In honor of Veteran’s Day, I wanted to do my first post from the Coach’s point of view on Nutrition for those of you serving in the Military.  Let me first preface this by saying that I have been married to a Marine for over 10 years and have had interaction with the military as a spouse in social situations and as a trainer.  I have so much respect for what our men and women in uniform do every day.  I wanted to take the time to address some of the common issues/questions I get from military folks regarding nutrition and how to simplify it during their day.

So, to the Military guys/gals….

Kick the “energy” drinks to the curb.  I get this question a lot, and it’s usually because of concern from someone that their Soldiers/Marines are fueling their day with Monsters and Red Bull.  They are filled with sugar and will do you more harm than good.  I know you are exhausted, and sleep can sometimes be tough to get, but focusing on dialing in the quality of the food you are eating will help alleviate a lot of that “crash and burn” feeling you get.  Learn to drink coffee and tea instead (without the sugar or artificial sweeteners).  These energy drinks aren’t only crappy because of the sugar content, but they are also inhibiting your ability to get sound sleep, think clearly, and cause heart burn/acid reflux, and a host of other GI issues.

 Keep a food stash.  I know that a ton of you are living in barracks and have teeny tiny fridges, no stove to cook on, and if you’re lucky, a microwave.  You get the bulk of your food from a chow/mess hall and those operate on limited hours generally with a breakfast, lunch, and dinner being served and even more limited on the weekends.  So, keeping a stash of food can come in handy.  You can do really well with food that needs little to no refrigeration. 

 Food Stash Staple #1: Jerky – Keep a supply of jerky on hand.  This can be in your barracks room, but also in your pack during the day.  Try to get the brand with lower sodium/carb/sugar content. 

 Food Stash Staple #2: Nuts – No Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine should ever be without a can of nuts.  Get them as natural as you can and roll with some almonds or cashews.  I know they can be a little pricey, but they are cheaper at the commissary than they are off base, so stock up on payday.  Many of you are putting out a lot of energy during the day, so this fat will help fuel you.

 Food Stash Staple #3: Hard-boiled eggs – Most grocery stores will sell hardboiled eggs that are already cooked and peeled in a bag.  “Egglands Best” makes them and sells them in bags of 6 and 12.  Once opened, they must be used within 7 days, but this shouldn’t be tough to accomplish.  It works well if you didn’t have time to get to the chow hall for breakfast or if you need a snack during the day.

Food Stash Staple #4: Sweet Potatoes – These are great to use in smaller quantities for your carb source.  If you have a microwave handy, all you need is a sweet potato and some plastic wrap.  Bundle the tater in the plastic wrap (don’t poke any holes in the wrap) and pop it in a microwave for about 7 mins (a little longer if it’s big).  I recommend cutting it in half and eating half then and half later in the day or after your workout or a period of heavy physical output.

Food Stash Staple #5: Fresh Fruit – Oranges are easy to cart around and you can usually find an orange or an apple in the chow hall or 7 Day Store/Shoppette near the cash register.  Eat the fruit in moderation, but keep some on hand as a better more quality choice than chips and cookies.

Pre-Make your snacks/meals – This can save you a ton of time.  Take a handful of jerky, one or two handfuls of nuts, and throw them in a Ziploc bag.  Pre-make a couple of these so that you have them ready to go.  Then, all you have to do is grab a bag and maybe a piece of fruit and head out the door.  If you feel like dropping some dough on it, you can buy a box of Paleo Snax, or Paleo Kits. 

Know your chow/mess hall.  It is not tough to eat well here.  There is always a source of Protein, Carbohydrate, and Fat to be found within the walls of the chow hall.  Stay away from the starches like rice, potatoes, and the bread basket.  Go for the meat and veggies.  If you don’t have your can of nuts handy, head over to the salad bar and grab a salad with some oil and vinegar on it or a full fat salad dressing (prefer the oil and vinegar).  You don’t have to leave that place feeling guilty about your food choices.  If you stick to the most natural unprocessed food there, then you can still make smart choices.  

