Can you out-train a bad diet?
April 26, 2023 | Words by Gabe Yanez
Can You Out-Train A Bad Diet?
The short answer — no.
Intuitively, this is pretty obvious. No matter how hard you work out or how consistent you are, you will not progress towards your fitness and health goals if your diet consists of Pop-tarts and french fries.
Diet is crucial, impacting everything from body composition to recovery to hormonal and mental health.
You are what you eat. So, of course, you cannot out-train a bad diet. Or can you? Let’s dive in.
The Power Of The “Transfer Effect”
We’ve all heard the old saying, "You can't out-train a bad diet." But here's the thing — exercise can actually help you develop better eating habits in some pretty surprising ways.
According to research, when you consistently exercise, you're more likely to crave healthy foods, like fruits and veggies.
Scientists at Indiana University have even come up with a fancy term for it — they call it the "transfer effect." Basically, when you improve one area of your life, it can spill over into other areas too. In the study, people who worked out for just 30 minutes four times a week ended up eating more fruits and vegetables.
We’ve all experienced this. We work on our diet and feel more motivated to work out, or vice versa.
If you're struggling to build a new healthy habit, don't try to be a hero and tackle the most challenging thing first. Start with something more manageable and build momentum from there. It might not seem like a big deal, but those small changes can lead to some major improvements down the road.
Too often, we let our fear of failure hold us back. But it doesn't have to be that way. You don't have to follow some crazy restrictive diet plan to see results. Start with something simple, like walking four times a week, and see where it takes you. Don't let perfection stand in the way of progress. Keep pushing forward, and you'll be surprised at what you can achieve.
You may not be able to out-train a bad diet, but you can absolutely use training to motivate you into making healthier food choices.
One Thing To Try This Week
Find Your 80%
Find a healthy habit to work on this week and make sure to choose something that you feel at least 80% confident in your ability to stay consistent. Pick an easy win, and you might be surprised by how that one habit impacts some of the other areas you are also trying to improve.
Some options include:
Training at least four times this week.
Getting a serving of vegetables with every meal (yes — breakfast included).
Getting a serving of protein with every meal.
Drinking half your body weight in ounces of water every day.
Let’s GO — it is time to dial things in for the summer!
Wendler Strength Cycle Starts May 1st
And if you want a plan to keep you consistent with your training, help you gain muscle, and guarantee quality strength gains, make sure to get on the NCFIT App today before we start our new Wendler Strength cycle next week!
