6 Tips To Help You Stay On Track This Fall

This post is being written 2 days before college football starts. Fine, whatever, it started last week. But Florida State plays in 2 days and that’s all that matters. And just 10 days before the Cowboys first game of the season! I’m not excited or anything. For me this post should be titled “tips to help you stay on track during football season.” But alas, I know football is not everyone’s jam. Regardless, these tips are helpful for weekends, all of the approaching fall holidays, and vacations too!

For the sake of being completely transparent, I need to practice what I am preaching here. Nutrition outside of my regularly scheduled programming is really difficult for me to stick with. But I’m out here trying to grow and do better so let’s just do it together, deal? I am going to do my best to institute these tips this weekend so I am here blogging about it for accountability!

These are my best tips to stay on track with your nutrition goals during all the fun things:

1. Water

If you do nothing else, drink water. And drink a lot of it. This is one of the simplest tips to help you stay on track and yet I still struggle with it. During my normal daily routine, I have no problem. But as soon as there’s wine in my hand, I have a hard time switching back and forth. Drink water in between each alcoholic beverage. If you don’t drink alcohol, still drink plenty of water. Half the time you’re not actually hungry, you’re thirsty and your body has a hard time deciphering the difference. 8-12 oz before you eat your meal is a good start! Plus you’ll be peeing so much you’ll spend less time grazing the snacks…. LOL but for real though.

2. Exercise

This is a recommendation rather than a tip, per se. I already know today (Wednesday) that I will be indulging in some tailgating festivities on Saturday. If Saturday was normally my rest day, I would likely rearrange my schedule to work out on Saturday. Now, you don’t need to do this. You don’t need to “earn” the indulgence. However, I think it can be smart to do your best to accommodate a few extra calories. You will feel better and be more likely to keep your nutrition under control if you moved your body that day. If you need the rest day, plan for an active recovery day. Take a walk, go for a swim, etc. Basically just increase your movement.

Matt and I will sometimes do a few extra minutes during our treadmill warmup. Or we will plan for a “harder” gym day like legs instead of a bicep/tricep day etc. These are all little things you can do to offset the extra indulgence. HOWEVER, and I want this to be clear, if you doing a little extra in the gym promotes an “earn it”/ “punishment for what I am about to eat” mindset, don’t do it. Just stick to your normal routine because that mindset is far more dangerous to your fitness goals than simply indulging in some fun and food.

3. Eat normally beforehand

On days when you have fun plans/an event, it can be easy for your mind to just throw the whole day away. “Well I’m already going to cheat later, what’s the point of eating healthy right now?” No. Don’t do this. I know it’s easy, I’ve done it too. But try your best to train your brain out of that mentality. Every little better decision adds up.

On the flip side, don’t restrict your food all day in preparation for the event either. You will be hungry and feel restricted and you’re way more likely to jump off the nutrition train when you feel like that. Eat your normal breakfast, lunch, snacks etc before the fun!

4. Portions and snacks

If you can do it, this tip makes a huge difference with helping you stay on track with your nutrition and fitness goals. Eat the main dish, not the sides, appetizers, snack etc. If the main dish is pizza, wings, whatever it is, go for it. Be conscious of your portion size, get a plate of what you want, eat it and then be done. Snacks like chips and cookies are empty calories. They don’t make you feel full, yet they’re usually much higher in calories. Plus when you graze, you have no idea how much you are actually eating.

Fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, and Flaming Hot Cheetos. Is it healthy? Of course not. But if you can eat just the one plate and not go back for snacks, you’re doing okay!

5. Eat before and/or bring snacks

Honestly, eating beforehand doesn’t work for me. I want to eat the delicious food dang it. However, it is a great idea if you know you won’t be able to control your portions/snacking when you get there.

Bring snacks that will keep you in line but that you actually enjoy. If you don’t LOVE that protein bar, it’s going to sit in your purse while you eat chips. I can bring carrots and hummus and truly enjoy it. Bringing snacks let’s you still feel like your grazing like everyone else!

6. Mindset

It’s probably one of the hardest tips to help you stay on track but it’s also the most important one. How many times have you gotten home from a fun event where you failed to stay on track, and you had regret? You probably regretted the amount of food you ate, but what you actually regret is not keeping a dang promise to yourself when you knew you were capable. I know the feeling all too well. I don’t tend to regret the pizza or the wine. Regret comes from all the unnecessary snacking I did that was not part of the plan. It is OKAY to indulge. In fact, to some extent, I think you have to because restriction is the enemy of consistency. But remind yourself when you’re going for that extra snack, is it worth it? Are you actually hungry? Or is snacking just a habit?

Use these tips to help you stay on track successfully for just one event and you’ll feel unstoppable. It sounds so easy, just have a little willpower, right? No, it’s extremely difficult. Do the hard thing one time, and you’ll prove to yourself you can do it next time too.

And finally…

Enjoy. Your. Self. Life is meant to be lived. Delicious food is meant to be eaten and fun times are meant to be had. Don’t let yourself live the all or nothing lifestyle. You can still crush your fitness goals and have pizza and wine, trust me. It just requires balance, mindfulness, and a whole lot of practice. If you don’t stick to a single one of these tips, don’t dwell for too long, okay? Guilt doesn’t serve you. Regret does not change a thing. Get up and get back at it. Thats the kind of true consistency that actually makes change.

-The Relatable Red