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Nutrition and Weight Loss: The Importance of a Balanced Diet

How long has it been since you made your resolutions? Exercising more, eating healthier, and losing weight are the top 3 New Year’s  resolutions overall; however, according to Strava, most people quit on the second Friday of every month. Were you one of those people mentioned in a statistic? There is always time to focus on the foundation that makes or breaks your weightloss journey. One word: Nutrition

Losing weight can be a challenging and sometimes overwhelming process, but one factor that plays a large role in weight loss is nutrition. The food we eat provides the fuel our bodies need to function, and the right combination of nutrients can help us reach our weight loss goals. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the importance of nutrition in weight loss and how to create a balanced diet that supports healthy weight management.

Calorie Balance: The Key to Weight Loss

The most basic rule of weight loss is to create a calorie deficit, meaning you consume fewer calories than your body burns. This can be achieved through a combination of reducing calorie intake and increasing physical activity. When it comes to reducing calorie intake, the types of foods you eat can have a big impact on how successful you are at losing weight.

High-Protein, High-Fiber Foods

Protein is an important nutrient for weight loss because it helps keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. It also helps build and repair muscle tissue, which is important for a healthy metabolism. High-fiber foods, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, are also important for weight loss because they help slow down digestion and prevent spikes in blood sugar levels, which can lead to cravings. Aim to include a serving of protein and a serving of fiber at each meal to help keep you feeling satisfied.

Healthy Fats vs. Refined Carbs

In addition to protein and fiber, the types of fats you consume can also affect your weight loss success. Healthy fats, such as those found in nuts, seeds, and olive oil, can help keep you feeling full and provide a source of energy. Refined carbohydrates, on the other hand, such as white bread and sugary drinks, can cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels and lead to cravings. By choosing healthy fats over refined carbs, you can help manage your hunger and support weight loss.

A Balanced and Varied Diet

Finally, it’s important to eat a balanced and varied diet to ensure that you get all the necessary nutrients for good health. This includes vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which are important for overall health and can help support weight loss by reducing inflammation and supporting a healthy metabolism. Aim to include a variety of different foods in your diet, including whole grains, lean protein, healthy fats, and a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables.

In conclusion, nutrition plays a large role in weight loss and can help you reach your goals by providing the right combination of nutrients to keep you feeling full, reduce cravings, and support a healthy metabolism. By following a balanced and varied diet, you can give your body the fuel it needs to lose weight and achieve good health.

Don’t forget to checkout our other fitness and nutrition blogs.

Training Not Just Your Body, But Your Mind

When looking into a training regimen, you must be ready not only to commit physically, but also mentally. Training does not end when the cool down ends, nor does it start when you lace up your shoes. It is a 24/7, 7 days a week, 12 months out of the year process. 

Your mind is the only thing keeping you from eating a Big Mac and a large fry. Your mind is the only thing keeping you from hitting your next weightlifting PR. Your mind must be able to withstand the everyday temptations, fight off the constant negative self-talk and prepare your mind for the trials of the day – big or small.

Here are some simply ways to fortify your mind in preparation for the day:

Create a Morning Routine

Start with making your bed. This is the first thing that you can accomplish right off the bat. You feel successful. Your day is structured and you can prioritize your schedule to ensure you are as efficient as possible!

Start with Meditation

Meditation is key when it comes to training your mind. By sitting there in the quiet, we learn how to deal with our inner dialogue, whether it is positive or negative. The key is how you shift your thoughts to become positive and work for you rather than against you. This can be part of your morning routine, so you don’t cheat yourself out of that time. Start small with 5 to 10 minutes and build up as you go. Eventually you will relish this time. If you aren’t sure exactly how to start, there are apps that can help you start meditating and then you can take it from there.

Flex Your Mental Muscles

Just as you train your body, you must also train your mind.  Get those neurons pulsing as you create new pathways by continuing to learn. This can be done through listening to podcasts centered around learning, even if it is a short 10 minute episode. Additionally, focus in on these four topics:

  1. Concentration is allowing your brain to recall things and assist our memory. When your brain is not clear, your concentration falters.
  2. Clarity is when your brain is fully alert and engaged. This also includes memory recall, thinking on your feet and clear judgment.
  3. Equanimity is the even-minded mental state or disposition toward all experiences or objects regardless of how they affect you. Meaning how you feel based on an action. You are in control no matter whether it has a positive, negative, or neutral effect on you.
  4. Compassion for yourself and others helps in training your brain to default to positive reactions in adverse situations. 

One of the benefits of working directly with Body Renovation Fitness Center is that we encourage training your mind. When you sign-up for our classes whether private or in a group, we send out weekly inspirational emails and monthly newsletters regarding health. Both are tools to use when working to train your body.

