.

Look For This Seal

The USP seal is the only thing I care about when I buy things like vitamins. Not all types of products, though, are going to go through this process. If you buy things like creatine, whey protein, and other sports nutrition products you just want to buy from a company you trust, because even the reputable companies don’t seem to get those types of products verified.  I trust Optimum Nutrition for my protein, and NOW foods for seemingly everything else (NOW sells protein too, but I like Optimum better).  NOW is one of my favorite companies to buy from because the vast majority of their products, are subject to some sort of independent testing or USP verification.

I’m not all the reliant on supplements, as whole foods are priority #1, but I do make sure to get the best for the least when I do buy them. Fish oil comes from Carlson, whey protein from Optimum, a multivitamin and vitamin D from Wal-Mart (Equate brand, baby!), and creatine from Optimum.

Bottom line is, if the ingredients are the same, why pay more? I know guys who lovetalking about taking their Animal Pak multivitamins. They feel soooo great taking these packets of 7 or more pills to get the RDIs of every vitamin. Animal Pak has done a great job at selling to suckers under the premise that if 100% RDI is good, then 1500% must be 15X better. Not so. And guess what? If I did want to take a worthless mega-dose of vitamins I could just pop 8 Equate multis. At 4¢ a piece, taking more than necessary still wouldn’t break the bank (Animal pak runs about $35 for 44 days worth, making each dose about $.80 each).

I don’t stress about taking vitamins because I try to eat for my vitamins, and I do a pretty good job of it. Anyone who eats a balance diet of lots of different colored vegetables and fruits doesn’t need a whole lot of help from multivitamins, and certainly not the mega-doses that many brands claim are crucial to health or athletic performance.

The bottom line? Pick the cheapest product that gives you the VERIFIED potency you are looking for.

Come back on Thursday, March 18th for my thoughts on buying fish oil, and feel free to comment on brands that you know and trust!

What Do I Need to Get Out of My Meals?

Breakfast

Let’s assume you arise at 8:00 am, and will depart for bed at 11:00 pm.  Your breakfast needs to set the stage for 15 hours of activity, and it’s makeup should reflect that.

What macronutrient is associated with a rapid increase in energy? You guessed it – Carbohydrates.  Now, there is a lot of misinformation about carb intake but no matter your dietary goals, they need to be included in every diet – the questions are how many, and when.

The specific “how many” is something that needs to be addressed on an individual basis, but the general answer to both questions is more in the morning, and less in the evening.  The reason behind this is simple: with more hours of activity in front of you, the more carbohydrates you will need to sustain good energy levels, and with less activities and minimal awake time before a night of sleep, carbs should be kept to a minimum.

Mango-Blueberry Oatmeal. When You Need Carbs, it's Good and Good For You

So if you’re going to eat a higher carb meal, the time to do it is first thing in the morning.  This will give you a blood sugar boost, replenish your liver glycogen (your liver stores carbs for energy, that it largely depletes overnight) and give you a great start for the rest of the day.

Yet, you don’t just want to pound a bowl of Golden Grahams and pat yourself on the back for a perfect first meal – rather, you need to eat foods that will slowly release those carbs for the next 3-5 hours, keeping you going without an insulin spike and crash.

NO.

Foods with a low glycemic index will provide sustained energy, and eating a meal with all three macronutrients (carbs, fat, protein) will also help slow gastric emptying and keep you full and energetic longer.  Have some fat, some protein, and some carbs, all from natural whole food sources.

A great sample breakfast might look like this:

• A bowl of cooked Old Fashioned Oats with chopped walnuts, apples, raisins, cinnamon and flax seed meal.
• 4 Eggs over easy, made with 3 whites and 1 whole egg
• A teaspoon of Fish Oil
• A big glass of water (or two – remember you’re still dehydrated from a good night’s sleep)

Dinner

So you just got home from work, and you’re hungry.  What to eat?  Let’s consider the situation:  You’re grounded at home for the rest of the night, save maybe an errand or two.  No hard work, no exercise, just catching up with the family and relaxing until bedtime.  How does this change your energy requirements, you ask?

You no longer NEED big sources of carbs – grain products, rice, potatoes, etc.  They will provide you with carbohydrates that your body won’t be able to burn by time you go to sleep.  Unless you want to store those extra carbs as fat, you need to adjust your intake for dinner and the smaller meals/snacks before bed.

Vegetables are Your Body's BFF

People who stay lean always follow this rule: eat for what you just did, or what you are about to do. If you just worked out (remember, post-workout is THE most important meal of the day) then you need to eat more carbs and protein to get maximum results from your hard work.  If you’re about to work out, then you need a few more carbs as well to make sure you get through it.  If you’re relaxing for the evening, then carbs are largely off limits.

So for dinner your plate should be largely covered with lean protein, green vegetables, and it’s okay to include a little more fat than earlier in the day.  Because you still need some source of energy, but don’t want to awaken your pancreas, protein and fat are your best friends later in the day.  You will get a great, healthy meal with said protein, fat, and veggies.  Shelve the starchier vegetables and grains for tomorrow’s breakfast, lunch or post-workout meal.

