Exercise doesn’t work?
Sounds like a strange statement coming from someone who gets people to exercise and train for a living.
What the hell is this chick talking about? I thought I had to exercise in order to lose fat.
Well, yeah.
The point I want to make here is that exercise won’t work by itself for fat loss. You have to dial in your nutrition. It’s 100% imperative that you eat foods that will support your fat loss goals.
If you try to exercise, train your ass off and outwork a bad diet, you’re going to be in for a really long road.
What’s the point in busting your butt in the gym only to continue to eat like crap and just spend your life like a hamster on a wheel?
Think about it. You’re training hard so you’re certainly burning a lot of calories and boosting your metabolism in that 1-2 day window after a hard training session. That’s great.
Then you go home and eat some of the following:
1. Too big of a portion
2. Too many starches (think pasta, bread, cereal)
3. Sweets
4. Alcohol
Imagine if you continued to train your ass off 3-4 days per week and then your nutrition plan looked something like this:
- Lean protein sources (meat, poultry, fish)
- Eggs
- Vegetables with every meal
- 1-2 servings of fruit a day
- Healthy fats (nuts, avocado, eggs, almond butter)
- 70-80 ounces of water per day
- Drinks in moderation (I’m talking a glass of wine once or twice a week, that’s it)
There’s no point in wasting your time training if you aren’t going to support it with healthy eating. That’s the bottom line. I’m all for enjoying your life but is it really enjoyable to continue to feel that underlying sense of frustration about your body and your results?
Instead just commit to making 1-2 healthy changes each week. The big ones should be cutting out starches and alcohol. You can still have a life, trust me.
I want to give you three of my favorite resources for developing a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. I eat this way 6 days per week and then one day per week I let myself have whatever I was craving- usually ice cream. It’s not a restriction, it’s simply the way that I eat.
Paleo Power Meals (fresh, prepared meals delivered right to my gym)
Awesome Free Paleo/Primal Recipes (plus an iPad app)
Over 250 Paleo, Gluten Free Recipes (downloadable ebook)
That’s what I want you to remember. You are creating your lifestyle.
You eat protein, veggies, fruit and healthy fats with the occasional starch on training days. That’s just how you eat. Don’t try to find loop holes or go into the “I’m on a diet” mindset.
Adopt these major principles and build your lifestyle out around them. You want to focus on eating this way 85% of the time. Enjoy the occasional treat or drink. That’s what life is all about.
If you really want to get results, stop screwing around with your eating. If you don’t really care, then keep eating the way you are and keep spinning your wheels.
It’s not easy but it’s your choice.
Do you have a healthy eating tip that has really helped you on your journey? Leave a comment below to help inspire others along the way.