Don't Diet. Just Eat Well.

A few days ago, I talked about why exercising simply to lose weight is not enough. Exercise is something that needs to be incorporated into your life – it’s not something you should stop once you hit some random number on the scale. 

The same rule applies to nutrition. 

I used to diet when I wanted to lose weight. By that, I mean I would severely cut back what I was eating, feel hungry and miserable. Then, after losing a few pounds, I would go back to eating the way I did before the diet. Remarkably, I never kept the pounds off. 

Fortunately, this changed for me once I started working out. At first, my motivation wasn’t in the right place. When I first got started, I picked the hardest workout program I could find because I wanted to lose weight without changing my nutrition habits. Fortunately, I realized that at the very least, I needed control portion sizes - so that’s where I started.

By making that one simple change, I started to lose weight. I figured out about how many calories I should be eating, and adjusted my portions accordingly. Soon, I realized that the healthier my food choices were, the more food I could eat (thus avoiding hunger). I started to incorporate a wider range of vegetables and lean meats into our diets. I started buying quinoa and kale, and chose organic foods whenever possible.  I started drinking Shakeology – a high-nutrient shake – almost every afternoon because I learned that it kept me from snacking. Gradually over time, I made changes that improved my nutrition, I achieved my target weight, and I built muscle that makes me feel like I can take on the world.

And I didn’t diet.

Instead, I made changes that will last. My grocery cart looks very different than it did just one year ago. But I don’t feel deprived in the slightest. And, if we’re out at a restaurant or enjoying a special occasion, I feel free to indulge from time to time, because my fitness and nutrition fundamentals are sound.

That’s the goal, isn’t it? To develop good nutritional habits that you can live with over the long haul.

Don't work out JUST to lose weight.

                Does that sound counter-intuitive? Don’t a lot of people start an exercise program because they want to lose weight?

                Yes, that’s true – and that’s also why most people who start an exercise program quit within weeks.

                If you really want to get into shape (and notice, I didn’t say “get thin”), you need to do two things. First, you have to make exercise a habit, and not view it as a means to a (weight loss) end. Second, you have to focus on nutrition and healthy eating. It’s a not a question of “dieting” – rather, it’s a matter of gradually changing your mindset, away from “losing weight” and toward “healthy living”.  

In this post, I want to focus on the exercise side of the equation.

Humans aren’t supposed to be sedentary. Before the 20^th century, people lived far more active lives by necessity. There were no cars. There were no washing machines, power mowers, vacuum cleaners and other appliances that made our lives easier. Manual labor was a part of everyday life. Who needed a gym when you had to wash the family’s clothing on a scrub board?

People are made to live active lives, so if you’re stuck at a desk or in a car for most of each day, you need to carve out some time to get your heart rates up and break a sweat.  30 minutes of solid exercise, 5 days a week, will do wonders for your health. You’ll build muscle mass, retain it much better as you age, improve your flexibility, gain endurance and safeguard your future mobility.

If you’re currently out of shape, and you start an exercise program, that’s a really important step. But it’s essential not to see exercise as a means to an end. Taking care of our bodies is a life-long project. It doesn’t mean that once you hit that magic number on the scale, that the job is done.

One last thing – and it’s something I see in my on-line fitness group every day. The more committed people are to exercise, the less concerned they are with reaching a magical “goal weight”. They see the benefits of daily exercise in their daily lives – strong core, powerful legs, well-defined arms, increased flexibility, greater endurance – the list goes on and on. People report increased energy, improved sleep patterns, better moods, and start paying attention to how their bodies look and feel, rather than a random number.

Much of the time, dedication to exercise leads to vastly improved nutrition, because a fit body craves healthier foods. And yes, a lot of the time, this leads to weight loss.  By keeping the focus on what the body needs over the long haul, and you’re far more likely to achieve a strong, fit body that will serve you well throughout your life.