a DIET can make or break you!

A factor that people tend to overlook which is critical in any journey towards a life of fitness is the diet. At one point or another in my own personal fitness journey I've come to see that I wasn't getting the results I wanted due to fallbacks on the diet I was consuming. I would hit the gym for two hours and still felt slow and heavy. Once I adjusted my diet and some time had passed I began to notice that my performance in the gym was escalating and things I found myself doing poorly I began doing with more ease and efficiency.

For example when I started working out, my partner would push me on the bench press, but for the life of me I couldn't reach that 2 plate mark. Then I changed up my eating routine and within a couple weeks I began noticing my weight on the bench press was steadily increasing. Eventually I hit my goal of 2 plates (225) and since then maxed out at 6 reps in a set.

There are many people who workout that stay the same due to their poor eating or sometimes their lack of proper eating habits (amount of meals, nutrients digested). People must understand that dieting makes up most of fitness percentile; moreso than the actual working out portion. If you eat pizza and drink beer on the regular then that's what you'll get when you exercise. Body builders who bulk up for some events have well planned diets that allows for them to intake enough food to get the gains they want without being harmful to them health wise and performance wise. Diet is something people must educate themselves on thoroughly because without proper knowledge one won't reach the fitness goals they have set for themselves. 

As much as it is something internal it obviously also affects you externally. You will never get that lean toned body with a diet consisting of McDonald's. it just doesn't happen that way. This is the barrier that many people tend to get stuck at because maintaining a healthy diet can be costly. I want to hear your feedback on this topic. What healthy diet tips can you give to somebody who's trying to eat better? What complications can one encounter with this goal in mind? Like I said before, it's definitely not easy, but it is a lifestyle that will pay off in the future if you manage to work through it. 

References:

Author, U. (2012). Importance of a Diet in Achieving Fitness Goals. Retrieved June 21, 2013, from Bad         Ass Young Men: http://www.badassyoungmen.com/importance-of-diet.html

Koegel, C. (2012, December 29). The Truth About Diets. Retrieved June 21, 2013, from Koegelfitness: http://koegelfitness.com/the-truth-about-diets/