All-Star What's Your Athletic Diet?

[ilikebigbows]

Not to lose weight or a Worlds crash diet, but to become and stay in shape, I wanted to stay on an athletic, healthy diet throughout the rest of my cheerleading career. This is my first year on a level 5 team and I want to be able to feel great and perform to my highest ability. I read that a good diet can really affect stamina, performance, etc. There are all kinds of things online but I was wondering what you all do to keep in shape throughout the year, especially at restaraunts, school, in a hurry, etc!

 

[retiredl5cheer]

Very very true. My boyfriend is into weight lifting/body building and his diet primarily consists of eggs and oatmeal for breakfast and grilled chicken, potatoes and vegetables for lunch and dinner. He allows himself 2 cheats a week. Obviously this is very strict, so I would suggest adding in things like low fat yogurt, fruits, cheeses, tuna, etc.

I'm not as serious as him but I do love healthy foods. Some of my favorites are hummus, apples and brie cheese and oatmeal. I eat 5 or 6 small meals a day as opposed to 3 big meals. I do this mainly because I have a tiny stomach but I've been told that eating this way speeds your metabolism.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

Oh, I also keep granola bars in my purse to avoid grabbing unhealthy snacks. I like to keep an apple/apple sauce in my car as well.

 

[coldasICE]

It's all about balance IMO. Lots of vegetables, nuts (almonds<33), fruits, glass of milk, WATER, all the time, and no soda. Good protein sources, etc. Don't be afraid to indulge in some sweets though, you don't need to cut them out completely, just know a good limit. Besides diet, conditioning, regularly. Core, cardio, and upper body plus a good diet will definitely show results. And congrats on making a level 5 team, I hope you love it, it's really a great experience!

 

[Deleted member 1556]

Me and Little Debbie are pretty close.

 

[cheerforeverever]

It's definitely all about balance for me also. I try to stick with things that aren't loaded with preservatives or corn syrups, and will actually keep me full or have some sort of nutritional benefit....that doesn't necessarily mean that I never eat that stuff, but I keep it for special treats throughout the week(example: a slice of birthday cake for a friend's birthday).

At restaurants I try to plan in advance what is relatively healthy, and steer toward those things with the occasional splurge. It helps to have a mental list of "healthier" restaurant options in your area so that when friends want to go out to eat, you can suggest some of those places when you get to choose (my current favorites are grilled chicken nuggets with a fruit bowl @ chick fil a, or a rice bowl at chipotle since you get to choose what is put on it). Now, choosing where to go/what to eat when with the team/school groups/etc. won't always be an option, so in those cases I would always make do with what was available. Again this goes back to planning in advance when you know that you're going to be going out and probably eating not very healthy. It just has to be in balance with what is eaten the rest of the week and not in excess.

At my school we had either Pizza Hut (which I couldn't eat because of an allergy) or nasty cafeteria food, so I'd always bring my lunch. Natural PB&Js or non preservative heavy ham with some cheese roll ups along with some celery &PB, light popcorn, a yogurt or something would frequent my lunchbox! I would also always have little snacks in my backpack for whenever I needed them (if a practice ran long or I didn't have time to eat breakfast before I left the house, etc.) that were the "in-a-hurry" snacks listed below.

Some things I typically focus on food wise overall are:
-having fruits and veggies ready to snack on in the fridge instead of chips/etc. (carrots, celery, bell pepper slices, apple slices, bananas, melon in the summer, various berries, etc. all make great snacks!). For in-a-hurry snacks, I have granola bars, natural fruit strips(kind of like fruit roll ups but taste so much better than the artificial stuff!), trail mix, or sometimes a PB&J(with natural PB and jelly plus the special bread that I need for my gluten allergy). I'm also slightly obsessed with chocolate covered bananas for a dessert or snack....they're relatively healthy
-limiting drinks in the fridge to skim milk, natural orange juice (no added sugars,flavorings,etc....just pure fruit), & water (No soda....it's only for special occasions to me!), though I did have the non colored sports drinks for when I worked out sometimes
-eating a good amount of protein (mostly chicken that I marinate or season different ways and then broil or grill, scrambled eggs, natural peanut butter, etc.) and some sort of grain (gluten free pasta, or white rice because I prefer it to brown, gluten free cereal: usually envirokids cereal or chex)
-eating a little bit of good dairy throughout the week (yogurt, skim milk, some cheese but not in excess).....I eat a lot of cheese quesadillas with corn tortillas when in a hurry which isn't the best :/
-red meat every once in a while (usually when I go out or if I'm eating a hebrew national hot dog at home lol)
-good tasting light salad dressings instead of regular dressings
-making sure that I don't put excess salt or butter on things that don't really need it (potatoes, corn, etc.).....my general rule is that if you have to put something additional on the food to cover up the food's natural taste, then it probably isn't worth eating!

Sorry for the novel, haha. Don't know if that helps or not

 

[allthatglitters]

I honestly eat whatever I feel like.. Zaxby's, chickfila, Wendy's, etc. I have a horrible diet but I somehow manage to stay in shape.. Abs and all. I wonder when it'll all catch up to me....

 

[AllstarObsession]

Pasta Roni and Top Ramen.

pretty much all I eat is carbs.

 

[xomckenzieee]

A lot of it comes down to small things that you don't realize add calories. Stay away from fruit juices, sodas, etc. they're all empty calories that don't make you feel full. Eat foods with lots of water in them. Adding fruit to your diet is key, fruit has natural sugars that taste good and won't make you crave the fake stuff. If you want, I wrote a whole article on it for school. I'd be more than willing to send it to you

 

[marissa.d]

I honestly eat whatever I feel like.. Zaxby's, chickfila, Wendy's, etc. I have a horrible diet but I somehow manage to stay in shape.. Abs and all. I wonder when it'll all catch up to me....

when you go to college if you haven't already!
If you're there, then you're lucky and i'm jealous!

Right now, i'm losing my first year college pounds using myfitnesspal!

 

[allthatglitters]

when you go to college if you haven't already!
If you're there, then you're lucky and i'm jealous!

Right now, i'm losing my first year college pounds using myfitnesspal!

Nope! Junior in HS. Everyone keeps telling me I need to change my eating habits soon but sugar/junk food is like crack. I can't help it.

 

[marissa.d]

Nope! Junior in HS. Everyone keeps telling me I need to change my eating habits soon but sugar/junk food is like crack. I can't help it.

that was me too
i say enjoy it now haha

 

[QueenofHearts]

I eat whatever I want honestly. I love ice cream and chips (my weakness) but I also LOVE fruit, I don't drink soda or any other sugar drinks not just cause they're unhealthy but cause I never crave it plus carbonated drinks make my stomach feel weird haha and I don't eat fast food, maybe 2/3 times a year

 

[Marc0pol0]

My diet is ier scream ships candy cheeseburgers and junk!!! I kick my a s s mad hard at the gym and run miles on end and dancing so I refuse to drop junk food like everyone up there^^^^ I also stockingly eat health!!! (;

 

[GeorgiaCheerleader]

Currently, I'm working on losing 18 pounds; I've already lost 9.
For breakfast, I usually have a couple small pieces of watermelon. Then lunch, I have a small salad. For dinner, I eat lots of vegetables and white meat only.

I REALLY like Moe's burritos, but I'm on a diet. So, instead of getting a burrito, I ordered a salad with the same dressing but chicken instead of beef. It tasted exactly the same.

You should look into your BMR and see how many calories you naturally lose a day. Don't focus just on calories, always check for carbs and sugars (more importantly). And, make sure to exercise loads and to drink tons of water!