One of the most important things that people overlook time and time again, even though they are are prepared to spend time and money on their fitness, is good nutrition. I have certainly messed up where food is concerned in my life; as a kid I barely ate veggies -driving my mum mad in the process, to later on thinking, "I can eat anything I want because I work out", to emotionally eating out of boredom, as a compensator for other things going on in my life, or (in hindsight now) as a form of self harm. It took me a long time to get to grips with the 80/20 rule where nutrition/ fitness and weight loss are concerned; 80% of the results you will see in your body are due to good nutrition.
Over the years I've gained a decent understanding of the chemical effect of different types of food on my body and their nutritional benefits (plus used my own body as an experiment!) Now I have a balanced approach to food and train less than I did a few years ago (as I'm not trying to burn off the calories I consume), which is better for my body from an over-training/ injury perspective. I eat more carbs than I used to, and I still treat myself. My weight/ size / shape stays pretty consistent; I don't have the yo-yoing that I used to have a few years ago, which is less mentally draining. I'm not particularly blessed with great genes or a super fast metabolism either; I just have a decent understanding of what my body needs and what works for it, and now I train to achieve goals rather than to burn fat.
Intelligent supplementation is also part of good nutrition. When we evolved hundreds of thousands of years ago, our body composition was very different; we were more active and carried more muscle and our diet was more nutrient dense, certainly with a higher Omega content. There are a number of foundation supplements (I think) everyone should take, for health, energy and longevity; as an example Omegas are often low in many people, as is Vitamin D.
Many people unfortunately don't have this knowledge, some people never get there, which is a shame as so many diseases and conditions can be prevented, just by simply eating well. Honestly I'm not surprised. The food and fitness industry is always throwing curveballs at us; fat is the enemy/ fat is not the enemy, count calories, don't eat for 12 hours- the list goes on and on. Most of us have tried one or another of a particular diet in our lives I know I have!), only to spectacularly fall off the wagon sooner or later. Developing a life long way of eating is the tough part initially, but really easy once you get to grips with it and concentrate mainly on whole unprocessed foods. This can be maintained for the rest of your life. Unlike fitness, which you will always need to change up to challenge your body.
If you or someone you know would like help to eat better, change their body composition or quit the yo-yoing, or just simply have more energy, then drop me a line. I provide nutrition coaching for the bargain bucket package price of HK$1800 per 6 weeks (just $300 per week) which includes an initial consultation, daily food diary analysis and coaching, plus weekly catch-ups. Let's face it, sometime you just need someone to hold your hand! At the end of the six weeks, you should know how to eat for the rest of your life!
