Fitness is fore-mostly about food and the physical performance a body can endure. A fitness diet can help you make the smallest step towards a healthy lifestyle. The relationship with food when you’re trying to be healthy is not a battle! It’s all about knowing your body and your goals. Mind and body connection is a strong perception when it comes to making lifestyle changes!
Through the pandemic, the rise in “At-Home Workouts” have soared across the internet and inspired many to start living a healthy life. Of course, the added motivation came from requiring the boost in immune system to fight the virus. Nevertheless, bringing changes in eating habits and incorporating regular exercises have become a trend of some sorts too.
The three F’s to keep in mind: Facts, Food and Fitness (physical)
Always check your #facts about any changes you’re about to make in your life. Get the solid information and think it through whether the change benefits you in a healthy way.
Then comes food, there is no need to restrict yourself to a certain group of food, or even restrict yourself from food. Calorie counting has its benefits as well as adverse effects, don’t fall prey to the unhealthy side of it. Consult a professional if need be, to guide you on your diets.
And finally, fitness, physical strength and mobility is a vital part of keeping the body healthy. Be it smaller low impact workouts or intense muscle building exercises; know your abilities and goals.
Why Eat Healthy?
First off, why not?! And, I don’t mean the boiled and boring kind, I mean the colourful and creative healthy kind. The benefits of a clean diet goes beyond making your insides good, it definitely affects you on the outside too. Add a regular routine of exercise to your life and you’ll really start to feel the effects of healthy eating.
Remember that healthy food is not always the expensive and rare kind. Nutritious food are pretty common and require little to no extra process time to turn into a wholesome meal or snack.
Benefits of Fitness Diet & Exercise:
- You’ll feel confident
- You’ll feel more determined
- Mentally and physically stronger
- Improved immune system
- Faster metabolism
- Helps maintain a balanced sleep schedule
Make Healthy Eating a Lifestyle
Having a fitness diet is not eating boiled veggies all the time and restraining from indulging in the variety of food. This conception has to die out!
Eating healthy for a fitness diet means to keep a balanced plate for each meal of the day, keep the essentials on your plate and keep them in the correct proportions. And yes, meals are not to be skipped. Eating 3 meals a day is an essential part of gaining muscle or losing weight. Believe it!
Although, this does not mean you need to cut out fried food or banish your sweet-tooth cravings completely. Have cheat days where you treat yourself to your urges. Keep your mind unshackled from the weights of misconception of diets. Even chocolates are part of a healthy diet! Check out the benefits chocolate can have on your health.
Targeting a Healthy Body with a Fitness Diet
Does a healthy body look like six pack abs and toned biceps and a plump booty? Not always! Fitness and health differs from person to person depending on body mass, height and even genetics. Each person has their own perception of good health.
What should be important is what you put into your body and how you maintain the balance and keep up the effort.
So, what do you need to start maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
- Diet– The food habit you’re sustaining that compliments your goals of achieving a HEALTHY life. Mind you, this means eating the correct food essentials, not starving or skipping meals.
- Fitness– The physical actions you’re willing to take to engage your muscles and keep your body from being rigid.
- Hydration– Needless to say, keeping yourself hydrated and drinking a variety of healthy fluids is a smart choice.
How to Workout with your Fitness Diet
If you’re targeting a certain goal like losing weight or toning your muscles or just aiming for flexible movements then integrate a proper exercise into your schedule. This will help you achieve the correct outcomes of a fitness diet.
You can’t expect to get abs by just eating bitter gourd and spinach daily. You need to find more delicious food to motivate your taste buds and your body. Plan out a fitness routine, with workout programs and food. This is the first step to setting goals.
Time to Workout!
When is the right time to work out? There is no right or wrong answer. It’s just a matter of when YOU have the time to work out.
Duration:
It is a good idea to workout for a minimum of 50 minutes daily. That is the bare minimum that will allow you a gradual change in your body structure.
First thing in the morning:
Doing exercises on an empty stomach can target calorie burn at a faster rate. Given, you are doing the right type of workouts that will engage your muscles correctly.
