You have been going strong all winter long. You have been eating healthy and the results are coming. You have noticed your shorts don’t fit from last year, and you couldn’t be happier to invest in a new pair because, hell, you lost some weight and it feels good to wear smaller shorts…just not too small.
You tell your friends you feel “great”!
But do you?
The truth is: This diet is starting to get the best of you physically and mentally. You are tired of eating the same food day in and day out. You struggle when going out to eat with friends, your roommate eats like a truck driver (smells like one, too) and you are ready to give in just when beach season is on the horizon.
Stop. Take a deep breath.
Here are just a few ways to prevent that diet burnout that seems to sabotage every guy looking to get shredded for beach season.
Prepare!
It’s Sunday. Make a grocery list as detailed as you need and get everything on it. No more, no less. Make your meals 2-3 days in advance. Write out a rough idea of what you will be eating for the next couple of days. Make and store in the fridge what you can; this will make you less apt to go off your diet and will discourage you from buying lunch on-the-go. To give you the equation for food-on-the-go, picture something like this:
PROCESSED + ADDED SODIUM = CRAP.
Not to mention, it will save you tons of money in the end, so you can take your girlfriend out for that romantic dinner you have been promising her…for six years.
Order Up!
You go out to a restaurant with all your buddies. Besides the fact that they are ordering Prime Rib topped with what might as well be ice cream, you don’t know what to order. You choose salad. Ugh!
You know how to eat healthy. Look through the menu and focus on the “chicken and fish” section of the menu. So the roasted chicken comes with mashed potatoes – no worries. Ask if they offer a baked potato, or better yet, ask for a side of veggies instead. Tell them easy on the oil and salt. Remember, you are paying to go out to eat, so don’t be afraid to tweak your order or invent your own. It may piss off the waiter, but they’ll get over it. If they don’t, you can just leave them a pack of Juicy Fruit and your old Blockbuster Video card for a tip.
*If you do order salad, ask for some type of protein on top. (i.e. chicken, salmon, shrimp, etc…) and top it with oil and vinegar, as opposed to another dressing, which may be high in fat.
Wanna Bet?
It is tough to maintain a healthy lifestyle when your brother, girlfriend, parents, et al. don’t practice one. It could ultimately lead you into a sticky situation…literally. A cinnamon-bun-washed -down-with-a-chocolate-milkshake kind of sticky. Get them in on it. Make a bet, show them your results…or pay them off. It is a lot easier to stay consistent with your healthy lifestyle if the people you live with are doing it as well.
Snacks on Hand
You are a busy dude. Who has time to stop and eat? Not you. Snacks are a lifesaver, or in this case an abs saver. Bags of almonds, a protein bar or an apple are all easily portable snacks that won’t take away from your busy day. Skipping a meal will make it more likely for you to either overeat or eat like crap later in the day. Snacks will curb your appetite and keep you on the right track, so when dinner comes around you are less likely to make a hasty decision based on the sound your stomach is making.
Cheaters Always Win
You have gone all this time being super strict on your diet. You won’t even smell a piece of cake for fear it may seep into your nostrils and down into your belly. Relax. Pick a couple of meals during the week when you not only smell the cake, but you eat the damn thing too. Space them out evenly throughout the week, giving something to look forward to that doesn’t seem so far away.
Wednesdays and Saturdays always seem to work best. Maybe Wednesday is “Won Ton Wednesday” with the boys at work. Do it up, but be sure to get back on track the following meal. “Cheat Meals“ are as great for you mentally as they are physically. They help to keep your leptin sensitivity in check; basically, it shocks your system. Eating super healthy all the time can actually cause your metabolism to slow down a bit and these “cheat meals” are, more or less, a kick in your fat-burning hormone’s ass to get it going again. Keep portion control in mind to some extent, but don’t deny yourself some chocolately goodness once in a while.
In with the Good, Out with the Bad
Simple.
Step 1: Empty your fridge.
Step 2: Fill it back up…but with this time instead of Jell-O Pudding and Ellio’s Pizza, put in healthy stuff like lean proteins, fruits and veggies.
Step 3: Get shredded!
See? You don’t have to give up now you big baby! We here at the Rugged got your back. Now, go out there and get those last two abs you have been dreaming about since the first time you watched Fight Club. You can thank us later.
Have YOU ever wanted to give up on your healthy living or diet? Did you overcome it? Let us know how you did it in the comments below – we want to hear about it!
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