One of my Google+ readers was asking me about my diet habits. First, I hate the word diet. I get so tired of people going on and on about every fad diet in the world they’re on..and not sticking to it. Often times, people who “diet” ignore the fact they didn’t gain weight overnight, so losing it ain’t gonna happen that way either.
I don’t diet. Instead, I try to maintain a sense of balance in my eating and my workouts. I fluctuate between a 32 & 33 inch waist. Luckily, I love the natural flavors of most foods. I don’t need lots of heavy sauces. Said sauces often drastically up the fat content of your meal. I also don’t count fat, carbs, protein, etc. I just try to keep the bad stuff to a minimum and the good stuff as a priority. Trans fats and HFCS are evil and should be avoided completely. [1]It doesn’t help that practically EVERYTHING has HFCS in it these days. Protein & veggies should be a priority and depending on which study you pay attention to, carbs can act as filler. When I’m on a heavy weight routine at the gym, protein is the dominant food group with green veggies as prominent sides. Carbs come in heavy after workouts when they’re most needed.
If you have the time (or are willing to make the time) you can break your meals up into 4-5 smaller meals. A meal could be a large healthy snack so it’s not like you are eating a full plate every time. Your highest fat consumption should come early in the day and taper off toward your last meal. My pre-bedtime snacks are usually scrambled or boiled eggs or protein shakes. I also love popcorn. I make it the old-school way in a pot. Instead of butter or vegetable oil, I use olive oil.
I don’t rely on my eating habits alone either. If I find I’ve been eating too much, I up my cardio at the gym. Right now, having gained a few extra pounds from when the boys were visiting, I’m working cardio in every 3rd day. I’ve dropped 10lbs in just 2 weeks. My point is you don’t have to be a food nazi to keep a waistline. If your shooting for that ripped look, unless genetics is on your side, your gonna have to be dedicated in the gym and in your eating habits.
Don’t get me wrong I don’t eat perfect. As you can tell, I don’t watch everything that goes in my mouth. As mentioned, I try for a nice balance. I have my splurges but they are intentional and keep me from feeling deprived. Small indulgences go a long way to help prevent hardcore binges IMHO. [2]I love Popeye’s and Taco Bell, always will…just not every day/week! I have never been a heavy sweets person so that part is relatively easy.