You Can't Have Fitness Without Nutrition

Hello again, Las Cruces! We’re glad to see that you’re taking an active role in your health. The fact that you’re here means you’re spending time looking at gyms in the area. Maybe you’ve already done your research and decided to let Bionic Barbell be your new house of fitness. Regardless, if working out and getting healthy are on your list of goals, you need more than just a great local gym. You also need to learn about the connections between working out and nutrition, and that’s what we’re going to discuss today.

What Is Nutrition?

Ah, yes, nutrition. This not-so-little-thing that is a critical part of health and development. Your body is a machine, an extremely complex and unique machine, and what you put into that machine has a big impact on absolutely every corner of your life. 

Generally speaking, nutrition is the well-developed science of food and health. It zooms in on how we get nutrients from food and drinks and the effects that food and drink have on our bodies. We’re learning more and more about nutrition as a society, but since this science has been going on for a while (and we have a lot of data to pull from), experts know a thing or two worth noting.   

If you’re planning a lifestyle change with your new gym membership, you better believe that nutrition plays a big role. The more you know about general nutrition, the more equipped you will be to make decisions. Just a few topics under the umbrella of nutrition are worth noting:

• Best practices
• How nutrition impacts workouts
• Nutrition ideas for before, during, and after a workout
• How to build a nutrition plan

These ideas impact decisions about how to maximize your workout’s effectiveness and how to maximize your overall body goals. Making the most out of your body’s nutrition is a long-game concept and consistency is key. 

Misconceptions About Nutrition

A main misconception about “good nutrition” is that its only purpose is to help you lose weight, or that nutrition and weight are the same thing. Thinking “that person is skinny, so they must have a great understanding of nutrition and I’m going to now eat exactly like they do” is not the right avenue here. 

Everybody is different and every BODY is different. Weight also has a lot to do with genetics, lifestyle choices like drinking alcohol or smoking, biological effects from medication, what that person’s occupation is (do they sit at a desk all day or are they out at a construction site), and what type of exercise they do (or not) and how often. Descriptors like “skinny” or “fat” are super subjective to personal biases, are emotionally charged, and are NOT a way to measure nutrition.

It does not help the misconception that a lot of us have fitness goals that go hand-in-hand with weight loss and others with specified weight gain (“bulking up”) when we don’t really understand the connection. Yes, exercise and our body’s weight are highly connected — calories go in, muscle groups are engaged, heart rate increases, calories are burned, and more calories are consumed — repeat, rest, repeat. 

But, good nutrition is not measured by weight. Nutrition is a concept about health benefits. It’s about understanding what our body needs to function at its best and what our body needs to recover so it can KEEP functioning at its best. 

When you exercise, your body is functioning at a higher-than-normal level, so what your body needs to function and recover is even more relevant. Remember — nutrition is a science, and it’s meant to help your extremely complicated machine of a body to work properly. Just like you plan your workout, you need to pay attention to your fuel. 

Some other misconceptions connect nutrition with a specific food group. Have you ever heard phrases like “fats are bad” or “the only way you’re ever going to lose weight is to cut out carbs completely” or “I’m going to be healthy and eat vegetables, but not fruits since they are full of sugar” or, one of our favorites, “I drank a protein shake, I don’t need water”? These are statements from people who don’t understand the well-roundedness of a balanced diet. Good nutrition means you need to have key nutrients in your body and enough of those nutrients. Balance and moderation should be the mantra here. 

Effects of Nutrition 

How many people make a New Year’s resolution to the effect of wanting to lose 10 lbs? And, how many people decide that they’re just going to start running two miles a day in order to lose weight? It seems like a good idea, but a week into the new program, they don’t see any results on the scale, they are tired and sore, and they inevitably stop running. Does any aspect of that sound familiar?

