Eating Clean at Group Functions, Revealed!

It's a topic that many of us don't want to talk about. We dread our company lunches, meetings with clients and bosses, or even our family gatherings because we just haven't mastered the art of not offending anyone with our food choices. Am I right? Just how do you maintain your clean eating lifestyle when you may not be able to choose your food? I used to feel like this often. However, we don't have to! Here are a few tips and scenarios to help you out.  Keep in mind that moderation is important, you should not shy away from your friends and family just because you are eating clean.  It is okay to indulge every once in a while without feeling guilty about it - these tips will help you avoid a binge!

Rule #1 (in ALL circumstances) - ALWAYS keep a snack of about 100-150 calories with you; a Quest Bar or a pack of raw almonds are great examples! Eat this about 30 minutes to 1 hour before your function. This will control your appetite and leave you less likely to pig out on things you know you shouldn't have like macaroni and cheese, tortilla chips with cheese and even birthday cake.

If you are in a breakfast meeting or a lunch meeting with a client, you can always sneak away to the bathroom at some point within the meeting and scarf down your 100 calorie snack as well! Make sure that your snack can easily fit in your pocket and will not spoil (a string cheese or a refrigerated snack would). Not sure that you can resist the bagels and muffins available at the breakfast meeting? Make some of the protein bars into muffins and share! Good choices are the Lemon Protein Bars (add poppy seeds and pass them off as poppy seed muffins) and the Cinnamon Swirl Protein Bread. 

Birthday parties and weddings are the worst for me! Let's face it - I love cake, especially vanilla wedding cake! (Bummer for me that my sister-in-law owns an amazing bakery in D.C. and I can't eat her cupcakes or wedding cakes!) If it's a company shindig (especially those that happen every month) or a birthday party of a friend or family member you know, bring something to share! Suggesting that they try something new will be all you need to introduce them to the Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies, the Chocolate Almond Biscotti or even the Chocolate Protein Bars that taste just like brownies! Weddings... I'm not sure what you should do - it will be a test of willpower and be glad you ate that 100-150 calorie snack before hand!

If you are going to a family gathering or over to a party at a friends house, it's always a good idea to bring one dish that complements what they may be preparing but qualifies as a clean dish for you. Try something that has a mix of protein and carbohydrate in case this ends up being the main thing on your plate, like a quinoa, a bean salad, or a veggie tray with homemade hummus dip. Proper etiquette says you should ask before bringing the dish, but if it's someone that is likely to tell you know, I would bring it without asking!

If you are attending a potluck family, church or work-related function, this one is easy! Who said you can't make more than one dish to share? Nobody! Make a protein-laden dish (like the Turkey Meatloaf Muffins, Turkey Monster Meatloaf or the Stuffed Bell Peppers) and a good-for-you carb dish (like the Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes" or the Sweet Potato Tots). This will ensure you at least have something to eat! Just ensure you are close to the front of the line so you can be sure to get some of your clean goodness!

Please Note: I am not telling you to be rude to your host or hostess by not having any of their food. That would deeply hurt their feelings, BUT by eating the snack before hand any making wise choices once you are there, you will greatly decrease your risk of throwing off your new lifestyle and not reaching your goals! If you are struggling with family members that don't understand, take a look at our Toxic Friends and Family post!

Happy Celebrating!

Clean Eat Education: What to Eat Before (and After) a Workout

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Now that you know you should eat something BEFORE you workout... Now you ask: What do I eat?

Here's the lowdown on what you should consume before a workout:

Cardio ONLY workouts (44 min or less): Have a few extra minutes to squeeze in a quick HIIT workout or even just go for a power walk? If you are only doing a cardio workout, you should have a 50-100 calorie source of quick digesting carbohydrates to rev up your metabolism and keep your body burning fat throughout your workout.

Cardio ONLY workouts (45 min +): Hitting the streets for a hardcore run? (I would consider anything over 3 miles hard core - I am not a runner! Yet!) You should have any where from 100-150 calories of a quick digesting and a slower digesting carbohydrate source. Skip the protein source until after your workout.

Weight Training/Lifting Session: Planning to pump iron before breakfast? Not so fast! Make sure you eat 150-200 calories of a quick digesting carb (such as one 30 cal rice cake), slower digesting carbs and a lean protein source. Don't waste your hard work - you want to build those muscles!

Here is a quick list of snacks you can use to create your pre-workout snack. Please note there are many other snacks you can choose from - I included only these as they are quick to prepare, travel well and tend to cause the least amount of stomach issues once you are working out. You can definitely add to this list!

Quick Digesting Carbs

• Low Sodium White Rice Cake - approximately 30 calories per rice cake
• Banana - approximately 105 calories per medium (7 in) banana
• Green Apple - approximately 72 calories per medium (3 in in diameter) apple

Slower Digesting Carbs

• Low Sodium Brown Rice Cake - approximately 50 calories per rice cake
• Oats (Quick Cooking, Steel Cut or Old Fashioned) - approximately 80 calories in 1/4 Cup of oats
• Sweet Potato - approximately 90 calories in 1/2 Cup of baked sweet potato
• Brown Rice - approximately 54 calories per 1/4 Cup of cooked brown rice

Lean Protein Source

• Protein Shake - this is the sometimes the quickest way to get your calories if you are in a hurry! Calories will vary depending on your brand of protein powder (we use TLS whey protein powder).
• Scrambled/Boiled Egg White - approximately 17 calories per large egg white (4g of protein per egg)

What should you eat after a workout?

That's pretty simple - a 100-200 calorie snack consisting of a lean protein source and a quick digesting carbohydrate source. The carbohydrates will help your body to digest and use the protein source that you have consumed and repair your muscles (this is how you build muscle. Tear it down to build it up!). It is IMPERATIVE that you eat within 30 minutes of a workout for optimal results!!

Hope that answers your questions!

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Clean Eat Education: Eating Before a Workout

It's a question we all ponder through the course of our fitness journey - Should I eat before a workout? Should I train on an empty stomach?  The quick answer... EAT BEFORE YOU WORKOUT! There is quite the controversy regarding the answer to this question online, among fellow trainers and among fitness fanatics. If you are a morning exerciser, this really pertains to you. For those of you that workout later in the day, chances are you are well nourished prior to your workout, but just in case, please read on...

If you remember from my article on metabolism, your body has been working through the night, burning carbohydrates, fats and proteins to carry out the restorative process that is: sleep. 

Just a refresher... here's the your metabolism eating 6 meals per day vs 3 meals per day:

As you awake in the morning, your body yearns to be fed - your metabolism has dipped below the fat burning zone and into the muscle burning zone due to lack of food. This is reason enough to eat as soon as you can! When you couple this phenomenon on top of your desire to shed pounds, it becomes apparent that if you are already burning muscle for energy when your body is almost at rest (when you first wake), think about how much more muscle your body will have to burn to generate enough energy to power through a workout or cardio session. A whole LOT! Can you afford that... NO!

Keep your muscle and eat a little snack of 100-200 calories prior to exercising in the morning and your body will thank you for it! 

Stay tuned... I will be discussing great options for what to eat prior to a morning workout soon!

Update: Click here to learn what to eat before & after your workout