What is the HARDEST Part of Getting Fit?
Being healthy and fit is important for living a long, quality life but it’s not easy to start, maintain and sustain. The reason is because there are many responsibilities and repeated actions that have to be executed daily to unlock the success of living a healthy life. When fit people say “it’s a lifestyle”, they’re speaking the truth because these actions have to be repeated as consistently as possible over the course of the rest of your life.
The good news is that it gets easier because when the momentum catches, you begin to feel the positive effects of the consistent effort like more energy, better mental health, increased strength, prolonged endurance and big boosts of confidence. But this blog is about what is the HARDEST part of getting fit.
I’ll share with you the hardest part of being fit coming from the perspective of an Exercise Scientist and Nutrition Coach with 13 years of experience and being on a fitness journey but I will also share what abilities you absolutely need to make it easier over time. Here we go!
The Hardest Part of Being Fit is…
Hands down - the NUTRITION part.
In the beginning, everyone mostly thinks the exercise can cure it all but I’ve learned that you can’t out exercise a poor diet. When you exercise regularly you may “feel” different but when you look at the mirror, you’ll always “look” the same. One of the worst feelings of reaching a goal is putting in so much effort at what you’re doing to only be stuck in the same place, burnt out and wondering why you are not getting results,
Here are the many reasons why the diet is so hard to master:
Your palate isn’t broad enough
You don’t like fruits and vegetables
Your foods are not colorful - your foods are mostly white and brown
You don’t know how to cook
You don’t know how to prep food
You don’t know your way around a grocery store
You eat too fast
You eat distracted
You eat too much of one macronutrient (carbs, fats, or protein)
You don’t space out meals evenly
You eat too much at one time
Eating is always reactive, never proactive
The reason why the nutrition part of being healthy and fit is so hard is because not only do you need to develop a relationship with healthy foods but you also need to develop healthy eating habits. You begin to realize that the working out is a small part of being healthy and fit. There is so much more to learn and understand about food and the way it changes your body. Even to this day, I can honestly say I’m still a student of the nutrition game and always learning more about it.
If you want to be healthy and fit for the rest of your life, you have to change your diet and eating habits. Learn as much as you can about it because the exercise alone will not do it. The nutrition part of fitness has the ability to grow your muscle, burn your fat, speed up your metabolism, strengthen your digestive system, hydrate you, give you steady energy and heal you at a fast rate. It’s honestly a magical process!
For now, I’ll give you some great tips on how you can better master the nutrition part of being healthy and fit. Try to incorporate these tips to your day and see the difference it makes on your health!
Try a whole and less-processed food that you have never had every month
Buy a fruit or vegetable you normally don’t eat, wash it, dry it and eat it
Eat foods of all different colors - Eat the Rainbow!
Look up a healthy twist on one of your favorite meals and cook it
Buy a vegetable/fruit wash soap. Wash your fruits and vegetables with it, dry it and eat it
Steer your shopping cart on the outer parts of the grocery store. The aisles are more processed.
When you eat, chew 15 times before swallowing and eat the meal slowly
When you eat, don’t do anything else at the same time (no phone, tv, laptop, driving etc.)
Make every meal an even spread of carbs, proteins, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables
Eat or drink something healthy every 2-3 hours
Don’t feel obligated to to finish large meals. Eat half and eat the other half 2 hours later.
Eating is always a very important task. When you ignore eating, you get into the most trouble.
I hope this blog helped someone and that I made it very easy to understand. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. Just like any goal that is worth achieving, in the beginning it will feel different and you’ll have to try multiple times to get it right but if you keep trying, your efforts at the gym is multiplied significantly!
Thank you for reading!
- Carl Anthony Grande
Do you need help guiding your nutrition the right way that gives you the results you seek? Empyrea Group Training specializes in teaching all fitness levels how to exercise and eat properly to effectively achieve any fitness goal!
If you are ready to make a big change, apply for a No-Sweat Intro to the gym and we can discuss the best approach to your fitness goals right now!
