As a wellness and fitness expert, my clients often ask me, “What is the best eating plan for exercise?” or “What do you eat?” My response is, “It’s whatever works best for you.”
I know women think they need a plan to follow and want to be told why this carb is better than that carb, but that wouldn’t be realistic. Just look at the diet industry. It does not work. We are all individuals and process exercise and food differently. If you’re like my clients who are experiencing perimenopause and menopause, what worked for you in your 20s and 30s will no longer serve you now.
Instead, eating right for your fitness requires the patience and grace to find out what works for you individually and taking the time to commit to it.
I teach my clients to think of food as fuel. Just like a car needs the right gasoline to run efficiently, our bodies need nutrients to perform at their best. Exercise is crucial, but without proper fuel, we can’t reach our full fitness potential.
The key to unlocking those fitness goals lies in understanding your body. A one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work. Here are three key factors that determine the ideal nutrition strategy for each individual:
1. Schedule
To work toward exercise and nutrition goals, first master your schedule and prioritize yourself. It does not happen overnight. Nor should it. It is your body! You use it every day to live your amazing life!
We need to make the time for exercise and to have the fueling foods available to avoid those drive-thru runs when our hunger is at max intensity. The more we make time for our fitness and food needs, the more successful we will be.
A food plan will help support our nutrition goals and alleviate the stress around eating. When nutrition is on our schedule, it becomes an action item, not something we try to squeeze in. Regularly fueling our bodies gives us the energy to achieve not just our fitness goals, but our overall life goals too.
2. Health
One thing I often see with my clients is burnout. Women in midlife are often at the height of busyness and stress. With demanding careers and caring for children and family members, there never seems to be a day when we can press the pause button. Add in the bodily changes we are experiencing during midlife, and we may find ourselves struggling with our overall health too.
It is important, however, to hit that pause button and tend to our overall wellness, including regular checkups with our doctor, addressing mental health issues as they arise, and remembering to take breaks when we need them. Once we understand our needs, we can create a tailored fitness and nutrition plan. And that plan will likely change over time as things continue to change in our bodies. It’s about being adaptable as our bodies shift.
3. Commitment
No amount of meal planning will be successful unless we are willing to commit to it. Having a solid food plan that supports our exercise and health needs requires following through. I know this may sound overwhelming when you’re looking at a packed schedule for the next week, but it is attainable. It is about starting slowly, with one small commitment at a time.
Maybe that means preparing hard-boiled eggs for the week, so you have pre-exercise protein available when you need it, or having frozen or fresh fruit with protein powder at the ready for a post-workout smoothie. Maybe that means making a one-pot meal that can be stored for a ready-to-go lunch in a pinch. Starting small and building a bigger commitment slowly over time is where you’ll find success.
If you are struggling with where to start in your wellness journey, Consider my Concierge program. Here you will find weekly support to begin those small commitments and encouragement as you build them into even bigger habits. Unleash your healthiest self with a personalized food and fitness plan! It all starts with one decision. Connect with me to discuss your goals. Creating an individualized food and fitness plan starts with making that one choice to get started.
