Balance Your Nutrition and Exercise the Right Way

Have you been trying to shed pounds for a very long time with no success? It might be because you’re going about it the wrong way. You sweat away at the gym every day and yet you still can’t get into those old jeans, or you eat next to nothing and it doesn’t seem to be getting you anywhere. Well, in order to achieve any results, you need to combine both exercise and dieting, but in a mindful, balanced way. Here are a few tips to help you out.  

Pay attention to when you exercise

While some people can’t seem to get themselves to do anything useful before noon, others can’t properly start their day without a good work out. Some studies show that there is a slight benefit to exercising in the morning, but the truth is, you’ll burn calories whenever you decide to do your work out, as long as you stick to doing it every day at the same time. The point is to make a routine for yourself and get your body so used to exercising that you start feeling odd whenever you skip it. Also keep in mind that it’s better to exercise half an hour every day, rather than for two hours a few times a week. It’s much easier to be consistent and to organize your schedule that way, because you’ll get used to always being active and moving around. You need to start seeing exercise as something to look forward to, instead of something you grumble your way through, eager to be done with it so you could move onto something else. Find something that you actually enjoy and do it every day – that way you’ll see better results and you’ll enjoy yourself a lot more.

Be mindful of post-workout snacks

Studies show that people who start exercising a lot, often end up eating a lot more as well. Exercising leads to hunger pangs, so sometimes we overeat in order to make up for it.  We also tend to wildly overestimate how much calories we actually lose during the day. The habit of giving yourself a post-workout “reward” is a terrible idea, especially if we always opt for something sugary. It’s not that you shouldn’t eat, it’s just that you need to pay attention to what you eat and how much calories it has. If all the calorie counting is giving you a headache, you can start using one of the countless mobile apps that can do that for you, or you could simply make a list of good post-workout meals. Instead of greasy or sugary foods, opt for meal replacement shakes that will help you rehydrate and provide you with the protein needed to build muscles.

Making diet and exercise your lifestyle

Losing weight is a much greater commitment than we think it is. Unless we want all the lost pounds to bounce back, we need to make a lifestyle change, instead of just sticking to a few rules for a short period of time. Developing a good routine can be difficult, so it might not be a bad idea to get help from a qualified wellness coach who will know how to properly devise a meal plan. It’s useful to have someone who will help you get into the right mindset and develop healthy habits that will push you closer to your goal weight. A wellness coach will take a holistic approach to your well being - balancing exercise, diet and overall lifestyle. They can also teach you how to cook healthy meals and change how you think about food.

All the anxiety and stress that you feel when trying to juggle all the dieting rules can be draining, and it’s important that you take it one step a time. The point isn’t to starve yourself or to pass out from how much you exercise – it’s about developing good habits that you can easily stick to.