Diet and exercise go hand in hand. You know that together they will help you lose the weight you want. However, did you know that exercise can also encourage you to eat better? It seems strange at first. Surely the energy you use up will lead you to eating more high calorie, high fat foods. That’s the completely opposite. Here are six ways fitness helps with healthy eating.
The Mental Aspect of Losing Weight
When you go to the gym, you know how hard you’re working. The last thing you want to do is ruin it all by having that donut when you pass your favourite stall. There’s the mental aspect of losing weight.
You want to stay good for the rest of the day, so you’re more likely to stick with the healthy eating plans and choose the healthier options if you do go out.
You Want Better Energy Foods
That chocolate bar may give you the quick fix right now, but what about the crash afterwards?
After exercising, you want the foods that will give you energy throughout the day, and that means focusing on high fibre and high protein options. You’ll switch the chocolate for the fruit because you know it will help keep you going for the rest of the day.
It Curbs Your Appetite
Funnily enough, you’ll eat less when you exercise. You don’t feel as hungry right away due to all the chemicals running around your body—and these are natural, good chemicals so don’t be worried about them!
Hunger will strike later in the day, but you’ll still have the mental aspect of wanting to eat well because of the hard work you’ve already done. This happens better when you do higher intensity workouts or interval training.
You’ll View Calories Differently
You’ll start to get a different outlook on food that is available. You’ll likely start looking at the calories a lot differently.
The first step is working out the amount of calories you burn during an exercise, and then looking at the calories in the food. When you see something has 500 calories, you’ll know the amount of exercise you need to do to work that off, and it may not be something you’re interested in doing.
You Want a Better Recovery Time
After exercising, you likely want to do more. You have the energy, but your muscles are telling you something different.
You need to recover from your training, and the best way to do that is through wholesome and healthy food. The more you understand that, the more you will change your eating habits.
You Feel Guilty Otherwise
Eating that chocolate bar may feel great right now, but think of the guilt afterwards. This links to the mental aspect already mentioned.
You know that you should be eating healthily instead of ruining all the hard work that you’ve done. That chocolate bar, while fine in moderation, is not going to do you the same good as eating a piece of fruit or your high protein snack.