Best Reads

By: MuscleSports.net

Controlling your eating in your off-season pay huge dividends when it become time to compete!

One of the biggest things I see every year are people who sacrifice and go through their own little personal hell (at least that's what they tell me) to get the pound off for summer then turn around and start over stuffing their face once the weather starts getting a little cold. It's not the yoyo dieting that killing this country its yoyo eating. The body can't take going up and down with dramatic shifts in bodyweight. You put your CNS under tremendous strain doing this on a repeated basis. Follow these simple 5 rules to keep your eating in Check during the winter months.

5 Tips for Better Fall/Winter Eating

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER!
NO SNACKING!
KEEP JUNK CARBS TO A BARE MINIMUM!
DO CARDIO 2-3 TIME A WEEK!
DON'T SKIP MEALS!

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER! We know that you hear this a lot, but for a bodybuilder or any training athlete drinking plenty of water every day is very important. Water of course helps remove toxins from the body, but it also hydrates the muscles and helps with nutrient adsorption. Hard training bodybuilders should get at least 1 - 1-½ gallons a day. Yeah, I know we said gallon and that is allo of water, so keep track of your water intake and make sure you stay well hydrated.
NO SNACKING! One of the biggest problems in the winter and fall months is holidays and this traditionally involves plenty of carb and fat rich foods. You think you're doing well because as you say you'll only have a snack here and there. Well, those snacks add up to some very big calories and on very big gut and ass come January. So, NO snacking outside of your meal schedule, if you're going to eat save those meals for when you have meals scheduled so you can moderate proportions and choices. This is one of the main rules of Holiday Eating.
KEEP JUNK CARBS TO A BARE MINIMUM! Limit all junk carbs such as cakes, pies, cookies, and high calorie drinks to 1 treat a day and if possible, to just a couple times a week. One of the easiest ways to and extra calories is to drink them, and with all the social time in the fall/winter drinking something you're not supposed to becomes quite easy. So, watch the sweets and the drinks during the off-season.
DO CARDIO 2-3 TIME A WEEK! Keeping your cardio up to about 20-30 minutes at least 3 times a week will help you burn off a lot of the extra calories that come with the holidays. When January rolls around you don’t want to have much to peel off pounds of fat and your health will thank you for it.
DON'T SKIP MEALS! The number 2 biggest problems in the winter months with weight gain is the skipping of meals because of all the things we have to do during the day. Skipping meals is the #1 cause of overeating at meals and stuffing yourself with junk you really do need. Stay on schedule and eat when you're supposed to and you can have these seasonal foods in moderation on your terms.

The bottom-line is don't fall off your meal plan just because of the Holidays or fall and winter months, you can still have a great season and still maintain your bodyweight to not come out in January looking like a sum wrestler.

Tags: Athlete Nutrition General Health Whole Foods