What and how much have you been eating lately? It always comes back to what you eat and how much. It doesn't help to burn 500 calories during a great workout and then eat four Snickers bars. So, check your "training table" habits to make changes.
Use food to fuel your healthy lifestyle and reach your weight loss/fat loss goals. Eating four Snickers bars (or something similar) after a workout just cancels out what you are trying to accomplish. Don’t fight against yourself or sabotage your efforts!
Here are 15 weight loss and nutrition tips:
1. Eat breakfast. Remember, you haven’t eaten for 7-10 hours (hopefully) so your body needs food. A good, healthy breakfast gets your metabolism kicked off for the day and fuels your energy. Also, eat small meals every three to four hours to keep up your energy and to keep your metabolism humming along.
2. Plan and pack your meals for the day. This way, you are more likely to stay with your nutrition plan. It will also save you tons of money!
3. Carbohydrates are not your enemy. They are your body's preferred source of energy. Just eat the right kind---like fruits, veggies and whole grains. Carbs don’t make you fat. Eating too much makes you fat.
4. Eat protein with every meal. Protein helps you feel fuller for a longer period of time and repairs your muscles after a tough workout.
5. Research has proven that you will have a better chance of succeeding with your meal plan and fat loss if you keep a food journal. By logging your actual food choices, you are holding yourself accountable throughout the day. You will also be forced to plan your meals better. It will also help protect you from binge eating and emotional eating if you write down why you eat what you eat.
6. Find an accountability partner like a friend, spouse or personal trainer. Don't try to do your exercise program alone!
7. Find out your basal metabolic rate--BMR (amount of calories you would burn if you did nothing all day). You will use this rate and your activity level to set the amount of calories you need each day to maintain a caloric deficit (burn more calories than you consume). You also need your BMR so you don't eat too little and encourage your body to store fat.
8. Drink water and unsweetened drinks (like tea) most of the time. Try to drink half your weight in water each day. So, if you weigh 140 pounds, drink about 70 ounces of water.
9. Forget the quick weight loss gimmicks--they lead to yo-yo dieting and even more weight gain! There are no quick solutions to permanent fat loss and weight loss. Change your eating habits day by day.
10. Eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. So, a baked potato is more healthy than french fries. And, you could add foods like whole grains, nuts, brown rice, fish, lean meats, etc.
11. Try not to eat foods stored in a box or bag. These foods are usually loaded with trans fats and saturated fats.
12. Don't assume that low-fat means low-calorie---read the label.
13. Try to stay on your normal diet during the holidays! For example, don't make Thanksgiving through January 1 one long eating binge.
14. Stick to your meal plan at least 90 percent of the time and you should be just fine (provided you are sticking to your exercise plan).
15. This is your life. Your life is not a weight loss plan. Give yourself the best chance to live healthy—exercise regularly, eat healthy and choose healthy habits. Your body will look and feel great in time.
Train hard, smarter and eat right to lose weight and keep it away!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES, CPT is a Certified Personal Trainer and former NCAA Division I athlete. Mark’s Fat Blaster Athletic Training System has been proven to give his clients the fit, sculpted and athletic-type bodies they want. Visit Mark’s sites:
My Fitness Hut http://myfitnesshut.blogspot.com
Her Fitness Hut http://herfitnesshut.com
Sports Fitness Hut http://sportsfitnesshut.blogspot.com