Avoid the “Food Court”.  If you can’t avoid the food court, you can still make “smarter” choices there too.  I know for a fact (because I’ve been a dependent for over 10 years) that you will find one or more of the following on any military installation when you visit a food court: Charley’s Steakery, Robin Hood (sandwiches), Popeye’s, Subway, Pizza Hut or Anthony’s Pizza, Taco Bell, Burger King.  Stay away from Taco Bell, Pizza “anything”, and Popeye’s.  Stick to the places where you can do a salad with meat, or meat only with veggies.

 Teach your Junior Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines to make smart choices.  It is so important to lead by example here.  At first, they will look at you like a weirdo for breaking out jerky, hard boiled eggs, nuts, etc… as a snack, but they will also be curious.  This is your chance to affect their life in a positive way regarding their overall health and well being.  It’s not about making them super athletes, but instead, keeping them from being overweight, foggy headed, and prone to sickness.  Our military men and women need to know how to make smarter food choices because mentally and physically, their job depends on them being “On Point” all the time.  Good nutrition can give them a mental clarity that they have never before experienced.

~Bobbi

Often times, I have people ask me about blocks, Paleo, Zone, etc... and how it applies to them.  I get asked "What should I do?", "How many blocks do I need?",  and all of the other typical questions that come along when people first start getting in to CrossFit and hear that there is a diet out there that CrossFit recommends.

Well, to start down the path to good nutrition, you have to be ready.  It cannot be started on a whim one day and tossed aside the next day when it isn't convenient for you anymore.  Mentally and physically you have to know that something is missing at that you are ready to make a change. 

Once you are ready and have made the decision to get started, you have to have discipline!  This is so important.  Discipline means that you do what is right for you when no one is looking.  It means that if you aren't supposed to have a cheat day or cannot have bread, that you don't eat cake with your friends because everyone else is doing it.

Sticking to a clean diet is no joke, and you have to know that you will be faced with some major challenges.  Friends and family will think you're weird, you will crave ungodly amounts of sugar, but you have to know what's best and you have to have the discipline to do what's right for you. 

So, here's the deal. I spend the bulk of my time, yes even my precious free time, talking to clients, strangers, friends, and family members about the benefits of CrossFit and good nutrition. I love my job and am very lucky to have it and actually not suck at it.

All that said, I get emails, texts, calls, and pokes at the gym from folks who want help and answers to what is going to make them better, skinnier, happier, etc... I love to talk about this stuff, so it's no big deal really, but lately something has really started to bother me.

To all of you who ask for my advice, pay for my time via nutrition consults, or email me at eleven o'clock at night with a damn peanut butter or ice cream crisis, listen up. If the information I give you is valuable, pay attention and put it to practice. Instead of going around spouting out random knowledge about the Zone or Paleo and telling people what "your trainer" said, try actually doing what I tell you to do. Take my advice and apply it to yourself.  If you're still eating and looking like shit and pointing me out as your "trainer" or "nutrition coach", knock it off, it's bad for business. This whole thing where you suck me dry of information and then go on your way gets really old.

When you come to me for help, I instantly make an emotional investment in your overall well being. I become determined to see you do well. I put a lot of thought into your individual situations and am genuinely concerned with the outcome. You tell me you're going to do it, really get on track, then I hear that you're eating pasta and cup cakes.

So here's the bottom line. I love ya, but if you're not ready to commit, then don't ask for my help. When you decide you're ready, I'll be ready to listen.

Are you on or off the wagon?  What do I mean by that, well, I mean are you on the wagon, eating like a good little crossfitter, waving hello and sharing the knowledge on nutrition as you pass, or are you off of it, eating like crap and trying to understand why these CrossFit workouts are not doing you any good?

