Finding the right balance of nutrition and portion control

Most people understand that diet and exercise go hand in hand for healthier living, weight loss, and overall fitness. However, many people have mistaken conceptions about what eating for health and weight loss truly means. In its simplest form, weight loss is an equation – if you burn more calories than you take in, your body will turn to its own fat stores for energy, resulting in weight loss. But in reality, the practice of smarter eating is largely misunderstood by many fitness training clients.

Less is not necessarily the goal

There are two important things to keep in mind when trying to eat smarter and improve fitness: do not skip meals, and cut out some carbohydrates when you can.

– Skipping meals is a shortcut that inevitably backfires. Although eating fewer calories can help you lose weight, skipping meals confuses your body and results in a slower metabolism.

The best choice is to eat many small meals throughout the day. Aim for four to five balanced, small meals to keep your metabolism operating at maximum capacity.

– Eliminate some of the carbs from your diet. Carb-free diets are much like skipping meals, a shortcut that will not pay off over a lifetime of fitness and good health. However, an ounce of carbohydrates has more calories than an ounce of protein, so eliminating some of this calorie-dense food group from your diet will help you lower your overall calorie intake.

Better nutrition fuels fitness

Get smart about diet and nutrition and you will see better results from your fitness program. Choose healthy foods and eat regularly and your workouts will start to pay off in a big way!