The Beer and Chocolate Diet

I did an interview with a small local newspaper on Saturday and it ended with a question that seems to be on the minds of many non-athletes: “Do you have to follow a strict diet?” Nearly every one of my co-workers has asked me the same question as if they assume I have an Excel spreadsheet calculating my daily intake.

This is always a difficult question for me to answer. The honest answer would be no, but I don’t want people to think I don’t care about nutrition. Far from it. I was a fat shot putter in high school before dropping 70 pounds in less than a year. Back then I had a strict diet that I would follow. But that experience taught me a lot about nutrition and since then I haven’t ever needed to count calories or worry about my diet. Instead I tend to follow three simple rules now:

• You know what is good for you and what is bad for you. I always try to justify my love of chocolate based on the scientific evidence that shows the health benefits of chocolate. Truth is I just love the taste and a grabbing for a reason. Whether the health claims are true or not, I know deep down that a plate of green beans is better for me.
• Eat food that you’ve cooked. If you want to eat healthy, the best way to do it is know what goes into your meal and cooking it yourself is the best way to do that. In practice this means buy a cookbook (or follow my plan of asking a great cook to marry you), eat out less, eat less processed foods, and avoid supplements. This is much easier for me to do now since I practically have to take out a loan to eat at a restaurant in Zurich.
• Use moderation. I’ve seen too many people ban their favorite foods from their diet, only to binge on them a few weeks later. A strict ban on anything is rarely a good idea. Remember, they call it a “balanced” diet.

A healthy diet doesn't have to exclude a few indulgences. I'd just love to walk into a Swiss bar and see one of these on tap.

The last point is the key. As I said, I love my Swiss chocolate. I also love hamburgers. And the thing I miss the most about Seattle is the great variety of craft beer. But while I love those things, I tend to have a piece or two of chocolate at a time, a non-fast food hamburger with healthy toppings, and one beer with dinner. Since I’m burning 4,000 to 5,000 calories a day, that is just a drop in the bucket (my fianceé Kate is envious of this point). The majority of your diet will give you the fuel to throw far. And gaining a pound or two won’t double your weight and grind your career to a halt like it might for a distance runner.

So now I’m going to enjoy that beer and pretend it was a delicious Seattle IPA. It’s not that I’m deprived: the German-style beer is incredibly smooth and the access to Belgian varieties is a blessing. The Swiss actually think I’m crazy since they assume all American beer sucks, but the beers here just can’t match that distinct hoppy taste. I miss driving a few blocks from my parents house to get some of Black Raven’s Trickster IPA. Or driving through Bellingham on my way to Kamloops to get a growler of Boundary Bay IPA. (My address is listed in case anyone wants to send me some or knows a brewery that might be interested in sponsoring an athlete.) And I know I’m not the only thrower with a love of beer. But to get back to the point: eating well doesn’t have to be a chore. Elite throwers don’t have to ban their favorite foods and drinks to be successful.