Diet Guide For Losing Fat and Stay Fit

Image result for macronutrients
Ignorance of what people eat is why there are so many over weight people today. The food industry hasn't helped, look at what's out there - fast food, junk food, processed food, it's no wonder so many people have a hard time with their weight.
The function of food is to supply energy and nutrients to the body, eating for taste is secondary. That doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy the taste of what you eat, but an understanding of what you should eat will lead you to make better choices.

FOOD CONSISTS OF THREE MACRO NUTRIENTS:

  • Protein
  • Carbohydrates
  • Fats

Your body, after water, is mostly made of protein. You require protein every day, it performs literally thousands of functions in the body. It does this in the form of different combinations of amino acids, the "building blocks" of protein.
Carbohydrates are the preferred form of fuel for the body's energy needs. Simple or sugary carbs have there place but for the most part you should eat complex or slow burning carbs. An important point about carbs and where the average person makes there mistake is that after you supply your energy needs, any excess carbs will be stored as fat.
Think of this as similar to filling your car's gas tank - once the tank is full, if you keep pumping, you will have a lot of excess gas spilling out all over the place. Once your energy needs are met and you keep eating high carb meals, the excess "spills out" and you get fatter.
As for fat, there's good and bad types of fat, I will list what you should eat and what you should avoid later. Most of us eat way to much fat, primarily the bad types of fat, such as saturated fat and trans fat. Proper food choices/quantities can take care of this problem. So by reducing sugar, fat and total calorie consumption, we can control the food part of the equation, we'll cover the exercise part in a bit.

MACRONUTRIENTS

Set up your macro nutrient proportions as follows:
Macronutrients
50% protein, 30-35% carbs and the remainder in healthy fats. Carb intake should be a little higher on weight training days to provide enough energy. On cardio days, you'll lose fat faster if you work out on an empty stomach (although a small protein shake isn't a bad idea).
Any one who reads my articles know I talk a lot about the post-workout shake, this is the best time for simple carbs. On non-cardio days, you can start your day with some simple carbs as part of a protein shake or high protein meal.

PROTEIN CHOICES

  • Lean red meat
  • Chicken (no skin)
  • Turkey
  • Fish
  • Low-fat dairy—except for eggs
Don't be afraid to eat whole eggs as most of the nutrients are in the yolk. Avoid processed meats, high fat meat and full fat dairy.

CARB CHOICES

At this point, I'll make reference to the Glyceic Index, which is a measure of a food's ability to elevate blood sugar, and the Glycemic Load, which is the glycemic index of a food multiplied by it's carbohydrate content in grams, which tells you how much carbohydrate is in a food.
In both cases, the lower the number, the better the carb choice. Best carb choices that are low on the GI scale are:


  • Sweet potatoes
  • Yams
  • Beans
  • Corn
  • Brown rice
  • Oatmeal
  • Whole grain products
  • Veggies (these are fibrous carbs) and fruits such as strawberries
  • Bananas
  • Pears
  • Grapefruit
  • Apples

    • CARBS TO AVOID

  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Pastries
  • Candy
  • White flour
  • High sugar foods

    CARB CHOICES THAT ARE LOW ON THE GI SCALE INCLUDE FOODS SUCH AS SWEET POTATOES, BEANS, AND WHOLE GRAIN PRODUCTS.

    FAT CHOICES

    • Cold water fish
    • Low fat cheeses
    • Sunflower seeds
    • Walnuts
    • Almonds
    • Peanut butter
    • Olive oil
    • Canola oil
    • Safflower oil - eat these in moderation
      • FATS TO AVOID
    • High-fat meats
    • High-fat dairy
    • High-fat salad dressings
    • Deep-fried foods
    • Butter

    Comments

    Post a Comment

    Popular posts from this blog

    Do's and Dont's of weightlifting

    Image
    Why lift weights? There are a wide number of benefits associated with lifting weights, including increased strength and flexibility, weight loss through an increased metabolic rate, and improved posture. Also known as resistance training or strength training, the idea is to use your muscles to lift, push or pull against a resistance. The resistance could be your body weight, a free weight such as a dumbbell, pin loaded weight machines, hydraulic resistance machines, elastic bands and even water. Did you know? The benefits of weight training include increased strength and flexibility, weight loss through an increased metabolic rate, and improved posture. Getting it right Unfortunately, there are many myths and misconceptions about lifting weights. Follow these guidelines enjoy the benefits of lifting weights while minimising your risk of injury. Do Make sure to warm up your muscles first with some light cardiovascular activity, like a 5 minute walk. Begin gra...
    Read more

    3 Best Exercises for Lat Building

    Image
    The Latissimus dorsi is Latin for “broadest muscle of the back,” Latissimus meaning “broadest,” and dorsum meaning “the back.” The lats are one of the biggest muscles of the back and are responsible for scapular retraction, internal rotation of the shoulder joint, extension, adduction, and transverse extension. The lats are a large, flat triangular muscle that attaches at the spine (from mid back all the way down to hip area) and run underneath the armpit, attaching to the humerus. The lats are the biggest and most powerful muscles of the back, and the primary muscle responsible for a wide, V-shaped back.  Wide-Grip Pull-Up  Wide-grip pull-ups are one of the best back exercises you can do, and they hit the lats especially hard. Grip the pull-up bar with an extra wide grip and hands pronated (palms facing out). As you do your pull-up, keep your elbows flared out, so you minimize biceps involvement and maximize lat activation. As you get stronger in this movement, t...
    Read more

    7 Cheapest Sources of Protein For Muscle Building

    Image
    One of the most important and key nutrients that should be included in your diet strategy is protein. As most bodybuilders should understand, taking adequate amounts of this macronutrient is essential. Typically, the body utilizes protein to repair damaged cells and build new ones. Yet, the downside is that the body cannot produce the needed protein completely on its own. Most especially during muscle building, it's likely that you'd be putting a lot of stress and tension on your muscular tissues, hence, it is needed to supplement yourself with quality protein sources at regular intervals. So one guaranteed tip on how to build muscle fast and still ensure optimal restoration of worn-out muscular tissues, it is recommended for active muscle builders to take at most 1-2 grams of protein per pound of your current body weight. So if you weigh 250lbs, then you need to take at least 250-500 grams of protein daily. But here comes the problem, not all of us can head out to the s...
    Read more