You Can’t Outrun a Doughnut. It might not be the first time you have heard that statement and it’s true. There is no way to get the body you want without both exercise and diet. Unfortunately, in my book, diet is about 80% of the battle. Wouldn’t it be easy if we could eat whatever we wanted as long as we exercised? Many people do think that way, and as the owner of a kettlebell gym the ability to exercise without having to watch my diet would be a dream come true. It’s my JOB to exercise and to guide people through their fitness journey, but I still have to be careful what fuel I put in my body.
According to Livestrong.com, a 175lb person burns about 1700 calories running a half marathon. That’s approximately the equivalent of three slices of pizza and a milkshake, but do we go out and run a half marathon after every party we attend? I would guess most of us don’t, and those 30 minutes on the elliptical won’t do as much damage control as we would like to think. Don’t get me wrong -I’m not saying to just diet without exercising. Lean muscle increases metabolism and helps us burn more calories. Exercise is also imperative for our hearts and has a plethora of other health benefits, but exercise cannot stand alone in the fat loss battle.
So what diet works? The one you can stick with. There are many different options out there and I lean towards the diets with real foods that require the least thinking. After “retiring” from fitness competitions, I vowed to never do another eating plan that required me to measure anything – and luckily there are plenty of companies out there do all the measuring for you. All you have to do is pick it up from one of the convenient local sponsors’ refrigerators or have it shipped to your door. How easy is that? Having a no brainer eating plan (that happens to taste good too) is the perfect complement to a rigorous exercise program to help us win the battle against fat! Good luck on your journey!
