10 Healthy Nutrition Habits to Consider 

When we made the decision to re-vamp our nutrition coaching, I was very excited for two reasons. One, the gym greatly needs a sustainable model for people who want more hands-on nutrition help, and two, I really missed being involved in the nutrition world. As a former Certified Nutrition Coach (and currently re-certifying), I was able to witness the power that good food choices have on people very consistently from 2010 until around 2014. In fact, when I started out as a personal trainer nine years ago, I would perform food assessments on people prior to ever training them. There was nothing more rewarding than seeing someone adopt and adhere to a plan and see life changing results.

However, this process did not come without its frustrations and very real growing pains for myself. Some would adhere for a week or two before crashing hard. Some would adhere for a month and not see results. What I failed to realize with some of my non-successful clients is that everyone is different, and you cannot expect mathematical prescriptions to be processed identically by every human body.

You can’t always Rx nutrition and hammer your way through nails.

What I discovered is that the most successful clients were those whom we first developed habits rather than a focus on any result. Instead of starting out as, “Let’s lose five pounds in the first month”, and beginning to the focus on, “Let’s get you phasing out your sugary breakfast drink”, the results became a lot easier for folks. When we drop the pressure of quantifying a result timeline, the pressure dissipates and results happen by accident along with healthy change.

Here are some healthy changes you might consider with your nutrition in 2019.

1. Remove one meal out per day and replace it with a meal at home. Progressively increase this every week.

2. Phase out your sugary morning beverages by slowly ordering a less sugary version of it (i.e., “half pump”), and then, pick a day each week where you nix it altogether. Gradually increase those days.

3. Schedule a recurring day of the week that you buy groceries and always buy for just one week. If you can, try to prepare at least your carbohydrates for the week that evening while motivation is fresh (i.e. slice and bake a tray of potatoes, boil a few cups of rice, etc). This will make meal creation during the week much easier.

4. Begin logging everything that you eat. Doesn’t have to be in a food tracking app and shouldn’t be for the purpose of calories or precision. Just log, and observe at the end of each week. Chances are some glaring opportunities will present themselves.

5. Find ten foods that you like and get creative with meal prep. You don’t need lots of variety to get taste and results. As you start, try to think about healthy, whole foods making up your meals but feel free to be liberal with sauces. Those can be addressed later once habit formation around the food sticks.

6. If you struggle with breakfast timing, make a large batch of scrambled eggs once per week. Store them and re-heat in the morning. Microwaving is better than a Starbuck’s muffin.

7. Have a healthier alternative go to for when you need something sweet. A good example is flavored Greek Yogurt with fruit and some honey, or even Halo Top. Again, start with sustainable changes and slowly chip away at your decisions.

8. For an easy way to include greens at every meal, sprinkle a liberal handful or arugula as a topper on all meals (fun fact: I detest cooking and eating vegetables).

9. Get in the habit of making protein shakes. They are nutrient dense and close the gap on needed protein very effectively. One per day can contain up to 25% of your protein need in smaller individuals.

10. Consume a high carbohydrate meal within 90 minutes of training. Your body needs carbs more than any time of day and will use them most efficiently.

None of these habits are radical ideas or ground breaking information, but they just might kick start your motivation. Healthy nutrition shouldn’t be a soul sucking chore and like any other change in life, should happen gradually in extreme cases. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself that it’s all or nothing.

-Dave

There are two more days to enroll for our inaugural 11-Week BecomeMore Nutrition Coaching. 

Friday, 1.4.19

For Personal Progress Benchmark (PPB):
Lactate Threshold 2
*In 10’ Heats*
25 RKBS
10 Push Ups
400m Row
*Then Rest Until Your Heat is Up*
(x3)
RECORD TOTAL TIME