How Does Diet Affect Weight-Loss Maintenance?
While running can burn calories, the average 30-minute run only burns about 300 calories, depending on your weight and the intensity of your workout. If you end up overeating your daily calories, even after doing that 300-calorie-burning run, that can translate to weight gain.
Krissi added that "diet and food are the foundation of any change in your body and the maintenance of that change, especially weight loss." As the saying goes, you can't outwork a bad diet. Eating a healthy, nutrient-dense diet will allow you to perform well, to think clearly, to stay motivated, and to feel satisfied.
Be sure to consume enough to feel good and to have productive workouts, but not too much that you gain weight, Rachel added. It's also very important not to undereat. Without enough food for survival (including our normal daily functions), your body will send signals to conserve calories, slowing down your metabolism, explained registered dietitian and CSCS-certified trainer Lisa Bunn. The best practice is to focus on whole, unprocessed foods to fuel your workouts, said registered dietitian and nutritionist Maddie Kinzly MS, RD. Find a diet that you enjoy, that's sustainable, and burn extra calories through activity.
Tracking your calories and macro intake can be helpful, mentioned registered dietitian Emily Tills, MS, CDN. It's important to eat a balanced diet, and tracking ensures that you're getting enough carbs, protein, and healthy fats. If you're not sure what your intake should be, meet with a registered dietitian.
It also allows you to see how much you're eating and assess if you need to make changes. The 80/20 approach is a sustainable way to eat since it allows for 80 percent of your day being clean and unprocessed, and 20 percent are foods you enjoy that may not be the healthiest.