Cheat meals

“I got drunk last night, Dre.”


Placing my hand on her shoulder, I said, “Listen, if you and I are going to work together, you have to make an effort in mitigating your alcohol consumption.”

Don’t take this out of context. I’m all for indulging and being social. In fact, one day isn’t going to hurt. But once I told her that, she realized that she wasn’t in the right frame of mind yet to fully commit. Clearly, any sort of compromise was out of the question.

Getting in shape is a painstaking process, so it’s in your best interest to work on modifying your behaviors because you’re delusional if you think you can get away with bad habits over many weeks or months. What’s more, it’s a horrible dietary strategy to follow – one step forward, two steps back.

Q: I’m not a big eater, but I love sweets and do occasionally drink alcohol. Do I have to cut them out if I really want to get in shape?
A: It always comes as a shock when I tell someone they don’t have to alter their lifestyle that much. Yes— there is a measure of discomfort involved, but I encourage people to live and eat like a normal human being because complete rigidity isn’t necessary to change your body.

A simple tactic I often recommend is to limit snacking, and have your first two meals to be wholesome and nutritious. Then later in the evening, provided it’s kept in reasonable quantities, you can have whatever you want.

Q: I feel like I hit a plateau because my progress has slowed down a bit. Is this normal?
A: It’s important to discern how this whole thing works because most still carry the sentiment that their weight spiking up, or moving at a snail’s pace is indicative of how much ground their covering. And that’s just not the case.

Progress doesn’t occur in a straight line. Fluctuations are part of the endeavor, so think of it more as a wavelike approach but with a positive trend. There are a host of factors that influence acute negative responses, sleep and stress being the prime contributors. Don’t put too much stock into them. For women, the time of the month should also be taken into consideration.

The takeaway here is, if you’re staying active and are consistent with your training, eat reasonably well, and continue to see visible changes, you’re on the right track.

Dre Delos Santos (Special to the Saipan Tribune)
Dre Delos Santos writes about fitness and nutrition for Saipan Tribune and TAGA Sports. He is a personal trainer at Gold’s Gym. He is featured on fitness sites such as Weight Watchers, T-Nation, and STACK.