Every new beginning starts with intention. Especially with Nutrition.
Setting your intention is a commitment. It may be an end result, a milestone or a goal. It allows you to create space to enjoy the journey and be present as you move through towards realising your intention. You will have hurdles along the way, in anything you do, and setting your intention before you begin will allow forgiveness as you hit these hurdles.
When it comes to Nutrition and eating smarter, there are many factors that make “food” harder than the exercise to implement as a new routine.
This can be a result of added challenges with preparation time associated with meals: For example: ordering, shopping, buying, storing, preparing and making. Many say that Nutrition equals 80% of the weight management requirement, with exercise just the other 20%. Regardless of this exact percentage, the key here is a symbiotic relationship for long term vitality benefits, so we believe you need to have both. Sometimes the exercise may be contributing less percentage wise to weight management, HOWEVER it may contribute equally to the emotional and physical wellbeing. If it’s easier to commit to show up to a class and complete a class, this should be a very important cog in your overall plan, as this will provide a guaranteed sense of accomplishment.
In comparison, far less exercise sessions per week will be completed Vs meals consumed. So, completing exercise can be an easier win for your confidence and will signify at least one aspect of your regime is on track. Pre and post workout food can play a critical role in accomplishing your sessions. Preparation is key to ensure you have the best pre and post workout fuel ready to go. Feeding well to have the energy to perform, followed by nourishing and replenishing the body post workout will set you apart if you master this component. Post workout is truly the most optimal time for nutrition to be on point and allow you to maximise your energy balances and weight management if that is your priority.
6 WEEK CHALLENGE
If you are on our 6 Week “Do More Pilates” Challenge, our challenge booklet will remind you of the “supporting” contributing factors that will enhance your wellbeing and the impact of good nutrition in your regime.
3 Key Supporting Lifestyle Factors
1. SLEEP
It seems so simple, but for many it is not. Sleep is where your body recovers, processes, and delivers many nutrients to the cellular level. Consistency in the time you go to bed and sleep is more important than the total hours slept. In saying that, a concerted effort at getting 8 hours sleep daily is certainly a great plan. Your body and the circadian rhythm it follows does things in sequence so sleeping earlier in the evening rather than sleeping in later in the mornings is a better general rule.
2. ALCOHOL
Refreshing, stress relieving, rewarding are words I could describe for having or not having a drink in your nutrition plan. Nothing needs to be forever, it’s more a change for now and monitor the effects positive or otherwise to your system. If nothing else, avoiding alcohol consumption will enhance point 1 above. Your sleep quality and that all important regeneration of muscles, cells and overall connectedness body and mind is extremely important.
3. REFLECTION
Stop, stand, study. Learning to pause, breathe and look inward will put you in good stead daily and weekly. If something has gone amiss or could be done better, then the sooner you pick this up and find a new path or just get back on the bandwagon the better. Be critical but don’t beat yourself up. You have an intention, you are trying your best, but can you do better?
Win on these three points and your achievement and aspirations to better food choices will come along for the ride. Every journey will have ups and downs and forks in the road. Make the best choices with what is in front of you.
Set Your Intention.
By, Dave Norman
For more information on our next 6 Week Challenge starting Monday Feb 7th 2022:
