KEY TIP: MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU!

By Tom Wilson, Fitness Coach

To reach your goals, there’s really nothing more important than the foods you choose to fuel your body.

Other factors are obviously very important, but the foods you eat provide the base from which your total health program will be built on. I hate to tell you this, but you will never out-train a bad diet! You can train 7 days a week with the best trainer in the world, but if your diet is bad you will at best be “playing for a tie.”

You won’t lose, but you won’t win either. And not to be the bearer of even more bad news, but when you factor in the aging process with a bad diet, regardless of the workout intensity, you’ll be hard pressed to get the tie! Without a healthy diet you will lose the battle of the bulge. But, when you combine the right exercise/intensity, the right amount of rest and the right combination of healthy foods, you will have discovered the formula for success. There are no short-cuts. There are no magic pills or liquids or diet plans that will provide the lasting results The Daniel Plan hopes to provide you with.

So how do we determine the right combination of exercise, intensity and rest to complement our superfood choices? You experiment! You try different things until you find what works for you.

The best approach is to start with a “blanket” program. A blanket program includes all the components a healthy lifestyle requires such as muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, cardiovascular training, the right amount of rest and of course a sound diet plan.

Select what type of strengthening activities you want to do and then determine how many days a week you need to include that activity. Decide if you need more endurance than strength to get through your daily activities. Decide how much time you need to stretch based on your current level of flexibility. Decide how much cardio work you need to maintain the body weight you desire. Your program must be customized to fit your individual needs. And like I’ve said over and over since The Daniel Plan started, if you’re not seeing gains, make some adjustments!

I’ve found the same to be true with foods. I’ve learned a lot from the information on this website, but I’ve also had to experiment with this information to make it work for me and my lifestyle. I experiment with different foods, the amounts I eat and the times of day I eat them to find what works best for me. If it’s working, your body will tell you. That’s another thing I’ve stressed throughout this journey is to listen to the feedback your body gives you. It will tell you what’s working or not working through how you feel, your clarity of thought, your energy levels and how well you sleep at night to name a few.

The equation to your perfect health plan won’t happen overnight. It takes time and dedication, but the end result is way worth the effort. Imagine living life the way God intended us to live…abundantly! Stick with the program, make it yours and bit by bit you will discover what works for you.