Welcome CrossFit Athletes! - Preparing for Ultimate Nutrition Success in Your Kitchen (Part 2)

It is has become a widely accepted philosophy that up to 80% of your fitness and weight loss goals are actually accomplished in the kitchen and not in the gym. Have you ever noticed that you tend to see the same people working hard in the gym year after year, but unfortunately many of them do not appear to be getting the results that they deserve? It has been my observation that many of these individuals tend to spend long hours on cardio machines at the gym working hard to no avail. Does this sound familiar to you?

Whether your goal is weight loss, long term health, or athletic performance, it all starts in the kitchen. Many of us have good intentions and we truly want to make the right meal choices on a daily basis. However, we continue to set ourselves up for failure by stocking our refrigerators and pantries with the wrong foods. The first step, and quite possibly the most important, is just making sure you have access to the right foods on a daily basis.

Here are some simple and practical action steps that you can take today:

1. Eliminate Simple Sugars - Get rid of all of the sugar filled drinks, candy, and sweets that you currently have in your kitchen. Sugar is the number one culprit of poor health and poor performance. Fat has taken a bad wrap for years, but it is sugar that is damaging your health! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM)

2. Eliminate Processed Foods - Stop buying as many packaged goods as you possibly can. If your food comes in boxes and other packaging, it is most likely not good for you. When you look at the ingredients and see a long list of words that you can not pronounce, this means you are ingesting harmful things into your body that are hindering you from achieving success.

3. Limit Grains and Starches- You must make an effort to limit the amount of grains and starches that you eat. We have been incorrectly programmed to eat breads, pasta, and crackers with every meal. Yes, these foods may be “low fat” but they all convert to sugar. Sugar is what causes weight gain. Fat does not!

4. Increase Vegetables and Lower Glycemic Fruits- Make an effort to buy, wash, cut, and store as many fruits and vegetables as you possibly can. Eat vegetables and lower glycemic fruits at every meal in place of grains and starches.

5. Prepare Food in Bulk- Make it a practice to cook a variety of meals two to three times per week. It does not take much more time to increase your quantity of food once you are already making the effort to prepare food. This will drastically cut down on your daily meal prep time and assure that the proper foods are available to you on the days that you are not cooking. This will also discourage you from going out to eat when you have taken the time to prepare a nice healthy meal that is waiting right inside your refrigerator. (see recipes – You Tune link)

6. Keep Raw Nuts and Seeds Available - Keep several containers of raw nuts and seeds in your kitchen at all times. They are a great source of good fat and also contain some protein. Try to always buy them “raw” without salt and unroasted. Nuts and seeds are a great addition to salads and can be snacked on between meals if you are having food cravings.

7. Buy Proper Food Storage Containers- It may sound overly simplistic, but it is very important to have adequate food storage containers ready for use at all times. You need to be able to break your bulk cooking up into multiple single meals that are stored individually in your refrigerator. This allows you to simply “grab and go” when you are in a hurry. It is also necessary to have portable protein shakers to store protein drinks. Proper food storage will simplify this process even further and help you prepare for success on a daily basis.

These simple actions will greatly improve the likelihood of your long-term success. After several weeks, I am confident that these actions will become second nature and part of your lifestyle. Making these steps part of your routine will cut down on the guess work and stress that incorporating a new diet can bring. Preparing your meals in bulk will save you time and you will also save a substantial amount of money as well. So quit making excuses and start taking action today!