A Different Perspective on Fitness - By: Eric Flores

When you’re trying to become physically fit, it’s important to focus on more than just your outward appearance. Being healthier has countless benefits, and liking what you see in the mirror is only one of them.

You’re surely seen noticed some of the ridiculous diet and exercise plans designed to lose weight quickly, but are these really the best way to lose weight? Besides possibly being dangerous, these diets are difficult to stick with and unrealistic in nature. It’s far more effective to make a series of small, step-by-step lifestyle changes to lose weight and keep it off.

Start with small changes—cutting out regular sodas and junk food are great steps towards achievable and lasting weight loss. A diet comprised of as many whole foods as possible is definitely smarter, more nutritious, and easier to maintain than a diet that’s overly restrictive.

Along with being great for your physique, a nutrition plan that focuses on unprocessed and nutritious foods is much better for your overall health than restrictive diets. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables:

• reduces your risk for stroke and other cardiovascular diseases
• reduces your risk for type II Diabetes
• reduces your risk for many types of cancer

I’ll give you a basic outline of how I try to eat:

• Eat 4-6 times per day, having three meals of roughly 500 calories and two smaller meals of roughly 300 calories. Your calorie count will differ based on your size and activity level.
• Focus on most of what you eat being “clean,” meaning minimally processed and free of added sugar. Staples of this type of diet include lean protein (chicken, lean beef, fish, protein powder), a wide variety of vegetables, whole fruit, whole grains, nuts, and complex starches like sweet potatoes and beans.

A nutrition plan like this is easier to stick to than a more restrictive diet, but you’ll definitely want to cheat every once in a while. If you want to allow yourself a daily indulgence, make sure it’s no more than 10% of your total daily calories. Or, you can have 1-2 cheat meals a week to give yourself a break. However, if you eat like this long enough it will eventually stop being a “diet” and start being the way you eat naturally, as it has become for me.

I believe that this is the best method for lasting weight loss and overall health. If you can adopt this healthier lifestyle, you’ll definitely see positive, enduring results.

Be on the lookout for more NextPhase advice, and feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions!

You can stay connected with my fitness ideas by going here: http://www.nextphasefitness.com/blog/

About the Author

Eric Flores is a college student who has achieved physical fitness and wants to share his knowledge of training and nutrition with others. Through years of trial and error, Eric Flores has become proficient in designing exercise and nutrition programs for all fitness goals; functional or aesthetic.You can stay connected with my fitness ideas by going here: http://www.nextphasefitness.com/blog/

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Eric-Flores/181342

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