Are you ready to create the body of your dreams? If you answered yes, barring any serious medical conditions, consider the following quote from Jim Rohn: “If you want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”
While many people are willing to go to the gym and work hard when it comes to achieving their fitness, health & wellness goals sadly many do not know how to work smart. I have spent 30 years in the nutraceutical and fitness industry and I am passionate about helping others optimize their fitness, health & wellness. It is my experience that to achieve your dream body at any age it is a result of consistently focusing on and practicing 4 simple steps:
1) Ideal Food Sources, 2) Ideal Food Amounts, 3) Ideal Food Timing, 4) Resistance Training. That is the “secret” equation that produces sustainable transformative results.
For most people when it comes to getting in better shape their first thought and emphasis goes straight to step 4) exercise. Exercise is indeed critical to creating your ideal body and maintaining health, but in this article, we are only going to focus on the first 3 steps, nutrition. You are about to learn why the food sources, amounts and timing will make or break the results you see and the fitness, health and wellness you experience.
80/20 Rule to Success
Have you heard any of the following sayings?
- You can’t out-exercise a poor diet
- Abs are made in the kitchen
- You are what you eat
Approximately 80% of your overall fitness, health, and wellness success will be determined by nutritional choices and therefore, why we are focusing today solely on nutrition.
This tends to be the hardest part of the process for many, due to the poor nutritional habits they have developed and in some cases had their entire lifetime. Difficulty consistently maintaining proper nutritional habits is the leading cause of failure and throwing in the towel before achieving desired results.
Count Macros & Make Them Count
If you are unfamiliar with the term macronutrients it is simply a term to describe protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Each macronutrient serves its own purpose in our nutrition and has specific benefits when it comes to metabolic function and its corresponding role in our fitness, health & wellness. The key is to choose macronutrients that will help you achieve your goals, rather than causing you to take steps backward.
There are 4 sources that provide energy to the human body:
Protein- this macronutrient provides 4 calories per gram and is responsible for helping to build and preserve lean muscle tissue.
Carbohydrate- this macronutrient provides 4 calories per gram and is responsible for helping energize the body.
Fat- this macronutrient provides 9 calories per gram and is responsible for not only energizing the body but also helping to regulate hormone levels.
Alcohol- this is not considered a macronutrient, but it is the fourth caloric category providing 7 calories per gram, however, it has zero nutritional value.
SOURCE MATTERS
All food is broken down into macronutrients, but not all macronutrients are the same. In simple terms, Source Matters! It is important to choose quality food sources providing protein, carbohydrate, and fat.
AMOUNT MATTERS
Tracking your macros or eating specific nutrient amounts either by meal or by day is one of the most successful methods to ensure your body receives exactly what is required (not less and not more) to achieve your optimal body. Knowing the specific amounts can be determined through a series of calculations specific to each individual.
TIMING MATTERS -The Magic of Time Restricted Eating!
A critical success factor and cornerstone of the magic of optimal eating is not only the sources or “what” you eat, but potentially even more important is “when” you eat. We have all heard the phrase, timing is the key to life. I am here to tell you that timing is everything when it comes to nutrition, as well. The timing of the foods combined with the sources are the foundation to many of your hormonal reactions. Success of your fitness, health & wellness can be directly related to what you eat and when, in order to optimize your hormones and your results.
Conclusion
While it is not easy to achieve your dream body it is relatively simple. Focus on consuming quality sources of protein, carbohydrates & fats. Count macros to help achieve the right amounts to reach your specific goals and consider trying Intermittent Fasting or Time Restricted Eating to best manage your nutrient timing.
https://www.instagram.com/christhompsonfitness/
https://www.crush1coaching.com
Chris Thompson is a 30 year veteran in the nutrition & fitness industry, an entrepreneur and former c-suite executive for a publicly traded nutraceutical company and founder & CEO of CRUSH1 NUTRITION & CRUSH1 COACHING. He is passionate about optimizing human performance and body composition through nutrition and resistance training with a unique focus on health, wellness, and anti-aging. His long list of success stories includes Rockstars, Fashion Models, Executives, Busy Moms and just about every walk of life. Chris is an author and thought leader and his expertise and programs have been seen by global audiences and featured at bodybuilding.com.