Tuesday, May 10, 2011
by Alex Chaple
Any trainer worth their price tag will focus just as much on what their trainees are doing outside the gym as well as in the hour of blood, sweat and tears spent training together in the gym. Nutrition is as important as training in terms of looking the way you want to look and more importantly terms of your health and longevity. However, this doesn't stop a lot of people cheating on their diets as soon as the trainer's back is turned!
The reason people cheat on their fat loss diet is simple; not many people care if eating something tasty now might lead to a problem (such as heart disease) in 50 years time. Or, many will fall back to comfort food as a way of dealing, or avoid dealing, with a stressor in their life. They have learned over the years that will these offending foods comes a happy feeling or temporary positive effect. Whatever the reason for breaking your diet the repercussions are the same... Fat loss stops, muscle mass is lost, level of health decreases and longevity is threatened. Falling off the wagon is a big problem for most people.
I have included some commonly asked question and answers to help you understand why it is you need to stay focused on your dietary goal and how problematic moments of weakness can be for your progress and motivation to a leaner body...
Q: Do I have to eat this way for the rest of my life?
A: Your body is designed to eat certain foods to function properly. If you choose to eat bad foods then you choose all the negative functions that come along with it. If you want to keep your teeth, do you have to brush them every day? Of course! The same applies to food.
Q: Do I have to be 100% strict all the time?
A: In my experience, no. In fact, scheduled cheating often speeds up the fat loss process if done correctly! However, these "cheat meals" must be controlled and limited to certain times and certain foods. If you decide that on Friday night you are going to consume 3 pizzas and 8 pints of beer then you are going to spend the next couple of weeks in the gym trying to undo the damaged you just caused.
Q: I can't eat this way, I don't have time! What do I do?
A: Everyone has time for things they feel are important. If you were told by a doctor that you needed to consume a bowl of jelly and ice-cream every 3 hours to stay alive, I'm sure you would figure out a way of doing it. Is making yourself a nutrient dense leafy chicken salad as easy as buying a sandwich for lunch? No, but eating the sandwich will destroy your fat loss progress. Plan ahead.
Many people struggle with nutrition. Yes, it does require a certain amount of discipline to stay away from harmful foods that we all know to be bad for us, but the rewards are always worth it. There is no other way to enjoy full health and a great looking body than to stay on top of your nutrition and (for many) change the way you think about food. If you are trying to lean out then you are eating for a purpose other than because it tastes nice. Don't give in to moments of weakness and you will enjoy everything you want from your body and your health!