racing weight strates, how you perceive the dietary rules you live by is also important. So instead of trying to figure out which diet is the absolute best, choose a diet from among the many healthy options that seems especially “doable” to you.
1. At least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day 2. No sweets except a bit of dark chocolate, and the occasional treat 3. No beverages with calories except for my evening glass of beer
Instead of trying to figure out which diet is the absolute best, choose a diet from among the many healthy options that seems especially “doable” to you.
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It doesn’t even have to be a diet per se. Studies have shown that a majority of the most successful dieters—those who have maintained a weight loss of at least 30 pounds for at least one year—do not follow formal diet plans. Instead, they choose a small handful of their own rules and heed them consistently. The typical triathlete knows enough about nutrition—and enough about himself or herself—to set sensible rules. Here, for example, are the main rules that govern my eating habits:
4. Whole grains instead of refined grains whenever possible These rules help me keep my weight in check because they address the specific dietary mistakes that had previously caused my weight to creep upward, and in a way that I find sustainable. But you might find that a completely different set of rules works for you. Here’s an example of an alternative set of rules that might work especially well for someone whose primary dietary mistake is overeating: 1. Six small meals and snacks per day
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2. Stop eating when satisfied, not full 3. Protein with every meal and snack (to manage appetite) Interestingly, research has also shown that successful dieters tend to eat a smaller variety of foods than the average person. While we’re used to thinking of dietary variety as a virtue (and it is), using repetition sensibly in your diet is another way to take advantage of simplicity in the effort to control your body weight. As long as you include a good balance and variety of foods within the day, it’s OK to eat more or less the same foods every day. Weight management is difficult for most of us, no matter what. That’s because it requires resisting some foods we like that promote weight gain and also resisting the urge to overeat. Nothing can be done about these requirements. So don’t make weight management any more difficult than it has to be with a complicated diet. Keep it simple. Matt Fitzgerald is the author of “Racing Weight Quick Start Guide” (VeloPress, 2011).
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Entry fee includes: • Pre Race Dinner at Boardwalk Beach Resort • Age group awards 10 deep • Post-Race party at Spinnaker Beach Club featuring a video with race footage • Beer at the finish line All proceeds benefit local community organizations. The GCT leads the community in promoting healthy lifestyles by developing youth through fitness
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