Dieting, nutrition, and fitness are often hot-topics of conversation. People are always curious about how they can live a healthier, happier life. If they can lose a few pounds and tighten up that figure a little bit, too, well that’s all just an extra benefit. Honestly, who doesn’t like to look at themselves in the mirror and be proud of what they see? It feels good to look good.

Plus, putting the energy into a healthy lifestyle can add years onto someone’s life. It’s never too early, or too late, to get started on a healthy lifestyle journey. Whether you’re looking to lose a few inches around the waist and hips, or you want to put on some muscle and build up that booty, there is a fitness and nutrition program that fits every goal out there.

Getting started with a diet, nutrition, or fitness program can be a little daunting, though. Especially with how many different options there are on the market. Having a clear understanding of both your goals, and your options in reaching them can help you customize a plan just for you.

A Brief Intro on Dieting and Nutrition

When it comes to our health, nutrition is likely the most important aspect of all. Exercise is certainly helpful and benefits us in a myriad of ways, but the true burden is on the shoulders of nutrition. This is important to understand because it is also the most underrated and overlooked aspect of healthy living. No matter what your goals are, nutrition and managing your diet is going to play a massive role in helping you realize your health, fitness, and figure dreams.

In the context of building muscle and adding mass, the athlete needs to add in more calories into their diet. This is because calories are burned during exercise. However, simply replacing burned calories doesn’t give the body any additional fuel to repair and build muscle. This is why a lot of athletes have trouble adding muscle mass in the gym, because they aren’t also adding the necessary calories into their diet.

This is, of course, a bit of a balancing act, because where these calories come from is also very important. Empty calories from junk food and fast food that lacks nutrition will be less efficient and leave your body craving nutritious calories.

On the flip side, when it comes to losing weight, cutting, or toning, a calorie-deficit is vital. This essentially just means that you’re consuming less calories in a day than you spend during exercise. Again, though, this is about calorie management and macro-nutrition tracking, rather than just cutting out calories all together.

However, in some instances, utilizing meal replacements as a part of your overall nutritional and fitness journey can be beneficial.

Identifying Fad Diets

When researching diets and nutritional plans it’s vital to identify fad diets compared to diets backed by nutritional science. Fad diets often show up in the media, on infomercials, and even sometimes in the tabloids or other forms of media. These are unsustainable programs that gain traction for only a short time before they burn out.

Meal replacement diets have been on the market in all sorts of varieties and used in the context of a wide spectrum of weight-loss programs. Some of these have been much less effective than others, though.

This can come down to the type of the meal replacement and how it’s used. The meal replacement powder from Orgain, for example, is a modern meal replacement that can be used intermittently when the goal is to trim down, along with a normal nutrition and fitness routine. Again, when it comes to cutting weight, an intentional calorie-deficit can help the athlete meet their goals. A nutritious meal replacement powder can help maintain a more strict calorie/day diet.

Meal Replacements vs. Juice Cleanses

Meal replacements and meal replacement powders are good options for people who are looking to cut out a meal or two/day, while still moving through their normal life. These should be used in concert with regular exercise, as well.

In addition to helping people cut calories out of their diets, meal replacements can be a good option for the middle of a hectic-day, when you just need something quick and easy.

However, meal replacement products differ significantly from juice cleanses. It’s important to have this distinction defined, because the two can often be confused. While meal replacement products can be used a little more regularly, they are most often still used with regular meals.

A juice cleanse, though, is a multi-day undertaking where all calories consumed come from a variety of expertly designed juices. These cleanses are designed to clean the body of toxins, but can also help someone trim down in a few days if needed.

Wrapping up With Final Thoughts

Fitness and nutrition will and always have been important topics of discussion in mainstream society. It’s important to remember that we’re all different, and so are our bodies. Take the time necessary to find the right balance of nutrition and exercise for your life and lifestyle.