Food is fuel, not rocket science.
For as long as I can remember, there has always been at least one person “dieting” in my life. Friends, family members, acquaintances at work, the barista at Starbucks, and the cashier at the grocery store. One thing that seems to be the same amongst all the dieters is that they tell you about it. They boast and tell everyone and anyone who will listen.
“Nope, no carbs for me, I’m on a diet!”
“No, no, I couldn’t possibly have a cookie, I’m on a diet.”
“Oh, I would love one but…”
This isn’t a bad thing! They are taking control of their health and they should boast! We “non-dieters” may find it boring, a tad annoying, and REPETITIVE. Like if Susie was on zero carb high fats, then didn’t find results with her “shakes”, then ate nothing but cabbage soup, and now Susie is a cave women?
Enough already with the fads, the yo-yo dieting, and the on the train again, nope, not working out again cycle. I have a number of clients who have tried many different programs, with results that never last; hence they try another, and another. Their metabolisms are screaming “WTF!” every time they switch to new program.
This has happily brought them to my door. Beyond it is a gym. Yes, a GYM. Never thought of that route while consuming low-fat, no-fat, and magic pills right?
There are so many programs and so much information out there; anyone “starting out” and taking their first few terrifying steps can become easily overwhelmed and quit. It seems everyone has a different regime, a different brand, a concept, a diet and something that WORKS FAST!
The health and fitness industry is constantly changing and adapting for many reasons. The more we advance as a society the more we learn, the more we grow and change and adapt new concepts to all aspects of life, and fitness is one. If my father walked into a gym and someone was flipping a tire, a women was tossing around a kettle bell, and a guy wearing spandex was kipping on a pull up bar, he would think he was in the wrong place, mutter something about a circus and leave!
Too much information is hindering people. Health and fitness shouldn’t be intimidating, it should be fun. Dieting shouldn’t exist, but a healthy life style should. Stick to the basics. Educate yourself on some nutrition facts, like the BV scale of different protein sources, or the Glycemic Index. Learn what complex carbohydrates are, so instead of swearing off all carbs, just eat the right ones. Fat isn’t all bad, but there are bad fats, learn them. Read your food labels. If you can’t pronounce a long list of ingredients, it is not food, its manufactured processed crap that may have once been food. Vary your meals, eat lots of vegetables, fruits, good grains, lean meats, dairy, and eggs. Remember those basic food groups we learned in school? There is that word again, BASIC. Eat REAL food, and exercise and you won’t need to go on and off these fad “diets”. Fuel your body, stop feeding your cravings. There is no mystery behind it really: if it works fast, and is easy, it is not the right way!
Feed your body the fuel it needs (not the crap the TV ads suggest) and exercise. Walk, run, lift weights, ride a bike, play soccer, do KRAV MAGA, and get plenty of rest! Don’t let the information overwhelm you, go back to basics and watch the rest take care of itself.
Written By: Jennifer Brown
Edited By: Borhan J & Adam Y