This is not your usual nutritional blogpost advice. In this post I am going to tell you how I stay fit on a a burger and beer. I know that a burger and beer are not a healthy nutritional choice. However, the truth is we are all human! Even fitness and nutrition professionals can and do enjoy their favorite foods. For me it is most definitely a burger and a beer. And of course, I have fries with that.
Many people are surprised that I put these empty calories into my body. They are shocked that I eat red meat, fried foods and most of all I allow myself to have alcohol. I know many fitness professionals who don’t, or at least don’t admit it. But why shouldn’t I allow myself to enjoy these indulgences. I work hard all week, burn a lot of calories with my exercise routine and believe that if I can’t enjoy the things I love than what really is the purpose of living. The most shocking thing is that I don’t just enjoys these types of food once in awhile, I enjoy them every week.
You can’t burn off those calories
On the day that I choose to splurge I know that I will be consuming a ton of empty calories. Plus, I will be slowing down my metabolism by adding the alcohol. However, I don’t even fool myself for a second by thinking that I can burn them off by adding extra exercise.
I often hear people say that they have to push a little harder at the gym on days that they plan on enjoying a great meal. They somehow think that adding a little more time on the treadmill or lifting a little more weight will balance things out and they don’t have to worry about the added calories they plan on consuming.
The truth is, they probably would have to spend about 8-10 hours in an intense workout to really burn off all of the calories of one night of indulgence. Most people can not burn off the 2000 plus calories that a good burger, fries and beer add. So don’t even try.
However, I exercise as I would normally would. By keeping my exercise routine, I am reminded that I am focused on taking care of my body and staying fit. I am just allowing myself to be human at the same time.
The scale is your friend
I am always amazed when someone tells me that they don’t know how they gained 20 plus pounds. They make it sound like the weight just magically appeared overnight. The truth is, that this weight took time to put on. And during this time, it is evident that they were not paying attention.
The scale is your friend. It is your gauge on what is going on with your weight and you need to pay attention to it to successfully manage your diet. You would think someone was crazy if they reported that they were surprised that their car ran out of gas after telling you they never look at the gas gauge. The gas gauge on your car tells you when you need to refuel and when you have enough gas to get to your destination. Your scale tells you when you can indulge a little and when you need to back off of consuming extra calories.
I get on the scale multiple times during the week. Always at the same time of day ( first thing in the morning is best) wearing little or no clothes so it is an accurate measure of my weight. I always know what my weight is and how much I can indulge before I need to cut back. My goal is to try and keep my weight within a 5 pound radius. Knowing that the day after my burger I will most likely be up those five pounds. This helps me make sure that during the rest of the week I am extra careful with my calories so that I loose them again before I can enjoy another high calorie meal.
Don’t Starve Yourself
In between by indulgences I cut back on the calories I consume. However, I do not starve myself. I am careful to ensure that I am eating enough to meet my minimum daily calorie needs. This is very important because I do not want to mess with my metabolism. If your body thinks that it is starving and doesn’t know when it will get it’s next meal then your metabolism crashes and this is the last thing that you want to happen.
You want a strong metabolism so that you can afford to enjoy yourself on occasion and it will not ruin your week of hard work. There are a few ways I ensure my metabolism stays strong.
Stay Consistent
First, I make sure my diet stays consistent during the rest of the week. I try to eat close to the same time every day and my meals do not differ much in the amount I am eating. Eating two meals a day with a protean smoothie in the morning and light snack before bed works best for my schedule. However, what is most important is that my routine stays consistent throughout the week.
Get some Cardio
Second, I make sure I get physical activity into my daily routine. I aim for at least 10,000 steps per day and get a few cardio training sessions in where I focus on elevating my heart rate. Please see my article on How to maximize your cardio workout to lose weight for more information on this area.
Train those muscles
And third, I use my muscles to help me burn more resting calories. I participate in strength training activities at least 3 times a week to maintain and improve my muscle mass. Strength training helps with increasing your metabolism in a couple of ways. First of all, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn at rest ( aka, your metabolism). And second, when you participate in strength training, you create very small tears in your muscle fibers. This is how your muscles become stronger. When the muscles repair from these small tears they grow back stronger. This is that “sore” feeling you get after a good workout. While your muscles are repairing and getting stronger they need more energy (calories) to repair.
Live life and enjoy what you are eating
You need to be able to enjoy your life, eat what you like (on occasion) and live life to the fullest. What is the sense in restricting your diet to the point you can’t have the foods you enjoy. You may live a longer life and be more fit or “healthy”, but if you are not happy and enjoying your life than what is the point.
If you would like to chat further about this area please feel free to send me an email at rebecca@vitalitytransformations.com or schedule a time for us to chat. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you live your best life. Most importantly, enjoying the journey along the way.
