Your Diet is Ruining Your Body

Your Diet is Ruining Your Body
You may wonder why someone whose background is a certified
yoga and Pilates instructor would rant and rave about your
eating habits so often. I mean, I'm a weight loss coach,
yes, but I've written no diet books nor do I have a degree
in nutrition, except for everything I've taught myself (if
you get to know me, you'll find I'm a little obsessive
about researching and testing). Why don't I leave the diet
talk for someone else and focus only on my training in
exercise?

To be perfectly honest, I would love to discuss only
exercise. To divulge how various exercises sculpt the human
body into a finely tuned machine of strength and agility is
my true passion. However, it just wouldn't be practical to
ignore your diet.

You see, I write this to benefit you. My purpose is to give
you practical tips that you can use to improve your health
and fitness.

Which leads us to the disturbing truth...

Your diet is ruining your body.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but someone had to say
it. I can talk about exercise until I am blue in the face,
but until you take charge of your diet, it would all be in
vain. And when I use the word "diet" as follows, I really
mean nutrition. Diets don't work.

Today's statistics show that nearly 60% of the population
is currently overweight or obese. While this is shocking,
according to a new study reported by WebMD, three out of
four US adults will be overweight or obese by the year
2015. That's 75% of us.

Wow, those are some scary numbers. I certainly don't want
to become part of that statistic, and I know you don't
either.

So what's the deal? Why are we getting fatter and fatter?
It all comes back to that little word...diet. The diet of
today's adult is simply out of control. Here's why:

-Portions gone wild.

It all started in the 1970's. Restaurants began to increase
their portions and, as a result, the unsuspecting public
ate more. Since then portions have continued to grow and
most people continue to clear their plates despite the
extra calories.

-Convenience food mayhem.

Junk food used to be only found in vending machines-not so
today. Have you ever noticed how the checkout line in the
supermarket has changed in recent years? It used to be
stocked with gum, mints and a few candy bars. Now
everything from potato chips to cookies sit within arm's
reach. Very few people get through their day without
consuming some kind of convenience food.

-Fast food fallout.

How many fast food restaurants do you pass on your way to
work? Probably more than you can count. How many times do
you stop in for a quick bite? Probably more times than you
would like to admit. Fast food has never been more
available than it is today-and it shows in the waistline.

Here's something you may not know: If you were to exercise
everyday of the week but failed to change your eating
habits from those listed above, you wouldn't see any
visible results.

Now don't get me wrong-exercise is a vital ingredient for
improving your fitness level, health and the shape of your
body. Exercise and good nutrition go hand-in-hand. You
won't make progress toward your goals without them both.

So where does this leave you? The way I see it, you are
faced with an opportunity. With just a few small changes to
your daily eating habits you could be well on your way to
having an incredible body. Couple this with an exercise
program and you will be unstoppable.

Keeping with my goal to give you practical tips to improve
your health and fitness level, here are three ways to
improve your diet.

1. Slash your portions.

Even though that mountain of pasta looks great, remind
yourself that it is three or four times more than you
really need to eat, and those extra calories are going to
land right on your waist. Consciously make an effort to
reduce your portions at each meal and watch how your weight
shrinks and your energy soars.

2.Pack your snacks.

Instead of turning to a bag of chips or packaged cookies in
mid afternoon, reach for a piece of fruit instead. Nuts or
seeds would be an even better choice with high protein,
high fiber, and healthy fat. It only takes a few minutes
to pack healthy snacks for your day, and it will save you a
boatload of extra calories. Convenience food is packed with
sugar, fat and empty calories that will only leave you
sluggish and uncomfortable.

3.Cut out one fast food meal per week.

If you currently eat 5 fast food meals each week then only
eat four this week. Next week reduce that number down to
three. And then two, and then one. Once fast food isn't a
regular part of your diet you should look at it as
something to be had as a treat-not a dietary staple.

Now that you have three simple ways to drastically improve
your eating habits, this brings us back to exercise. I must
emphasize that you definitely do need regular, challenging
exercise in order to achieve and maintain results. It's as
simple as that.

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