I know looking at my nutrition and workout plans can be overwhelming. There is a lot of work and planning that goes into my lifestyle. It’s also taken me over 10 years to get there. When I started weight training that is all I did – weights only, 3x/week. I didn’t do split sessions, so I trained my entire body each time. I was not religious about this, and sometimes missed workouts. I also never did cardio, and I ate and drank whatever I wanted. I looked pretty good doing this, but I was 30 and had never had a baby. This method worked up until I was about 37, 2 years after my pregnancy, and when I discovered a dramatic change in my metabolism. My point is that you have to start somewhere. For me it was the workout, and it took me 12 years to accept the diet. However, I SO wish I would have started with the diet first. It would have saved me many years of frustration.
80% OF FITNESS IS D I E T
That means even if you kill yourself doing the other 20%, and I believe some of the 20 is genetics, you are only 1/5 of the way without the proper food. It’s 80%. You need to burn that number on your brain (or maybe your fridge)!
BEGIN WITH YOUR DIET IF YOU WANT CHANGE
I prefer to include some resistance and cardio along with the diet, but if you need to ease into it, then I suggest this one thing:
BREAKFAST
I know you’ve seen all the statistics, and you know you should be eating this meal, or at least seriously revamping it. Most likely it’s the meal you have the most control over, so it will be easier to commit. Do this for one month and see what happens. I’m hoping the results will inspire you to not only keep going, but incorporate more clean meals into your diet.
MY FAVORITES
- Eggs AND 1 toasted Ezekiel sprouted grain tortilla AND a side of veggies (optional). 4 egg whites and 1 whole egg scrambled and garnished with taco sauce. Tortilla toasted in the toaster.
- 1 cup of plain fat free greek yogurt AND 1 serving of fruit*, a sprinkle of cinnamon AND 1 tbl peanut butter
- Protein shake with 8 oz. water OR Unsweetened Almond Milk AND 7 Triscuits OR 1 serving of fruit* AND 1 tbl peanut butter. This is a great one for on-the-go. Load your shaker with the powder, then add water at your destination. Also consider individual peanut butter packets or leave the jar and spoon where you’ll be eating (even if that means your car!).
JIF: I’m fully aware that Jif is not the clean choice here. This is what I used to eat, but have since revamped this choice. You can read more about my peanut butter escapades in my other posts.
*Good fruit choices: small apple, small orange, 7 cherries, pear, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup berries, 1/2 cup grapes
If you decide to take this challenge, please check back in and share how it’s going! Looking for some guidance on how to get started with nutrition or training? Take a gander at my customized programs designed just for you and your goals.