Why Your Diet Is as Important as Your Workouts, if Not More important!
A good diet is one of the most overlooked factors when it comes to achieving weight loss, or any fitness goal for that matter. It is the second-biggest determinant of weight loss/gain behind genetics. Train for as long and as hard as you want, with a terrible diet on the opposite end of the spectrum, you're not going to achieve your goals!
Working out without your diet intact is like building a house without a foundation. Without a proper diet, and one consisting of the appropriate macros your body needs for the goals you have in mind, you won't get where you're headed. It is essential to start thinking of your meals in terms of what it consists of, not just how many calories it is. Understanding what you need to do in order to reach your goals is critical, and there are a lot of factors that can get in the way of your progress.
Factors to consider in your diet
1. Snacks
The snacks that you eat do not count as real food. They are usually highly processed and filled with sugars, fats, and empty calories. If you want to dent your weight, you need to stop eating these “foods” and start eating real food. Natural foods can be fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, etc. These things will help you lose weight because they are suitable for your body and provide nutrients and the fuel it needs to get through the day.
2. Portion control
You need to make sure that you are getting the right amount of food in your body. Overeat, and you feel terrible and then will be hungry again soon enough; eat less, and you will inevitably feel hungry while depriving your body of the nutrients it needs. There is such a thing as portion control, but it’s more mental than anything else. Don’t beat yourself up if you eat more than you should because it is better to have a few extra calories here and there than to not have enough calories in the first place. Practice intuitive eating if you are more of a careless eater.
Keep your portions regular at home – While eating out at restaurants may be out of control, it might be hard for you to realize how much of certain foods you eat when you eat them at home. This is why it’s essential to measure your food portions and make sure they are correct.
Avoid eating too quickly – The purpose of meals for most people is to curb their hunger pangs as soon as possible. Eating too fast is not a good thing.Taking a long time to chew your food lets saliva break down the nutrients, making it easier for the body to absorb them. This will ultimately lead to releasing the nutrients in your body, thereby keeping you fuller for longer.
3. Hydration
Many people forget that water is the best thing they can drink to stay healthy and maintain a good weight. Dehydration is a condition that leads to severe illnesses in some cases. Improper hydration will cause the body not to carry out its normal functions adequately. This could ultimately lead to weight gain as well. Water helps you digest food, transports nutrients from one part of the body to another, and removes waste from your organs. Water also comes with zero calories, and it’s cost-effective too! So, get drinking!
How to combine a healthy meal with your workout program
Your diet is the key to getting the results you want IF it compliments your exercise and goals the right way! Otherwise, It may be counterproductive believe it or not.
There are several ways to adjust your meal so that it fits well with your exercise routine, such as:
1. Eating more carbohydrates before/after your workout session
You should include carbohydrates in your diet around the time you train. These carbohydrates will help you get the energy you need so that you can perform at your best. This also means that these carbohydrates will also positively affect other times of the day, such as after a workout session.
2. Eating more protein
Protein is an essential component of a good meal, especially for those who want to build muscle mass and those looking for increased lean muscle mass. These users thus need to ensure that they get enough protein throughout their meals, especially post-workout.
3. Eating more fats
Fats are often shunned by those who want to build muscle mass and by those who should be focusing on building leaner muscles with very little fat in their bodies. However, all of us need to get a good dose of healthy fats in our meals, and that means that we need to get these healthy fats from food sources during our workout sessions. Ideally, high amounts of healthy fats could be consumed in any meal other than a post-workout meal in which more carbs and proteins should be consumed.
Conclusion
An excellent diet should be healthy and balanced. It should provide enough energy, vitamins, and nutrients to keep your body running optimally. It should also be rich in essential fatty acids and micro-nutrients, thereby making sure that your body gets the correct number of nutrients that it needs to perform at its best.
