If you are serious about achieving your health and fitness goals and seeing results, chances are good that you’ve tried some form of dieting in the past. While you’re certainly on the right track by trying to lose your unwanted body fat through nutrition, you could be missing a larger piece of the puzzle. The best nutrition plan will optimize the way your entire body functions by eliminating one very common, yet often overlooked source of stress: inefficient nutrients.
An Individualized Approach
Prior to adopting a nutrition plan, it is important to understand that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution to permanent healthy fat loss. Because everyone is different and everyone’s body responds differently, each person needs to take an individualized approach to the best fitness and meal plan for their needs and goals. That is why we, at Recoup Personal Training, start first by figuring out what you’re currently doing that is or is not working.
The Importance of Stress Management
To really alter your body’s fitness level, fat content, muscle mass, and overall health, it is crucial that you factor stress into the equation. And by “stress,” we’re not just referring to the stereotypical hair-pulling, highly emotional kind. To be honest, if you own a business, you’re under stress, no matter how you cut it.
Keep in mind, that even if you think you’re eating healthy and that you have the stressors in your life well-managed, if you are not seeing results, something is not right. Stressors could be wreaking havoc on your body without your even realizing it. This could show up in the form of fat retention, especially around the midsection, fatigue, and an overall sluggish, unmotivated mood. When this is the case, it’s time to reevaluate your stress levels, adjusting your nutrition and sleeping habits.
Optimizing Nutrition to Optimize Fat Loss
If you want to see results, cleaning up your nutrition to reduce the amount of stress on your body is one of the first steps you should take. To optimize the nutrients you’re putting into your body, follow these three rules of thumb:
- It’s not about undereating; it’s about eating enough of the right foods. It’s important to understand that losing fat is not merely about cutting calories. If you’re not supplying your body with enough energy to work out or even to perform your daily activities, your health and fitness level are going to suffer. Undereating can be just as detrimental to your health as overeating, so remember to eat enough of the right foods, and cut only the bad choices from your diet.
- Eat more nutrient-rich “good” foods, so that your body is getting the fuel it needs to optimally perform. Some foods to eat more of include:
Vegetables: The age-old advice to eat more veggies is absolutely true. Most people don’t eat nearly enough vegetables to meet their daily requirements, yet this food group provides a great number of health benefits. Vegetables provide key vitamins, minerals and fiber, and they support detoxification.
Omega-3 fats: These fatty acids play a role in controlling stress reactions and are a great source of energy and help maintain healthy organs, skin and hair.
Protein: Include protein in every meal. Seafood, meats and poultry are great sources of protein, B vitamins, iron and zinc and helps build and maintain muscle and skin. - Listen to your body. When you feel as though you’ve had enough to eat, stop! Quit before you feel full or “stuffed.” If you still feel hungry or unsatisfied after a meal or snack, wait at least 10 minutes before you have more, giving your body time to signal you that you’re satisfied. Often we also confuse hunger with being thirsty. Drink plenty of calorie-free drinks such as water, tea or coffee. You may just be thirsty rather than hungry.
Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Stress
Aside from changing your nutrition, which can play a huge role in combatting stress, there are plenty of lifestyle changes you can make to reduce stress and lose fat, including:
- Strength training. Working out help reduce stress by releasing endorphins, which are chemicals produced in the brain during times of pain and stress; they also improve your mood and decrease tension.
- Eat slowly and enjoy your food. Don’t rush your meals.
- Meditate and/or perform breathing exercises.
- Spend time outdoors. Go for a walk or a hike.
- Stretch.
Above all, remember to have fun. Take time to enjoy yourself and your life. A large part of taking control of your health and fitness involves being in the driver’s seat of your life and owning your meals, owning your habits, owning your body.
If you’re ready to be confident with your nutrition and lose fat and see the results you want, let nothing stop you.
Book your free, no obligation consultation today to see how we can help you take control of your own health with our proven, easy-to-follow fitness and nutrition programs!
