Fitness at a glance
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Wait, isn’t doing something wrong bad? I mean if you’re building a house and you lay the foundation the wrong way isn’t the house going to sink? If you build a wall with different and oddly shaped bricks and lay them the wrong way isn’t the wall going to fall down eventually? Yes it is, but unfortunately sometimes that is the way the learning process works. For example learning to walk as kids we all fell on our faces a few times, which is obviously not the right way to walk but it is what we needed to learn to balance. Or maybe when we were learning to drive we hit a few curbs, or blew a stop sign, or maybe even had an accident. Did that prevent us from getting back behind the wheel? Some people maybe, but for the vast majority probably not. This same rule applies to activity.
When you work out, whether it be at home or in the gym odds are you are probably doing something wrong. We all do stuff wrong. I do, you do, even the top lifters in the world will tell you they still have bad habits and movement patterns that they are working on. And all of those people have made mistakes along the way that they learned from, grew from, and got better because of. I’ll give you an example of an obvious personal mistake that I’ve made. I’ve been taking BCAA’s since I was around 17 years old (until recently). Now, if you are familiar with supplements you will know that the average container of BCAA”S is around $20-$45 and will last around a month depending on how often they are taking them. To make things easy let’s say the container cost $30 and lasted a month. Let’s make the math simple and say that I’ve been taking BCAA’s for 10 years. That’s $360 a year and over 10 years $3600. Well, if you follow the fitness industry you also know that according to recent studies BCAA’s are a waste of money if you consume a high protein diet. Which for the past 10 years I have been. That would mean that I have wasted $3600 of my money on a worthless supplement. Sheesh it would be nice to have an extra $3600 in the my savings account. Not only that but in my time as a fitness junkie I’ve made countless mistakes. Whether it be bad coaching advice, bad form, or just bad habits you name it I’ve done it. My point is, you;’re going to make mistakes. A TON of them. That’s life. What you shouldn’t do is allow the fear of making mistakes stop you from pursuing your fitness goals. One “excuse” that I’ve heard numerous times over my career is “I didn’t workout at home because I was afraid of doing something wrong”. Personally, in 99% of cases I don’t find this argument to be realistic. I do believe there is the 1% of cases where someone has debilitating back pain or a pre- existing condition where they need constant supervision from a clinician to make progress. But, for the general population this argument is worthless. We all have a choice to make when it comes to pursuing our fitness goals. We can choose to explore the unknown and try something new. Odds are we will fail a few times, maybe even countless times before we get it right. Or we can choose to let the “fear” or “excuse” of doing something wrong inhibit us from undertaking something that in the long run will make us healthier and happier. I think the reason why I chose to write this blog post at this very moment is because of everything going on right now. With the pandemic shutting down gyms and people being left to their own devices there are many people claiming that “home workouts won’t get me closer to my goals”, or “I don’t know what to do at home with no equipment”. To all of those people I have one thing to say “Doing something, even if it’s wrong, is better than sitting around and letting time pass by”. Because doing nothing will not keep you at the same level, it will actually cause a decline in progress when normal activity is resumed. However, working on uncomfortable movements at home, or doing a bodyweight circuit, or practicing tempo on movements can keep you from losing progress and in many cases actually make further progress. Continuing a fitness journey especially during these times is challenging, but don’t let the fact that you may not have a “perfect” workout stop you from working out at all. If you are unsure what to do, check YouTube, reach out to someone in the industry, do research, but do something. Even if you are only doing push ups, planks, and walking is better than sitting around and doing nothing. Get up, do it wrong, and learn from it. In the long run the habits you build will be more important than the movements that were performed wrong while you were learning. Stay strong everyone.
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I am writing this post in response to everything that’s going on, the unrest, mild depression that I’m sure many people are going through right now, and most of all the uncertainty that’s going on right now. Obviously I am not a therapist, tied to the government, or living anyones life but my own so I can only speak to all of you through my own perspective and my own struggles through this time. But, while this post is going to be geared towards living healthier and making better choices, I think that everyone can glean some form of positivity from this post even if they don’t engage in any type of activity.
