Five Simple Steps to Eat Like an Athlete & Healthy Grocery List Download

It's the new year and the media is inundated with healthy living hacks and tricks. My social media feed is flooded with people trying 30 day nutrition challenges and starting new diets. If you are an athlete, you can safely ignore 99% of this noise. Most diets, nutrition and weight loss challenges are nothing but a distraction for athletes. If you want to get back on track after the holidays, the sane and sustainable way is to simply return to the basics. If you want a new year challenge, challenge yourself to ignore all extreme diet and exercise protocols and follow these five steps to eat like an athlete.

What do you need to eat in order to look, feel and perform your best?

Five simples steps to eat like an athlete

1. FOCUS ON WHOLE FOODS

Balance comes naturally when we focus on consuming mostly whole, minimally-processed foods from nature. One easy way to shop for whole foods is to limit foods that are in a box or package. When choosing packaged foods look for short ingredient lists that you can pronounce. Stick mostly to the meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Whole foods gives us the energy we need to perform our best while providing necessary nutrients.

2. HEALTHY, WHOLE, NATURAL CARBOHYDRATES ARE AN ATHLETE'S BEST FRIEND

While it may be a popular trend to go low-carb, it simply isn't necessary or optimal for athletes. Carbohydrates are our body's preferred energy source. The key is to eat quality carbohydrates and time them around our workouts. Plan whole food carbohydrates before and after your workouts for best results. How to cut carbs without cutting your sanity.

3. EAT YOUR PROTEIN

We need protein to build and repair muscle and it helps us maintain lean muscle during weight loss. Protein helps us feel full for longer after we eat and our bodies actually burn more calories to process protein than carbs or fats.

The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends 0.4 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight for the average, sedentary person, but we're not sedentary or average, right? For athletes the protein requirements go up. For strength athletes the recommendation is .5 to.8 grams per pound of bodyweight and for endurance athletes (runners, that's you) it's .5 to .6 g/lb.

Challenge: For one day add up all the protein grams in the foods you eat. Are you getting the recommended amount according to your bodyweight? If you weigh 150 lbs, you should aim for at least 75 grams of protein a day. How does your diet measure up?

You can read more about getting more protein in your diet in this blog post from last year.

4. EAT THE RAINBOW

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. Can you get in all the colors in your fruits and vegetables? Vegetables are high in fiber and nutrients and generally lower in calories. They help get your digestive system healthy and um...moving. They help you feel full and are virtually impossible to overeat. Think outside the box about what fruits and vegetables you can try. Next time you're at the grocery store try to pick at least one fruit/vegetable from every color in the rainbow. There's a challenge I can get behind. Here are 10 easy ways to add more vegetables in your diet.

Red: Red peppers, apples, strawberries, tomatoes, cherries, red grapes, raspberries

Orange: Orange peppers, oranges, pumpkin, carrots, sweet potato, mango, peaches

Yellow: yellow peppers, yellow squash, bananas, pineapples

Green: Spinach, cucumbers, peppers, asparagus, celery, green beans, avocado

Blue: Blueberries, grapes

Purple: Eggplant, cabbage, plums, beets, purple squash

Eat the rainbow

5. LIMIT ADDED SUGAR

While we could all probably stand to reduce our sugar intake, athletes don't need to worry much about natural sugars, those found in fruits and dairy. I suggest limiting your added sugar intake to about 25 grams per day. For one day, count the sugar grams listed on the back of the packages. Even if you don't usually eat traditional sweets like chocolate, cookies and cake, sugar is lurking in everything from ketchup, salad dressing, soups, granola and pasta sauces. If you don't pay attention it can add up quickly.

When counting daily sugar grams if it is a natural sugar found in fruit and dairy, you don't have to count it. As athletes our bodies need some natural sugars to perform our best.

Some foods have a combination of natural and added sugars. You can tell the difference because you won't see natural sugars on the ingredient list. When you see some of these sugars on the ingredient list, you know they are added sugars: cane crystals, corn syrup, dextrose, evaporated cane juice, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, molasses, syrup. Tricky, huh? 

If you drink milk, then the sugar content listed on the label is natural sugars. If you drink chocolate milk, then the sugar listed on the label would be a combination of natural and added sugars (you can tell because the added sugars are listed in the ingredient list). If you eat plain yogurt, the sugar content listed on the label is natural sugars, if you eat flavored yogurt, the sugar content is a combination of natural and added sugars. Flavored yogurt is notorious for having a lot of added sugar. (Sometimes as much as a cup of ice-cream!) Try plain Greek yogurt and cut up berries or fruits for flavor. 

Add up the sugars you eat in one day and see where you land. Are you consuming 25 grams or less? You don't need to count the sugars in the fruit and dairy that you eat. How did you do? I wrote a few blog posts on the sugar if you want to dive a little deeper: 25 grams of added sugar per day, and a rant on sugar. 

