My good friend and fellow personal trainer were having a discussion the other day about how to help clients get the best results possible. We spent time talking about assessing progress and tracking workouts. It’s important to make sure we’re moving the needle forward in this area. As I mentioned to a 6 AM client, if you do your presses with 35 pounds and never increase, your strength gains will be limited.
This conversation led me to reflect on something else that is crucial when it comes to results. After all, you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.
Check out these 7 nutrition hacks that are pretty simple to implement but will make a big difference over time.
- Plan your snacks the night before – Effective eating usually starts with one good decision. Mid-day snacking is when most people blow it. For most people, it’s a trip to the vending machine or possibly worse, skipping it altogether and then overeating later. Instead, plan your snack the night before and bring something healthy, like some nuts or an apple with a tsp of peanut butter.
- Cut the carbs – No, not all carbs are evil but most people would do better with skipping half or all of the bun on the hamburger.
- Curb the alcohol – You don’t have to avoid all alcohol. That might be too extreme for some people. Instead, sandwich your cocktails with a glass of water or seltzer.
- Eat your veggies – Before every meal, ask yourself, “Are there veggies in this meal?” You can mix broccoli , spinach, or mushrooms in your eggs, add onions and roasted peppers to your sandwich, and start dinner with a salad.
- Eat within a 12 hour period – I personally started doing this and it has allowed me to cut some calories. I’m up as early as 4:45 AM. Rather than eating when I first week up, I wait a few hours now. If my first meal is 8AM, I won’t eat after 8PM. I’m not perfect at this but it helps when I’m able to stick to it.
- Hydrate – There are so many benefits to drinking water. Drink a full glass of water first thing in the morning. It’s a healthy habit to start with. Then, sip throughout the day, including a cup or 2 before meals. It’ll help prevent you from overeating, increase your energy, and hydrate your body.
- Pack the protein – Just like asking yourself about veggies at each meal, you can do the same for protein. Each meal should contain a palm sized protein. If you’re not getting adequate protein, consider a good quality protein powder.
Billy Hofacker - Owner & Transformation Coach at Total Body Boot Camp - BS, CSCS