Right now is a very challenging time for everyone. Some people don’t have jobs. Some people while they may not be financially effected are dealing with their own demons being cooped up, or taken away from things they love like going out, lifting weights, etc. I will be honest with you and tell you all that this whole thing had a massive effect on my mentality when it all happened. Things were going great, I was coming up on having my most profitable month as a business owner, and all of the sudden a mandatory 2-3 month shutdown of all gyms happened. It definitely was hard to grasp at first and I definitely think I stewed in my own misery for a couple of weeks trying to absorb the fact that I couldn’t do what I love in the same way for the next 3 months. When your source of livelihood is taken away from you abruptly being motivated is challenging. And over the past couple weeks I have been FaceTiming and calling all of my clients to see where everyone is and everyone that I have talked to is struggling with the same things, but all in different ways. The point of my writing this post, while it is partially for my benefit I think it is also something that needs to be heard by everyone going through a tough time right now. None of us have been through anything like this in our lives. And many of us are extreme creatures of routine. We thrive on having a job to get us out of bed, or having weekend plans that get us through the work week, or having family member and friends to gather with to keep us sane. And all of that has been in some way taken away. So it makes sense that we are all struggling. Now as I said that this post was going to be mainly about fitness, and I am getting there I promise. Most of us have fallen off our normal activity routine in some way or another. And I think the reason behind that is many people have lost sight of their main goal with working out. Whether it be body composition alteration, weight or fat loss, or simply being healthy. There is something that is so motivating about a gym setting. Dozens of people around you doing their workouts and making themselves better. Maybe before all this happened you were an avid participant in group training. Looking forward every workout to seeing your friends and working together with them to get better. And now all of that has been taken away. But, all hope is not lost. Realistically, this quarantine for small businesses, gyms, and individuals is going to last until at least the end of May if not longer. If that is the case we have roughly another 7 weeks of being prisoners in our own homes. 7 weeks is a long time. A long time to decide what is the best course of action in this time. This next 7 weeks could be wasted on feeling sorry for ourselves and wondering what is the point of being active or eating healthy. Or, it could be a 7 weeks of growth in the areas we can focus on. 7 weeks of taking time to research things that apply to your goals. Fat loss strategies, fixing muscle imbalances, focusing on weak points, getting in better control of your diet, healthy recipe options, Or even mastering your own bodyweight. The reality is the choice is up to you as to what the next 7 weeks will mean for your fitness goals. There is one thing I can tell you with 100% certainty. Whatever decisions are made over the next 7 weeks will set up your return to normal activity. If you spend 7 weeks wasting time and not being active odds are you will lose a decent amount of muscle, coordination, strength, work capacity, and endurance. Or if the next 7 weeks are spent wisely you could come out of this armed with better knowledge, bodyweight control, endurance, and a better toolbox to deal with no access to the gym. Not only that, but forcing yourself to be active during this time and eat well will provide a sense of normality. While everything else around you is going insane. My point is, what you do over the next month or so is completely up to you. And whatever you do during this time you will have to deal with afterwards. So this post, above all is a call to action. Maybe up to this point you aren’t happy with your actions. That is ok, this isn’t over yet. I will admit that I could be better. As I said this post is as much for me as it is for you. Times are tough right now and I think this is something we all need to hear. It will all be over soon, so let’s all start preparing for what is to come. If you are lost in terms of fitness, need a little bit of motivation, or just needs some ideas for what to work on send us a message. Whether you are a client or not during this time we are here for everyone. And remember, just do the best that you can. If you can honestly tell yourself that you have been doing your best, Good keep doing it. If not, don’t be hard on yourself just work on being a bit better. Stay strong everyone. Before we get into the meat and potatoes of this post I want to start off by addressing the fact that everyone has different time constraints when it comes to training. Some people have 12 or more hours a week they spend in the gym. Others are lucky if they have 3 hours a week that they can devote to their fitness. Regardless, every level can benefit from some type of warm up. In this post I will discuss a few things. First, what a warm up is and the importance of it. Second, my opinions on what moves can be skipped based on time constraints. Third, a true full warm up that address mobility, stability, and warming the body for the session. Fourth, how much time to spend warming up based on how long you train.
