The 80/20 Rule of Fitness Nutrition

I had mentioned in a previous entry that 80% of your weight loss is nutrition based and 20% is exercise and staying active.  This is a HUGE statement... a very true statement as well. 

So, what does this mean?  It means that you can go into the gym and workout for 85 hours a week if you want but if you leave the gym and stop at McDonald's, you aren't going to reap the benefits!

I was lucky enough to read this information early on and that is why I am passing it along to you early on!  Don't get me wrong, exercise is still very important.  Staying active is important to keeping your body running at an optimal level at all times.  Think of it this way:

Diet = the engine

Exercise = the turbocharger

Many times people "fall off the wagon" because they are not seeing results as quickly as they would like to.  This is because their diet is not where it needs to be.  This is, again, why I suggest using a diet journal (or app) to keep track of what you are eating! 

A great example (and a fitting time of the year for this example) is a football player.  In watching the games have you noticed some of the football players, although they are professional athletes are rather large and out of shape?  This is because they have a poor nutritional strategy or none at all!

If your goal is to lose weight, get in shape and be healthy then you have to feed your body right.  You have to consume the appropriate amount of calories, fat, carbs and protein that your body so desperately NEEDS! 

Don't look for a quick fix.  By this I mean, don't go to the store and buy some diet pills that are bad for your body and then go out and eat whatever you want because the label promises to "block fat", "reduce your appetite", etc!  If you just watch what you eat and exercise you will see these results.  If you take these pills, what happens when you run out of them?  Or are you just going to take them for the rest of your life?

Don't over complicate things!  It isn't rocket science.  It isn't difficult.  As a matter of fact, as you are sitting there eating the bad foods or foods that aren't nutritious, you KNOW you are doing it - you may even say "I shouldn't be eating this"... so don't!  Eat a healthy, well balanced diet that is full of fruits, veggies, healthy carbs (think whole wheat products) and protein.

Don't expect perfection! (My boyfriend will laugh when he reads this!) It is easy to fall into a trap of wanting results so badly and so quickly that you expect too much of yourself and when you "mess up" you get down easily.  I know this because, once again, this is ME!  I am very hard on myself, or was, when I would not get a workout in or when I would eat something that wasn't good for me. 

I have learned not to be so hard on myself.  I chose a meal once or twice a week sometimes where I eat what I want.  We go out to Bonefish for dinner and I have some bang bang shrimp or dessert.  The trick is not to deprive yourself of things that you really like or it will be virtually impossible to stay on track.  My solution is to share appetizers or desserts with everyone at the table.  That way, you have a few bites of what you are craving but you don't overdo it too much!

Try new foods. Believe it or not, I love dates!  I had no idea!  I also love broccoli raw or cooked, green and red peppers, oatmeal without the butter and sugar and so many other foods that I wasn't eating before!  Foods that come from nature are delicious and have SO many benefits you won't believe it!  Do yourself a favor and Google the health benefits of foods such as blueberries, broccoli or sweet potatoes.  Promise you will be amazed!

Remember the old adage "you are what you eat" when you are buying your food or choosing what to eat for lunch!  Do you want to look like a greasy, fattening, unhealthy burger or a bright, colorful, healthy Georgia peach?!?!?!