Achieving fitness results the right way requires good nutrition. Although exercise is important, nutrition does play a significant role in getting fit and maintaining your health. Combining both eating well and regular exercise is shown to provide the best results overall. That said, I would like to talk about nutrition for fitness results.
Diet Culture
Nutrition for fitness results isn’t as complicated as many people believe. Furthermore, eating right is only confusing because diet culture has marketed numerous unsustainable diets. On top of that, unregulated fitness supplements are advertising outlandish claims that aren’t guaranteed.Ā It’s no wonder people are struggling with nutrition and the best way to get fit.Ā
Let’s put the diet myths aside and take a look at simple healthy nutrition for fitness results.Ā Ā
Food Journals Can Help
Food journals can be helpful for a short time until you learn how to eat right. For example, writing down food intake in a journal can keep you on track and enable you to repeat healthy weeks. Additionally, food journals don’t have to be a project but kept simple so it doesn’t feel like a burden.
I recommend starting with a simple food journal that excludes counting calories and grams, or weighing food. Besides, these items can be added later once better eating habits are established.
Keep your journal simple and enjoy the process of learning. As long as you’re eating healthy throughout the day to achieve your fitness goals is what matters.Ā
A simple food journal may lookĀ something like this:
- Water intake for the day: 2 quarts
- Meal 1: 1 slice seeded toast, 1/4 to 1/2 avocado, 1 boiled egg
- Meal 2: large greens and fruit blended shake
- Meal 3: large green salad topped with grilled chicken breast, balsamic vinegar
- Meal 4: sliced apple with 2 tbsp peanut butter
- Meal 5: grilled salmon with lots of veggies
- Meal 6: yogurt topped with raw nuts
Dump the Junk Food
Eating right requires getting rid of the junk food at home. Unfortunately, this can be difficult especially if you struggle with tossing out food. If it helps, box it all up and donate it to a food kitchen or church.
Take a day and go through your refrigerator and pantry. Remove all processed, packaged, frozen dinners, pastries, white products, etc. Unhealthy food products contain a lot of trans fats, high sodium, and chemicals not recommended for consumption.
A short junk food list includes:
- sugary drinks, sodas, and some sports drinks
- white bread
- refined vegetable oils (corn, soybean, cottonseed, canola)
- margarine
- pastries, cakes, cookies
- boxed crackers and chips
- low-carb meals and bars
- yogurt high in sugar and chemicals
- processed gluten-free products
- ice cream, candy, candy bars, and some protein bars
- processed meats (salami, pastrami, deli meats, hot dogs, etc)
- processed cheese (American, cheese in a can, etc)
Healthy Food Shopping
A few shopping rules that will help you stay on track in the grocery store:
- never go when hungry
- eat a healthy meal or snack before shopping
- stick to your grocery list
- avoid the center aisles except for healthy necessities
- shop the perimeter – vegetables, fruits, meats, and dairy
Having healthy food at home reduces eating at restaurants and fast-food chains. As a result, you are in control of your food intake reducing processed items, saturated fats, and higher sodium dishes from your nutrition. This is one of the largest goals to adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Nutrition for Fitness Results
A macronutrient food list (vegetarian/vegan choices included):
Proteins:
- B/S chicken and turkey breast
- Salmon, halibut, tilapia, albacore tuna
- Lean beefĀ (90% lean)
- Greek yogurt (natural, no sugar added)
- Cottage cheese
- Eggs
- Milk (2%), almond milk, coconut milk, low-fat chocolate milk
- Lentils, dried beans, navy beans, no to low-sodium canned beans
- Peanut butter (natural, no-sugar-added), almond butter
- Raw mixed nuts
- Tofu
- Edamame
- Quinoa
Carbohydrates:
- Vegetables (broccoli, peppers, squash, asparagus, etc)
- Leafy greens (spinach, chard, kale, etc)
- Fruits (apples, berries, mango, cherries, etc)
- Legumes (lentils, chickpeas, peas, and beans)
- Quinoa, Kamut, barley, buckwheat, flax meal
- Brown rice (white rice for some athletes)
- Whole wheat, whole grain bread
- Steel-cut oats
- Sweet potatoes
- White and red potatoes (baked not fried)
Fats:
- Avocados
- Chickpeas (hummus)
- Walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, pecans, etc (raw-unsalted, not roasted)
- Olive oil
- Salmon (Omega-3 fatty acids)
- Nut and seed butter (natural, no sugar added)
- Ground flaxseed or flaxmeal
- Chia seeds
The above can serve as a helpful food list for healthy shopping.
Closing Thoughts
As a personal trainer and coach for over 30 years, I share videos and posts specific to the importance of aging well through proper fitness and nutrition on myĀ Instagram page. I look forward to having you as a follower.
Hi Mat and thanks for reading. It sounds like we share the love of teaching fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. I look forward to providing more helpful info. Be well and Stay Healthy!
Hi Donna Lou and thanks for reading. I look forward to motivating you through the program. You can do it and what a great young age! š Stay healthy!
Thank you so much for this blog and the amazing encouragement you give us. Iām 55 years young and looking forward to a new year and a new me…while enjoying the process. You are a blessing!
Love your article! I always give out a similar list to my clients with their meal plan; it gives them options if they want to substitute one food for another. I must admit though that you have quite a few that I will be looking out for the next time I go grocery shopping (Edamame?). Thanks for sharing and looking forward reading more!
Hi and yes, I am providing feedback and motivation for the duration of this year long program. First, I applaud your dedication to workouts for 8 years. I understand your frustration not seeing results. The purpose of this expert-guided program is for you to gain knowledge and tools to implement to adopt a healthy lifestyle. If results are not happening, it is more than likely your nutrition needing an evaluation as described in this blog post. Also, your body gets used to routine and changing up the workouts could also be a great idea. Without knowing all the specifics, I am keeping it general. The goal is for you to learn what works best for you. Start with the food and move on from there. I hope that helps. Don't give up the goal, just change the methods. Be well and Stay Healthy!
Thanks! I'm just wondering, if you have time for feedback… I have hardly missed a work out in 8 years. Finally, after gainig 30 pounds over the 8 years, I gave up. Last Tuesday was the first day in years I didn't put on my work out clothes first thing in the morning and I felt liberated! I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. But to keep at it and expecting results to change, seems like something is wrong.
Hi Lady D and so glad you are here! I look forward to your progress feedback. Be well and Stay Healthy!
Thank you so much for doing these blogs this year! I'm so looking forward to changing this year & these blogs posts & YOU are such a blessing of knowledge & encouragement & inspiration!