Maybe you have heard of the KISS principle: Keep It Simple Silly. You can use it for many things. I believe that sometimes we have a tendency to make eating too hard. As a personal trainer working with clients, many of whom are overweight, I work with them in making small, simple modifications that are do-able. Keeping it simple is more likely to get compliant clients who experience success. That's what we both want.
Here are several simple suggestions to consider for eating changes.
Eat early. The body awakes in a starvation state since usually we haven't eaten for 10-12 hours. So, the body will remain at the low caloric burn of sleeping if we don't rev it up. Eating actually does burn calories, so we need to eat breakfast. This meal can consist of anything, in other words, it doesn't have to be breakfast food as we know it. As long as you eat about 4-500 calories of a combination of carbohydrate (breads, pastas, fruits, veggies, etc.) and protein (chicken, beans, soy, tofu, lean beef, etc.) and a little fat (easy to get - no worries about too little here), you are good to go. Now, I am also suggesting eat early for considering the last mini-meal of the day. Rather than follow traditional American culture and eat a lot late, I suggest you eat only 500 calories tops after say 7 or so. You won't wake up starving in the middle of the night if you have a portion of carbohydrate and protein and yet, you won't be stuffed when you go to bed.
Eat bright. I love this one. Try something new. In my experience, people don't eat enough fruits and vegetables and they eat the same ones all the time. So, go to the grocery and just stand back and look at the produce section. It looks beautiful with all the colors - reds, greens, yellows, oranges, purples, etc. Get a whole grocery cart of beets, green beans, yellow peppers, radishes, spinach, yams, broccoli, yellow beans, carrots, brussel sprouts, etc. I dare you to pick something that you have never eaten before and buy it. And, when you look in your grocery cart in the checkout line, if you have more boxes and cans and bottles than not, you are going the wrong direction in your eating habits. Make it a game to one day notice few boxes, bottles, and cans but lots of fresh, brightly colored produce in the cart. Veggies and fruits are packed with more vitamins and minerals, more healthy things that our bodies need than any box, bottle, can or pill contains.
Eat often. I love it when I know I have to eat virtually all the time. I love to eat so eating 5-6 meals a day sure beats just eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. If the typical American's caloric intake is 2000 calories/day, then just eat 333 calories at 6 different times or 400 calories at 5 different times. It's really easy. And the more fruits and veggies you eat as part of these mini-meals, the more quantity of food you can eat for your calories. Combine a fruit or veggie which is typically carbohydrate in nature with a protein such as chicken, sliced turkey or roast beef, beans, nuts, or peanut/soy butter. Heck, I use baggies and small containers to carry around nuts, pieces of fruit or veggies that don't need refrigeration so I have food close at hand. These fit great in a pocket of a backpack. Many places of employment have refrigerators where you can store items needing refrigeration. Use them. When I was a kid, I remember how cool it was to pack my lunch. Get back in the habit. Wendys, McDonalds, Burger King, even Subway, are killing our bank accounts and our stomachs.
Eat moderate. Although the typical restaurant serving is huge, it doesn't mean that we have to eat all of it. In fact, for the get my money's worth conscious person, I suggest getting a doggie-bag right away, before eating anything. Take half your entrée home. Now that would be saving dollars. As for portion sizes, remember the deck of cards when eyeing a piece of meat, eat as many fresh fruits and veggies as you like (since we seldom eat enough), and practice moderation on the bread offered before your meal comes. Ask for the salad dressing and other condiments on the side.
Eat lean. The leaner the meat, the better. Trim the fat off the steak. Drain the cooked hamburger before adding it to the sloppy joe or the Spanish rice dish. Try different meats that are less fatty than the traditional ones we eat. Buffalo and deer meat are great as lean meats. Get some tofu and cook it up with some seasonings and sauces to get your protein. Prepare beans and legumes. There are a variety of different options.
How will you know if you or your clients are following these KISS principles? Have them keep a record of what they eat each day. You might give them a simple calendar that has your company name, logo, services, etc. on it so it serves a dual purpose, advertising for you and a reminder for them. Or, have them log on and establish an account free on MyPyramid.gov and record their daily intake. Believe me, people really do not remember what they eat in a day let alone how much. Record the food intake for several days, discuss it with them and you will be on your way to having a continuing client when the results start occurring. You'll be making a difference in your own life as well as the lives of your clients, friends, and family, in no time with these simple steps to success.
© Copyright 2008 Kim Fischer
Kim Fischer, owner of Empowered By Learning LLC, created the ACSM Certified Personal Trainer Exam Preparation workshop and accompanying Study Guide and Action Plan for Passing the ACSM Personal Trainer Certification Exam to support people in reaching their goal of becoming a certified personal trainer by the "gold standard" organization in the industry. Kim guarantees that workshop participants will pass the exam or their next workshop is free. Learn more about how to simplify and organize the process and the content for the ACSM Certified Personal Trainer Exam by getting a free excerpt of Kim's step-by-step Action Plan when you subscribe at http://www.empoweredbylearningllc.com
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