Fueling...eating...

So I wrote this for my Oceanside training group and decided to blog it too.,,,,

The off season is over (for many)  and you are ramping up training.   Holiday foods are abound....but with increased training hopefully you can keep off unwanted lbs. 

Don’t deprive yourself of all holiday eating but don’t over stress. Avoid fasting all day so you can binge at the party or the big meal.  Small snacks/meals throughout the day are best for your metabolism and avoid blood sugar swings.  Lay off the sugars and carbs as much as you can.  Eat whole foods vs packaged or processed.  Fuel to train so avoid skipping breakfast before working out.  Ditch the bagel and start your day with a banana and almond butter, cup of Greek yogurt or my favorite a few tablespoons of Nuttzo butter. For an am workout of 60 min or less no post workout fuel needed, enjoy some coffee and a mid AM snack.

If your 2^nd workout of the day is at lunch – train first then eat.   If you are starving have banana or a less processed nutrition bar: Lara (peanut butter/choc chip is my favorite) , Pure (Cherry Cashew is my fav- not a fan of the Dark Chocololate - too dry) , GoodOnYa (PB Choc is the bomb). Workout, drink lots of water and then eat when you are hungry.   I read the label and once there are words I don’t understand, I move on 

If your 2^nd workout is post work- eat a healthy lunch and be mindful of your workout, you may need a snack (banana/bar) preworkout. 

Keep in mind most mid-week workouts are 60 min max to extra fueling/calories are not necessary. When the workouts are 2+ hours or you are linking workouts then you should be mindful of 150-200 calories an hour for maximum performance. 

For workouts over 3 hours, fuel well before workout, 200-250/hour during and plan recovery meal 300 calories within 30 min post workout- this can be a healthy smoothies, eggs + veggies and rice/quinoa.   

If you are worried about gaining weight skip the carbs when possible- no bread or rolls, no rice or pasta, appetizers in party …go for the veggies and protein.  When carbs necessary- are 3+ hours of training, your body needs carbs for fuel, but not throughout the day. 

Holiday Baking…check out my blog for some healthy holiday treats.  Using dates vs sugar, less flour... the dark chocolate gingerbread cookies “taste real” per my 17 year old Real as in “real cookie” but in essence it is good fuel and satisfies your sweet craving.  Jdunkle.blogspot.com   I have been using the choc gingerbread cookies as pre workout calories as well as the pumpkin bars.             

Hydration-  training in the cold you still need to drink 20 oz/hour- even though your sweat rate feel lower- you are losing moisture through breath, with layers you maybe sweating more than you realize.   If you inclined ( as I am) for enjoy some wine or holiday cheer, go ahead, add 12 oz of water between alcoholic beverages. 

Whole foods…I try to eat whole foods over packages as much as possible.  Lots of veggies.  A goto dinner for me is whatever veggies we have diced and cooked in a bit of olive oil and cooked with eggs.  Fast, easy and healthy.   Kale- cooked, raw in salads – the key to eating kale raw is to rub your hands with olive oil and salt and manually conch the leaves- breaking the membranes and letting the oil and salt soften the leaf.  Let sit 1 hour and use in any salad. Last night kale, blueberries, sunflower seeds, green onions, shredded carrots tossed with EVO, lemon juice and white wine vinegar.  I am not a big animal eater at home…so not many recipes.  Another good one- can black beans, 1 cup organic frozen corn, 1 can diced chilies, can kidney beans, 1 cup edemame, 1 can diced tomatoes with chilies drained. ½ diced red onion – mix in a bowl, add shredded cheese and pour in dish and bake.  You can line dish with corn tortillas as well.  Add hot sauce and yum!   All of these are great for lunch the next day….

Looking to lose some weight or start working toward race weight?  Start with a food log – record everything you eat and drink for a week and then let’s talk.  Questions….comments??