So, how do you outwork a bad diet? Well, to put it simply, you can’t! If you’re not changing your diet, you’re not actually changing anything. And when I say diet, I mean the food that you eat. Diet does not mean the way you are starve yourself or a plan you follow, but just the food you are consuming.
So I know that the first thing people think is, well, I’m working out really hard so I can get away with the foods I’m eating. I work out five days a week, I run, I’m doing whatever the case is, so that basically means I can eat whatever I want.
While that is great to be exercising that much, it’s not true that you can eat whatever you want and see the results you want. The people that I’ve worked with that are the most frustrated are the ones that have not changed anything about their diet. It’s just a fact – you can’t outwork a bad diet.
They get frustrated about the results taking so long, and I get frustrated because you only need to make small changes to do it. It doesn’t have to be complicated to get results, but so often we make it such a big deal.
You only need to make small, little changes to get really big results.
Make Protein A Priority
One of the biggest issues I tend to see when I look at some ones diet is they don’t eat enough protein. And so that’s usually where I start clients off with. I get them to eat an adequate enough protein.
Protein is a great place to start because general its a leaner meat, little to no fat, and a great source of calories. Protein is also essential for the recovery and refueling of the muscle.
Because protein helps with rebuilding of the muscle, some of my clients have also been able to sleep better. In which case they start feeling better, and their workouts improve.
The other cool thing about the protein is it also speeds up your metabolism. Protein boosts your metabolism because your body has to work harder to break it down.
Going on walks and going to the gym are all good pieces for your health, but you have to change your nutrition.
Water is Life
Water is also another key element when it comes to long term health and seeing results. It can be easy to forgot to drink water while you are at work or throughout the day, which can create negative consequences to your health.
Water helps the body function as it should. Cellular processes become more efficient, joints become more lubricated, energy levels increase and your metabolism also kicks up a gear all from increased water intake.
You should be aiming for half your body weight in ounces of water a day to keep up on proper hydration. This number can vary depending on activity level or sweat lost throughout the day so keep that in mind.
No Carbs – No Fuel
Carbohydrates get a bad wrap, but they are the primary energy source for higher intensity activities. If you participate in sports or have a more intense training regiment, you better be eating your carbs.
If you are depleting your body of carbohydrates, you are missing out on progress in the gym. Your body needs fuel to be able to perform at a high level, but it can’t do that if it doesn’t have the carbs to do so. The figure below demonstrates the importance of carbohydrates as intensity increases.
Shoot for around 45-55% of your total caloric intake in carbohydrates. This will provide you with plenty of energy throughout the day, as well as in your training session. What you will also notice is that your body will start to burn through those calories like crazy because it finally has the energy it has been looking for.
You’ll Never Outwork A Calorie Surplus
Lastly, watch your total calorie intake. I can’t say this enough, but you probably over eat more than you think. Here’s what I mean.
You can plan out all your food for the day to hit your goals, and that is perfect – exactly what we want. The problem arises when you eat all your planned food, plus a little “snack”. Take a latte, candy or ice cream for example.
You ate all your calories for the day, but you added an iced latte on Monday, two cookies for a snack on Tuesday, maybe a bag of chips here and there on Wednesday and Thursday and then you celebrate the work week being over with some ice cream on Friday.
What you may not realize is the fact that you went over your total calories anywhere from 300 to 1000 calories over your daily limit without even thinking about it. That’s where it gets dangerous. A bad diet equals bad results.
Going just 500 calories over on your diet consistently can result in a pound or more of fat gained per week. As Americans we have plagued ourselves with this issue. We always want to snack or eat a dessert, and that’s why we got so fat so quick.
When you see every food as a calorie, you begin to notice just how much you are actually eating each day. It becomes very easy to notice how easy it can be to add 15lbs of body weight in a matter of just a few month. If you know that you are gonna be celebrating with friends or going out to eat one night, make sure to back off the total amount of calories you consume that day or even that week.
Keep It Simple and Don’t Give Up
Stay consistent and be disciplined! It’s time to stop trying to outwork a bad diet and make your diet start working for you. It will be hard in the beginning to stick to it, but you can do it. If thousands of people do it, so can you. Stick to those simple rules and you will see the results happen, trust me!
Eat protein, drink water, don’t cut out your carbs and watch the total calorie amount you eat. These four rules will take you far. If you are struggling staying on track or if you have great success, and now want to take your fitness to the next level, check out our gym.
We are a Topeka, KS based gym but also offer online remote programming. So if you are also in the Topeka area and looking for a gym to call home or somewhere far away, click the link to get the transformation process started today —-> https://lionheartapf.com/join/