Friday, March 18, 2022

Cleaning Up Your Nutrition For Results

Achieving fitness results the right way will require good nutrition. Although exercise is important, nutrition does play the largest role in getting fit and maintaining your health.

Eating Right is Easy

Eating right for results isn't complicated as many people believe. This line of thinking has much to do with fitness products and supplements marketed as the only way to lose weight, get fit, and increase muscle size. Wrong!

Let's put these myths aside and take a simple look at what really is required nutritionally.

Food Journals Can Help

It may be helpful to use a food journal for a short time until you have adopted how to eat right. Food journals are shown to keep you on track and enable you to repeat healthy weeks. This part may sound like a burden to start, but it really is quite simple.

Forget about counting calories, grams, weighing food, etc. to start. Keep your journal simple and enjoy the process of learning. As long as you're eating healthy throughout the day to support your body and physical activity is the goal.

A simple food journal may look something like this:

  • Water intake for the day: 2 quarts
  • Meal 1: 1 slice seeded toast, 1/4 to 1/2 avocado, 1 boiled egg
  • Meal 2: large greens and fruit blended shake  
  • Meal 3: large green salad topped with grilled chicken breast, balsamic vinegar
  • Meal 4: sliced apple with 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • Meal 5: grilled salmon with lots of veggies
  • Meal 6: yogurt topped with raw nuts

Dump the Junk Food

Eating right will require getting rid of the junk food in your house. This can be difficult especially if you struggle with tossing out food. If it helps, box it all up and donate it to a food kitchen or church.

Take a day and go through your refrigerator and pantry. Remove all processed, packaged, frozen dinners, pastries, white products, etc. Unhealthy food products contain a lot of trans fats, high-sodium, and chemicals you really don't want to be ingesting. A short list includes:

  • sugary drinks, sodas, and some sports drinks
  • white bread
  • refined vegetable oils (corn, soybean, cottonseed, canola)
  • margarine
  • pastries, cakes, cookies
  • boxed crackers and chips
  • low-carb meals and bars
  • yogurt high in sugar and chemicals
  • processed gluten-free products
  • ice cream, candy, candy bars, and some protein bars
  • processed meats (salami, pastrami, deli meats, hot dogs, etc)
  • processed cheese (American, cheese in a can, etc)

Eat Clean for Results, Fitness, and Health

Getting fit for life requires eating cleaner which is just another way of saying you're eating healthy. You have taken the steps to remove all processed foods from your house and are now ready to replace those with real whole foods. 

Let's go shopping! The best way to stay on track at the grocery store is not to go when you're hungry. Eat a healthy meal first and stick to your written list of items.

Having healthy food at home will also reduce eating at restaurants and fast-food chains. This keeps you in control of your food intake and is the goal of adopting a healthy lifestyle.

We all differ in nutritional likes and that is great because there is a wide variety of nutrient-dense foods for everyone. You will want to include all the macros in your nutrition which just means eating a balance of lean proteins, nutritious carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

The following shortlist includes healthy selections from each category and also takes into consideration vegetarian/vegan preferences:

Proteins:

  • B/S chicken and turkey breast
  • Salmon, halibut, tilapia, albacore tuna
  • Lean beef  (90% lean)
  • Greek yogurt (natural, no sugar added)
  • Cottage cheese
  • Eggs
  • Milk (2%), almond milk, coconut milk, low-fat chocolate milk
  • Lentils, dried beans, navy beans, no to low-sodium canned beans
  • Peanut butter (natural, no-sugar-added), almond butter
  • Raw mixed nuts
  • Tofu
  • Edamame
  • Quinoa

Carbohydrates:

  • Vegetables (broccoli, peppers, squash, asparagus, etc) 
  • Leafy greens (spinach, chard, kale, etc)
  • Fruits (apples, berries, mango, cherries, etc)
  • Legumes (lentils, chickpeas, peas, and beans)
  • Quinoa, Kamut, barley, buckwheat, flax meal
  • Brown rice (white rice for some athletes)
  • Whole wheat, whole grain bread
  • Steel-cut oats
  • Sweet potatoes
  • White and red potatoes (baked not fried)

Fats:

  • Avocados
  • Chickpeas (hummus)
  • Walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, pecans, etc (raw-unsalted, not roasted)
  • Olive oil
  • Salmon (Omega-3 fatty acids)
  • Nut and seed butter (natural, no sugar added)
  • Ground flaxseed or flax meal
  • Chia seeds

You Can Do It!

Eating better is typically the biggest struggle with adopting a healthy lifestyle. I believe in keeping nutrition simple and fun. When eating right is enjoyable, you will repeat it for life.

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LEAVE A COMMENT

8 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for doing these blogs this year! I'm so looking forward to changing this year & these blogs posts & YOU are such a blessing of knowledge & encouragement & inspiration!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Lady D and so glad you are here! I look forward to your progress feedback. Be well and Stay Healthy!

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  2. Thanks! I'm just wondering, if you have time for feedback... I have hardly missed a work out in 8 years. Finally, after gainig 30 pounds over the 8 years, I gave up. Last Tuesday was the first day in years I didn't put on my work out clothes first thing in the morning and I felt liberated! I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. But to keep at it and expecting results to change, seems like something is wrong.

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    Replies
    1. Hi and yes, I am providing feedback and motivation for the duration of this year long program. First, I applaud your dedication to workouts for 8 years. I understand your frustration not seeing results. The purpose of this expert-guided program is for you to gain knowledge and tools to implement to adopt a healthy lifestyle. If results are not happening, it is more than likely your nutrition needing an evaluation as described in this blog post. Also, your body gets used to routine and changing up the workouts could also be a great idea. Without knowing all the specifics, I am keeping it general. The goal is for you to learn what works best for you. Start with the food and move on from there. I hope that helps. Don't give up the goal, just change the methods. Be well and Stay Healthy!

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  3. Thank you so much for this blog and the amazing encouragement you give us. I’m 55 years young and looking forward to a new year and a new me...while enjoying the process. You are a blessing!

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    1. Hi Donna Lou and thanks for reading. I look forward to motivating you through the program. You can do it and what a great young age! ;) Stay healthy!

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  4. Love your article! I always give out a similar list to my clients with their meal plan; it gives them options if they want to substitute one food for another. I must admit though that you have quite a few that I will be looking out for the next time I go grocery shopping (Edamame?). Thanks for sharing and looking forward reading more!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Mat and thanks for reading. It sounds like we share the love of teaching fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. I look forward to providing more helpful info. Be well and Stay Healthy!

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