Living healthy isn't just about exercising...
According to Shawn M. Talbott, PhD, nutritional biochemist and former director of the University of Utah Nutrition Clinic, “As a rule of thumb, weight loss is generally 75 percent diet and 25 percent exercise. An analysis of more than 700 weight loss studies found that people see the biggest short-term results when they eat smart."
"Eating Smart" vs. a Fad Diet: It seems like there is a new fad diet popping up every day that claims you can loose more weight faster by just eliminating these foods–and sometimes they work short-term, but they are hard to maintain. We have all heard different ones, from Atkins, to South Beach, Paleo to Beach Body.
So what is "eating smart?" "'Eat like a Mediterranean,' says Johns Hopkins dietitian Christie A. Williams, M.S., R.D.N. The Mediterranean diet—so named because it’s similar to the native diet consumed in places like Greece and Italy—is a low simple-carbohydrate, healthy-fat, lean-protein way of eating, she says."
Basically, eat real food! Food that has a short ingredient list (pronounceable ingredients), or even better, no ingredient list at all. An apple is just an apple. A trainer once said to me, when was the last time client came into the gym and said, "geez, I ate too many apples, and that's where my last 50lbs came from." Um, never?
Grocery List Guide:
Here's a short grocery list to get you thinking about great food choices.
Proteins: Eggs, Chicken, Beef, Turkey, Salmon, White Fish, Shrimp, Scallops, Pork, Low Fat-Yogurt, Cottage Cheese
Veggies: Artichoke, Asparagus, Beets, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Squash, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Eggplant, Green Beans, Greens, Mushrooms, Onion, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Peas, Tomatoes, Zucchini
Fruits: Apples, Apricots, Bananas, Berries, Cherries, Dates, Figs, Grapefruit, Grapes, Kiwi, Mango, Melon, Nectarines, Oranges, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Plums
Grains/Beans: Garbanzo, Kidney, Navy, Pinto, Lentils, Barley, Oats, Quinoa, Brown Rice
Fats: Clarified Butter, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Avocados, Coconut, Olives, Nuts, Seeds
Of course there are plenty of other great, nutritious foods that can be added to this list.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/30/exercise-vs-diet-for-weight-loss_n_5207271.html
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20833428,00.html#dubious-diets-1
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/healthy_heart/eat_smart/abcs-of-eating-smart-for-a-healthy-heart
https://whole30.com/pdf-downloads/