RIO Fitness Chicago® Exercise & Nutrition Blog

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Thankfully football season is back! What that usually means though is an entire Saturday and/or Sunday of nothing but drinking monster mugs of beer and eating everything that's super high in calories/saturated fat/carbs/sodium/sugar. Here's a few tips to lessen that feeling of complete self disgust Monday morning.

1) Get in some exercise before the action starts. Best option would be to do some cardio as soon as you wake before having any calories. By doing that your body will use your body fat (stored calories) as it's primary source of fuel.

2) Have a good breakfast of lean proteins (eggs, fish, chicken, turkey). The protein will jump start your metabolism (how fast you burn calories) & keeping you feeling full longer. If the games are in the late afternoon/evening make sure you eat before you go. Don't go to watch them starving, because that will lead to bad choices & overeating because of your hunger. Have some healthy snacks of lean protein (Greek yogurt, unsalted/raw nuts, unsalted beans) & low glycemic carbs (fruits, veggies with hummus).

3) Have your first drink be water. This will help to hydrate you prior to consuming too much sodium and also before you consume any alcohol. Also try to drink a glass of water between alcoholic drinks to slow down your consumption rate and reduce calories.

4) Use SMALL plates. If your plate is the size of a folder, you're going to eat every buffalo wing. Take what can fit on a small plate, and when you finish that, that's it. PORTION CONTROL is the key!

5)Self-control is a hard task when so many delicious options are placed in front of you, but JUST STOP. Tell yourself that tomorrow you have to wake up and face yourself. If you don’t want to overeat then don’t let yourself get wrapped up in the excitement of the party and over indulge. Parties and group gatherings create problems for many people trying to get in/stay in shape. Plan ahead to help create a barrier between you and the unhealthy food/portion sizes you will encounter at a party. Don’t eliminate everything, but plan ahead to have a good time without too much food/drink. Just make smarter choices, have fun, and enjoy the games!