THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT DIETING

Here are a few things important to understand and accept about dieting.

Getting into a fitness journey one usually has some expectations. Whether those expectations are weight loss, well-being or other related ones, once you get started you quickly realize there is no ONE BEST WAY, no ONE SIZE FITS ALL approach. While some principles (energy balance being a main one) are universal there are in fact several different ways you can eat better, move more, track your progress and build habits that work for you.

While everyone’s experience is unique in a number of different ways, emotional highs and lows and new, unexpected thoughts will come knocking as you venture out of your comfort zone, your old normal, your routine. The best you can do ( in my humble opinion) is to welcome these with open arms and learn. Learn about health, nutrition, fitness and most importantly learn about yourself.

Here are a few things both my clients and I learned about dieting:

There is a lot to learn-

Once you start learning (through reliable sources) about nutrition, health and fitness you realize how little we actually know about basic, proper nutrition and how our bodies work.

We learn about a lot of things in school, but the fundamentals of how to take care of our bodies does not seem to be one of them.

Portion size matter-

Just because something is ‘’healthy’’ it does not mean it is ‘’ diet (low calorie) friendly’’. Similarly, just because something is ‘’ XY free’’ or labelled as diet friendly, it does not mean it is nutrient dense. Food quality and food quantity both have their roles and understanding them can give you the confidence in your choices and allow you to reach your goals while still enjoying life.

Tracking is not the only solution, but it has major benefits-

In reality, tracking calories is not the only way to track progress BUT it does make things more clear and can help you focus on the right things, notice what works and what doesn’t and help you reach your goals faster. Think about calories like money. Let’s say you want to save some money (aka create a caloric deficit for fat loss). Watching your spending and earnings most likely will improve your chances of saving and if done right will also allow you to still enjoy some of your money, while thinking and saving long-term. Saving will of course still be possible without all that tracking but the more you know, the more (decision making) power you have.

We tend to overestimate our energy expenditure and underestimate our intake-

This topic deserves its’ own blog post (duly noted), so for now, just know this;

the average person ( you and I, no offense) is most likely better off turning to nutrition for fat loss and using training for its’ not fat loss related, but other, undeniable health benefits like; better mood, better sleep and toning, sculpting, shaping, strengthening.

Faster is not better-

Simple is better. Because if it is simple, you can stick to it.

It won’t solve everything-

Let’s go back to using money as an example. Money itself won’t make anyone happy. It is great to have it if you are happy anyway. Same goes for abs or body goals in general.

Your fitness journey should not have a deadline-

I said this many times and I will not stop saying it until evidence suggests otherwise: your results last as long as your habits last. If you are serious about lasting results you have to play the long-game. Your current diet is only a chapter of your overall, never ending (in a good way) fitness journey.

What are your personal experiences? Do not hesitate to get in touch, I would love to hear about them!