The Dolce Diet welcomes Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Brandon Guyer to our family of bloggers! His motivational insight and unique experience offer a valuable look into how we can best achieve our goals! Read on, readers!
by Brandon Guyer
So you’re hungry at work midway through the day and dying for a snack. The vending machine down the hallway is calling your name and you decide to get that bag of chips or candy bar to satisfy your hunger. Sure it tastes good, heck maybe even great, but that short lived satisfaction just isn’t worth it. You know what I mean, we’ve all done it. Like all bad habits, this can easily change with some direction and action on your part.
One of the most important things is to BE PREPARED. As a professional baseball player, my preparation begins well before I enter the clubhouse. Much like the temptations you may face in an office, a clubhouse spread presents its own set of challenges. Sometimes it tends to resemble a vending machine, especially in the minor leagues.
I’ve found that cooking and bringing healthy snack options keeps me from relying on the food that is offered in the clubhouse. It could also keep you from grabbing that brownie a coworker brought in.
Here are a few of my favorites: KIND Bar, bag of mixed nuts, apple with almond butter, and quinoa with chicken. These are simple, quick, and fuel me through 9 innings….or you through an 8 hour work day. So next time that vending machine is screaming at you, be PREPARED and bust out your apple and bag of mixed nuts instead.
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS is critical in the game of baseball, but also in the food game. Half of my season is spent on the road, and I don’t have the luxury of home cooking. You may experience the same on business trips or dinners. Luckily, these adjustments are made easier now that many restaurants offer healthy options, IF you take the time to scan the menu.
When traveling, I dedicate an entire carry-on bag to food (try getting though security with that). It contains my breakfast (see Dolce breakfast bowl) snacks and supplements. Lunch and dinner don’t fit in my suitcase and since I tend to crave healthy food options, I sometimes need to look outside of what’s offered in the clubhouse. Sure, it’s more convenient to eat the fried chicken and mashed potatoes in the post game spread, but I’d rather order grilled chicken and a sweet potato from a nearby restaurant. Being able to MAKE ADJUSTMENTS keeps you in control of what goes in your body, no matter what situation you are in.
At the end of the day YOU have to be accountable for what goes in your body. I can honestly say I know that I’m giving myself the best chance to succeed by eating CLEAN. If you can’t say that, then today is the day to make the change and start feeling better than ever.
About the Author
Yeah, I can hit a baseball, and yeah I did hit a home run in my very first major league at bat. May 6th 2011 was the best night of my career. May 7th was a whole different story. The dream of being a big leaguer ended before my ball was even caught in the left field stands… I was sent back to the minor leagues! Six years ago I was drafted by the Chicago Cubs out of the University of Virginia. I’ve been up and down with the Tampa Bay Rays the last three years…I plan on sticking next season. I’ve been through it all injuries, promotions, demotions, playoffs, all star games, etc. The one constant in my life, other than my sportscaster wife, has been a healthy lifestyle. It’s not only helped my performance on the field, but also helped me cope with the emotional stress of a season. Although the life of a pro athlete may seem glamorous, at the end of the day I’m just a guy who can hit a small ball with a wooden stick. Hopefully the people who would read my blog can see that. Most importantly I have been an ONNIT Honor Roll member for the past year and I’m a huge supporter of the Dolce lifestyle!
