It's the official start of "Diet Season." I was at Life Time Fitness in Lakeville Saturday morning for my workout and was it ever busy! I often workout at the Lakeville club on the weekends and Chanhassen during the week. As I warmed up for my workout, I spent some time looking at new faces, faces I hadn't seen in quite some time and the regulars that were always there when I was. What I found most interesting was that no matter how new anyone seemed to be, they all seemed to be exercising with the same, high level of intensity. I'm guessing Sunday morning some people woke up with some pretty tender muscles. It made me think about how many people are totally driven to achieve their fitness goals at this time of the year.
Everyone follows a diet, whether it is the Standard American Diet, a structured plan found in one of many diet or weight loss programs, or a philosophy an individual has developed over time. The Merriam-Webster definition of "diet" is:
1 a: food and drink regularly provided or consumed b: habitual nourishment c: the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason d: a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one's weight
If you're one of the many people committing to a renewed diet, what will you change in your diet this year to improve your health, fitness, appearance or performance? Each individual has unique metabolic and nutrition needs. However, some principles are consistent for almost everyone. If you're just starting your diet, or renewing your fitness plan, here are a few tips to get you started the right way. Hopefully you'll find yourself on track well past January.
Give it Time
It's human nature to want results immediately. If you're like many people, you probably check the mirror the morning after your first day on your plan, or step on the scale hoping a couple of pounds have come off in your first 24 hours. The reality is, weight loss (or muscle gain) does not follow a simple set of rules. It is not always as easy as burning 3500 calories more than you eat in a week to lose weight. Your metabolism can change with changes in diet. Food choices influence hormones. Environmental changes can affect weight loss. Stress and sleep can support or disrupt your plan. People also tend to under-estimate how much food they actually eat. Unless you live in a science lab where every variable is accounted for, it is difficult to accurately predict exactly how an individual will respond to a nutrition plan. It takes time to see how you respond. It's also important to seek support from an expert in holistic nutrition and metabolism if you feel like you're doing things right but you're not seeing things change as you'd expect them to.
Related Article: Why Can't I Lose Weight?
When You Eat Food, Eat Real Food
We all live busy, time-starved lives. That being the case, it's easy to rely on frozen meals and other processed foods. Calorie-controlled, frozen meals may be appealing, but they will not provide the same quality nutrients that whole foods can. Take the time to prepare meals ahead of time a couple of times per week. Cooking meals in bulk on Sundays and Wednesdays, such as several chicken breasts, a large roast with lean meat and vegetables, or making a large egg bake can save time. You're also less likely to go out to eat if you've prepared your meals instead of bringing a frozen dinner with you. Be sure each meal contains plenty of protein and most meals include vegetables or fruit. You may find this article helpful as well:
Related Article: Don't Lose it at Lunch
Build a Solid Nutrition Base with Quality Supplements
This time of the year, you'll see advertisements everywhere for the latest "cutting-edge" products to guarantee weight loss. Don't be misled. For supplements, the basics should be high-quality multivitamins, omega-3 fish oil and meal replacement powders or protein powders. Even for those who eat a diet composed of whole, organic foods, it's nearly impossible with today's soils to get the optimal levels of nutrients from food alone. A high-quality multivitamin helps ensure the daily intakes of vitamins and minerals achieve more optimal levels. Fish oil plays an important role in a growing number of metabolic processes, and getting more high-quality protein in your diet is important for a number of reasons. For additional reading, you may be interested in these articles:
Related Article: Vitamins, Minerals and Weight Management
Related Article: "Mega" Benefits of Omega-3 Fish Oil
Related Article: The Power of Meal Replacements
Summary
There are many pieces to the puzzle of an optimal diet. When you start putting a puzzle together, you usually start with the pieces that make the puzzle come together easiest, such as uniquely colored pieces and edge pieces. Making a switch to a diet composed of predominantly whole foods and high-quality supplements are those easy pieces. An individual's optimal nutrition plan is not a simple 10-piece puzzle. It is more like a complex jigsaw puzzle and completing it takes patience. You also need to focus on the easy pieces first, before getting caught up in the little things. Be sure to allow yourself time. Stay committed for the long run, not just for January.
In health,
Tom
This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.
) please post a comment that describes how your life will be different by committing to making one new change ever week over the upcoming year. If you're reading this and are already along that path, please share your experience so far. I'm hoping you will continue to share your thoughts, successes and struggles as we look at one new habit each week.
