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If you've been trying to get back in shape, you've probably realized that figuring out the exact ratio of eating to exercising can feel like a moving target.
Here at Get Fit Over 40, I see guys spinning their wheels all the time. They train hard but eat too much, or they starve themselves, have zero energy for the gym, and eventually crash. To build a sustainable, healthy lifestyle, you have to understand the fundamental relationship between what goes on your plate and what you do in the gym.
Here is how to find the right balance between food and exercise so you can finally see the results you are working toward.
The Golden Rule: Calories In vs. Calories Out
Let’s cut right to the chase and get the absolute truth out of the way first: no matter what you do, what diet you follow, or what supplements you take, you will need to eat less food than you burn to lose weight.
There is simply no way around this biological fact. Your body needs a reason to tap into its stored energy (body fat), and that only happens when you are in a caloric deficit. Depending on your ultimate goal, you have to set realistic calorie intake targets and then offset those calories with your physical activity.
The Great Trade-Off
Finding your balance comes down to understanding the trade-offs you are willing to make on a daily basis. It’s a sliding scale, and you are the one in control of the sliders.
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If you want to eat more food: You are going to have to exercise more. It’s that simple. If you love having larger meals or you don't want to drastically change your eating habits, you have to commit to a higher volume and intensity of exercise to ensure you are still hitting that daily calorie deficit.
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If you want to lose weight faster: You are going to have to attack the problem from both ends. You will need to reduce the calories you consume as much as safely possible, while simultaneously increasing your exercise output as much as you can recover from.
The 3 Questions You Need to Answer
Because we all have different bodies, schedules, and preferences, there is no one-size-fits-all formula. To figure out the right balance for your unique situation, you need to sit down and honestly answer these three questions:
1. How much weight do you want to lose each week? Are you looking for a slow, steady, and easily manageable half-pound a week? Or are you trying to be more aggressive to hit a specific near-term goal? Your timeline dictates how drastic your deficit needs to be.
2. How much time do you actually have each week for exercise? Be completely realistic here. If you only have three hours a week to dedicate to the gym because of family and work commitments, you cannot rely entirely on exercise to burn off excess weight. Your diet is going to have to do the heavy lifting.
3. How much are you willing to restrict your diet? Are you okay with tightly measuring your macros, skipping the late-night snacks, and cutting out the liquid calories? Or do you need more dietary freedom to stay sane? If you want dietary freedom, refer back to the trade-off: you better be ready to put in the work sweating it out.
Your Unique Path
The answers to these questions are going to be completely different for every single person based on your specific goals and lifestyle limitations. What works for a guy with a flexible schedule and a home gym might completely fail for a busy executive traveling three days a week.
Figure out the lifestyle you can actually sustain, do the math on your calories, and put in the work.
Ready to stop guessing and start seeing real results? Watch my Get Fit Now Training Videos Here