While many associate nutrition with weight loss, there are compelling reasons to focus on what you eat even if you aren’t looking to drop body weight.
Of course, if your goal is fat loss, adjusting your nutrition is a key component, and understanding your diet is essential for success with that goal.
However, if you’re looking to make healthy changes to your eating habits without focusing primarily on body composition, you have good reason to start.
Build Muscle
While strength training is the primary driver of muscle growth, proper nutrition, particularly sufficient calorie and protein intake, is crucial.
Surprisingly, many people are unaware of their daily caloric needs and even less certain about their protein requirements. Figuring this out can be a journey, and the guidance of a coach can be incredibly helpful.
Muscle plays a vital role in longevity, contributing to independent living and a higher quality of life as we age. It positively affects metabolism, helps regulate blood sugar and makes everyday tasks easier.
Combining healthy eating habits and strength training is a powerful way to build muscle.
Better Energy
Complaints of chronic fatigue, lack of motivation, low energy and a general sense of unhappiness are common.
Often, these feelings can be linked to inconsistent eating patterns and nutrient-poor food choices. A breakfast of a Timbit and a large pizza for dinner many hours later isn’t a sustainable way to fuel your day, and this approach can lead to metabolic issues.
One of the first things clients often report when they start working with me on nutrition is a significant improvement in their energy levels, often within just a week of making better food choices. Even those focused on fat loss notice these positive feelings before any changes in their appearance.
This begs a question: How do you want to feel? Most people want to feel energetic, happy, strong and clear-headed, and you can make progress toward these goals with consistent meal times, whole foods and a balanced relationship with eating.
More Confidence
Being mindful and informed about your nutrition is a form of self-care. Knowing how to balance your nutritional needs with the foods you enjoy is empowering.
While takeout is a convenient option for many Canadians, balancing it with healthy, home-prepared meals can be beneficial. These meals don’t need to be elaborate or made entirely from scratch with organic ingredients to be healthy. A simple rotisserie chicken with a store-bought salad can be a great option. Or even a frozen meal enhanced with extra vegetables.
Having nutrition knowledge empowers you to make confident daily food choices, which is a wonderful feeling.
Keep It Simple!
Exploring nutrition can be as simple or as detailed as you like.
I always recommend starting with small, achievable goals to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Ultimately, the best nutrition plan is the one you can maintain as a lifelong habit.
