Level Up Your Nutrition Game
You may have heard the saying, “Abs are made in the kitchen”. Whether your goal is abs or not, the kitchen will play a huge part in your fitness journey.
One thing that has helped me is to avoid using the term “diet” when speaking about what you’re eating. There are lots of people who may have something to say about that if you’ve started a new eating plan. Not that you should care what anyone has to say, and if you’re over 50, you probably don’t. However, when I’m starting something new that I’m excited about and someone shoots it down, it makes me second guess my choice.
With that being said, there are lots of different eating plans you can start. You can go really specific or you can go more general. Examples of specific eating plans are the Mediterranean Diet, Veganism, Keto or Carnivore. More general plans are avoiding processed food, cutting down on carbs, reducing sugar or just eating more whole foods. Every person’s body is different, therefore, what works for you might not work for someone else and vise versa. Choose not only what works for you, but what you can stick to, and that will get you the best result.
Be mindful of any health conditions you have as you’re choosing your eating plan. If you have high cholesterol, carnivore may not be the best option for you, so you may need to discuss your options with a health professional or nutritionist.
There are many different schools of thought on what is the best human diet. If you ask Rob Lowe, he will most likely tell you the Atkins Diet is the best. He’s paid to do so, therefore, take that advice with a grain of salt! There are those that think Keto is best, those that think being Vegan is best, but again, do what works for you! There are some alternative eating plans out there as well, if you’re looking for something different, check out Dr. Paul Saladino, he has some interesting ideas about nutrition. Do your research when starting an eating plan. You will find pros and cons to every single idea that’s out there. The most important part of choosing any plan is being able to stick to it. The second most important part is that it provides you what you need to embark on your strength training journey and sustain some cardio.
If you are a person that needs more help with food or you need a specific program to follow, check out The Galveston Diet. You may also find this at The Pause Life. Both of these programs are by Dr. Mary Clair Haver to help women in menopause lose the weight that almost all of us gain during this super fun time in a woman’s life. She focuses on intermittent fasting and anti-inflammatory foods.
If you want results faster, click here to find out how I was able to lose weight effortlessly and keep it off for good! After a certain age, we need all the help we can get to get some of that more stubborn fat off. A little help never hurt anyone and when you see results faster, it keeps your motivation alive and kicking!
It may be helpful to start small with eating. In other words, don’t clean out your pantry on day one. At the beginning, just try to incorporate some healthier foods into your meals and snacks and eat less of the stuff that you know is causing you to gain weight or feel sluggish. Once you get your eating cleaned up, you will feel better and be able to have more energy throughout the day. Keeping a food journal may be helpful on this step to help you determine if you’re emotionally eating or how certain foods make you feel.
Replace soda or juice with water and limit high-calorie additives to your morning coffee. That is a small swap that can make a huge difference.
Cutting sugar is great too, but you may regret stopping abruptly, so be careful. Some side effects of cutting sugar abruptly are sleep disruption, nausea, dizziness and anxiety. I personally tried to quit sugar cold turkey and was in bed for two days, I thought I had the flu!
You may also be tempted to start tracking your calories and other macro nutrients. There are plenty of calorie calculators out there to help you determine how many calories are right for you. Just remember, too few and you’ll be sluggish, so make sure you’re getting enough calories to maintain your workout schedule. Apps have made it very easy to track your calories, there are many to choose from so find the one that you like and that you think you will use. I will say that the paid apps tend to have a larger food database and probably allow you to scan the barcode of what you’re eating to make tracking easier. Some even have restaurant food in them for those times when you eat out.
I want you to experience the same energy levels and feeling of accomplishment that I have, all day! When you are able to lose a little weight and get moving, everything about your day gets better. By following some of the nutrition hacks shown here along with an amazing program, you’ll be feeling like your 30 something self in no time!
Disclaimer: This blog post contains Amazon affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my coffee drinking habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me supplied in caffeine. It’s a win for everyone, really.
