If you are an athlete you can probably eat more than most of your friends and often find yourself incredibly famished. With each fitness session you only find yourself hungrier and you justify larger meals after longer workouts. But to achieve you athletic potential and perform like a champ, you need to mindful of the food that you eat. And you also choose calories based on the nutritional content because all calories are not created equal. So check out just how athletes curb their food cravings to make the best choices for their body, mind and performance. You are what you eat, so eat like a champ and your performance will be reflective of these healthy choices!
Up your protein intake so you will find yourself feeling less hungry and without energy surges and drops. For your recovery as an athlete, protein is essential as this is the building block of cells. So up the protein and you will find yourself less hungry and recovering more speedily from your workouts!
Since hunger is often confused with thirst, stay hydrated so you will not confuse your body. Aim for 10-12 glasses of water daily and increase your potassium to help maintain hydration levels.
Mini meals throughout the day will help you to maintain your energy as an athlete and keep going strong. You will also find yourself no longer have strong hunger pangs. Mini meals can be whole grain crackers, a cup of soup, handful of nuts, an apple and all the other array of health foods eaten in smaller quantities!
A true athlete is always prepared when hunger strikes with carry snacks on hand. Often I feel like a walking vending machine with an apple in my purse, a bag of nuts and sometimes even a homemade granola bar. Preparation is key to having success in your athletic performance and feeling great!
All calories are not created equal because you need to focus on nutrient density. This means that if you have been aiming to eat a specific amount of calories daily, regardless of what that is, you need to focus on the health of the food that you are eating. A bag of 100 calorie cookies is not equal to a banana. So focus on the quality of the food not quantity!
Focus on eating to fuel your next workout and be mindful of what you are eating. Eat for your health instead of cravings and begin to eat for your next fitness session. A true athlete know the nutrition they will need to fuel their workouts!
Get to bed sleepy head because as an athlete you will perform at your best with an average of 9 hours sleep each night. I know that seems like forever but try it yourself and see if you feel the difference. Getting to bed earlier will also help you to avoid mindless overeating!
So now that you know how to curb your food cravings as an athlete, enjoy your healthy snacks and be ready to fuel your next workout!