Or, what about the other person who lifts weights for twenty minutes with the attitude of, “well, I’m just quickly lifting during a break between remote meetings, not walking or running, so I’m not really working out that hard”? Fast forward an hour and that same person has a massive headache and is tired and their response is to pop an Advil and chug some Red Bull.

Without a proper understanding of how food, drink, and exercise are connected we risk ending up with some really bad habits. Above are just two examples where a better understanding of nutrition and having a nutritional plan to accompany a workout routine can make a big difference. 

In the example of our resolved runner, it’s a classic story. Maybe you used to run a lot. Maybe you used to do other workouts or sports, and that has you convinced that you can just up and start running two miles a day when that hasn’t been your norm for a while.

No one is scolding you if you think like this. It’s a common trap that everyone has to face at some point. But, there’s an easy lesson to learn here. When you’re starting a new workout regime, and you haven’t been getting consistent exercise recently, you’re basically starting from zero. Sure, the things you’ve learned in the past can still help you, but you need to completely reassess your body and how it functions. People change over time, in a literal, physical way.

To fix the New Year runner’s problem, we need to make two simple changes. First, start with an easier workout and build up to two miles a day. In fact, consult with a trainer and see if two miles a day is really going to help meet your goals. A detailed fitness plan goes a long way.

Second, think about food. The old adage is that strength is gained in the gym, but pounds are lost in the kitchen. If losing weight is a genuine goal, then you have to consider how many calories you’re eating, how many you will burn with your new workout schedule, and what foods you can choose that will help you lose the weight and keep it off. It’s too complicated to do on a whim. You need to think carefully, and by all means, let some experts help you. It’s the whole point of having experts. The best gym in the world (or just in Las Cruces) can’t help you lose weight unless you take active control over your nutrition.

As for our weightlifting example, it highlights another common trap. How hard you think you worked out and how hard your body thinks you worked out can be two very different things. The simple fact is that lifting does burn calories. It does strain the body (usually in a positive way). And, it triggers a metabolic increase that keeps your body burning calories even after you’re done lifting.

Our example lifter would be much better off with a glass or two of water and a light, healthy snack. Not getting enough nutrients and not getting the correct nutrients can compromise your health and your performance. With a new workout regimen, good nutrition can help you feel energized, recover faster from an intense workout, maintain a healthy weight for your body type, strengthen bones and muscles, and is even proven to improve your mental outlook and mood.   

Fuel Your Workout

So, now that we’ve talked through some facts, misconceptions, and scenarios — what does good nutrition look like?

Good nutrition starts with a healthy diet: 

• Eat your fruits and veggies
• Lean proteins (fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, lean beef)
• Healthy fats (saturated fats are bad while poly- and mono-unsaturated fats are good)
• Whole-grain carbs
• And WATER (**the benefits of just being hydrated are insane, and most adults need at least two liters of water a day — more if you break a good sweat**) 

Ok, healthy foods are one thing, but how much is the right amount? How many calories you consume really does vary based on the level of exercise you are doing, but things like your sex and age should also be taken into consideration. The recognized measurement for calories is 1,800 - 2,000/day for women and 2,000 - 2,500/day for men, but there are a ton of tools out there on the interweb to help you calculate this for your own body and routine. 

The moral of the story is that you need fuel for your workout. Give your body the energy it needs so you feel good during your workout and after. 

Quick Tip: It’s not recommended to work out if you have not eaten anything for the day yet, and snacks can be your best friend. 

Nurturing Growth

Remember, Bionic Barbell is a place of PROGRESS. And progress encompasses a well-rounded workout experience, so if you have any questions or just want to talk through how nutrition relates to your fitness goals just give us a shout. Our personal trainers can sit down with you and work on a nutrition plan alongside helping you craft a workout regime. 

We intentionally discussed things at the surface level here to get you starting to think about how nutrition plays a critical role in your life and how it can (and should) be a part of your workout regime. We will be publishing more blog content around nutrition to keep diving into this topic since it’s a big one. Stay tuned!