What is a warm up? A warm up is anything that is going to prime the body for the workout of the day. Warm ups have several parts. In my opinion, any thorough warm up has 5 parts.
Now, depending on your bodies needs and the amount of time you have to devote to training you want to look at each of these pieces and weigh them in order of importance. Some people do not lack sufficient mobility and if they were to spend time on mobility would actually be hindering their progress. Others may only have 45 minutes to train so spending 30 minutes of it warming up would be a waste of time. Every person, unless they have a coach will have to determine which parts apply to them and under what circumstances. Depending on the movement or body parts being trained on a particular day will have an effect on how long and thorough the warm up process is. So, to make this simple let’s rank each of these in order of importance.
The only reason why I ranked a moderate intensity movement last is because if time is constrained the other parts of the warm up can be performed in a circuit to get the heart rate moving.Now that we have covered the parts of the warm up I want to talk about each part, the purpose of it, and what exercises fall into each category. By the end of this post you should be armed with enough knowledge to put together a full warm up for yourself. Part 1- A moderate intensity movement to warm the body Warming up the body for training is especially important because it gets the body ready to perform work. Elevating the heart rate enough to get blood flowing to all the limbs and raising the core body temperature to “grease” the body are both components of this part of the warm up. This part of the warm up is the simplest to explain because basically all you have to do is get your body movement. Using a treadmill, the air rower, exercise bike, running, jumping rope, etc are all acceptable movements for this part of the warm up. Part 2- Core Stability The entire warm up process consists of “waking up” all the muscles that you are about to use for the day. The core is a muscle that will always be used no matter what part of the body is being trained that day. That is why I believe this is the most important part of the warm up. Having a stable core is necessary for performing proper squats, presses, deadlifts, rows, etc. This is because the core provides the linkage between the hips and torso to create full body force and power. Having a stable core allows the body to brace as the legs and upper extremities can drive into the weight together. My favorite movement circuit to do for this part of the warm up is the McGill Big 3. Coined by Dr. Stuart McGill these 3 exercises coupled in a circuit can provide core stability for 3-4 hours and over time will lead to a more resilient and stable core. The three exercises he recommends are; bird dog’s, McGill curl up, and the rolling plank. Generally I have all of my clients perform at least 1 of these 3 exercises and as they advance in strength we will progress to performing all 3. Other exercises that can provide great core stability are any variation of carries. Farmer walks, suitcase carries, bottoms up carries, etc. If one is in a rush carries can be performed as the general warm up and core warm up saving time. Part 3- A movement or series of movements to address mobility issues In my experience every “Normal” trainee can benefit from some type of mobility work. Normal being anyone not extremely genetically gifted. We are all born with slight imperfections in our bone structures. We also all have bad habits in our posture that lead to immobility over time. Mobility work will be dependent on what is being trained. Mobility is required in the shoulders and hips to create proper movement patters. If the lower body is being trained one day obviously the mobility work will be geared towards the hips. If the upper body is being trained the mobility work will be more geared towards the shoulders. Mobility work can include shoulder dislocations, hip airplanes, assisted hip airplanes, scapula retractions, thoracic mobility work, cervical mobility work, etc. The best recommendation I can give to anyone reading this is to do 2 things. One, video your lifts from all angles. Sometimes, especially for newer trainees imbalances are not “felt” by the body while performing the movements. So taking video will give you the insight into your movements to see what is actually going on when you move. Second, once you have established what needs work take the time to research mobility movements for whatever part of your lift is suffering. Part 4- A movement or series of movements to focus on