It’s not news that exercise and staying active is essential for a healthy lifestyle. However, if your goal is weight loss or leaning out to reveal those abs this summer, perhaps you should stop looking in the mirror while on the treadmill, and start looking at what is on that plate in front of you.
A close friend of mine greets every dessert by saying, “Guys, we’ve earned this.” Although this is intended to be humorous, it is an attitude that a lot of us carry into our post workout meals. An attitude that is completely at odds with your weight loss goals. To quote New York City nutritionist Dana James, MS, CNS, CDN, “I always tell my clients that it’s 80 percent diet, 20 percent exercise…It’s not about eating less, but eating right.” 80 PERCENT! Holy f*ck! I may not be that good at math, but I think that’s pretty close to 100 percent. If the goal is to lean out and lose weight, it’s time to shift the focus and effort.
The change in perspective and integrating habits that support your goals isn’t always easy. Personally, I had a lot of trial and error before figuring out how the 80/20 rule of thumb worked best for me. Here are the main lessons I learned and habits I developed to help me reach my fitness goals.

1) Eat breakfast already!

I used to skip breakfast with the mindset that the less I ate, the more weight I would lose.  Completely false. The first meal of the day gets your metabolism fired up.  If your body feels deprived, it wants to hold onto whatever is already there, rather than shed those LB’s you are trying to lose. Keep it simple, fresh and high in protein.

2) Watch those drinks.

When it comes to our liquid intake, remember, sugar is the enemy.

First up, yes, those Starbuck’s macchiatos are sooo tasty, but you might as well be eating a Snickers.  If you MUST have your bucks, use almond or coconut milk instead of cream or milk, and some stevia for sweetness to cut the calories.

Next, we are told those green juices are health in a bottle.  Before you sip, flip the bottle and take a look at the nutritional info — all of those fresh pressed apples aren’t doing you any favors and really add up.  One of the biggest values of fruit is the fiber it provides, which doesn’t make it into your “healthy” 12 dollar concoction.  Instead, the sugar, the least nutritious component of fruit, gets concentrated and squeezed into your drink to cut the bite of the bitter vegetables.  But you’re a big kid now and can take your medicine without that teaspoon of sugar. So suck it up and keep the fruit out of your next fresh pressed juice.  Keep the veggies!

Finally, our beloved alcohol. Bottom line, if you are doing EVERYTHING right and you are still falling short of your goals, look no further than that glass of cabernet.  Listen, I’m not telling you to be a monk here, but trust me on this one… If you go dry, even for a few weeks, you will see the results for yourself.

3) Pack your snacks

If you wait to eat until you are hungry, your metabolism has already slowed down.  Your energy level is functioning at a deficit.  Your body is telling you to fill up because instinctually it does not know when the next meal is coming.  This is typically when your best intentions fly out the window and bad food choices begin.  We reach for whatever fatty, sugary, often calorie dense foods are convenient and easy.  To stop riding the roller-coaster of the oh so heavy meal highs followed by the lull of low blood sugar crashes, begin by incorporating healthy snacks both mid morning and mid afternoon.  Some of my favorites include walnuts, a protein shake, a piece of toast with peanut butter, or a protein bar.  When it comes to choosing your snacks, pick something that you enjoy eating, fits within your meal plan, and is convenient to grab and go.  Lastly, make it easy to succeed by stocking your office drawer with products that have a longer shelf life, such as protein bars and almonds.  If you want to bring in some fruit, veggies, or other items that need to be refrigerated, pack them up on Sunday night and claim a space in the community fridge on Monday morning.

The 80/20 rule of thumb is a good reminder that in our quest for a whittled waist line in time for the Memorial Day BBQ that it is not solely what we do in the gym that counts, but what we do outside of the gym that counts more.  I challenge you to pay attention to your eating habits for a week.  Be aware of what you are eating and when.  Ask yourself what is fueling you to make the food choices you do.  If you really want to step up your game, start a food log for a three or four days and your weak spots will be exposed.  (Note: I do not recommend logging food for longer than this.  Anything more can become a bit excessive and unless you’re looking to place in that next triathlon or compete in that next bikini contest there’s no need to go overboard here.)  Once you are aware of the areas you can improve, make small manageable adjustments on a weekly basis.  This will allow you to adjust and adapt in a way that works best for you.

Remember, exercise is indeed a very important component in the weight loss equation and the benefits extend far beyond going farther and lifting more.  But just because you can lift a house doesn’t mean you are healthy.  It is the balance between the weight room, the bedroom, and the kitchen that allow you to greet every day as the mightiest version of you.

So stay active while keeping an eye on what goes into your mouth.  And no, by this, I do not mean to start snacking between sets at the gym while staring at your sexy self in the mirror 😉

Stay tuned for additional article in the Get More Results series…

Including:

Training Tips and the Benefits of Mixing it up!

The Power of Meal Prep

Your Relationship to ZZZ’s: How to Surrender to Sleep and Stop the Struggle