One of the key ingredients needed for you to get in better shape and then stay in better shape is better meal planning.
What you eat and the quantity of it that you eat plays a HUGE role in your overall fitness. Most people eat the wrong things, to begin with – and to make that even worse they eat crazy portions that are just far too much food. That winds up making them fatter and less healthy, and just not feeling their best either.
So lets first talk about portion controls and what portions you really need to be eating.
I know that’s backwards from the “WHAT” you should be eating everyone else loves to talk about – but stick with me anyway. Here is the thing, even if you are eating what you eat even when it is the wrong things – decreasing the amounts of it is still beneficial to you immediately.
That will become even more beneficial when the quality of your food improves – but first, let work on the quantity.
How Much Food Should You Be Eating in A Day?
Just enough to fuel your body and no more.
That is the short answer, now the longer explanation. Most people eat approximately FOUR TIMES the amount of food per day as they actually need!
That means to do better they need to cut their quantity down by about 75% each meal. In other words, if that applies to you (and it probably does) look at your next plate of food. now divide your food on that plate into four equal parts – then remove three of them and eat only what remains.
Put the rest in sealed containers and back in the fridge – and now you have three more meals waiting!
Think of the grocery bill saving you are going to enjoy IF you actually apply this method.
Now before you actually do such a thing – standard disclaimer – I am not a doctor nor do I care to be one either, and that means you should consult your own health care professional of your own choice at your own expense before you do anything, if you so desire.
Your life and your responsibility.
Food Quality – Eating Better and Eating Less
Once you get your portions under control and have given your body and your mind a few weeks (maybe about 4 to 12 weeks) to adjust, then it is time to start making some serious improvements to the WHAT you are eating.
First of all, make a list of anything you are currently consuming that you already know is BAD for you. You know what I mean. Soda and anything else that is full of sugar. Bread. Chemical laden fake food-like substances.
Start looking for alternatives and replacements.
Instead of drinking soda – drink water.
Instead of artificial and chemical-laden snack foods – eat a hand full of macadamia nuts or a few carrots.
If you look hard enough you will find other things you can consume that are tasty, provide the fuel you need, are affordable and available – and best of all – are far better for you than the junk you have been eating.
Differing Opinions and Values
People are funny. One will tell you to do the exact opposite of what another would have you do. So you have to do your own research, and your own thinking too.
Then once you have your information and have considered it all – you do whatever you choose to do. Just do it intentionally.
Action is what changes your life, not simply thinking about it. Thinking is a good start, but to make anything that matters actually occur there is only one path to that – take action. Believe me, when I tell you – there is no way you are going to ever manifest the body you want or any body that is better than what you currently have – except by coupling all that thinking with actually doing the things to make the changes you want. Period.
What you do first and in what order is a matter of debate. For example, some say you should focus on the quality of what you eat first (I disagree), and others, like me, say get the quantity down before your worry about changing the WHAT so much.
Either will work if you actually do the work – though you have my opinion on which I feel like is the better choice to start with. In the end, just getting it done is the most important thing, regardless of which you choose to do first.