(This article points out one of the most important aspects of weight loss success – diet.  If you are not seeing the results you want, and you are spending hours at the gym – take a careful look at what you are eating.)

This reality regarding your weight loss won’t change in your lifetime! If it does, we’re in trouble. These days, we need information we can trust and you can take the next reality we’re about to discuss and lock it away deep within the vault because it’s not going to change any time soon:

The most important part of your weight loss and fitness plan should be your food.

Let’s paint a picture for you. Often, you’ll see 2 athletes that play the same position in a given sport and both are able to perform at the same high level. Both are about the same size and ability however, there’s one thing that separates the two.

One athlete has a nicely defined physique while the other, though they may have the same size frame in general, is more undefined and has a softer outer shell and is carrying a bit more fat.

The reason for this difference is almost always food. One athlete is carrying a bit extra because of slightly poorer food choices while the other is making slightly better food choices. Thus, the athlete making the better food choices isn’t carrying any extra weight, they’re only carrying the lean tissue they need. This shows off their frame more so than the athlete who’s not making the optimal food choices.

Here’s another great way to understand the incredibly positive impact food can make on your physique.

You probably already know it’s a good idea to eat 5-6 medium sized healthy meals a day for optimal health and weight maintenance. That being said, let’s just assume we’re going to aim for 5 meals a day (3 main meal and 2 snacks in between).

With that in mind, that means you have 35 chances to trim, tighten and shed unwanted fat and add lean long muscles to your thighs, arms, and glutes! Even if you workout 7 days a week that doesn’t even come close to how many chances you get with your food to improve your fitness.

Now of course I don’t mean to say that physical activity isn’t important, I simply wish to illuminate the awesome power hidden in your food intake and I want you to enjoy the rapid changes it can bring about.

Think about it, you never hear anyone say “I exercised like mad but I still ate junk food”…it just doesn’t work! If you want to exercise a lot, you’re still going to have to eat fairly well or you’re not going to have energy and you’re not going to feel very well while you’re exercising if you eat poorly. So, it all comes back to your food.

Take a look at where your food’s at and start tracking how many total, good and bad meals you have in a given week. Each subsequent week, you can try to beat your score form the previous week.