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 Some Practical Nutrition Tips
Regardless of your fitness goal, what you do is more important than what you know. It's because your knowledge is irrelevant unless you put it into practice. So, we will look at tips to help with your nutrition program because they apply to practicing it. Although these tips can apply to fat loss, they can help your nutrition for any fitness program.
Make high-quality foods more available than junk foods.
You cannot eat something unless it is available. This simple truth can work for or against you depending on how you apply it. If junk foods are the only type available, that is what you will eat. So, it makes sense to stock your pantry, cupboards, and refrigerator with high-quality food. If you want a junk food treat, eat it at a restaurant or cafe. That way, you can have good nutrition while enjoying occasional treats on special occasions.
Take part in the grocery shopping.
Whoever makes your food available will dictate what you eat. Your choice is to either eat what is available or starve. So, you must take an active part in grocery shopping, especially if you live with someone who only buys junk food. You should do it even if it means taking separate trips to buy groceries. If you don't, your nutrition plan becomes irrelevant.
Learn to cook if you don't know how.
Preparing your food is part of making it available. Otherwise, you would be stuck with whatever someone else or some restaurant prepares. It means learning to cook unless you already know how. You can start by looking up recipes in a book or online. After you cook enough times, it will become easy. Also, you don't need to become a gourmet chef. You only need to know how to cook what you eat.
Include all the classes of nutrients.
Many diet trends seem to vilify one of the nutrients. Just remember that something is a nutrient for a reason. That is because your body needs it but cannot make enough of it. Nutrient deprivation is malnutrition and will eventually be harmful. Eat a variety of foods to ensure that you are getting all your nutrients. Also, don't be afraid to use supplements if you believe your diet is short on a nutrient.
Season your food but don't drown it.
Not many people like their food bland and tasteless. So, it's natural to add something to make it taste good. Seasoning your food improves the taste without adding empty calories. It can also enhance your food's nutritional value. It is because many seasonings (such as paprika, thyme, rosemary, and basil) are rich in vitamins and minerals.
Drowning your food means adding plenty of grease or sugary substances to mask the taste. It adds a lot of empty calories and can ruin the quality of your meal. You are better off not doing it. On that note, deep frying food qualifies as drowning it. Be skeptical of fad diets.
Fad diets are everywhere, and they often promise miracles. They claim that you will transform your physique in a short time if only you follow their regimens. But many of them are unsustainable and doomed to failure over the long term. So, before adopting a new diet, you should ask yourself if you can maintain it for ten years. If your answer is No, it is not for you.
Be patient.
There is a saying that the quicker you lose weight, the harder it is to keep it off. One reason is that it takes a thousand Calories per day deficit for every two pounds of fat loss. Losing weight faster than this will cause you to lose lean mass. It will slow your metabolism and make it harder to keep the weight off.
Also, reaching your goal too quickly creates another problem. It is that you will achieve your goal before developing the habits to keep you there. It will be easy to fall back into old habits and wind up back in your old physical shape. Taking longer to achieve your goal will give you time to develop your new habits. When you reach your goal, you will have already formed the habits to maintain it. So, achieving your goals is not a sprint but a marathon. Don't wait for perfection.
Perfectionism is often the enemy of excellence. It is because perfectionism can cause you to wait for perfect conditions that will never arrive. There will always be less-than-ideal conditions and occasional setbacks. Don't let them stop you from pursuing your goals.
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