As the holidays approach the fitness season is on the rise.  Summer has come and gone and now as the cold weather approaches, fitness facilities all across the country will start to fill up.  Gone are the days where you will be able to walk into the gym and see lines of free treadmills and Smith machines.   Understanding this, many forget one of the most important parts of getting to shape (or maintaining that shape)… what you put into your body… also known as your “diet”.

 

Many believe that your fitness goals will be met if you are in the gym pushing yourself on a regular basis, a part of that may be true, but the reality is that more than a large majority of meeting your fitness goals has to do with not the physical part, but the nutrition part of your regimen.  When thinking about a “diet” most turn to counting calories, grams of fat or even using points or prepackaged meals to stay on course.  The truth of the matter is that you do not have to do any of that.   Consistency and understanding your body will get you better results than points, shakes or writing monotonous logs of everything you put in your mouth. 

 

So, with that being said… it is not about “diet”, but lifestyle.  A “diet” is short term, but a lifestyle is long term… a change in mindset, meaning creating meals for yourself that are tasty but healthy.  For example: Breakfast could be a cup of oatmeal, two eggs, a small piece of steak;  Mid-day snack might be a cup of fruit; Lunch could consist of a turkey sandwich on wheat (eating only half the bread, but the whole sandwich), a half a cup of baked chips, and a small salad or cut up vegetables; Afternoon snack could be a protein bar or shake; Dinner might be an 8 ounce chicken breast, three quarters cup of rice and mixed vegetables.  Remember there are variations of this and substitutes can be made.  Oatmeal could be grits or Cream of Wheat, fruit could be a small cup of yogurt, chicken could be lean steak or fish.  Somethings to think about when creating your diet:

 

1)       Carbs (fruit, sugar, bread, rice, pasta, etc.) turn into fat, so if you must eat them do so early so you can burn the carbs during the day.

2)      Why put more fat in your body, use low fat or fat free products.

3)      Dairy is often full of fat, so if you want cheese on your eggs, salad or sandwich make it fat free.

4)      If you have to have a dessert or evening snack make sure it is one that has no sugar.  There are many products out now that are sugar free and taste great.

5)      A treat every once in a while is not all bad.  If you have been doing well on your lifestyle for a week or two, a burger or some pizza won’t hurt, it will actually kick start your metabolism to burn more when you go back to your lifestyle.

6)      Remember you did not gain those pounds over night and you will not lose them over night.  But stay consistent and they will disappear.

7)      Water is the catalyst to overcome your weight obstacles, try to drink a gallon of water a day to stay hydrated, full and to fight the bulge. 

 

Stick to these rules and you will be slim and trim for next summer before you know it. 

 

Dr. Eboni Wilson

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