Don’t forget to checkout our other fitness and nutrition blogs.

You Can’t Out Run a Bad Diet

You may have heard this phrase as you work hard to dial-in your nutrition while wanting to lower your BMI, increase your muscle mass, or simply getting toned. What you put in your body is 80% of what makes up your success rate in achieving your health goals. The other 20% is the physical activity that goes along with it.

Taking your nutrition into account while focusing on physical activity not only will increase your long-term health and longevity, but also plays a major role in preventing diseases such as type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

So what makes up a high-quality diet?

A high quality diet is one that is well balanced; however, throw the Food Pyramid out the window. The Food Pyramid was discarded in 2011 when the USDA created MyPlate. A campaign to make every bite you take count towards your health.

Now a healthy diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seafood, nuts, legumes, olive oil (all oils are not created equally), and small amounts of meat, eggs and dairy. Additionally, removing processed foods full of chemicals and other items with ingredients you may not be able to pronounce will aid this process. Stick to foods that you can pronounce and focus on maintaining balance.

When it comes to beverages, stay away from surgery and even diet drinks as both trigger a glucose spike. If the chemicals won’t kill you, the sugar will. Make sure you are drinking a minimum 64 ounces of water a day. This aids in processing out the fat you are losing and any other items that can cause bloating and inflammation. With drinking large amounts of water, it is also important to replenish your body’s electrolytes, but please read the ingredients list to choose a low sugar and sodium option. They do exist.

A good start is learning more about the Mediterranean diet; however, this may not be for everyone. Always remember to consult your doctor and a nutritionist during this process to optimize your body to turn into a fat burning, muscle building machine.

Don’t forget to checkout our other fitness and nutrition blogs.

Fitness and Nutrition Blogs – Body Focus Series

Abdominal Workout

Abdominals

Have you been dreaming of having abs of steel one day? I vote we can leave that to Superman for now, but having a strong abdominal is important. Your abdominal area supports and assists with your everyday life; therefore, we want to make sure that we are taking care of it properly!

Calves

Ready to make your legs high heel ready? Or maybe you are ready to complete a marathon or race in a shorter time? Your calf muscles are a great place to start and get you going in the right direction! No more skipping leg day!

Fitness and Nutrition Blogs

Chest

Have you been skipping chest day? Working out your chest may not seem to be a thing to prioritize, but it should be. Your chest houses many vital organs and it is very important to build it up to be strong and healthy. Whether you’re looking to build muscle or to improve your posture, understanding the function and anatomy of your chest is vital.

Glute Exercise

Glutes

Many may see the word glutes and automatically think of the Kardashians, but what about the actual muscle that you can strengthen yourself! The gluteal muscles are the strongest muscles in your body and have many different functions, so let’s dive in!

 

Hip Flexor Exercise

Hip Flexor

Strengthening your body is extremely important! Let’s talk about a smaller muscle that controls the majority of your movement: the hip flexor!

Lower Back Exercise

Lower Back

Did you know that low back pain costs Americans at least $50 billion in health care costs each year? Moreover, if you include lost wages and decreased productivity that number jumpers to more than $100 billion?

You do not need to be a part of one of those statistics. Lower back pain is not something that has to be a part of your life and it is avoidable!



Quad Workout

Quads

Not wanting to look like a gym bro, but want to make sure your legs are toned? Your quads are a great place to start!

Shoulder Workout

Shoulders

Strong shoulders are essential for overall upper body strength, stability, and mobility. The shoulders are one of the most complex and important joints in the body, as they provide a wide range of motion for the arms and allow us to perform various activities and tasks, such as lifting, reaching, and throwing.

Body Renovation Fitness Center offers the best Personal Training in Dallas, TX. We also hold Fitness Programs, Boot Camps, Weight Loss Services, and more. Our focus is on you. Bear and his team will design an individual program to help you achieve your fitness goals whether they are weight loss, healthy lifestyle, overcoming injuries, or improving strength and flexibility. Significantly, we change things up, developing customized meal plans to help you stay on track when you travel. Additionally, we provide monthly measurements, fitness tracking tools, personal encouragement, fitness and nutrition blogs to help you get and stay fit.

WE PROVIDE PERSONAL TRAINING, FITNESS PROGRAMS, AND NUTRITIONAL GUIDANCE.

If you are ready to make a change in your health, fitness, or lifestyle, Body Renovation is ready to help you achieve your goals. Furthermore, we will design a personalized program designed to challenge and motivate you. We realize that each client is different, so each program and workout is unique. You will never feel bored with your Body Renovation fitness routine! Don’t forget to checkout our fitness and nutrition blogs to stay up to date on all the latest news in fitness/health. 

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?

Attention to Detail, Experience, Communication, Attitude, and Creativity.