A Sample dinner might look like this:

• 8oz of London Broil
• 1 Cup of Lentils, cooked with chicken stock and spices
• 1-2 Cups of sliced squash, zucchini, broccoli and carrots stir-fried in a little olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper

This meal is full of protein, fiber, healthy fat and nutrients.  It’s the perfect energy source for your last few hours of the night. Make enough and you can have leftovers as a snack or small meal later on.

2¼ Cups Tap Water : .0001¢

1 Heaping Cup Frozen Mango Chunks: 80¢

1 Heaping Cup Blueberries: 60¢

1/4 Cup Ground Flaxseed: 10¢

No added sugar, splenda, salt, or any of that garbage: $0.00

Waking up with a smile, because I’m about to eat the best oatmeal ever….

One Dan-Size Portion

…PRICELESS! (man, what a dork I am)

So, one of the biggest factors in sticking to healthy diet is stocking your cupboards with only the foods you should eat.  If you don’t have any sticky buns available, then you won’t eat them at 11pm when you suddenly have a craving.  Sensible, right?

The thing with healthy foods is that they are sort of a double edged sword.  Per calorie, healthy food like veggies, fruits, fish, nuts, etc. are far and away more expensive than processed junk foods.  For example, a 10 oz box of macaroni and cheese costs about 79 cents, and provides around 1000 calories when prepared.  A whole pound of fresh broccoli costs 1.59 and provides maybe 200 calories.  Get the picture? Though the broccoli is the hands-down winner in health, it won’t keep your body going if your budget is tight.  This is, sadly, why poor families just simply can’t afford to be healthy.

Yet, per dollar, you can get A LOT of food when you choose healthy rather than processed and unhealthy, and healthy food keeps you full longer (bonus!).  You can buy a huge drum of “Old-fashioned” Oats for 3 dollars, whereas a box of 12 small flavored oatmeal packets costs 4 dollars.  Eat it plain, add fruit, or flavor it yourself, and you have a significant savings by buying bulk commodity oatmeal versus the prepackaged, less healthy version.  Though healthy food is almost always more pricey per calorie, in many instances the bulk version of it is vastly cheaper than the processed versions that are ready-made for us.  Plus, by buying commodities you avoid the sugar and salt that are added to prepackaged foods, such as that flavored oatmeal, which wreck otherwise healthy foods and diets.

The strategy that I take into the grocery store with me is one of getting the most healthy food for my dollar.  I don’t compromise on the food itself, but I make compromises on taste and how much prep time I have to put in.  When I say I compromise on taste I mean that I don’t worry about what it tastes like in the state I buy it, because I will prepare it so that it’s palatable to me back home.  I’ve got a pretty good system going, and I’ll share what works for me…

Tips for becoming a better shopper:

• Buy commodity Foods in bulk (oatmeal, rice, quinoa, etc.) instead of prepackaged versions
• Buy fresh fruits and veggies that are in-season, as they will be cheapest
• Buy all other fruits and veggies frozen, as they will be cheap anyway
• Go with generic brand whenever possible, unless you KNOW there is a difference
• Don’t pay for drinks, ever!  Imagine how much food you could buy for the 30+ dollars you probably spend on drinks each month.  They contribute calories without making you full, which is a dietary nightmare. Sugary drinks suck, tap water is free, and bottled water is overrated.
• Trade in the dressings, sauces and marinades for spices, which are tasty, cheaper and don’t contribute empty calories
• Try the 4 dollar rule: Buy only meat that costs 4 dollars or less per pound.  There is always some kind of lean meat that adheres to this on any given day at the grocery.  Unless it’s grass-fed, more expensive meat isn’t worth it on a day-day basis.
• Don’t buy things you LOVE.  You’ll just eat them all within two days.
• Don’t buy things you hope you’ll eat, but probably won’t.  I do this a lot, mostly with fresh green veggies, and I waste them about half the time.  If you really want to include something in your diet, buy in small quantities to start.

Try some of these tips out, and I know you’ll get more bang for your buck.  I see people buying huge bags of Tostitos for 4 bucks a pop, and I can’t help think what a waste it is.  I’d kill that whole bag in 15 minutes, still not be full, and be on the fast track to obesity and vitamin deficiency.  I’d trade that for some frozen cherries mixed with plain oatmeal any day!

Sure, burning more calories will help, especially if you’re inactive, but modern training techniques are way beyond that, and I wouldn’t waste your time with sustained cardio and a recommendation of more salads (though salads have their place).

What You Really Should Be Doing

Metabolic circuit/complex training.  Ever heard of it?  Unless you’re a pretty advanced and knowledgeable trainee, then probably not.  Yet, it’s far and away the best method to burn fat, add muscle definition, and increase conditioning all at once.  Sounds great, right?  Well, there’s a catch…

It can and will bring you to your knees.  Sorry, but all good things in this world take sacrifice.  If you’re willing to really work hard and actually want to meet your goals, training this way will be the best decision you’ve ever made.  Stay tuned because I’ll be posting more about this type of training complete with sample videos.

What You Really Should Be Eating

More veggies, more protein, less processed foods, and fish oil!  If that sounds simple, it’s because it kinda is.  When you eat lean protein and  veggies at each meal, your body will start reshaping itself almost immediately.  There are lots of complex reasons to eat veggies, omega-3s, and lean protein in each meal, all the while omitting the processed crap, but don’t worry about it – just do it.