It is heating up out there – both the weather and racing!  When planning your race nutrition and hydration, it is important to keep these two items separate.

The first item is fuel. When you plan your race nutrition, there is a certain number of calories or grams of carbohydrates per hour that you aim for. This is usually 60 grams of carbohydrates (or 240 calories) or .45 grams of carbohydrate for every pound of body weight. You have to try this out and see what works for you and your GI tract.

The second item is hydration. To get an idea of how much fluid you need per hour, you can conduct a sweat trial. This gives you an idea of the fluid ounces of water you need per hour to stay hydrated.

When you train and race, these items are often combined in the form of liquid nutrition or sports drinks. However, it is important to remember that these are really two separate things. Although you do get liquid calories in sports drinks and you also get water, you may not want to consume all of your water with calories. Here is an example:

Joe needs 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour for his race nutrition and 40 oz of water. He plans on racing for an hour and has three water bottles each of which holds 24 oz (a total of 72 oz). In order to make both his nutrition and hydration work, he could mix 30 grams of carbohydrates from a powdered sports drink in each of two sports bottles. After adding the powdered sports drink, he adds 18 oz of water (what the bottle will hold in water after putting in the powdered sports drink). He fills the third bottle with water.  This gives him his 60 grams of carbohydrates (3o grams of carbohydrates per bottle) and a total of 60 oz of water (18+18+24).

The other reason for thinking of nutrition and fluid separately is to be able to scale your hyrdation based on the condiditons. If you are racing on a cooler day, you may need less water. On a hotter day, you may need more water. Joe knows that no matter what he needs to drink those two bottles of sports drink to get his nutrition, and he can drink more or less water based on the temperature and humidity.

As you plan your training and race nutrition and  hydration, remember that although they often seem to be the same, they really are separate things that you have to think about executing based on what you need for carbohydrates and fluid.

This is a re-print from November, 2009. I know the holidays are stressful for so many of us – particularly because of all the food. It is OK to indulge, but be sure you enjoy the foods you choose to eat – pay attention to how they taste, smell, look, and feel in your mouth. If you only get them once a year, take time to really enjoy them.

Thanksgiving is a time of giving thanks. Thanks for all that we have – friends, family, health. Even thanks for the challenges we have faced since those challenges often make us appreciate what we have even more. We also give thanks for the food that we prepare, serve, and eat on Thanksgiving day.

However, it is easy to get lost in the food on Thanksgiving and forget about giving thanks – real thanks – for it. Most of us will have more food on the table than can be eaten on Thanksgiving day and in the days after. Most of us focus on how much we can fit on our plates and in our stomachs rather than on the blessing of having the food available to us.

For those of us working on losing or maintaining our weight over the holidays, Thanksgiving can present a HUGE challenge. So much of the Thanksgiving holiday is wrapped up around food. So, what are you do to?

Give yourself permission to indulge. Thanksgiving comes once a year. What you eat on one day should not sabotage your efforts for the weeks and days before and after Thanksgiving. I would rather have a client give themselves permission to indulge and enjoy the food, the company, and the day rather than constantly worrying about how many calories is in the pumpkin and marshmallow casserole. My only rule for giving yourself permission to indulge is that you indulge fully – by engaging all of your senses. Choose only foods you really, really want to eat. If you are not sure, take a bite or two and return for more if you like it and are still hungry later. Pay attention to how the food looks and smells. What sounds are going on around you? And, how does the food feel and taste in your mouth? Eat slowly and enjoy each bite; there is plenty of food. You do not have to rush to get more. Give thanks for each bite by enjoying it fully. Pay attention to how full you are as you eat. Every few bites stop and ask yourself “am I still hungry or am I satisfied?” If you are satisfied, stop. There will be plenty of leftovers to snack on later. Thank each person who prepared any part of the meal. And, do not feel guilty about what you chose to eat.

The day after Thanksgiving, start following your eating plan again. If there are leftovers, fit them into your daily eating plan – if you want to eat them. The key is to get back on track as soon as possible to reach your goal.

I’m sending this tip out a bit before Thanksgiving to give you some time to think about it and prepare yourself mentally for the day. You can start rehearsing in your mind – visualizing – how you will fill your plate, how you will sit and enjoy each bite now. That way, it will be easier – almost automatic – to do when the day arrives.

And remember, give thanks not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year.

Notes:

I didn’t mean to scare anyone last week. I was diagnosed with hypothyroid which can be managed with medications. Just remember, if you think something is wrong, get checked out.