HEALTHY GROCERY LIST FOR ATHLETES

Healthy grocery list for runners. save to Pinterest for later

download the free printable PDF healthy grocery list for runners. Save to Pinterest for later.

If you are tired of nutrition challenges that don't provide long-term results, join me in my 12 month nutrition habits program for sane and sustainable results. If you know what to do but haven't been able to stay on track or if you are confused about what changes to make for the biggest results, this is the program for you. The first month is 75% off to try. Put the quick-fix mentality behind you and make lasting changes once and for all. See if you are a good fit. 

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Merry Christmas From Lea Genders Fitness: Holiday Baking Recipes

Merry Christmas, friends! I hope your day is filled with time with loved ones today, so I will keep it brief. (Me? Brief? With writing? I didn't think that was possible. Ha.)

I just wanted to take a moment and wish you and yours a happy holiday and give you this gift. It's Precision Nutrition's Holiday Baking Recipe Ebook! 

Holiday baking recipes, traditional and healthy versions included. Save to Pinterest for later.

The holidays are a time to enjoy, not a time to stress, feel guilt and over-analyze. So what do you do about all those holiday treats that are multiplying like wet Gremlins this time of year?

You enjoy them.

My philosophy is to worry less about what you eat between Christmas and New Years day and pay more attention to what you eat between New Years day and Christmas. Get it? It's what you do most of the time that matters. 

That's why I love this ebook from Precision Nutrition. There are two versions of every dessert, both are delicious. There is a classic version with traditional ingredients like butter, flour, milk, eggs, etc. Then there is a alternative version of the recipe made with less-processed ingredients. The idea is that you can enjoy both. We all enjoy a good dessert, especially me, so I am grateful to Precision Nutrition for this gift. 

It helps us all be a little more mindful in the holiday season. Enjoy the treat. Everything in moderation. 

No email address required to download the guide. You can add your email below in the footer if you want to be sure not to miss any future posts on nutrition, running and strength training, but not required to download this free gift. Just click below to download the PDF.

HOLIDAY BAKING RECIPE EBOOK FREE DOWNLOAD

Happy Holidays, friends!

I still have openings for my nutrition habits coaching program in January. Learn to ditch the food rules to lose weight and feel great without diets, deprivation or extreme measures. Sound interesting? Ready to make permanent, sustainable changes in 2018? The first month is 75% off to try! Click here to see if nutrition habits coaching is for you!

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Ditch the Food Rules for More Freedom, Health and Happiness

Nutrition can be tricky. It seems like you should be able to follow a bunch of food rules to reach all your body composition goals. There are a lot of diets out there that promise health, happiness and six pack abs: There's Paleo (high protein, low carb), Ketogenic (high fat, extremely low carb), low fat diets, low carb diets, high fat diets and high protein diets. What's the best one? The answer is...it depends. 

Every body is different. The diet that your co-worker's best friend's little sister swears by, may not be the miracle diet for you. In fact, following a diet at all can be determinantal to long-term success. People that follow diets tend to go on and off of them, which leads to weight loss, then weight gain. The yo-yo dieting can be worse for your health and waistline than if you never dieted at all. 

The problem with rules is that rules are made to be broken. As soon as you tell yourself you can't have carbs, it seems everyone is passing the rolls, ordering pizza and having birthday celebrations with cake.

We are human and we tend to want what we can't have. Sure, you could buckle down with hard-core discipline. That may even work for awhile, but when we are looking for long-term success, we have to think long term. Is it sane and sustainable? Anyone can white-knuckle their way to weight loss over four to twelve weeks. People do it all the time. But if you place strict restrictions on what you can eat, most people will eventually break and the weight comes back plus more. 

I am also not suggesting that you eat whatever you want all the time, with no regard for health. The secret is finding the balance between what is healthy and nourishing for your body, what you enjoy and what tastes good. We want to enjoy our life but we also want to meet our body composition goals. 

We also want to spend quality time at meals with friends and family (and we all know that rarely happens over steamed broccoli and kale). Health is not just what you eat. Spending quality time with family, cultivating loving relationships and spending time with other humans is also a part of a healthy lifestyle. If you restrict your food choices so much that it becomes difficult to eat meals with other people, you may have taken it too far. 

MAKE CHOICES ON A CONTINUUM

I am naturally an all-or-nothing thinker. It took me a lot years and a lot of pounds lost and regained to overcome this mindset. I work hard to not look at food as good or bad. Some foods are more nutrient-dense and nourishing, but some foods are good in other ways, like they are delicious or are a part of cultural traditions or celebrations. 

