Today's Badass-ism: Your body is your Porsche.
It will perform and behave only as well as the fuel you put in it. That means egg whites and fruit with whole wheat toast will power you through your a.m. gym routine far better than Pop Tarts or Krispy Kreme donuts. I have never outgrown my childhood love of Strawberry Frosted Pop Tarts, so I wish the reality were different. But it's not. Life is tough, Badasses. Walk away from the Pop Tart...
For me, the transition from average fitness to athlete-lean came a few years ago when I finished the Chicago Marathon (my first) and found myself a few pounds heavier than I'd ever been -- and without the muscle tone I wanted. So I entered the "New You Challenge" at my gym in Tampa and started working with trainer Corey Simpson.
(That's a pic of Corey pushing me through sprints. I was totally sucking wind, but it paid off. I won the New You contest -- cash and a free year's membership, plus a lifetime supply of fitness know-how.)
What became immediately clear was how wrong I had been about food. I wasn't getting enough protein or whole grains or good fats necessary for all the exercise I was doing. I needed better fuel for my Porsche, Corey preached.
And I listened. As soon as I combined a stepped-up weight and cardio routine with an eating plan that consisted mostly of oatmeal, egg whites, flaxseed oil, protein smoothies, brown rice, veggies and lean meats, the pounds fell off and my muscles returned. And I was feeling healthier and stronger than ever.
The quality of your eating habits are about 90 percent of how you look and feel. That means no matter how many miles you log or how many crunches you do, the results won't show if you continue to put junk into your tank. When I see people come to the gym every morning, and never looking any different, I wonder what they're eating. And I suspect it's not all that great. Or maybe the portions are all wrong.
As my friend Jenn says, "If it didn't come from a mama or can't be grown, it's probably not good for ya!" My other friend Kim's mantra is that if it wasn't around 1,000 years ago, don't eat it.
So avoid all that processed stuff. Go for what's real. Chicken nuggets, dear readers, were not around 1,000 years ago and are more unpronouncable filler ingredients than "chicken." Walk away from the nuggets...
And I always say, much to my Italian Grandma's chagrin: "Eat in moderation." If you pig out all the time, well...let's just say you'll likely look like swine without the flu.
Now, before you groan at the prospect of a life sustained with nothing but carrots and apples, let me be clear: Indulgences are allowed. Starvation and denial of all things delicious is not an option (at least, not for this connoisseur of chocolate and pastries). I had pan-fried potatoes with my lean filet last night, and then pumpkin bread pudding for dessert. But I worked out beforehand.
I am not advocating extreme diets. I am advocating a healthy lifesyle that balances exercise with good food most of the time. "Most of the time" means you get cheat days. It means that for Thanksgiving you can have stuffing and mashed potatoes and even pecan pie. But you probably shouldn't have four pieces of pie and three servings of stuffing. And the next day, it's best to put your gym clothes on and have a healthy breakfast.
With that, here is a sampling of Power Fuel for your Porsche:
For breakfast:
- Greek or low-sugar yogurt
- Oatmeal
- Egg whites or egg beaters
- Whole wheat toast or English muffins (bagels are dense with calories...)
- Fruit (A banana is great before a workout. And a cup of berries with yogurt is as good as it is good for you.
- Granola or protein bar (for those in a rush out the door)
- Protein shake (I like those Myoplex EAS shakes, regular or carb control. The protein will leave you feeling strong and satiated.
For lunch and dinner:
- Grilled chicken or fish
- Tofu
- A big green salad with olive oil and vinegar (or flaxseed oil)
- Brown rice
- Roasted veggies
- Fruit salad
- Sandwich made with turkey or chicken or low-fat tuna or chicken salad on a whole wheat wrap or whole wheat bread.
- Sushi made with brown rice
For snacks:
- Almonds or pistachios
- Low-fat string cheese
- Apple with a tablespoon of almond or natural peanut butter
- Hummus and carrots
- Protein or lower-sugar granola bars (I love Power Crunch bars, KIND bars, and Kashi TLC bars)
- Microwave popcorn in the single-serve backs (Have you tried the Salt and Pepper Natural by Orville Redenbacher!? Holy delicious!)
- Low-fat frozen fudge bars or pudding cups.
- A few dark chocolate Hershey's kisses or a couple of Dove miniatures. Even better: Put mini York Peppermint Patties in the freezer and have one after dinner.
A few notes:
1. I never used the word "diet." To me, that has the connotation of something temporary and intended as a quick fix. I advocate healthy eating, which means it is a lifestyle and a good habit that stays with you. Giving up Pop Tarts for a month will help you drop weight. But if you get back on the Tart wagon again, those 5 pounds are going to wind up right back in the trunk of your Porsche, if ya know what I mean.
2. There is no soda or high-sugar fake juice in this list of power foods. That is intentional, not a typo or accidental omission. Stick to water or real juice (and even then, eating the orange is better than drinking a big glass of it.) You can drink coffee, though tea is even better.
3. Alcohol: Yes, you can still drink wine or a cocktail. Just don't drink four glasses, and limit it to a couple of glasses a few times a week if you can. If you really want wine with dinner every night, make it one glass or half-glass -- and make the dinner a healthy one. I hear that's what my Italian ancestors did, and it seemed to work for them.
Coming tomorrow: 5 exercises to turn a bad arse into a Badass!