Although you might feel a bit weak during your workouts which may enable you to have a short duration instead of a stable and long one. To avoid giving up, you can try having just a small portion of food. Having a banana or a delicious protein shake can give you a boost of energy.
SECRET!!
Peanut butter is the hidden treasure of plant based high protein food which has it all; protein, fats and mouthwatering taste)
After Eating:
Wait an hour or two for the food in your system to start the digestion and then proceed to do any exercise. This will save you from feeling nauseous or lazy from a big meal.
Types of Workout:
- Aerobic Fitness
- Muscular Fitness
- Flexibility
Cardio or aerobic fitness is all about raising your heartbeat and burning fats. These exercises are the best effective when done on an empty stomach but as an energy source you should eat a banana or some morsel of energy food.
Muscular fitness exercises mainly target your big muscle groups like chest, shoulders, glutes, abs, biceps. Working on different muscle groups at least 3 times a week will help you build and maintain these muscles. Integrate high protein food like lean meat, eggs and even plant based protein can help you build muscles.
If you’re into low impact exercises and want to focus on flexibility; try out yoga! Fitness is not all based on huffing and puffing, jumping and running or sweating and crying. Yoga is also very intensive if you’re willing to make the effort. It requires great strength and a light fitness diet to accompany your routine.
Keep in Mind….
If you’re targeting weight loss, you need to follow a few guidelines for your food habits accompanied by exercise. If you’re trying to gain muscle then you also need to look out for which food will help you obtain your goals while you focus on physical strain.
Before you jump to extreme impulsive decisions about your food habits or exercise, please take the time to learn your body. Know what your body can and cannot endure. Healthy living is all about consistency, it doesn’t happen with the push of a button or in a matter of 10 days.
Weight Loss Foods & Exercise:
Don’t go hard and fast at weight loss. This process requires time and patience and most of all it requires a healthy mind as well. Put in the efforts to maintain your routine and the changes will happen gradually but surely.
Eating low carbs, high protein and medium fats is the way to go if you’re targeting weight loss. Make sure your filling up on water and multivitamins too!
Now, low carbs means eating a limited amount of carbohydrate foods, but you’re not cutting carbs out of your meals entirely. This is also known as Keto Diet. Carbohydrates come in many different shapes and flavours so don’t just stick to having rice all the time!
Beef, chicken breast, eggs, fish are some common foods you will always have around you to keep your carbs some company.
Of course, include daily exercises that target burning calories. So, you’re looking for cardio workouts mostly.
Muscle Gain Foods & Exercise:
Naturally, to build your muscles you need to provide yourself with the right fuel. This type of routine will require eating a lot and eating fast.
A fitness diet composed of proteins, carbs and fat is essential in large amounts to help you fill in your muscles. Unsaturated fats and big carb groups are key to rebuild muscle tissue after the damage of high intensity training.
In terms of working out, try out some exercise programs available on YouTube (free programs) which can help you with being consistent. At home workouts have been all the rage during the pandemic and they have truly changed lives.
There’s a variety of fitness gurus all offering their expertise on different fitness levels for beginners, intermediate and professionals. Choose a program that suits your taste and just get started! Start with the “no equipment” workouts which are extremely helpful and easy to adjust to because all that is required is your will power.
The fitness YouTuber programs I attempted to follow were from Chloe Ting, Pamela Reif, Emi Wong and BullyJuice.
Tips from Personal Experience:
- Follow programs, start with short duration (2 week challenges) then move on to strength building ones
- Take rest days, as advised or when feeling very lethargic and sore
- Try to bring in variation of food, include snacks and full meals which will slowly be incorporated into your schedule after a while
- Push yourself to be consistent
- Make small changes to food habits, going hard and fast will only tire you out easily
- Take before and after pictures to appreciate your efforts
- Have fun! Eating healthy or working out is not a punishment on yourself, it’s a choice.
In the end, all that matters is how you want to make a difference. Whether it’s with a healthy diet or with a hardcore exercise program your willpower drives you to your goals!
Note: I am not a health expert or professional, most of the ideas are from personal experience and knowledge based off findings.
