We are excited to launch our nutrition challenge. This is a great opportunity to improve your eating habits and get in shape for the summer. This challenge is meant to help you 1) feel great, 2) fuel your body properly, and 3) make progress towards your personal nutrition goals.
We will focus on reading nutrition labels to understand which types of micro- and macro-nutrients we are using to fuel our bodies. We will als focus on taking steps to ensure our systems are responding the way they should to different stimulus, fuel, or stress. What does all of that mean? Find out more as the challenge goes on!
Here are the next steps:
1) Find a journal and keep it on you at all times!
2) Write down what you eat and when – if you can find how much protein, fats, and carbs your meal has, write that down as well.
- We'll talk about "macros" and different macro percentages (and micronutrients) later in the challenge.
- The main goal right now is to better understand what you're eating and when so we can adjust to meet goals.
- What you don't track, you can't change or measure, so this is the first step! Also, what works for one person, may not work for others, so it's important for this challenge to be YOU-specific.
- Also write down how you feel throughout the day (tired, groggy, alert, hungry, achy, sluggish, energetic, bloated, strong, headache, etc)
Note: We're all forgetful and this can be hard to do when you're super busy, and that's okay. Track when and what you can, and if you forget for a meal or a day, get back to it the next day. Progress, not perfection!
3) Make a goal in the "social" tab of the Members App -- the likelihood that you'll reach a publicly-stated goal SKYROCKETS when you declare it instead of keeping it to yourself. If it matters to you, state it and we'll help you stick to it! Goals can be very simple (sleep more than 7 hours a night... drink 130 oz of water a day.. try a new vegetable each week.. eat fast food only once a week.. lose 10 pounds... gain muscle .. feel more energetic throughout the day... Share your goal!
4) Share your progress in the Nutrition App of SugarWOD! You'll see what to focus on for each week.
5) For week 1, our focus will be tracking our food intake AND drinking enough water each day. For men, aim for at least 125 oz of water a day. For females, aim for 95 oz. If you work out a lot, or sweat a lot, drink even more. Try to add electrolytes to at least half of those ounces if you can (I really like nuun tablets and coconut water). Fluid balance is especially important for cell function and we need electrolytes! This is also a great foundation and habit to set because we sometimes mistake thirst as a hunger cue and we search for snacks, when really our bodies are telling us that we're thirsty. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
Looking forward to making progress towards your goals in June!!