I have struggled with my weight for most of my life. Having been a professional athlete fitness has always been a part of my life, but over the years in talking with experts I have realized nutrition is just as if not more important than the fitness side when it comes to being healthy. So recently I have been focused on my eating habits and tracking calories. You might have gotten used to portion control and meal planning to keep your calories in check, but to work out effectively, you also need to make sure you’re meeting your nutritional needs. So, how do you do that without adding tons of calories to your diet?
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Do not fast
The very first thing that should be made clear: calorie-restricted diets should not be a term used interchangeably with fasting or with tea cleanses that require you to cut your calories down to extreme lows. Intermittent fasting can help, but you have to make sure that you’re eating a healthy amount of calories a day so you avoid issues like malnutrition because your body simply isn’t getting enough energy. This is all about managing weight but in a healthy manner.
Get your nutrients from the right places
What food you’re eating matters as much as how much you’re eating, of course. You might be within your calorie goals in terms of your diet, but if you’re relying entirely on processed foods, you’re going to be missing out big time when it comes to the nutrients. Fresh food diets are much, much better because whole foods not only have more nutrients in them, but they have a higher bioavailability, meaning that it’s easier for your body to absorb them. Look at some of the fresh food delivery services near you if you have trouble getting your hands on fresh produce.
Use supplements to make up
If you’re trying to push for specific exercise goals, then you should make sure that you’re also adjusting your diet to those aims. You might find that even with a well-balanced diet, you still need a few extra nutrients to meet your daily recommendations. To that end, you can take a look at a supplement store for easy ways to slip those nutrients into your diet. Of course, you should talk to your doctor about supplements if you’re on any medication or dealing with any chronic health issues. They’re safe for the majority of people, but it’s worth looking out.
Keep track
Simply put, you should make sure you know exactly what your body is getting, instead of doing guesswork. There are some pretty great diet tracking apps out there that look not only at the calories you’re eating, but the macronutrients such as fat, protein, and carbs, and then break it down even deeper into the micronutrients. Using these apps, you can fine-tune your diet and what supplements you’re taking to ensure that you’re meeting all the needs of a healthy body while still maintaining the calorie count that you need to manage your weight.
It may be the case that you need to adjust your calorie restrictions, allowing yourself a little more to get the nutrition that you need, as well. You can set standards for yourself, but don’t make them so inflexible that you can’t get the nutrients that you need.
Good luck with those fitness goals friends,
xo
Mia
