I am not a doctor or a nutritionist, although I have done a lot of research on nutrition and healthy eating recently. That being said, I am just posting to share some things I have found to be true in my own life recently that could help someone else. :]
I should begin by saying that I'm a moderately active person, I work out for about 30 minutes 5 days a week (I usually speed-walk on the treadmill or bike or something like that- nothing super intense like P90-X or anything).
Well, in January of this year, changed my diet somewhat- I cut out proccessed foods and enriched grains (white breads, white rice, etc) and focused on eating whole grains, with more nuts and alternative forms of protein and less meat. I basically chose to eat anything that was natural over things that were processed. Since then I've lost 15 pounds, without changing my workout routine at all.
To me, this has proven the 80% diet 20% exercise breakdown to be true.
This may sound extreme, but it's actually pretty easy. Brown rice vs. white rice, whole wheat pasta vs. regular pasta- not to mention there are plenty of ways to add vegetables to your favorite dishes and still eat what you like (think spinach in your lasagna or homemade chili with black beans and tomatoes instead of the canned stuff). The key is to find things you LIKE to eat- nobody is going to stick to a nutrition plan that tastes like cardboard. Another good thing about this is that I am still eating natural things like cheese- that generally get a bad rep with other "diets" (in moderation of course). Also, I didn't cut out meat entirely, just tried to be more creative with my cooking and not eat it every day.
The thing is that a lot of things that we think are healthy for us because they are low calorie or whatnot have no substantial nutritional value. Calories are only part of the equation. For instance a handful of nuts has a lot of calories and fat, but it's ultimately a better choice than a "100 calorie pack" of crackers that list sugar as the second ingredient and may have who knows what preservatives etc. in them. If you start actually reading the labels, you will be surprised how few things in the supermarket could be considered "real" food.
I will get off the soap-box now, but I REALLY hope someone finds this post helpful and encouraging. Just don't get discouraged by all these weird diets out there that seem impossible to follow. Anything that tells you to cut out an entire group of foods is probably wrong. There is a better way to do it. You CAN get in shape, lose weight, be healthier, whatever your goals are. Think about it!
