Why Diet Is Just As important As Fitness

Tell me if this sounds familiar. You eat something that probably is not good for you or on your meal plan and you say to yourself “it’s okay, I’ll go to the gym and burn it off later”. Many of us have probably experienced this internal dialog at some point.

Here is a harsh truth:

“You can’t out-train a bad diet”

That is the bottom-line when it comes to maintaining a healthy body. Nutrition and exercise are both important parts of losing fat and gaining muscle. Ever heard of the Pareto Principle? Basically, it says that 80% of your results are going to come from 20% of your efforts. This certainly applies to fitness and maintaining healthy body weight.

So, what is the 80% and 20%? The 80% is the food you choose to eat and the 20% is the exercise. How Sway? Well, suppose the average person goes to the gym 3-4 times a week and does cardio 3-4 times a week. That is about eight opportunities to make a positive change in your body through exercise. The same person eats an average of 3 meals a day (some may eat 5-6 meals daily), that is roughly 21-42 chances per week to impact change directly and positively in your body through nutrition.

In this example, nutrition is the winner in physique improvement opportunities. At up to 42 chances per week to improve body composition through nutrition (and up to 8 through exercise), the percentage does come in around 80%. This leaves 20% of physique enhancement resulting from exercise.

The point of this eating vs exercise talk is not to leave you fearing food. We ALL need calories to survive, and not eating enough calories can hinder your results. But the food choices you make are going to determine the degree to which you succeed in your health and fitness journey.

Focus on fixing your diet first. Exercise is not a good weight-management strategy. Nutritional habits will have a far greater impact on your body composition and physique goals than any other fitness component. When a combination of exercise and healthy nutrition are implemented is when successful body change appears.

Do you agree or disagree? Drop me a comment below. I would love to hear your thoughts.

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