I write a weekly newsletter primarily about nutrition topics and, on occasion, other things. I’m re-printing last week’s newsletter here because it is an important issue. If you would like to subscribe to my weekly newsletter, go to www.eatingforperformance.com, enter your email in the box, and reply to the confirmation email. The archive can be found here.

Enjoy!

We encounter so many numbers in our daily lives. Speed limits, serving sizes, weight, and . . .clothing sizes. Clothes shopping is one of my least favorite activities. Clothing manufacturers do not make clothes to fit my body. And, different stores and different lines seem to enjoy randomly assigning sizes to clothing. In one store I may be a 6 and in another a 12. And, let’s not even get into talking about shopping for jeans.

I have finally accepted that the number on the tag is just that – a number. Just like the number that shows up on the scale, it does not determine my self worth. It is not like anyone sees that number and knows my size (unless I wear my shirt inside-out, or they work in the clothing industry). When I try on something that does not fit, rather than starting negative self-talk, I tell myself that it was not made for me. If I have to go up a size, I tell myself that that is not cut right for me and, perhaps a larger size may fit better. I also will go up a size to get one part to fit (hips, for example), then have it tailored.

I have also learned that I cannot expect clothes to fit off-the-rack. I have a great tailor who can make all sorts of adjustments. Neckline too low? Take a little out of the shoulders. I’m also curvy, so I almost always have to have the waist taken in on pants and skirts. If I’m not sure if she can alter something, I will buy it and take it to her for her opinion. If she can’t fit it, I take it back.

Even thought I know all of this, clothes shopping is not on the top of my “fun things to do list.” But, I am getting better at it and learning to enjoy it. Next time you step in that dressing room and what you are trying on does not fit, just tell yourself “that size is just a number, and it was not made for me.” Then, decide if you want a different size or if a tailor can fix what is not fitting just right.

As part of my work on eating mindfully, I’m learning to pay attention to my food.  This is coming along well except, it seems, for one area.  I have discovered that I eat when in motion.  And, when I eat when I’m in motion, I’m not paying attention to my food.  “Moving” could be walking around the kitchen, cooking, driving, walking to my office, etc.  I’m sure we have all done this.  Think about going through the drive thru for lunch and reaching into the bag to grab a fry because you’re really, really hungry and they smell so good.  Then, you arrive where you plan to eat and find all the fries are gone.  Do you remember tasting the fries?  Probably not.

I’m declaring that when I’m in motion, I’m in a “No Eating Zone.”  The only exceptions are when I’m training/racing and fueling to support that activity – that eating in motion is a necessity.

What about you?  Do you eat in motion?  If so, do you really taste the food or drink?  Yes, “eating” includes calorie-containing beverages.  The goal is to taste and enjoy all the calorie-containing items you eat or drink.

Next time you are eating in motion, or considering it, decide if you are going to declare it a “No Eating Zone.”  When you eat in motion, see if you are tasting the food or beverage or not.  That will help you decide if you should declare a “No Eating Zone” for yourself.

Have a great Friday and weekend!

While getting more in touch with my body’s hunger signals and working on mindful eating, I am realizing all the ways I use food other than to fuel my body.  I’m starting a series of emails called “Food Is Not. . . “  This newsletter is Food Is Not . .  A Reward.

I know my clients struggle with using food as a reward.  When I work with them they set goals and then determine a reward for reaching the goal.  However, the reward cannot be food.  Using food as a reward is everywhere in our society.  How many times as a child did you hear “if you’re good, you’ll get a _________” and fill in the blank with “cookie,” “ice cream,” etc.    I think food as a reward starts for a lot of us as children.  Then, it is reinforced as we grow up and as adults.  How many commercials are there with “you deserve a reward, eat our product?”

Food is fuel for our bodies.  Food is what allows our bodies to do all the things we do from walking around, to going for a jog, to playing with your kids or pets, to completing an Ironman.

I’m not saying that food should not be pleasurable.  Food can and should taste good.  But, food should not normally be used as reward for achieving something.  Using food as a reward clouds the relationship between your body’s hunger signals and your mind.  If your mind says, “You’ve finished that job you needed to get done.  Yeah, you’re not really hungry because you ate dinner, but you deserve that ice cream.”  Then, your body is forced to absorb more food than it needs even though it isn’t asking for it.  For most people, this results in weight gain.  Then, eating the ice cream reinforces to your mind that it is OK to eat when you are not hungry.

Next time you are setting a goal or planning a reward, plan a non-food reward.  It is easy to use food as a reward because it is easy, readily available, and usually cheap.  You may find it a bit challenging to decide on a non-food reward.  Honestly, it is something even I struggle with.  However, they are out there.  Sometimes I even decide to use my workouts as a reward.

