Healthy Eating

I have recently decided to go on a healthy eating binge. I know what you're thinking… I thought all professional athletes eat healthy! Well, some do. People ask me all the time what my diet is like and I pretty much confess to eating whatever I like for the most part. This makes a lot of people green with envy, but you must realize that there is a ton of work going in on the other side of that equation. So, of course I don't count calories because I know I will burn off all that I need to in training. But, while my diet is generally decent, I was interested to see what some real dedication in that area would amount to in terms of how I feel during workouts and competitions, how I recover from workouts, and if I could be leaner and meaner than I already am. As of now, here are some of the general guidelines…

*NO sugar. This will not always be an abandonment of all things delicious, but I am going to detox for two weeks just to see what it feels like.

*Get more complex. With my carbs that is. Where I fall short in this area is my vegetable consumption. I just don't really like them all that much. But I'm trying to make them a significant part of my diet.

*Remember that I'm lactose intolerant. My body specifically tells me not to eat certain foods and I do anyway. A cheeseburger is better than a hamburger. Pizza is yummy. I couldn't really imagine life without it. But we're going to do some cutbacks in that area and see what happens.

There is more to it than that, but I don't want to bore you to death with percentage breakdowns and the like. To be honest with you, the hardest part of the new way I've been eating is still trying to consume enough calories. I know, I know--you're turning a darker shade of green. But seriously, do you realize how lacking in oomph spinach is? I put all these newfound veggies into my calorie counter and I see my calories just dwindling before my eyes. I need to make sure I keep my curves!

Like I said, this is not about how I look, it's about how I feel and how I perform. My body is my Lamborghini, I can't really justify putting cheap gas in it. After a few weeks I'll let you know if I notice anything different. Then I'll slowly add back in my fries and gummy bears. On occasion.