My Diet Sucks When I’m Tired

My Diet Sucks When I’m Tired.

There is no doubt about ,sleep is one of the most important things when it comes to recovery. Everyone is slightly different but 7 - 9 hours seems to be the amount most studies recommend.

As someone who regularly goes to the 6am class at my gym, with a Fiancée who is a bit of a night owl, getting the right amount of sleep can be a delicate balance and personally I know that I need at least one longer lay in per week to keep me on top of my game (sleeping until 7am rather than 5:25am). The reality is though there are times where there is a rough nights sleep or a later night than planned, as I have said and will continue to say time and time again, the vast majority of us are not elite athletes and therefore life sometimes gets in the way. This last week has been a busy one, coaching more to help cover at the gym, busy at work as I look to finish up some key projects, packing for a house move, completing coursework for the Personal Training Courses I am doing and much more. For that reason I was pretty tired most the week and the one thing I noticed, without a doubt, was that my diet/ nutrition really suffers when I'm tired.

What do I mean by that? Well I didn't meal prep which was my biggest issue, meaning that when it came to my meals during the day (I have started eating 4 meals a day rather than 3 and I have been seeing fantastic results in terms of my ability to build strength - PB's in every lift since I have been doing that), I have either been skipping one of them or they simple were not as good a quality as they should be with a lower protein intake. I also have a dangerous sweet tooth and whilst I'm usually pretty good at controlling that, when I'm tired, I know I'm much more likely to grab that biscuit or chocolate bar instead of an apple, going for ease and the quick sugar boost rather than the option which will be better for me longer term.

Now the reality is this next few weeks are going to be the same in terms of how busy they are (if not they might be even more hectic!) so the question becomes how do I make sure I'm on top of things over the next week or so:

1. Be strict with my bedtime - its needed for more than just recovery and I know that some of my healthy habits fall by the wayside when I don't get enough sleep.

2. Shop Better - It's much easier to make a the decision once in the super market, not to put the biscuits in the trolley, than have to make it every time I go to the kitchen to get a drink.

3. Meal Prep - Getting healthy lunches prepped for the week on Sunday, making those two meal times during the day both more efficient and more effective.

The reality is I know that sleep is going to make a massive difference so making sure that I prioritise that is going to go a long way. On top of that making smart decisions and spending time when I have it looking at nutrition takes away both the temptation and the excuse not to eat well.

It all starts with tweaking that evening routine to make sure that I set myself up for success by getting the right amount of sleep, when I do I'm a better athlete, better coach and probably an all-round better person!

Andy