As I mentioned in my last post, I went away for a couple of weeks of volunteer work at a summer camp. This was hardly a vacation, but I was away from my routine and eating habits for an extended time. While I was there, I had very little control over my nutritional habits while there, since all meals and food on site were provided by the staff. Somehow, I was able to control my calories while I was there and even managed to drop a few pounds! I should clarify that I lost weight the good way, not because I starved myself for two weeks. There was no deterioration in muscle mass, just a lower body fat percentage. I thought I'd share some of the small habits I was able to stick to in order to stay healthy.
No White Carbs
This rule is an easy one to follow just about anywhere. All "white foods" like rice, pasta, cheese or sugar contain lots of fat and more carbs than you need in one sitting. The problem with a heavy dose of carbs is that if you don't burn them right away they get stored and turned to fat. Avoiding anything like the foods mentioned will help you control your caloric intake. Good rule to stick to no matter where you are or what diet you follow. I suggest replacing bread, pasta and rice with whole grain alternatives.
Don't Drink Carbs
Very simple and easy to do while away. I got in the habit of only drinking water at home and had no problem following that while I was working at the camp. Even so-called "health drinks" are loaded with calories and carbs you don't need. Fruit juices and protein shakes are also easily replaced by eating more carefully. Your body was designed to absorb protein and nutrients through eating, so drinking them doesn't always mean you're absorbing them as much. Stick to water and be more mindful of what you eat. Listen to your cravings, that's usually your body telling you what you need more of.
Keeping Intake Below RMR
Your body, on a daily basis, burns a certain amount of calories, regardless of how much or little exercise you do that day. Just your basic functions require some calories to be burned and this is called your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). To calculate my body fat and RMR, I usually use the site http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/body-fat-chart.php and once you know how many calories your body burns naturally every day, you can adjust your intake accordingly. I was able to memorize most of the popular meals of camp before going up so that i had an idea of how many calories I was taking in each meal.
For example, my RMR is about 3000 calories, so if I eat that many in a day then I break even. If I eat more, then I'll gain weight. If I eat less, I'll eventually lose weight. I was able to keep my daily intake around 2500 calories, which created a 500 caloric deficit each day. This is equal to 3500 each week, which is approximately one pound lost.
If you're going to attempt this, don't allow your daily calorie deficit to be more than 1000, because this will also affect your muscle mass. Your body will use your muscles for energy, like your fat, and you'll lose mass. Eventually, this causes that "skinny fat" look which is not healthy.
Eat 5 Small Meals, Instead of 3 Big Ones
5 small meals a day is good, but I've had my best results with 6, but that isn't always convenient. When we eat 3 large meals, we're carb loading our bodies, but rarely burning them as fast as they're coming in. By spreading them out a bit thinner, divided into 5 meals or more, we can control how our carbs are being introduced into our bodies and gives us a chance to use them, before they get stored away. Essentially, when you eat lots of carbs separated by many hours, your body thinks you're starving and will store your carbs as fat. Also, by spreading your meals, you keep your metabolism active which keeps your RMR high and burning calories all day.
Eat Right Away
Try to eat within 30 minutes of waking up, which wasn't a problem at my camp since we had a packed schedule. It's always good to hit the ground running. Try to have a high protein breakfast somewhere between 300 to 400 calories if possible. This will get your metabolism working all morning and you'll be burning calories all day long! You'll notice that an hour after your meal you'll feel really hungry again. This is your body expecting a frequent input of food, so it won't be shy to digest fast, as opposed to a slow metabolism when eating scattered meals that are too heavy.
Midnight Snack
Now I wouldn't actually recommend eating at midnight, but a light snack about an hour before you go to sleep is great, contrary to popular belief. Crash diets that don't allow any food within a few hours of bed are actually quite counter productive. This puts your body in a catabolic state, where your body starts eating away at your muscle cells instead of your fat. You'll technically still lose weight, but less and not for long. When you lose muscle mass, your RMR lowers, which means that you're burning less and less calories every day. This means that your losing muscle and not burning fat. Add to this a slower metabolism and you'll be gaining weight again within a week! Bad for the long term. Instead, try to have a protein based snack before bed and keep your body working hard and burning calories while you sleep! You'll wake up just a little bit hungry, which indicates a high metabolism.
If you sleep 8 hours and don't eat 3 hours before bed, as some diets suggest you do, that's almost 12 hours without food and your body will think that you're starving. Keep the intake slow and steady.
These were the golden rules that I stuck to when I was away and forced to eat burgers and hot dogs several times a week. I was active every day, doing manual labor, but not nearly as active as training in the dojo or lifting weights. If this diet could work there, I can only expect better results now that I'm home (for the time being) and back into a regular training routine. Eating healthy is not nearly as hard or as expensive as people make it out to be. Just a little bit of homework and you'll be adding years to your life!
Jordan Bill
Fight or Die
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