You're cranking out hours of cardio at the gym. Lifting weights like your life depends on it. Slaving over a stove during the week to prepare healthy meals. And then... the Super Bowl snacks hit you like a QB Blitz. Boom. Your diet is down and out for the season before you knew what hit you.
The good news is a little training can prepare for the attack. We get it: You're going to eat. You're going to eat a lot. But we searched through countless playbooks on the web from some of the best diet coaches to bring you a killer defense.
Follow these tips, and the only player who will disappear this season is your 350 pound linebacker - NOT the all-important tight end.
- Monster sandwiches- Get some whole wheat grinders. Load them up with lean deli meats like turkey and even roast beef. Slather on (gingerly) some mustard, non-fat mayo, and low-fat cheese. Pile them up with veggies. The protein and fat from the cheese combined with the fiber will fill you up without packing on the calories.
- Switch to salsa- We all love guacamole. But you'll save a ton of calories and fat grams by dunking low-fat chips in salsa instead. Need an excuse? Tell your friends SOMEONE at the party is allergic to avocados but you don't want to say who. Then look at the biggest guy in the room. End of discussion.
- Flip the Dip- Use plain yogurt instead of sour cream to mix up the dip. You won't notice much of a flavor difference, and you'll get a lot more protein to fill you up. Swap out the chips for some crisp veggies and you'll boost your nutritional value.
- Piping Hot Chili- It's a classic. It can also be packed with fat. Switch the ground beef for lean ground turkey breast to reduce the amount of fat and calories. Throw in lots of beans to hike the fiber content (and crank up the volume on the commercials - you know what we're talking about). Replace full-fat cheese and sour cream on top with the low-fat alternative. Your taste buds won't notice much of a difference. Your gut will.
- Chicken Fingers- Chicken wings are loaded with fat. LOADED. But they taste like finger-licking heaven. So make a simple switch. Make them with skinless chicken breast strips and bake them instead of fry them. You'll cut calories significantly.
- Liquid Calories- Yeah, you're going to have beer. God-forbid you don't have beer at your Super Bowl party. Your friends will tar and feather you. With that said, they're only allowed to complain if you don't HAVE beer, not if the beer is a light one. Make the switch, save the calories, and brush if off as an "whoops, got the wrong beer". Oh yeah - and go with the diet sodas. You'll save hundreds of calories for each glass you put away.
Bonus Burners
- Pre-game training- Go for a hard workout before the company arrives - and try and include some weight training. Pretend you're preparing for the game itself. You'll crank up your metabolism and give all of those extra calories a job -- building up some muscle.
- Halftime Game- Grab some friends during halftime and have a snow bowl. Fifteen minutes of all-out tackle football in the snow should burn off a few calories. We'd recommend doing this before bringing out the beer.
