The Link Between Food and Fitness
Most people know there is a link between food and fitness, but many people don’t realize the full importance of that relationship. If you exercise while you eat whatever you want, or you eat nutritiously without exercise, you likely won’t be getting much healthier and you won’t get the results you are seeking.
Realize exercise and diet are closely linked. You can’t lose weight consistently without healthy food and exercise habits-period. Working out intensely doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want. Too often people overestimate calories burned and underestimate calories consumed. Establishing your “maintenance” number of calories is a good way to help determine how much you should cut back in order to start losing weight.
Keep in mind that not all calories are created equal. Choose your food wisely. What you eat affects how your body moves. Fuel your workouts with healthy carbohydrates and choose quality lean protein after your workouts. On a daily basis, choose whole grains that are minimally processed and protein-rich foods like fish, chicken, nuts, beans and low-fat dairy. And don’t forget about your veggies. Fruit is a nice little snack to have once in awhile, but you don’t need to consume it every day. Keep in mind that most of the calories in fruit are made up of sugar.
Remember that healthy eating and consuming whole, unprocessed foods is not something you do for a limited time; it’s a lifestyle. Make that commitment, and you will find your body transforming before your eyes.
When it comes to fitness, you should combine cardio exercise and strength training to see the best results. While cardio is essential to increase your heart rate up and burn calories, you also need to build and maintain your muscles. Extra muscle = more calorie burning mass.
Having more muscle boosts your metabolism so you burn more calories throughout the day, even while at rest. There are multiple ways to build your muscles, so find one you like: free weights, strength machines, resistance tools, or simply use the weight of your own body-squats, lunges, push-ups, planks and pull-ups.
Your success will depend on the choices you make each day on the two F’s-food and fitness. Make sure you choose both wisely!
