The Athletes Festive Food Survival Guide
Some people love Christmas/the festive season: the food, the family, the gifts. For others it means a forced day off the bike, guilt around excessive food and the difficulty in gifting everyone something acceptable.
Whichever side of the coin you're on, it's undeniable that athletes can be challenged with some extra dietary pitfalls at this time of year; and it's not just Christmas day, it's the weeks leading up to it. The office parties, the social club gatherings and school events.
In light of this, there are a few thing you can do to make good decisions during this time.
Remember you're an athlete: if you're riding more than a few hours a week, you have increased energy needs from the rest of the population. This doesn't mean you need to eat like a Tour rider knee deep in a three week stage race, but it also means that you have a little buffer if you do end up indulging.
Have a plan of attack: sometimes parties mean impromtu cake, which is great if you really want some cake. If it looks amazing and you're keen for it, it's probably time to eat the cake. But for some events, it can be easy to plan to eat prior to the event, or have a plan to have a piece of cake, mince tart or a beer. If you know aunt gladys makes mean rumballs and you're really here for that, work in some rumballs as part of the day. You can incorporate these into your daily eating pattern rather than putting it on top (ie: rumballs for afternoon snack!)
Avoid all-or-nothing thinking. As athletes, many of us get to where we are now athletically often with a hefty dose of perfectionism and black and white thinking. Alas, when the 'rules' have been broken or you've accidentally eaten something that you deem non-nutritious, it can be easy to throw the whole day away, keep eating poorly, feel bad then vow to eat better tomorrow. I challenge those of you who identify with this thinking to remind yourself that one piece of festive food doesn't derail your training and nutrition goals. Continue onward and stay the course!
Buffet slayer. Christmas feasts can be particularly hard with so much good stuff on offer. I would suggest assessing what really looks inviting, and serving yourself a plate of food that looks delicious, but also features some nutritious salad and vegetable options. You don't need to eat until you're bursting. Fill your plate with a normal serve of food, enjoy it. Then wait before launching into seconds to see if you really want it or you're riding the wave of deliciousness. Of course, if you ride the wave, it's ok. Christmas is only one day!
Enjoy the food. Food is meant to be enjoyed. There's nothing sadder than someone miserably trying to achieve body composition goals by avoiding their favourite food all day. If it's festive ham, have some ham. If it's pudding with trimmings, make sure you enjoy that! If you don't LOVE deep fried foods, you don't have to have it just because it's on offer. Think about what you will enjoy and give you joy and go with that.
Keep on track. When you're not at events or at the Christmas feast, just eat normally. Emphasise all the good stuff like lots of vegetables and high quality protein and carbohydrate. Don't restrict in anticipation of a big feed, or skimp on fuelling your training.
The main thing is, to enjoy what you eat, and don’t fall prey to eating with restriction OR overeating. In the grand scheme of your training season, one day is a drop in the ocean. Make good decisions and be kind to yourself, and you’ll find navigating food options much simpler.
