Today is December 13th, 2008 which marks the 13th day in this Breakthrough Bodybuilding Competition for the Breakthroughs To Fitness Coaches.
I am out here in Memphis, Tennesse celebrating my cousins wedding. Now we all know what celebrations mean; they usually contain high calorie, high fat meals, high empty calorie drinks, lose of inhibitions, irrational support system, and lack of focus on one’s health.
Now my point is not that celebrations are bad. They are essential to living and is a way to praise a special occassion. I am all for it. But there are always obstacles to be careful of.
Since Day 1 of this competition, I planned for this event. Unfortunately, I did not create a bullet proof mindset. Something that is extremely important.
I fell into the trap of the celebration estacy. I got overwhelmed and enjoyed a few meals that can potentially set me back. The great thing is that I was able to catch myself and use a tactic that we teach in our New Body Transformation Workshop.
That is the start fresh mindset. The concept behind this tactic is that no matter what situation you are in, or what type of mental hit was bestowed upon your body, you have control to start over.
So even though I enjoyed a few drinks, and a high calorie, high fat meal and dessert, I was able to recoup the next day. I brought with me pre-cooked meals that were high in nutrient value and had supportive nutrition. They were also about 250-350 calorie meals which is perfect for my ody composition.
So here are my top 5 tips of avoiding the celebration massacre:
- If traveling and staying in a hotel, bring a few pre-cooked meals (meals prepared by you not a grocery store box) that you can turn to when a time of hunger kicks in
- Drink plenty of water and even eat a high fibrous fruit or some almonds before a celebration meal (generally a dinner filled with cocktail hour, salad and bread, main course, dessert and after hour drinks).
- Try to stay active the entire day and devout 30-45 minutes to a full body workout (I reside on the 8th floor of the Marriot Residence Inn. 90% of the time I take the stairs up and down. Don’t be lazy unless you have a medical or physical condition)
- Ask for the support of like minded individuals (I asked my little sister to remind me of my competition each time she saw I wanted to enjoy a treat)
- Ask yourself every situation “Is this going to take further or closer to my goals?” (granted there are times you will take the wrong path, but thats ok if you incorporate the start fresh mindset)
I hope the above tips help, because they have assisted me in truly setting myself back to day 1.
What you can expect from these posts during the competition is complete honesty and transparency. My goal is to share with you my ups and downs, daily challenges, positive moments, transformation marks, breakthroughs, etc. You will see the good and the bad.
We are all human and fall into different traps. The goal is to learn from these situations so you can apply that knowledge to the next similar siutation you face.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about growing as a human being.
Dedicated to your results,
Greg Kalafatic
P.S. Last night was the rehearsal dinner which set me back. Tonigth is the big test. The actual wedding dinner. My goal is to have one social drink and eyeball my dinner to be about 400 calories with my dessert as fresh fruit. I will keep you posted on my task at hand