I want to make healthy choices that support my goals but I also want to enjoy my life. How do I find that balance? I try to make food choices on a continuum. There is not a black-and-white good-or-bad choice. Whenever faced with a food choice that is less than optimal, I think, how can I make this choice a little better? 

I'm with friends and they ordered a pizza. I happen to love pizza and I am starving. How can I make this choice a little better? Maybe I can order a side salad to eat alongside my pizza. Maybe I can pick off the pepperoni. Maybe I can limit myself to two slices instead of the usual four. Maybe I'll remember how my tummy feels the next day and forgo it altogether. Maybe not. 

It's about being mindful of your choices and making the best of the situation. Enjoy the pizza. It's part of life. Be mindful that it is an indulgence to enjoy but not overindulge. You see the difference? 

THE CLEAN SLATE APPROACH

But we're human and sometimes we start eating the pizza and it's just so good and it's just sitting there, like, staring at you to eat another piece. So you do. And another. And another. It happens. It happens to me (I never claimed to be perfect). And you know what? It's not the end of the world. You didn't blow your diet. All your goals are not circling the drain. You're human. You made a mistake. Move on. It's the clean slate approach. You don't have to workout extra long the next day or skip your next meal. You don't have to give up all together and decide you already blew it, you might as well eat poorly for the rest of the day, weekend or week and start over Monday. One poor choice does not change anything. Just pick back up from where you left off and start over. Every meal is a new fresh start. One overindulgence doesn't ruin everything. It happens. Move on.

If you feel like you may have a binge eating disorder when you lose control and can't stop yourself from overeating on a regular basis, I suggest you work with a Registered Dietitian.These things can be challenging to overcome on your own, it shows great strength to ask for help. I can recommend a RD in Fort Worth who is experienced helping people in these situations. 

IS IT SANE AND SUSTAINABLE?

I try to pass my food choices through the sane and sustainable test. Is it sane? is it sustainable? I mean, you could do the seven day cabbage soup diet, but it is neither practical, sane or sustainable over the long term. Any weight lost on short-term crash diets is usually gained back plus more for good measure. It may be tempting to try the latest fad diet, but before starting anything new consider if it is a long-term solution for fat loss. 

Is it better to lose twenty pounds in twelve weeks on a strict diet that you gain back twelve weeks after that? Or is is better to lose twenty pounds in twenty or even thirty weeks that stays off for life. The common-sense, slow, long-term approach is the way to permanent fat loss. 

BACK TO BASICS: HEALTHY HABITS

We are often looking for the next solution to try. What's the latest diet? What's the latest supplement or new workout? Will this fat loss shake help me lose weight? (#protip There's no such thing as a fat loss shake.) People are often looking for the next quick fix, the new food rules or miracle weight loss solution while overlooking the core principles of fat loss. Even experienced health and fitness enthusiasts fall into this trap.

Make sure you are covering the basics. Are you moving on a regular basis in a way that feels good for your body? Are you consistently eating mostly whole foods from nature while allowing some room for indulgences? Are you sleeping seven to eight hours a night? Are you listening to the hunger and satiety signals that your body sends? Are you eating slow and mindfully? 

The beauty of cultivating healthy habits is once something becomes a habit, it is just something that you do, like brushing your teeth. You don't usually need to find motivation to brush your teeth, it is just something that is on auto-pilot in your life. Your lifestyle and healthy food choices can be on auto-pilot too. You just have to be willing to take the time to cultivate the habits.

Developing healthy habits is not a quick fix. It's not a lose twenty pounds in eight weeks plan. When you return to the basics, take things slow, re-learn how to listen to your body, teach your brain to perform healthy habits on autopilot, everything changes. You learn to the fuel your body in the way that it needs. You learn to enjoy healthy foods without giving up all your favorite foods. Your body responds by returning to its optimal state. All it takes is time, patience and persistence. 

Does this sound right for you? Do you like this sane and sustainable approach to health and fitness? Are you ready to make changes to your core habits? Are you willing to take it slow with a common-sense approach that really works when you stick with it over the long term? Are you willing to try and make mistakes and then try again? Are you willing to start over at your next meal with a clean slate? If so, my online nutrition program may be the perfect match for you. 

I am running a one time only black Friday sale! Save 50% off off the monthly cost when you purchase six months in advance. I am only accepting six applicants at this insanely reduced cost. The price will never be lower. You can choose your start date of December 1st or January 1st. Finally make New Year Resolutions you can keep with nutrition habits coaching. I am here to help you reach all your 2018 health and fitness goals. Get your name on the list to get notified on Black Friday. 

Have questions? I'd love to help!

Coach Lea

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Why Diets & Meal Plans Rarely Work for Long Term Fat Loss and What To Do Instead

As a nutrition coach people often come to me and (think they) want me to tell them exactly what they should eat. That's not my job. In fact, it's outside my scope of practice as a coach. The truth is that telling people what they should do is rarely an effective strategy anyway. No one likes being told what to do (or what not to do). It's human nature. It may sound like it is easier to have someone else dictate a diet or meal plan that you just follow exactly, it rarely ever works in the real world. 

