The Importance of Combining Fitness with a Healthy Diet
When I went through my first weight loss transformation with the help of Beachbody back in 2003, I only did the workouts. Today I have a lot of customers follow the 21 Day Fix Eating Plan, but don’t do the workouts. Today, I want to talk about doing BOTH—about the importance of combining fitness with a healthy diet.
Working Out Without Good Nutrition
Yes, you CAN lose some weight and tone your body by exercising and skipping the healthy diet. I did back in 2003 (before I knew better) when I completed Tony Horton’s Power 90 program—the predecessor of P90—and then P90X.
But, there are definitely downfalls to skipping the nutritional part of the program. The bottom line is that you can’t out exercise a bad diet. No fat burning exercises can totally erase the effects of a diet that is too high in calories or processed foods!
The most obvious consequence to a bad diet is weight gain. Unless you’re consistently doing a super hard core workout, like P90X, Insanity or 21 Day Fix Extreme (or you’re a professional athlete), it’s highly unlikely that you can continue to be a carb addict or give your sweet tooth everything it wants without impacting your weight loss.
And, guess what? Extra weight from poor eating habits tends to go right where we least want it—right to our hips, thighs, butts and abs. So even if you gained muscle in these core areas as a result of working out, they will be covered by a layer of fat because you are not combining fitness with healthy nutrition.
You might say, “Okay, then I’ll just eat even less.”
First of all, who wants to live in a constant state of deprivation??? Not me, that’s for sure. And, I don’t think you do either.
Second, not only does a diet that is super low in calories disable you from producing enough energy and inhibit muscle growth, it also messes up your hormones, which will drain your energy level, motivation, and endurance.
Setting aside calories, there are other negative benefits to an unhealthy diet. For instance, your body needs a variety of essential nutrients for fuel when it is exercising. Not only does not eating healthy mean you are not getting adequate micro and macro nutrients, which impacts every aspect of your body, it’s also not good for your cardiovascular health. And, did you know that eating certain types of foods at certain times will have a negative impact on your sleep patterns?
Feeling “hangry” is a REAL thing! The bottom line is that the importance of combining fitness with a healthy diet is REAL.
By the way, if the choice to skip the healthy eating is because you think it’s too expensive, PLEASE think again. Eating healthy does NOT have to be expensive.
Eating Healthy Without Exercising
Yes, you CAN lose weight simply by cutting calories so you create a calorie deficit and eating healthy whole foods. In fact, nutrition accounts for the majority of your weight loss results. But, just as there are going to be problems if you work out without eating healthy, there are going to be problems if you don’t add exercise to your healthy diet.
Without incorporating any fitness and just eating healthier, I lost 23 pounds after my first pregnancy. After my second pregnancy, I added a Beachbody fitness program to the nutrition. Although I lost about the same amount of weight, I was TWO SIZES SMALLER when I did both!
For me, one of the most IMPORTANT benefits of exercising is that I can have more 21 Day Fix food containers every day and still have a calorie deficit! Second is looking way more toned and fitting into small clothing sizes. (Remember that muscle is denser than fat!).
Here are some other positive side effects of exercising while eating healthy:
- Your physical performance and stamina will improve and you’ll just feels better overall.
- Regular exercise helps to maintain a healthy blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.
- Weight-bearing exercises help strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis.
Combining Fitness and Nutrition
What makes Beachbody programs so effective is that they combine excellent quality (and scientifically backed) workouts with a healthy (and scientifically backed) nutrition plan. Every nutrition plan is designed so that you’ll be consuming foods that are easily converted into energy and NOT stored as fat in the body.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of combining fitness with a healthy diet. If you religiously follow whatever Beachbody program you choose (and you have a LOT of choices if you’re an On Demand member!), it WILL work. As a 21 Day Fix specialist, I couldn’t be more passionate or confident in the program!
If you need help incorporating healthy eating into your fitness regime or working out into your healthy diet, I’m happy to help—for FREE when you assign me as your Beachbody Coach!
