On a serious note, diets can help shed unwanted pounds and make you feel more alert and energetic. The problem with diets however is that they eventually fail. You cannot plan on staying on a diet for the rest of your life, you have to make lifestyle changes. Some of these changes should include eating more often. When you eat a meal, your body burns more calories to digest the food you’ve consumed. By eating just the standard three meals a day, you’re allowing your metabolism to slow to its original rate. If you can take the calories you normally consume in a day and spread them out between five or six small meals, you can keep your metabolism cranking and burn more calories throughout the day. Eating more frequently can also help regulate blood sugar levels and build muscle. You can read more on the benefits of eating more often in this article from the American Chronicle.

Fall is here! That means many of you high school athletes are already in the swing of your fall sports season. Fall athletes, it is important to continue to lift throughout your season! It takes only a few weeks to begin losing strength acquired from weight training. You should also consider the fact that maintaining the strength you have acquired, doesn’t require lifting at the same intensity that it took to get it. Consider lifting some lighter weights in a circuit type fashion when approaching a competition. When done correctly you can maintain or increase strength and tax the cardiovascular system at the same time. Also avoid lifting two days prior to competition. You don’t want your body repairing itself on game day!

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