‘You Can’t Out-Work a Bad Diet’

The ice cream cone was just for show…but it is available at Emack and Bolio’s should you choose to treat yourself! And it’s so damn good!

If I had a dollar for every person that has said to me “you are so lucky…you can eat whatever you want because you work out for a living,” I would have pretty many dollars. As much as I’d like for that to be true, it’s not…you can’t out-work a bad diet. Being a fitness instructor doesn’t change the rules, it doesn’t make it easier, we still have to train hard and be aware of what we eat, no matter how often we teach or how often we train.

Whatever your fitness goals are: to get stronger, to get faster, to lose weight, to maintain weight, to gain muscle, to feel good, to look good naked…etc, whatever your goals are, you can’t just work out and you can’t just eat clean to achieve the desired result, you need both…or you can if that’s what you want, I’m only sharing my experiences and opinions.

In June 2013, I worked with Jess Clark at PumpNShred to get my nutrition dialed in. I was training hard and working out often, I had been gluten free for a few years, had followed the paleo diet on and off, but something still wasn’t right. We worked together to figure out and fulfill my macronutrient (fats, protein, carbohydrates) needs. Since then, I have a much greater idea of how much, how often and what I should be eating.

As often as possible, I eat REAL FOOD versus processed food. I eat when I’m hungry, but also know when to eat around my classes and my own work outs. I eat quest bars but include a carb and fat when possible to keep my macros in check. And yes,I have a sweet tooth, I drink wine and I love margaritas, BUT everything in moderation.

I think the most important lesson I learned while working with Jess it that what works for you might not work for everyone else; take the time to listen to your body! How does it feel when you eat certain food items? Are you often fatigued or feeling lethargic? Are you aware of your eating habits? Are you balancing your macronutrients for your needs? What is the quality of your food? These are all questions you can ask yourself and figure out if you need to make a change!

You don’t need to make your diet a science project. Take it one step at a time. Try things, see what works, drop what doesn’t. It starts with what you’re eating…you can’t out-work a bad diet!