If I gave you a meal plan and told you exactly what and how much to eat for every meal of the day, then what happens if I assign a food that you don't like? What if you have lunch plans with a friend? What happens when your family doesn't want to eat that meal plan? What happens when you get bored eating the same thing over and over again? What happens when you crave certain foods? What about the holidays? What happens if you have a life? The bottom line is most people are not able to stick to a strict meal plan over the long term.

Why Diets & Meal Plans Rarely Work for Long Term Fat loss and What to Do Instead. Save to Pinterest for Later!

Short-term strategies provide short-term results. My rule of thumb is that if it is not sustainable over the long-term, it is usually not worth my time. 

If you do need a meal plan for a medical reason, it's imperative that you work with a Registered Dietitian. I can suggest a great RD for you if you live in Fort Worth.

Most people who want to make nutrition changes in order to lose fat, feel better and improve their health will find success by working with a nutrition coach in order to improve their nutrition habits as opposed to trying to follow a diet or meal plan.

"YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME"

You're in charge of you. On some level you already know what works for you and your body. You know what makes you feel good and what makes you feel crappy. I function as your guidepost. I can help you decide what healthy habits you want to try, help you track & measure, hold you accountable, help you overcome roadblocks and the natural human resistance to change.

We work together to brainstorm ideas for improvement. You ultimately decide what is most important to you. You decide what works best for your lifestyle. If there is something you don't want to change (even if it feels like it is something you should want to change) then you don't have to change that right now (or ever).

Sometimes when people start working with me they tell me that they are concerned that I am going to take away all their favorite foods or they are worried they will have to miss out out dinners with friends and family. I've had clients tell me they ate all their favorite foods in the days leading up to our first appointment because they were sure I was going to tell them to give it all up. Nope. That's not what I do. 

You are still the boss of you. The nutrition coach/client relationship is not a dictatorship. I help you decide what healthier choices you want to make that fit inside your lifestyle, preferences and goals. I never give people strict rules about what they can and can't eat. I don't follow strict rules for myself, why would I dictate them to you? I don't know your body like you do. Strict rules leads to all-or-nothing thinking and all-or-nothing thinking rarely leads to long term fat loss success.

YOU'RE AN INDIVIDUAL

Everyone is different. What works for me, might not work for you. What worked for your co-worker might not work for you. We can start some nutritional experiments to find your own personal sweet spot of sanity and sustainability. What do you enjoy? What can you sustain? What is realistic? What are the best choices for your lifestyle? 

A big mistake that people make is that they try to change all their bad habits at once. I still fall into this trap sometimes. Hey, I'm not perfect either! We all already know from countless New Year resolutions that the change-your-whole-life-in-one-day method rarely works beyond a couple of weeks. We get overwhelmed, bored or distracted and go back to our old ways. It's not a lack of motivation. It's not a personality flaw. It happens to literally everyone.

ARE YOU READY, WILLING AND ABLE?

That is just not how humans work. We're not robots. We can't just flip a switch. Change takes time. First we have to want to change. Then we have to be ready to change. Then we have to be able to change. Then we can start making changes. Making changes slowly over time is the sustainable way that won't drive you crazy. It's not a quick fix. You can't cut corners to success.

You don't have to change your whole life around to live healthier and get results, you just need to figure out how to make healthier decisions inside the life you already live. It's not an overhaul. It's healthy habits built over time. We can work together to find the best path for your individual needs.

I am not suggesting it is easy. Behavior change is hard. Accepting that it is going to be hard is the first step. The willingness to keep trying when things get rough is the difference between failure and success.

I know a lot about nutrition and fitness that I can share with you but you're the expert of your own body. When we work together we can make the kinds of changes that yield permanent results.

Sound good? 

Looking for a sane and sustainable approach to nutrition? I have six openings in my online nutrition program going on sale for Black Friday. Limited time offer for 50% off six months of the program for qualified candidates. Reach all your 2018 goals with nutrition habits coaching. Learn more!

NOT READY TO WORK WITH A COACH?

If you're not ready to work with a coach but you want to start working on healthy habits on your own, here are a few places to start. Small changes can lead to big results. Tackle one habit at a time, work on it until it becomes second nature. Once you've mastered it, move on to another habit. If we worked together, these are some of the things we would likely tackle together (depending on your goals, preferences and lifestyle, of course). If you find you need more guidance and accountability, I am here for you. 

1. Mindful Eating
2. Eat More Protein
3. 10K Steps a Day
4. Create a Sleep Ritual

Questions? I'd love to help.

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Coach Lea