New Year, New You?

Another new year.  Another chance to reinvent yourself and your goals – you’ve heard that story before, right?

January often brings a slew of resolutions and the urge to over-correct our holiday habits.   The start of the year can be a time when many of us try out new dietary plans, and Booty and I want to make sure that you’re getting the whole scoop on some of the strategies that are out there.

Here’s the thing, though – any major change to your diet will give you results in the short term.  As soon as you start measuring your intake and making alterations, your body will adapt.  As athletes, it’s important to find a dietary strategy that gives us the outcome we want (be it change in body composition, improved performance or better health), but it’s equally important to find a dietary plan that we can be consistent with, and won’t just be a January fad.

We’ve spoken a lot in the past about what makes a healthy diet for a roller derby athlete (in part 1, part 2 and part 3).  The short version is: veggies, lean proteins, healthy fats and smart carbs, eaten in appropriate amounts at the time that help your body to flourish.  While massive ‘start-of-the-year’ overhauls may be appealing, a more sustainable tactic may be to develop food principles or habits that you can stick through month after month.  Examples (including a bunch that I employ myself) include:

• Veggies with every meal
• Lean proteins with every meal
• Starchy carbs only on training/game days
• Pick one of the three: Drinks, Hors d’oeuvres, Dessert
• No snacks after 8 (or no snacks unless they’re planned)

While planning for slow, moderate habits might be better over the long term, the pull of the “fast fix” is always there.  Some of the most popular dietary strategies these days tend to be:

• Primal/Paleo/Whole 30
• Vegan/Vegetarian 
• Gluten Free
• IIFYM – If It Fits Your Macros
• Intermittent Fasting/Warrior Diet

Do any of those sound familiar? Are you trying any of them out? Are you curious to know more? To give our All-Stars the scoop – I’ll be making myself your guinea pig, adhering to each strategy for a bit and letting you know how it goes; interviewing skaters who follow the diets long-term; as well as posting the scientific review, benefits and challenges to each approach.

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to get started!

Bon Appetit!

-Lilith NoFair

Do you have another dietary plan you’d like us to examine?  Would you like to tell us about the diet you follow?  Comment below and let us know!