stability Stability in the hips and shoulders is also required to move big loads. I know this sounds counter intuitive because I just mentioned how important mobility in these areas is. However, when performing squats and deadlifts the hips must lock and move in a straight line, not side to side. When a bench press is being performed the shoulders must lock into place behind the pecs to create optimal power and movement. So, as you can see proper stability is also required in these areas. The mobility allows us to get our body in the right position and the stability allows us to keep it there. In my experience the 2 muscles most benefitted from stability work are; the lats and the glutei. The glute medius is responsible for stabilization of the hips and knees. Strengthening the muscle with specific stability movements can greatly enhance power through the hips. The lats are responsible for creating a fully locked torso when doing any movement so creating strength in this area is if upmost importance. My favorite “guide” to stability work is Dr. Andrew Lock. Dr. Lock is an experiences Australian physiotherapist and is well versed in rehab and strength and has created and coined the “Lock Big 3” for hips and shoulders. He also has a lot of exercises and tools for bench stability. Other exercises that can be done for stability are I-Y-T’s, monster walks, single leg glute bridges, single arm rows, etc. Part 5- A specific warm up for the movement of the day This is ranked closer to the bottom in order of importance in my opinion. The reason why is despite the fact that it is important if one is strapped for time reps with an empty barbell on the movement of the day can replace this. For example instead of performing a goblet squat an extra set of empty bar squats could be performed on squat day. However, if someone is becoming more of an advanced lifter this part of the warm up becomes increasingly important. Specific warm ups can include dumbbell bench press, single arm rows, Kroc rows, kettlebell bench press, goblet squats, etc. Whatever is necessary to provide stability, mobility, or groove the movements. Kettlebell bottoms up bench presses have helped me a ton in my programming because they force me to groove the press properly. Similar effects have been seen on my clients with different movements that we use in this part of the warm up. Again the best way to see what you need, especially if you don’t have a coach is to take videos of yourself lifting and watch them. The last thing that I want to cover in this post today is how long to spend on your warm up. Generally I would spend no more than 10-20% of the time you have to devote to the session that day to warm up. So, If you train for an hour a short warm up would be 5 minutes, whereas a longer warm up would be 15 minutes based on your needs for the day. Someone that trains longer 2-3 hours might spend 20-35 minutes on a warm up depending on specific needs. Basically, you want to do enough to get you ready for the days training without wasting energy. I hope by now you have a deeper understanding of the components of a warm up. Armed with these tools you can build a warm up for yourself that will allow you to set new personal bests and address nagging issues you may be dealing with. Remember that warm ups are just as important if not more important than the actual workout planned for the day. The more time and attention you give to applying a proper warm up, the bigger dividends you will reap in the long run. Stay strong everyone. NOT training hard every day was probably one of the hardest things for me to grasp as I pushed farther into my fitness career. After all working hard and busting my @$$ in the gym is what got me stronger in the first place. So why would it be any different now that I had gotten stronger? Unfortunately, the trap of lifting balls to the wall every session is the trap that many young and intermediate trainees get stuck in. And honestly, it’s costing them a lot of “gains”. Obviously the gym requires hard work. And obviously no part of working out is easy. However, I am a firm believer that there should always be something left in the tank when someone walks out of the gym. Unless a maximal effort session is planned. There are several levels of experience when it comes to lifting weights or training for a sport. Every year of training sheds new light on weaknesses and brings with it new knowledge. I believe that trainees can be broken down into 4 categories; beginner, intermediate, advanced, and Top 10%. Every level will use sub maximal training in a different way, but let’s explore each level and why sub maximal training can benefit them.
