Have you ever heard someone say, "I can eat whatever I want because I just worked out"?

I mean, come on, what kind of thinking is that?

Truth is, you can't out-train a bad diet.

You might think you're doing yourself a favor by spending an extra half-hour at the gym; but if you're not eating right, you're just setting yourself up for failure.

After 25+ years delivering fitness-and-nutrition programs to clients around the globe, I can attest that washboard abs don't come from the dessert buffet.

Most people don't even know how many calories they're taking in on a daily basis.

And don't get me started on how much they're overestimating the calories they're burning.

Let's do some quick math.

An hour of moderate-intensity exercise will burn about 300-400 calories.

That's one hour of hard work and heavy breathing.

Now, let's say you decide to reward yourself for your hard work with a couple of glazed donuts.

You know, just because you've earned it, right?

Well, those little fried cakes will set you back around 720 calories.

That's right, all your hard work is now gone, and you've just given your body a few hundred extra calories to store as fat.

Or maybe you feel like grabbing dinner with friends after running on the treadmill for an hour.

You justify it by thinking you burned 500 calories, but then you gobble up four pizza slices and chase it down with a Cherry Coke.

Do the nutrition math.

That's about 1,000 calories in just 10 minutes.

Yikes.

The truth is, you can't out train a bad diet.

If you try to fight poor nutrition with exercise, the exercise will lose every single time.

How to Maintain Weight Loss

The only way to get a lean body, that looks great in a bathing suit, is to train smart, eat mindfully, and get a good night's sleep.

Put another way, weight loss is driven by nutrition and maintained by exercise.

You need to eat fewer calories than you burn to start seeing the fat melt away.

Exercise builds muscle and can increase your metabolism, but it won't help you lose weight if you continue to consume more calories than you burn.

I'm not saying exercise isn't important because, in fact, it's the anchor of your day.

According to the National Weight Control Registry, exercise is one constant among people who've maintained their weight loss for decades.

So, if you want to keep those pounds off, you need to exercise regularly.

But you also need to combine it with a balanced diet if you want to shed unwanted bodyfat.

Now, if you've been trying to out-exercise your mediocre diet, don't be discouraged.

Here are three proven strategies to maintain weight loss:

1. Keep healthy snacks on hand

When it comes to your nutrition, a little foresight helps to curb impulsive food choices.

To maintain your health, plan ahead and always have healthy snacks available.

By "snacks" I mean a portion of almonds and an apple, not a bag of Doritos.

A well-timed snack provides your body with the necessary nutrients to sustain energy levels.

Additionally, it can prevent overeating and aid in weight management while promoting overall wellness.

2. Do progressive resistance training to protect your muscle mass and boost your metabolism

Progressive resistance exercise helps you increase and maintain muscle mass, which is essential for a healthy metabolism.

It's a fact that you will lose muscle mass with age, which slows down your metabolism, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight.

But you can slow, and even reverse, this inevitable loss of muscle by gradually increasing the resistance or weight used during exercises.

This progressive overload stimulates muscle growth and prevents muscle loss.

It also helps to increase bone density, reduce the risk of injury, and improve overall physical performance.

Incorporating resistance training into your fitness routine can have significant health benefits, like protecting your muscle mass, boosting your metabolism, and improving your overall physical health.

3. Find a professional coach to keep you accountable

Accountability is your willingness to accept responsibility for your actions.

Accountability means doing what you said you would do, long after the feeling of excitement has gone away.

An accountability partner, like Sharon Arangio, guides you along your health journey and is crucial for long-term success.

Your coach provides personalized guidance, support, and motivation, which can help you overcome challenges and stay on track with your goals.

A seasoned coach can also help avoid common gym mistakes and, as a result, reduce your chance of injury.

They can also provide objectivity, help you identify areas of improvement, and adjust your plan accordingly.

This unbiased approach is critical and yet another good reason to invest in a professional coach versus saving money and asking your spouse to coach you.

Truth is, asking your significant other to keep you accountable to your fitness-and-nutrition plan is like asking your cat to be your personal trainer.

Sure, Whiskers is fluffy and might provide some support and encouragement, but cats know all of your weaknesses and can use them against you.

Plus, do you really want to spend your entire day hearing about your spouse's new detox diet cleanse?

Keep your marriage healthy and leave the coaching to the professionals.

If you're struggling with your health, consider who's on your team.

Summary:

Don't neglect your diet or your exercise routine.

You need both to be lean, strong, and healthy.

Also, accountability is the single biggest determiner of your fitness success.

With a proper support group, you have someone who is invested in your success and can provide the answerability necessary to achieve your goals.

A professional coach will ensure that you stay committed to your health journey.

To your success,

Coach Joe

Joseph Arangio helps 40+ men and women get leaner, stronger, and happier. He's delivered over 100,000 transformation programs to satisfied clients around the globe. If you want to lose weight from home, with the best online longevity personal trainer, or you want to visit the best age-management personal trainer in the Lehigh Valley, you can take a free 14-day trial.