Also, if you have children, I would encourage you to re-evaluate using food as rewards for them.  Determine if that is behavior you want to reinforce in them or not.

When you come up with a favorite non-food reward, I’d love to hear what it is.

Saturday I had the pleasure to informally talk about nutrition to a group from Legion Fitness & Development.  It is a boot camp-style group (although I don’t think that’s quite the right term for what they do) who had just finished up a two hour special training.  We met over breakfast.  I decided to talk about a few tips for the holiday eating.  I thought you might enjoy these tips, too.  They bring together a few of the things we’ve talked about this year.

1. Decide where you want to spend your calories. If I love chocolate cake, why would I spend my calories munching on sugar cookies just because they are there?  Those sugar cookies can add up quickly to additional miles I’ve got to run to keep them from attaching themselves to my hips.  Think about those special foods you love and only get this time of year.  Those are the places to spend your calories rather than on every day foods you eat out of stress, boredom, to make someone else happy, etc.  Plan ahead of time what those foods are and how much of them you can eat.  Then, stick to your plan.
2. Use a smaller plate and check your portion sizes.  If you can, serve yourself on a smaller plate.  We eat first with our eyes and that will give your brain a queue that there is a lot of food on your plate.  If necessary, sneak a dessert plate for your main course and wash it off before dessert.  Also, remember you can use the palm of your hand to monitor portion sizes.  Your palm (not fingers, too) an inch high is about 3 – 4 ounces of protein and also a good marker for starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, etc.).  And, remember – we live in a society of abundance.  Don’t take a bunch of extra food because there might not be enough.  For most of us, there will be enough left over for second and third servings both on the big day and in the days after.  We tend to eat what is on our plate.  Shortcut over-eating by having less on your plate in the first place.
3. Give yourself a gift. One of my favorite presents each year is a gift I give myself on Christmas – a workout.  I make a point of going for a walk or run early in the morning – before breakfast and opening gifts.  This gives me time to reflect on the day ahead and a chance to count my blessings (its also fun to be out and see the neighborhood kids trying out their new toys).  Take some time for yourself and get in a workout.  It only takes 20 to 30 minutes.  Get out of the house and take a walk or run.  You can go alone or take someone else who needs a break with you (maybe the dog?).  A workout is a great escape from the craziness that may be going on and a time to hit the pause button.  Then, you can return refreshed and ready to go.

I hope you have a special holiday season.

Thanksgiving is three weeks away.  It seems so close.  There is so much to do to get ready!  The holidays tend to be filled with fun, food, family. . . .and STRESS!  All of these things can lead to over-eating when the big day comes around.  But, you don’t have to resign yourself to over-eating at Thanksgiving dinner.

A lot of preparation goes into Thanksgiving.  You can also mentally prepare yourself for those meals in advance to help set yourself up for success when the day arrives.  Here are some ways to help mentally prepare yourself for a healthy meal without coming away feeling as stuffed as that turkey (or tofurky).

• Think about those foods that you only get during the holidays.  Decide how much of them you’ll eat ahead of time.  Rather than spending your calorie bank account on foods you can get more frequently, spend those calories on these special foods.
• You don’t have to go into major calorie overdraft with your calorie bank account.  In the week leading up to the big meal (or meals), eat a little less at each meal than you normally would.  This “deposits” a few calories at each meal into your calorie bank account that you can use on the big day.
• Mentally rehearse how much you will eat and drink.  Think about how the food is served (at the table passing or buffet-style).  Envision yourself putting the food on your plate – and putting on a little less than you normally would.  Make the experience as vivid as possible – smell the smells, hear the sounds, etc.  This mental rehearsal will ease the decisions you have to make when you’re actually in the situation.
• Think about leaving some “white space” on your plate.  It doesn’t have to be filled to over-flowing.  You can always go back for more if you are still hungry.
• Use smaller plates rather than the big dinner plates.  Use one for salad and another for the other items.
• Take a taste of each food knowing that you can go back for those you really enjoyed later.
• And most importantly, remember to give thanks for all the wonderful food you have.

I know I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving.  I’m also going to keep these tips close at hand in the next couple of weeks to help prepare for the big day.  I hope you find them helpful as well.

Each of us needs a certain number of calories in a day to maintain our weight.  Eat less than that magic number over a period of days and you should lose weight.  Eat more over a period of days and you gain weight.  One way that helps people get their heads around this concept is to think about your daily calorie allotment as a “calorie bank account.”  At the beginning of each day, you have a certain number of calories to “spend” through the food and beverages you choose to consume.  How you spend those calories are up to you.  Do you really want to spend your calories on a Snickers bar or would you rather have an apple and save them for dessert later?