Where to Start with Nutrition
Ask many folks why they start exercising and you’ll hear to tone up or lose a belly and gain a butt or arms.
This requires a change in metabolism so you can lose fat and gain muscle. That is more about nutritional intake - over what form of exercise
You can combine any- pilates, yoga, lifting weights,or whether you do it at home or in a studio or gym. If you want results- you must find the right nutritional balance in your diet. After all, without good nutrition and sleep, our bodies will never recover and promote a training response necessary for getting stronger and leaner.
But what are the main principles of eating right?
After all, there are so many plans and conflicting information out there, choosing a path can be difficult.
Let’s go over some basics
Balance
A balanced diet is essential if you hope to restore your body from your workouts.
The best place to start is by starting small- you don’t have to do a total diet overhaul- you don’t have to eliminate anything …. start by eliminating nutritional deficiencies. If you fill yourself up on what you’re not getting but need- you will have less room for the stuff you don’t.
What you need to eat: a bit more protein, ample vitamins and minerals, and sufficient healthy fats. You can start by adding in more lean protein like tofu or chicken. Make sure you’re getting dark leafy greens and colorful vegetables as well as a handful of nuts or a olive oil dressing- check out SHI Macrobiotics, for more information.
Regular Tracking
While I’m not a fan of counting calories- regular tracking of the essential components of your exercise and nutrition intake is key. Keeping a food log in addition to a smart watch will be great investments to see your activity level and intensity of workouts and sleep. This can help determine how much you currently eat and what should be eating based on how much you’re outputting.
There is no one size fits all
There is no “best diet” that will work for everyone.
We all have uniques tastes and bio genetics. All diets and plans and systems have their pros and cons. What works best for one person won’t work best for another. Also: A diet that has worked best for someone in the past won’t necessarily be what works best for them moving forward. I will always say- the best diet will be the one you stick to. Which is why I don’t recommend meal plans. How do I know what you enjoy eating or cooking or have access to?
Wholesome, Natural Ingredients
Cooking with well-sourced, natural, wholesome ingredients is key to being able to establish a balanced meal.
You can learn to cook without an over reliance on takeout food or crappy instant packs. This way you know exactly what it is you’re eating, including how to avoiding, like artificial sugars, hi fructose sweeteners, saturated fats, and salts. Personally I use a meal delivery service as I find cooking to be a challenge and getting enough vegetables in harder. I never have to worry if someone else does it but you can also get boxes delivered from farms. I did this when I had more time and googled recipes for each veggie sent.
Drink less alcohol?
If shedding body fat is your priority, take a peep at your drinking habits.
I wont say don’t drink but theres a lot of confusion as to whether alcohol is good for you or not. The news loves to hype stories about how wine and chocolate and things we love are good for us- but too much pf a good thing is generally TOO MUCH
No one is really sure about the health benefits of light to moderate drinking- let’s face it- alcohol is literally a toxin. It’s all about the acetaldehyde - the product alcohol is broken down into in the body. Acetaldehyde Alcohol is all sugar- and unusable for energy. Beer belly is the appropriate term.
Heavy drinking — more than 7 drinks a week for women and more than 14 per week for men — increases the risk for a ridiculously long list of health problems involving the heart, brain, immunity, hormones, liver, and metabolism. And even one drink can affect sleep, appetite, and decision making — have you ever had a drink and been losser with your eating or any other social activities?
However drinking is a huge part of our social fabric and if you can do it responsibly and moderately- go for it…. But try tracking how much and how often, to really know how much it is you’re consuming. Then weight it against how much you’re working out and not seeing your results
Managing stress
Stress increases our cortisol levels which can interfere with any fat loss plans.
Stress can effect how you workout, how you feel and really everything you do. The way every person recovers from stress will be unique- here are some ideas to combat it.
Start a meditation practice, going on a nature walk, getting a pet, dancing to music, deep breathing or drinking herbal tea
You can eat some carbs
Unless you’re gluten intolerant or celiac- you can enjoy a reasonable amount of whole grains
Low carb is a huge fad rn and everyone seems to be keto or keto. Guess what- twenty years ago or so it was reverse- high carb low fat and TONS of people lost weight on that too. Personally I love my pasta but if you prefer meat and no potatoes - go for it- food should be something you enjoy. But if you’re leaving out a sweet potato because they told you it would ruin your waist or was toxic and would quelch your tone up plans, please go throw one into your next meal.
Grains are loaded with b vitamins, fiber, antioxidants and trace minerals. Bacon and tons of red meat really do not….please keep in mind Dr Atkins had a history of heart attack, congestive heart failure and hypertension. Conversely excess sugar will also strain your cardiac system , so stick with low glycemic index carbs.