By Tara Gidus-Collingwood
Nutrition Consultant to the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Campus
- Eat within one hour of waking up to set the tone for your day.
- Spread your food out throughout the day with snacks in between meals and watching portion sizes at meals.
- If your workouts are shorter or less intense than normal, make sure you reduce your food intake so you don’t gain unwanted pounds.
- Make sure you are getting enough protein: Rule of thumb is to get about one-half gram of protein per pound body weight for active individuals.
- Drink fluids regularly throughout the day. It doesn’t always have to be water! Milk, juice, tea and sports drinks all count towards your fluid intake for the day.
- If you’re trying to gain weight, add a heavy snack about an hour before bedtime. A bowl of cereal, PBJ or a protein shake are all good choices.
- If you are trying to lose body fat, watch your portions at meals, but especially at dinner. Your energy output is on the downslope for the rest of the day after dinner, so keep it light.
- Don’t give in to boredom eating! Be mindful by connecting your brain to your stomach and try to eat when you’re physically hungry and stop when you are comfortably full, not stuffed. If you are not physically hungry but you want to eat, try to distract yourself until it is time for your next meal or snack.