Here's the thing, you're either doing what you're supposed to be doing or you're not.  You are either hitting the Zone and really weighing and measuring and eating 'clean', or you're not.  There is no middle ground here.  Why am I even going here today?  Because I have been completely off the wagon, I mean basically, the freaking wheels flew off of mine, for a good solid month. 

I didn't really think much about it, I just slipped a few times, then a few times became daily, and before I knew it, I was actually contemplating cooking my favorite pasta dish for supper.  Don't worry, I didn't, but I wanted to.  All of this is important for you to know because I want to talk a little about "cheat days" and "cheat meals".  Please proceed with caution when you allow yourself treats.  If you have been at this whole Zone thing for a while, and by that I mean more than 6 months, be very careful with the cheats.

Food is absolutely a drug.  It affects the way we sleep, perform in workouts, and handle stressful situations, and sugar is like heroine.  Now, I've never been addicted to drugs, but I have been addicted to sugar, and let me tell you, those good ole' feelings will come flooding back in when you have been on the wagon and decide to start adding ice cream as your once a day treat.  It's like watching an episode of "Intervention" or "Celebrity Rehab".

Ice cream was it for me.  I started by having it once a week, then twice, then before I knew it, I was having some sort of dessert after every dinner.  So, almost every day, once a day, I destroyed anything and everything I had done by eating well all day and working out.  What the hell!  Along with the cravings after supper, I started to crave other sugars.  I started wanting bread during the day and thinking about pasta for dinner.  It was that easy, and all it took was a little ice cream. 

It was easy to let slide, because my numbers and PRs in the gym are still going up and were during the ice cream mania I experienced, but I suffered in other areas of my life.  Because of my need for sugar and carbohydrates, I wasn't sleeping well and had a tough time regulating my body temperature, my GI system was all screwed up, and my moods during the day were out of control.  The body is a smart thing.  All day, it knew that it wanted that sugary ice cream, but my discipline during the day was pissing it off.  My system was forced to wait until the end of the day for it's sugary treat and as a result, I walked around like a time bomb that couldn't think straight, sleep, or eat a meal without thinking about sugar.

So my point is this, we all struggle, especially me.  Just because I made great gains with my diet, does not mean that I am not still succeptible to the pitfalls that everyone else struggles with, and that is the body's need for that good ole' happy feeling it gets when you feed it sugar.  It will instantly revert back to the way it was, because remember, you ate like crap way longer than you ate well, so it's like riding a bike.  You never forget, nor does your body, how good sugar is.

Coaching point: If you are past your leaning phase with your diet (generally no sooner than 6-8 weeks) and you are ready for "treats" be smart about it.  Once a week, choose a day and a meal that you will have your treat.  For instance, I love ice cream in the evenings after dinner, so I know my treat this week will be Ice Cream on Saturday night after dinner.  This will keep you focused on eating well all week because you know when you can have your treat.  The second you deviate from that schedule, it will become harder and harder to stay disciplined with your food choices.  Keep at it and get your fat ass on the wagon.

-Bobbi

If you are addicted to bad carbs, technically, SUGAR, then you have come to the right place.  Over the next few weeks I will be posting my thoughts, struggles, and tips on how to navigate through your day without falling into a big tub of sugar along the way.

If you're struggling with your diet, or more importantly understanding it and using it as a tool instead of a weapon of mass destruction on all you attempt to achieve in the gym, use these journal entries as a place to vent and get your questions answered.

I decided to start this journal as a way to use the knowledge that I have gained in my struggles with my diet and how it has affected me as a trainer and athlete.  I hope to be able to help others with their own issues, no matter how big or small, because I've been there and know what it is like to live on an emotional rollercoaster and not seeing any progress because I didn't know how to eat.

My hope is that people will post questions, but also funny insight into their daily struggles with the obstacles that everyone faces everytime they step outside the doors of the gym and away from their trainers.  

I will be checking the comments regularly and answering any questions and lending any support as needed.

If you have a question or comment that you don't want to post, email me at staff@sportoffitness.com.

Stay tuned...

-Bobbi