I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The results you see when you set out on the road to a better, stronger Badass are about 85 percent what you eat and 15 percent how much you sweat, move, lift and get your heart pumping.
You can take cycling class or go running or lift weights every day, but if you eat and drink like crap before and after, all you'll do is maintain the status quo - or worse, get further away from your goal.
Don't believe it? Well, today an expert weighs in. Jaime McHaffie, part owner of my favorite frozen yogurt place in town (Fuzions!), is a licensed dietitian and owner of Nourish Nutrition Consulting based in Tallahassee, Florida.
She provides one-on-one advice to clients, as well as group talks. She even takes field trips to the grocery store to show clients what to put in their cart - and what to avoid. (Yes, stay tuned for a blog on that one!)
So, in the process of interviewing her for an upcoming article I'm doing for Women's Running magazine, we started talking about the top 5 pitfalls that we both see in our clients when it comes to eating and metabolism-boosting nutrition.
She agreed to dish. Do any of these apply to you? If so, no worries! Just adjust, and watch how much faster you see results.
Jaime's Top 5 Nutrition No-No's
1. Skipping Breakfast: Don't Skip Breakfast! Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day! It jump starts your metabolism (your metabolism is what gives you energy and helps you burn calories). Eating breakfast helps fuel your brain and your body. When you're short on time, grab a granola bar, a piece of fruit, a yogurt, a smoothie, toast, or even a glass of milk. These are all items that will help you to start your day out on the right track. Try combining at least 2 food groups for breakfast to make your morning choice even healthier!
2. Not Honoring Hunger: The key to a healthy relationship with food, as well as a healthy body weight, is to honor your hunger. If you ever skip a meal when you are hungry or overeat past the point of fullness, you are not honoring your hunger.
It sounds silly, but most of us consume our meals and snacks without ever thinking about whether we are hungry or full. We just eat because it's lunch time or because we are bored. Likewise, we skip meals because we are trying to lose weight or because we are too busy to eat. Our body is designed to tell us when to eat and when to stop eating. Start listening to your body today and allow it to guide you as to when and how much you should eat.
3. Going "All or Nothing": When trying to change a nutrition related behavior, it is often tempting to go "All or Nothing." This is actually not a good idea. When making behavior changes, it is important to set small, achievable goals for yourself.
If you try to fix all of your nutrition problems in a single day or even a week, you will most likely be left very frustrated. Pick the one or two things that you are most ready to work on and start there. Let's say, for example, that you needed to start eating breakfast. I would recommend that you set a goal of eating breakfast two or three days a week and see how you do. Then you can slowly increase the days, until you have reached all seven days. Once you are consistently eating breakfast every day, you can pick another nutrition related behavior to change.
4. Not Planning Ahead: We've all heard the quote, "He who fails to plan, plans to fail". This has never been more true for the world of healthy eating. If you are not planning ahead for meals and snacks, it is going to be very hard to make good choices. I encourage my clients to pick one or two days out of the week to plan ahead for meals and snacks. This is key, especially for those trying to lose weight. Try to avoid being unprepared for your day and left without healthy choices to choose from at home or the office.
5. Not Drinking Enough Water: Drinking water is essential to health and weight loss. Most of my clients are not drinking enough water. If drinking water is a struggle for you, try sprucing up your water a bit with a splash of juice, or some lemons or limes. Crystal Light is also a good option for those who find it hard to get in enough water. And for those that just 'forget' to do it, try setting an alarm on your phone, or simply keeping a 'water diary' on your desk for you to track your intake throughout the day.
Coming Friday: Badass Math: Sleep, work, and you still have almost 70 'free' hours...to MOVE!
