San Antonio Personal Trainers: Why Diet Is Just as Important as Fitness
Too often, training programs only emphasize the physical aspects of fitness and do not spend any time stressing the importance of nutrition and/or diets. Even if nutrition is discussed, it is often a brief and generalized conversation, and ultimately the focus is placed primarily on the aspects of the training program itself. By not prioritizing diet as an essential facet of our health and fitness journey we are missing out on opportunities to perform optimally and improve our overall wellness.
For ages the word ‘diet’ has been interpreted as a means of reducing the amount of food or calories consumed for the sole purpose of losing weight. This interpretation, however true, is also partially false, and has been emphasized well beyond its most basic definition to the point where when someone says they are “going on a diet” it is almost always interpreted to mean they intend to lose weight.
In reality, a diet is simply a structured way of eating and is not always synonymous with weight loss. For instance, someone could be on a diet aiming to help them gain weight.
In either case, following a diet is just as important in reaching our goals as physical fitness is. The energy required to perform during our workouts comes from the food we eat, therefore, aligning our eating habits with our training allows us to reach our goals safely and effectively.
We could be exercising daily and exhibiting a significant amount of physical effort during our workouts, but then end up inadvertently sabotaging our efforts by eating nutrient-poor foods or over-eating at each meal. Poor nutrition could lead to feeling as though you have ‘plateaued’ because you are not seeing any progress despite your efforts in the gym.
Even though our primary resource for energy comes from the carbohydrates we eat, if we’re consistently consuming foods high in carbohydrates we can overload the bloodstream with glucose (a broken version of carbohydrates) to the extent that our bodies cannot clear all of the blood sugar, thus leading to Type II Diabetes Mellitus.
Also, if we are eating foods too high in fat, any excess fat not used to perform necessary bodily processes will be stored as excess weight and can even end up creating plaques in our arteries. These plaques can lodge in the walls of the arteries causing them to become stiff and narrow, thus leading to increase blood pressure to maintain the flow of blood through our body.
Ultimately, dieting and following a structured eating pattern is not only beneficial for our fitness progress, but can reduce our risks for additional health complications. By following healthier eating regimens, we can reduce our risk for heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer.
In order to reap the full benefit of our workouts we need to prioritize our dieting and nutritional habits. Although the process of choosing what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat can seem overwhelming at first, like most other learned behaviors in life, creating healthy habits takes a little research, practice, and consistency. Seeking out a certified nutritionist, dietitian, and/or personal trainer can help kick start your fitness and nutrition journey.
At Fit Therapy of Texas, we are the only holistic, whole-body solution focusing on fitness, nutrition and mental health for deeper healing and wellness in San Antonio, Texas. Your better health awaits--let's get started! Click the link here to get started today.
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