How important is Your Diet?

What effect does your diet have on your body? Is it ruining it?

Someone had to say it. I know you don't want to hear it. I know you don't want to hear the bad news. I can talk about exercise until I am blue in the face, but until you take charge of your diet, it would all be in vain.

Today's statistics show that nearly 60% of the population is currently overweight or obese. While this is shocking, according to a new study reported by WebMD, three out of four US adults will be overweight or obese by the year 2015. That's 75% of us.

Those numbers are pretty scary. I don't want to become a statistic like this. Do you.

So what's the deal? Why are we getting fatter and fatter? When it is all said and done, it comes back to that dirty little word...diet. The diet of today's adult is simply out of control. Here's why:

Portions gone wild. It all started in the 1970's. Restaurants began to increase their portions and as a result the unsuspecting public ate more. The portions are out of control. They have continued to grow, and for the most part, people clear their plates well after they are full, and this results in a ton of extra calories.

Convenience food mayhem. Junk food used to be only found in vending machines-not so today. Have you ever noticed how the checkout line in the supermarket has changed in recent years? It used to be stocked with gum, mints and a few candy bars. Now everything from potato chips to cookies sit within arm's reach. Very few people get through their day without consuming some kind of convenience food.

Fast food fallout. How many fast food restaurants do you pass on your way to work? Probably more than you can count. How many times do you stop in for a quick bite? Probably more times than you would like to admit. Fast food has never been more available than it is today-and it shows in the waistline.

Here's something you may not know: If you were to exercise everyday of the week but failed to change your eating habits from those listed above, you wouldn't see any visible results.

Now don't get me wrong-exercise is a vital ingredient for improving your fitness level, health and the shape of your body. Exercise and good nutrition go hand-in-hand. You won't make progress toward your goals without them both.

So where does this leave you? The way I see it, you are faced with an opportunity. It only takes some minor changes to your eating habits on a daily basis, to get you on your way to having the body that you have always dreamed about. Couple this with an exercise program and you will be unstoppable.

Keeping with my goal to give you practical tips to improve your health and fitness level, here are three ways to improve your diet.

Slash your portions. Even though that mountain of pasta looks great, remind yourself that it is three or four times more than you really need to eat, and those extra calories are going to land right on your waist. Consciously make an effort to reduce your portions at each meal and watch how your weight shrinks and your energy soars.

Pack your snacks. Instead of turning to a bag of chips or packaged cookies in mid afternoon, reach for a piece of fruit instead. It only takes a few minutes to pack healthy snacks for your day, and it will save you a boatload of extra calories. Convenience food is packed with sugar, fat and empty calories that will only leave you more sluggish and uncomfortable than you are today.

Cut out one fast food meal per week. How many times do you eat a fast food meal every week? If you eat a fast food meal five times per week, this week make it a goal to only eat four fast food meals. Next week, you need to reduce that number down the 3. And then two, and then one. Once fast food isn't a regular part of your diet you should look at it as something to be had as a treat-not a dietary staple. Now that you have three simple ways to drastically improve your eating habits, this brings us back to exercise. You need regular challenging exercise in order to achieve and maintain results. It's as simple as that.