People look in the mirror and they become obsessed with the desired results for their body, and they forget that the journey to becoming more fit and getting those results is more about the mind than the body! We have to make exercising so habitual that it BOTHERS us not to do exercise daily. Once you get to a point where you have to FORCE yourself to rest, your body will probably differ dramatically in appearance...and it will only continue to look better as exercising becomes ingrained in you.
Today I want to write about DIET. Ahhh yes! The dreaded 4-letter word. People hate talking about their DIET and understandably so. I think that's probably the hardest thing for me (and maybe most people) to succeed at in trying to maintain a healthy body composition. It takes a lot more discipline and mental toughness to form healthy eating habits than it does to form healthy exercise habits. However, you hear this all of the time in the fitness community: six-pack abs start IN THE KITCHEN!!! And it couldn't be more true. You can work out like a Trojan but if you don't eat right, it will ALL BE FOR NOTHING!! I hear people say this all of the time: "I'm working out every day, but it doesn't seem to be making a difference"! My response is usually a question about their daily caloric intake. See, it's not that complicated...weather you burn fat or not is decided by a NUMBER! Are you burning more calories than you are eating? It's that simple. If you're eating more calories than you're burning, you're going to gain weight and it's either going to be fat or muscle. For MOST people it's fat, unless you're blessed with great genetics.
Here's what I do to make sure I don't consume too many calories: I fast in between dinners! You might be thinking what most people think when I tell them I do this: "don't you feel terrible"? The answer is NOOOO! I FEEL GREAT! I actually have more energy when I don't eat during the day. It's in my opinion (and many others) the body's natural response...my body is saying "ok, it's time to hunt, it's time to go get a meal". When I do eat, I get lethargic. All the good things that need to happen with my blood chemistry to make me feel energetic and motivated happen when I fast all day. So no, I don't feel bad. I feel great! If you're considering doing this just know that the first 2-3 days are rough...it's like any other habit, it takes some discipline and mental toughness to form. Your body is not going to be used to feeling that hungry. It's going to scream at you: "FEED ME"! You have to remember that you are in control, NOT your body. Remind it who's boss and silence that voice in your head that's telling you "eat all freaking day", so you can achieve the fitness gains that you are working hard for in the gym!
Here's the other great thing about fasting all day...when I get home I get to stuff my face with dinner, and not feel guilty about it...not one single bit of guilt. I've worked hard all day to fast, I've worked hard in the gym, and I've usually worked hard to run 3-10 miles depending on the day of the week...it's time to EAT! And boy do I! I eat a good helping of dinner, feel stuffed...completely satisfied and satiated. I go to bed on a full stomach, sleep like a baby because my body knows the work is done (I've obtained that meal it was telling me to get), and I wake up again the next day and do it all over again! It's much easier to me to do this than it is to meticulously count calories all day, keep up with my food like I'm recording some kind of experiment all day, worry incessantly about the food I am actually eating when I do eat, and stress myself out over my diet. It's just simpler. And it's worth the hunger! When I get hungry and nauseated, I know that's my body burning fat! So I welcome that feeling. Now it's a good thing! If you're considering intermittent fasting, DO IT! It's a great idea and there have been a bunch of studies done by now which prove how healthy fasting is for you! Suck it up! Develop some mental toughness, and stop putting stuff in your mouth if you're tired of being fat and sloppy!!! It's that easy! I go dinner to dinner. That's how I survive, and I love it.
Best Wishes,
Fit Teacher
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