Is nutrition really 70% of your fitness success?

Is nutrition really 70% of your fitness success?

Common sayings and quotes are ubiquitous in the fitness community. Some do a great job of providing guidance to the public, while others, in my humble opinion, add more confusion. In this article, I address one of those statements that has to do with nutrition being the key to fitness success for everyone.

The real answer is one that will anger some.

It depends if…

For some people, it is undoubtedly a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, lean cuts of meat and poultry, and healthy fats from oils, legumes and nuts. But for others, eating a diet that is less “healthy” by nutritional standards but working out 5 to 7 days per week will produce exactly the results they want.

The point is, each of us should eat as healthy a diet as possible to maintain overall health, prevent disease, and achieve optimal performance. The extent to which diet or exercise becomes the primary focus of a person's plan is really a matter of experimentation to find the right balance between the two over the long term.

The key is long term.

Listen, it's difficult for most people to eat meticulously 100% of the time. Long-term health is not about exercise or diet, but about making consistent choices that promote well-being and optimal performance. Work will sometimes get in the way. School will get in the way. The children can get in the way. There will be many, many factors that may occasionally throw you off balance. However, the goal is to make sure 90% of your meals contain the foods mentioned above and to go easy on yourself if you have to eat a meal that isn't quite as nutritious.

When you focus on that, rather than whether exercise or diet should consume your energy and focus, you will generally achieve any goals you may have and live a healthier lifestyle. Start by eating plenty of vegetables at every meal. Colors are important! So try to get all the colors of the rainbow, maybe not every day, but certainly every week. The colors of fruits and vegetables come from certain phytochemicals and phytonutrients that not only give the food its color, but also provide us with nutrients and intermediates that serve as a catalyst for many bodily functions.

For most people, whether you are vegan or not is a matter of personal choice. There can be food allergies and intolerances to meat as well as certain vegetables, seeds and nuts. However, you want to ensure that you are consuming enough protein throughout the day to meet your specific physical needs, primarily through fresh whole foods and secondly through protein supplements if you cannot get them from entirely fresh sources.

Get healthy fats, even in healthy small amounts, and drink plenty of water and non-sugary drinks, and you'll do just fine.

If you do all of this and weight loss is still a problem, you may need to look further for the right amounts of food consumed and perhaps hormonal imbalances.

Experiment and find the right balance for you.

Inspired by Ezine and Paul T Mitchell