Are you working hard at the gym but it just doesn’t seem to be enough – the weight isn’t dropping off, your physique isn’t improving or you are still feeling weak and unmotivated?
Are you working hard at the gym but it just doesn’t seem to be enough – the weight isn’t dropping off, your physique isn’t improving or you are still feeling weak and unmotivated? Before overhauling your routine or giving up, take a look at your diet. Your body is a complex machine that requires the right fuel – a healthy diet.
Getting in sync
To get the most from your workouts, you need to consider how fitness and nutrition work together. Deciding what you want to accomplish with your fitness plan will will allow you to formulate the best diet.
Foods to fuel your body
You can’t expect to make it through an intense workout without energy. Food provides energy through calories but not all calories are equal. Calories from fast-food cheeseburgers and greasy fries won’t help your body perform at its best. An active body needs nutritious calories to function properly.
A fitness diet ideally follows many of the same nutrition guidelines as any healthy diet plan. You need a balanced combination of nutrients both carbohydrates and proteins to power your workouts and achieve your weight-management goals. Remember that carbohydrates include many foods besides pasta and bread. Dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains such as brown rice, barley, and quinoa are all carbs too.
Pre- and post-workout meals
Going to the gym doesn’t give you free rein to eat and drink whatever you want. And although a consistently healthy diet is important generally for the maintenance of an active lifestyle, what you eat immediately before and after a workout determines whether you will meet your goals for that exercise session.
Prepare your body for exercise with a healthy snack. It should provide an energy boost without adding too many calories. Though there isn’t one miracle food that can be recommended for everyone, no one should depend on junk food to fuel a workout.
Choose wisely
When choosing a snack, you should also consider calories. A snack with 150 to 200 calories should be enough to get you through a workout. If you exercise just before lunch or dinner, however, skip the snack and wait until your meal.
And don’t forget: What you eat after your workout is just as important. A great post-workout dinner choice could be a small portion of whole-grain pasta with a side salad. Whatever you choose, aim for a balance of carbohydrates and protein, just as you did before exercising.
Apart from these nutrients, it’s also necessary to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day to prevent dehydration. This is especially true if you sweat a lot during exercise.Nutritious foods will give you energy to work out and help you feel better before, during, and after exercise.
