The final piece of the healthy lifestyle puzzle

I recently saw a poll posted on Facebook that asked something to the effect of: “If you had the choice, would you rather have to work out vigorously seven days a week, but eat whatever you wanted, or never have to work out but be constantly on top of your nutrition?” I'm sure you can guess what the most popular choice was!

If I had the choice, I would choose the former in a heartbeat. Not only do I not see working out as a chore, I look forward to it. I enjoy it and I never get bored because there are unlimited ways to get your sweat on. I love food and I love to eat, so any lifestyle that would allow me free reign to enjoy two of my favorite pastimes--exercise and eating good food--sounds ideal. 

But in real life, no amount of exercise can counteract a poor diet. How you choose to fuel your body is more important than how you opt to work those calories off. But why is "clean" eating so important? What, exactly, IS clean eating, and what types of foods are more or less detrimental to our physiques? These are really great questions and ones that regretfully I don't think I'm knowledgeable enough to answer. Thankfully some if my fitness role models have tackled these big questions for me, notably Jill Coleman from Jillfit.com and Neghar Fonooni from Eat, Lift, and Be Happy. Check out this post, this post, this post, and this post.

I've learned that defining "clean" eating is difficult because every person's metabolism is different. Individuals’ metabolic needs to achieve the results that they want are different. Since people have different fitness goals, their diets will inevitably differ depending on whether they aim to build muscle, burn fat, lean out, or lose weight. Ultimately, regardless of an individual's dietary needs from a macronutrient point of view, we should all be taking care to consume primarily whole foods like lean protein, low-fat dairy, whole grains, fruits and lots of veggies. 

Ok, so we've established what we should be eating regardless of what our fitness goals are; the differences lie in the amounts of each macronutrient we consume to achieve our personal optimal results. This is all well and good in theory, but what about in practice? Why IS it that the vast majority of us would rather work ourselves to the bone in the gym if it meant a free pass NOT to have to eat "clean"? The simple answer? Because it's damn hard. Speaking from a personal point of view, establishing a sustainable eating plan is something I struggle with on a daily basis. I’ve read so much about the importance of proper nutrition and I’ve even gone so far as to advise friends and family members about how THEY should be eating when I’m not practicing the same principles. You start to feel like a hypocrite!

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I don’t think that I know the reasons why I cling to poor eating habits and cannot get over those mental obstacles that keep me from living a life that’s not food-obsessed. I have made great strides in the past several years, but old habits die hard. I’m not giving up, though; I’ve made a lot of progress both in terms of my physique and my mental outlook, and I feel like getting a handle on my nutrition is the next step. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is a deliberate choice that requires commitment. The term “lifestyle” implies a method of living that’s sustainable in the long-term: for all intents and purposes, forever. Relying on diets and quick tricks to get lean, only to gain back whatever weight was lost, is not sustainable. It’s the opposite of a lifestyle plan. It’s not fun to have to over-exercise and watch every morsel of food that passes your lips just because your annual physical is coming up and you have to step on the scale (guilty!). I don’t want to live this way anymore, and the best part is that I don’t have to! So, dear readers, I declare my goal to you: to live free of food obsessions, to eat things that both compliment my physique AND my palate (it’s possible! Neghar says so!), and be accountable for my dietary decisions.

Raise your glass of [insert favorite beverage—alcoholic ones are included—here] and toast to freeing our collective selves from the damaging cycle of eat—guilt—repeat! WAAAHOOO!