Sometimes the best intentions go awry.  With busy schedules and constant distractions, we can sometimes derail our best fitness efforts by not nourishing our bodies when we need it the most.  Fitness Couture’s Anthony Heredia offers a few eating and drinking solutions that are tried and true, and promise to keep you on track with your fitness goals!

Are you drinking enough water?

Solution: Experts recommend 0.5 0z– 1 oz of water per pound of body weight, so calculate your need and buy a few different colored sports bottles that add up to your total. Always make sure you carry a bottle with you through the day until you finish the last toward the end of the day. If you can’t seem to drink that much water, you can also eat extra water fruits or eat more broth based soups, which also count as water while you get the hang of finishing those sports bottles.

I am not hungry in the morning.

Solution: Your body has gotten accustomed to not eating, which is not good. Start slowly by drinking a smoothie every morning as soon as you wake up, whether you are hungry or not; and after 7-14 days, your metabolism will restart once you start eating more consistently, start asking for food and become a solid, protein-packed machine.

I don’t have time to eat.

Solution: Life is not going to slow down so plan ahead with pre-packed snacks in ziplock bags. Use snacks that won’t melt (such as nuts) to leave in your car for those unplanned moments. For food, prepare ahead of time some sandwich wraps with your favorite ingredients. Have a few wraps ready, so when you are running, you can toss them in a container or bag and eat them while driving. You can also try a meal prep program that prepares balanced meals for you. These types of programs are becoming very affordable.

I love sweets too much.

Solution: It takes about 15-30 minutes for your taste buds to tell your brain you are satisfied, so overindulging in sweets adds up to a lot of calories before you feel full. Why? If you chew the sweet treats too quickly, your taste buds don’t get saturated enough to send the proper signals. Buy some milk chocolate and dark chocolate in small cubes before eating it in large amounts. Take one small square and hold it on your tongue until it melts naturally; and this level of saturation and darkness of the chocolate will curve your craving with just a square or two.  This little trick will help you avoid eating too many calories.