“Managing Compromises,” Diet Edition

Life is all about managing comprises….

Which is precisely why you won’t catch me eating oil on my salad very often.

 

If you were to presume that it’s because I’m trying to cut calories–or, more particularly, calories from fat–you’d likely be perplexed when you saw my salad heaped with avocado, a layer of cheese, and a sprinkle of walnuts.

You see, it’s just that I’d MUCH prefer all of those fats to the fat of olive oil.

I tend to think of calories/macronutrients the way I think of time; I have a finite allotment each day. Or maybe money is a better metaphor. How am I gonna spend it?

How am I going to budget those calories to get the most bang for my buck?

As far as dressing is concerned, I could take it or leave it. Why “waste” the calories and fat on oil when I could spend them instead on avocado?

If you haven’t read my blog post from last week, HERE, then perhaps that’d be a good place to visit before reading on. This week, I’m building on last week’s concept of figuring out what your daily nutrition looks like each day and getting comfortable substituting, so that you end up tracking macronutrients for only a week and can spend the rest of your life eating quite effortlessly. 

This week, I’m talking about how to manage compromises in your diet so that you can maintain leanness without any strict and crazy rules but also have awareness that you can’t always “have-your-avocado-and-also-have-oil-on-your-salad-and-also-have-coconut-curry-chicken-thighs-for-dinner, too.”

Let me elaborate:

I could pour a tablespoon of oil on my salad OR I could have half an avocado.

Both are going to give me about 15 g of fat (approximately 2 g of which are saturated, 1.5 grams of which are polyunsaturated, and 10 grams of which are monounsaturated). The avocado will be a little higher in calories overall because it’ll have about 9 grams of carbs (with 7 of them being fiber) and 2 grams of protein.

This is, of course, personal preference. In the example above, I hope it’s clear that either option will fuel your body well.*

(Combine them both, though, and I might be stuck with chicken breast for dinner rather than the creamy coconut milky chicken thigh I had planned. See, it’s all about managing compromises.)

*And, it’s not always the case that my budgeting lends to such a perfect substitution. In fact, sometimes my budgeting is a little sketchy. For instance, if I know I’m going to have a decadent chocolate cake for a special occasion tonight, I sure as heck am going to have my eggs poached rather than fried, and I’m gonna pass on the sweet potato hash.

Now, you know I’m not a calorie-counter. And, I’m not merely an “If It Fits Your Macros” type, either. I fully accept that the chocolate cake is not nutritionally-equivalent to frying my eggs. However, when it comes to leanness only–and not the condition of my arteries–I think about balancing my calories like I think about balancing my checking account.

Going with that metaphor, greens and other non-starchy veggies are non-negotiable. Think of those like depositing money in your savings account or, perhaps for some, tithing. You always do that. Doesn’t matter if you’re “over-budget” because you went to Disney World.

That leads us to one last point: What do you do to  s t r e t c h  your budget?

I tend to use bleu cheese, parmesan or feta because a little goes a long way, flavor-wise.

I tend not to drink milk because I’d rather have yogurt.

I rarely use flavorless oils to cook or finish foods because I like to munch fats instead; I prefer almond butter or coconut cream over avocado oil or even butter!

Or, do you not think within this framework at all? Share below!

 

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5-Minute Sweaty

I threw a KEY at the bottom, in case any of these moves elude you 😉

 

Set a timer for 5 minutes and get AMRAP:

5 box jumps

5 box step-ups with R leg leading

3 broad/long jumps

20 plank shoulder taps, alternating

Repeat, alternating leg that leads for box step-ups each round

 

No “box” per se? Use stairs, use a bench, or use a stool!

Box jumps = Both feet hit box simultaneously, knees straighten for full extension, then hop back off and repeat; OR once at the top position, fully extended, release one leg foot to the ground and then the other (alternating which leg leads here).

Step-ups = “With R leg leading” indicates the right foot will land on the box first, followed by the left; knees straighten for full extension; then release right foot back to the floor, followed by the left.

Broad/long jumps = Both feet hit floor simultaneously as far in front of you as possible; absorb shock by bending knees on the landing, also preparing for immediate subsequent jump; can be back and forth if space is limited.

 

P.S. This SWEATY is no joke! If you are looking for some additional no-nonsense “workouts that burn maximum calories in minimum time,” you should click here to download Pat’s fresh new e-book with that exact title!

P.P.S. I hope you know that the frameworks I provided this week and last week are not meant to be the answer for everyone. That’d be dogmatic. These are just frameworks that might suit you quite well…at least to the extent which they apply to you personally in accordance with Pat’s 3 Tips.