June 1, 2006

To Cheat or Not to Cheat (On Your Diet, That Is)

Fitness and figure competitors will spend hours each day perfecting their craft – long bouts of cardio, routine training, flexibility, dance, gymnastics, posing, and weight training are all part of the average week. When asked what the hardest part of preparing for a contest is, the answer rarely includes the above. Most girls will immediately say "The diet!"

Sticking to a pre-contest diet can be the hardest part of the contest preparation. Suddenly you find yourself staring longingly at every fast-food restaurant on your drive home from the gym. Your mouth waters at the mere mention of any food not on your nutrition plan. And your dreams revolve around eating. You can’t wait to go to bed at night so that you will be able to get up sooner and have your morning meal. On occasion, you find yourself in a zombie-like trance, stuffing anything in your mouth you can get your hands on – you can’t even remember how you got the junk in the first place. I have even heard of competitors finding a potato chip or a piece of candy stuck between the sofa cushions and gobbling it up like a wild animal.

So, how does one go about controlling those overwhelming cravings and temptations? Here are a few tips to help you stay focused and on the path to a lean, sculpted physique:

• Start a daily journal in which you record everything that you are eating and drinking, include the time you ate it, and the approximate amounts you consumed – this will send a message to your brain that you mean business. Usually, this helps you to clean up your act immediately. After all, who wants to show their trainer a journal full of "just a couple of gummy bears," partially eaten chocolate bars, and late-night buckets of ice cream?
  
  
• If you haven’t already, hire a trainer or dietician. There is no better way to stick to your plan than to make yourself accountable to someone. Psychology shows that we will do more to please others than ourselves.
  
  
• Regularly schedule body-composition testing, posing sessions, and pictures with your trainer. This will give you extra motivation to avoid the junk when it calls your name.
  
  
• De-junk your house – that’s right, throw out everything that is not going to be included in your nutrition plan. Ask a friend or relative to keep some things for you if they are not perishable. If it is not there, you won’t be tempted. Believe me, I have personal knowledge that if it is there, it will get eaten!
  
  
• If you do have something you shouldn’t have, eat it earlier in the day and continue your day of healthy eating. I prefer to say "cheat meal" instead of "cheat day."
  
  
• Ask yourself what it is that you really want. If you know what it is that you are craving, then permit yourself a small portion and be done with it. There is nothing worse than trying to avoid the one item that you really want – you will end up having five or six other things before you actually get to the item that you wanted in the first place.
  
  
• Adopt a mantra that you can repeat to yourself when the food cravings hit. Some that worked for me and many of my clients are: "Food for function"; "Will this next food item take me closer towards the way I want to look and feel, or further away?"; "Go to bed hungry, wake up lean."
  
  
• Do not punish yourself for a cheat day by starving yourself the next day. This will not be good for your training since you will be missing important nutrients that your body needs in order to perform at its best. You may also be setting yourself up for another binge.
  
  
• Do not cut out all fats. Your body needs a good blend of omega 3, 6 and 9 essentially fatty acids every day. The right amount will help your body function properly and keep you feeling satisfied. (Yes, the body does need some fat to burn fat)
  
  
• Make sure you are drinking plenty of water every day. Studies have shown that dehydration can lead to feelings of hunger, weakness and fatigue – all culprits in the cheating dilemma.
  
  
• If you are becoming consumed with a burning desire to cheat, try deep breathing and visualizing the reasons why you are competing. Call friends or family that support you and look at pictures of your favorite competitors in the magazines.
  
  
• After a cheat day or meal, take some time to reflect on why you gave in to your desires. Was it the time of day? Was it for an emotional reason? Was it due to poor planning? Create a plan of action so that you are ready for the next time you are in that same situation.
  
  
• Hang around with other competitors and people who support you and are understanding of your goals – share stories about cheat meals. Trust me, there are some pretty crazy stories to be told! You will realize that it is not the end of the world if you fall off the wagon once in a while.
  
  
• Celebrate at the end of each day when you stick to your plan. Reaffirm that tomorrow will be another awesome day.

Finally, one more piece of advice: On contest day it won’t matter how many hours you have spent in the gym if you haven’t been true to your nutrition plan most of the time!

...Kary Odiatu

You can learn more about Kary at her website, www.KaryOdiatu.com, and at www.fitspeakers.com.

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