What you eat has a significant effect on how quickly you reach your goals. A good rule of thumb is to consider a healthy lifestyle as 80 percent of what you eat and 20 percent of how you work out. The best coaches and personal trainers in the world (and we think HOT FIT NYC coaches are some of the best!) can only help you reach your goals during your classes and training sessions. What you do the rest of the week is even more critical to your training success. In this article, you’ll find the following 5 sections; which are the five biggest nutritional myths about working out.
- When you eat junk food, you can just burn it off.
- Caffeine in energy drinks revs up your metabolism.
- Eating after exercise cancels out your workout.
- Eating boring food is the only way to lose weight.
- Protein shakes are the best after-workout nutrition.
1. When you eat junk food, you can just burn it off.
While some blogs will tell you that all calories are equal, the truth is, what you eat is just as important as how much you eat. Whole foods with fiber and nutrients will help you stay full longer and give you the energy you need for workouts. Even if you work hard enough to burn it off, eating junk food will sabotage your goals in the long run.
2. Caffeine in energy drinks revs up your metabolism.
While there is some evidence that caffeine can positively affect mood and metabolism, the small amount of benefit you may find in caffeine simply does not balance out the amount of sugar found in energy drinks. Black coffee is a much better source of caffeine without the added sugar and calories. In addition, sugar negatively affects your workout by making your muscles less able to perform. Skip the sugary energy drinks in favor of black coffee or tea if you seek a caffeine boost for your workout.
3. Eating after exercise cancels out your workout.
While eating sugar-laden foods can render your workout rather useless, eating healthy post-workout meals is a crucial part of adequate recovery. Choose whole grain and simple, easy-to-digest foods with a balance of carbs, proteins, and fats. Providing your body with nutrition to refuel can extend the effects of your workout over several hours. Therefore, you should ideally consume your post-workout meal as soon as possible after your workout. In addition, drinking an adequate amount of water before, during, and after training is also critical to helping your body recover.
4. Eating boring food is the only way to lose weight.
While you may not be able to consume endless amounts of sweets and sugar and still make your workout worthwhile, eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring. There is a large variety of healthy foods available and endless ways that you can prepare them. If you are ready to commit to a healthy meal plan but not sure where to start, talk to your HOT FIT coach for more information.
5. Protein shakes are the best after-workout nutrition.
While incorporating protein into your post-workout meal is essential for success, protein shakes are not always the way to go. Simple, whole foods can provide fiber, carbs, and other nutrients to help your body recover. While people who are consistently working out do need more protein, some studies show that upping your protein throughout the day may be just as effective as consuming it post-workout. So focus on adding whole foods, including healthy carbs and fats, in your post-workout meal for optimal benefit.
Our NYC coaches and personal trainers understand the full-body benefit of healthy nutrition plus training. If you have questions about food or need recommendations for nutritional trainers or programs, your coach can help you.