Your mindset is a key factor when it comes to keeping your diet on track during the off-season. If you see the off season is a time to relax and let go of your health regimen, it will be nearly impossible to keep your diet on track. If you think of the offseason as a time to condition yourself so that you are in the best shape possible, your lifestyle and diet decisions will reflect this. Here are some helpful pointers to keep your diet on track.
1. Maintain a training schedule
The best way to stay on track during the offseason is to maintain a daily training schedule. This will help you to maintain an active lifestyle and a healthy weight, making it much easier to stick to your healthy diet. This will also make it easier to prepare of the coming season so you won’t need to lose extra weight.
2. Reward Yourself
Reward yourself for having discipline. Allow yourself to celebrate life’s beautiful moments and special occasions by enjoying your favourite foods, guilt-free 1-2 times per week. This will give you something to look forward to and you won’t feel deprived. Limiting these celebrations to guilt-free meals as opposed to cheat days or week-ends will keep you on track with your diet.
3. Eat Enough and Regularly
If you want to stay in shape, it is important to fuel your body with nourishing food throughout the day. If you cut down on food your risk slowing down your metabolism and won’t get enough nutrients. This may result in overeating, or worse eating unhealthy foods. trying to stay in shape, but in the long run that can do as much damage as overeating. If you plan out your meals so that they are balanced and provide enough nutrients, it will be easier to stay on track.
4. Drink Enough Water Before Meals
As an athlete you know how vital water is to your well-being and performance. Even in the off season, make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Having your favourite water bottle nearby and filling up on water between means will not only keep
you hydrated and away from other, less healthy drinks, it will also help your digestion and keep your portions moderate.
5. Avoid Over-Eating
Off season can feel like freedom time from your otherwise strict regimen, but be careful to not over indulge. Even if you are eating nourishing foods throughout the day, make sure that you are not overeating at each meal as calories can easily add up. Before you in another healthy helping, ask yourself if the extra calories (and weight gain) are really needed. If you need extra structure, planning your meals and portions can really help.
6. Avoid Fast Food
Fast food and sugar are not food groups, so even though you might be tempted to indulge in unhealthy foods at times, remember that your body is your temple, both on and off season. If you know that you will be going out to eat, research the healthiest places and items on the menu so you are prepared when someone suggests fast food. This way you can offer others better suggestions and order what is best for you.
7. Stay Away from Diet Foods
If you feel like a snack, you may think that diet or fat -free options will make a snack healthier. Make sure to read the ingredient list. You may be surprised to find that they are not very healthy options at all. The best way to snack healthy is to make your own healthy snacks from nutritious ingredients and keep them handy when you need them.
8. Get More Sleep
You might be thinking, how can getting enough sleep help me stay on track with my diet? Well, the more sleep you lack, the more your cortisol levels go up. The higher your cortisol levels, the more you tend to eat! Also, when you are tired, your willpower also tends to go down and you may be more likely to eat more and eat the wrong foods for quick energy to function. So, this is a very important tip: get enough sleep! Most athletic adults need around 7 or 8 hours of sleep rest for optimal health and functioning.
If you follow these 8 tips you will be well on your way to keeping on track with your diet during the off season. The off-season period is a great time to look into your physical and emotional health to make sure that you are in the best shape possible. Having a health team that looks after you can include a physician, chiropractor, homeopath or more. Having someone to guide you in terms of your nutritional deficiencies can really help you with your diet and meal planning for optimal health. The assistance of sports medicine experts who can guide you on the supplementation and nutritional choices as well as your physical health can really help you stay on track with a diet that supports your overall health.
If you would like to work with a qualified experts we can help you at North Star Medical Center
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We are located in Lisle and service the cities of Naperville, Downers Grove, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton and Bolingbrook, IL, and offer the highest quality patient experience by ensuring safe, effective, and pain-free solutions for athletes, active adults and children that play sports.
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We are located in Lisle and service the cities of Naperville, Downers Grove, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton and Bolingbrook, IL, and offer the highest quality patient experience by ensuring safe, effective, and pain-free solutions for athletes, active adults and children that play sports.
We also offer Holistic Chiropractic care and Physical Therapy, Pain control, Nutritional Response Testing, Holistic Medicine and more. Contact us at 1-630-795-1889 for information or if you are a new patient who would like to book your first appointment. Existing patients can book an appointment online on our website by clicking here: www.northstarmedicalcenter.co. We look forward to serving you.
