It’s been said that you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.
This basically means that even if you put time, effort, and energy into working out and getting into shape, your efforts are going to suffer if you don’t get your calorie intake under control.
In other words, even if you’re working out hardcore at the gym, running every day, doing yoga, playing sports, etc. You can still sabotage your fitness and weight loss goals by eating a bunch of junk food, or by filling your body with empty calories that don’t contribute to overall better health and wellness.
In order to meet your health and wellness goals, it’s vitally important to think about your calorie intake, and to make an intentional plan for putting together a diet that actually aligns with your fitness and weight loss goals.
The good news is that this is a pretty simple process.
The bad news is that it can take a lot of self-control to overcome poor eating habits.
The thing about junk food is that it tastes really good. It also makes you feel good in the short-term when you eat it. It gives the brain a powerful little ‘dose’ of reward hormone, which is why we tend to keep going back for more.
So let’s discuss 2 specific tips that you can utilize today to help overcome poor diet habits so that you don’t sabotage your new health and wellness routine.
1. Be Intentional About Healthy Food
The foods you choose operate as the baseline for your nutritional health and wellness.
In other words, eating a candy bar or a fast-food burger is a lot different from eating a carrot, an egg, or a piece of boiled chicken.
Eating deep-fried french fries for lunch is going to be significantly less healthy than choosing to eat a baked potato, a salad, or a banana.
See, the individual food choices we make really hold the key to giving us the power to change our diets as we see fit.
Of course, this process takes intentionality and willpower.
But sticking with it and staying focused is the key.
2. Think Of Food As Fuel
Most humans eat for two basic reasons.
- First, they eat to fuel their bodies.
- Secondly, they eat because they enjoy it.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying food.
In fact, the better you get a preparing tasty, healthy food options that you’ll actually enjoy, the better off you’ll be.
However, it’s always important to think of food as fuel first, and to prioritize taste or pleasure as a second-tier benefit.
For example:
Eating a fast-food burger and french fries may taste really good.
But in terms of actual energy, it’s really not going to give you the kind of long-term power you’ll need to get successfully through the day (especially if you plan to work out).
Have you ever noticed that fast food tends to fill you up quickly, only to leave you hungry again in a couple of hours?
This is because all of that sugar burns off quickly, and then turns to fat.
Yeah, you get a quick burst of energy.
But then, you’re left feeling tired, lethargic, and in need of extra calories.
Plus, you end up gaining extra weight as a result.
On the flip side, a lunch of lean chicken, two eggs, a cucumber, a tomato, and a banana can go a lot further in the ‘energy department’ than the cheeseburger.
Of course, most people would agree that a cheeseburger tastes better.
But if you start thinking of food as fuel, and making that the priority, you’ll be that much more likely to make healthy food choices.