Everyday I get asked for all the insider secrets about fitness nutrition and my reply is always the same,"there are none". Recently a young woman seemed to be fed up with working out and eating in a supportive manner and asked if I had any advice for her in regards to shaking things up nutritionally. There were a thousand things I could have said but the look on her face elicited the following response from me.

When I find myself in the particular mood you're speaking of I generally find myself elbow deep in pizza and Guinness. A night of comfort food always seems to take the edge off and the next day Im right back on track. Instead of writing a bunch of motivational words urging you to stick with your plan Im just going to write down ideas as they come to me right off the top of my head. I know all to well how hard it is to keep at it day after day so maybe you will find one or two helpful.

Sweeten your oatmeal with apple sauce or fat free jams.
Crank up your popcorn with Tabasco, salsa or popcorn spices.
Try your favorite light salad dressing on your steamed veggies.
Throw a bouillon cube in your water for boiling.
Make 12 deviled eggs with only 4 -5 yolks and fat free condiments. ( Im a genius)
Make a burrito with ground turkey/chicken or flank steak.
Use salsa or Balsamic vinegar instead of regular dressing.
Red wine instead of white and keep it all in moderation. Think of your goals.
Give apple butter and almond butters a try.
Change your workout routine and time.
Take a week off of resistance training and just focus on light cardio 25-35 minutes a day.
Say the heck with your workouts all together for a week. Did I just say that? Then come back full force with recharged batteries and desire.
Mandatory walk every night for a week.
Reward yourself with a day at the spa.

Now if you apply strict dedication and follow each of the tips above, oh the hell with it, go have a piece of pizza and a beer and quit stressing about it. Nine times out of ten a day of gluttony is exactly the shake up your fitness regimine was calling for. Just be sure you limit this 24 hour buffet to just one day and dive right back into your program the following day. This will recharge the fire and put it all back into perspective reminding you of why you started this journey.

Keep it safe, simple.
Geoff