A health and wellness journey can be a tricky and (sometimes) confusing journey. Between figuring out what exercises to do, how many days per week to workout, and developing a consistent schedule…things can become overwhelming in a heartbeat. But somehow, you’ve managed to get your reps in on a consistent basis for a full month but the scale has hardly moved and those measurements just don’t add up to the sweat! YIKES!
Before you throw in the towel, all is not lost, with a few minor tweaks, you can take your journey to the next level and really lock in on some bonafide results. It is very possible that your approach to meals aka your diet requires some modifications that will allow you to regain the motivation you had at the beginning of your quest.
A common misstep in health and wellness is assuming that increased activity will be enough to get fit. The truth is that a sustainable change in nutrition is more important than a change in activity level. The key to weight loss is to create a caloric deficit. In layman’s terms, you want to burn more calories than you consume and to start, you should be consuming less. For my clients, I start with an evaluation of their current eating habits and how many calories they are taking, add the MyFitnessPal app to your life or something that tracks calories.
Next, based on your fitness goals, including timeframe, a calorie intake goal will be established. Once our calorie goal is established, a plan for increasing meal frequency is made…at least 5 meal times should be scheduled per day. The simplest explanation for meal frequency is that we want to keep our metabolisms active throughout the day to avoid automatic fat storing as our body might think we are starving if we eat too infrequently. In some circles, this is known as grazing, eating small portions throughout the day to keep your metabolism active.
Believe it or not, the amount of calories you consume in a day carries more ‘weight’ than what you actually eat…within reason. I am not promoting a high sugar, heavy fat, and carbohydrate filled diet, but I am a firm believer that the more restrictive your meal plan is, the less likely you are to stick to the program. So a solid meal plan should include foods you enjoy and foods that nourish the body while providing energy for your workouts.
As a comprehensive program, a consistent exercise schedule and balanced meal plan will promote several positive outcomes including more energy, less likelihood of injury, and the ability to sustain the program for extended periods of time. My last piece of advice is to establish a program you can maintain, then adjust as you progress from beginner to intermediate and eventually advanced levels of fitness.
Stay Strong My Friends!
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