THE BEGINNER Truth be told, every weight the beginner uses will be sub maximal if proper form is utilized. The reason behind this is a beginner must first learn proper movement patterns before any “heavy” weight is used. Inexperienced trainees need to learn how to lift the weight properly before their bodies true potential can be unlocked. Another reason why it is optimal to encourage newer trainees to stop before failure is because form breaks down very quickly in the beginning stages of training. Even adding 5lbs to an exercise can make it look like the person has never lifted before. So, in short the beginner can utilize sub maximal loads to learn proper movement patters and develop the strength necessary to stabilize heavier loads. THE INTERMEDIATE Becoming an intermediate trainee brings with it different styles of programming and also newer heavier loads on the body. Intermediate trainees will not be able to recover as quickly as the beginner. Beginning trainees can usually add weight to an exercise almost every session or every week. Intermediates will add weight, but not as often. Now, when the body is moving heavier loads it takes a greater toll on the central nervous system. For example lifting 300lbs does much more muscle damage than lifting 100lbs. Intermediate lifters have succeeded in adding a decent amount of weight onto their core lifts and will need more time to fully recover. An intermediate will also not be able to lift at maximal effort every training session because it takes too much out of the body and will hinder further progress. This is where sub maximal loads are accounted for. An intermediate can use training in “waves” to slowly build up to a new max. These waves can be as short as 4 weeks and as long as 3 months depending on the level of intermediacy they are at. If an intermediate trainee was to lift as hard as they could every session they would actually get weaker instead of making progress. I feel this is something that most people in the gym don’t fully grasp due to the amount of articles published on “hard work” being the only thing that drives progress. In truth intermediate work at the right times will drive more progress than “hard work”. Intermediates will often need more stimulation to grow so they will usually be training the same lift multiple times per week. Multiple training sessions on the same exercise will usually require different training loads so the body is not overly taxed. This becomes even more important to the advanced lifter. THE ADVANCED Advanced lifters are people you see in the gym who either look better than most other people in the gym or are lifting more weight than most other people in the gym. Advanced lifters need very high amounts of stimulus to keep progressing on their movements. Also advanced lifters will have tapped into heavier weights than others will ever lift in their lifetime. Lifting this kind of weight has an extreme effect on the central nervous system. For example, if an advanced lifter lifts 700lbs he may not be able to lift that weight again or anything close to it for several months. This is where sub maximal training comes into play. The advanced lifter will use sub maximal weights to build a platform to either match or beat his or her previous PR’s. Basically, someone can’t simply go from lifting 400lbs to lifting 700lbs in a week. However, after setting a PR of a heavy weight the lifters body may only be recovered enough to lift 50-60% of the weight lifted the previous session. In this way they train in waves like an intermediate lifter will do, but the waves just take longer and are more precise. If the advanced lifter tried to train heavy every session a couple things would happen. One, they would get weaker because their central nervous system would be so fatigued it would cause exhaustion. Two, they would most likely get injured. Advanced trainees know the importance of sub maximal training and they also will have used it for several years before ever reaching this level. THE TOP 10% The top 10% of athletes in the world are obviously very genetically gifted and hard working individuals. These are people who have devoted their lives to training. They most likely have at least 1-2 decades of lifting experience under their belt. Or they are just extremely genetically gifted. This paragraph may be a little outside of the scope of my personal experience because I am not a top 10% athlete nor have I coached any top 10% athletes. So, here is what I know based on the research I have done. Athletes that are at the top 10% of the total body of lifters will move weights that could severely injure lifters in any other category. These weights are heavy enough to set world records, and enough to build a career out of their athleticism. People in this category may only touch their true “maximum” 1-3 times per year, maybe more depending on several factors. This is where training at sub maximal weight becomes the most important. Because, one misstep in programming can cost someone hundreds of pounds on their lifts and on their total strength. Now, another group of people who fit into this category are people who have tapped into the top 10% of their bodies capabilities. For example, someone might be at the peak of their genetic capability, but may not have the right genetics to be a world record holder. People who are at the top on their genetic capability still need to train like this. Basically, this is where we see the biggest waves in training. Someone might train all year just to add 5-10lbs onto a lift, or maybe even just to match the same lift as the previous year. The important thing to remember is the closer we get to our bodies true “maximum” capabilities the more rest we need to prepare to do it again. The moral of the story is, sub- maximal training can benefit lifters of all levels. Sub- maximal training creates a platform to build your next workout on. Remember that when you are training. It is not just about the work done on that day. It is about your ability to create success for the next workout. Sub- maximal training creates a snowball effect because the momentum that you build rolls over to the next workout. If your goal is to lift as heavy as you can to impress others in the gym to even yourself there will come a day when you are no longer impressed. Because in 10 years you will be lifting the same amount then that you currently are. Or maybe just a bit more. True strength and progress is knowing when to put weight on the bar and when to take weight off of it. Many articles will tell you “You won’t progress if you don’t push your body to the limit every day” to which I will say “Athletes build up to an event, and they are the pinnacle of training, why not train like they do”. Listen to your body, and don’t forget to leave your ego at the door when you walk in the gym. Stay strong everyone. How many of you in life have ever made a to-do list? I would say probably everyone if not almost everyone reading this has either successfully made or attempted to make a to-do list at one point or another. Now, usually when a to-do list is made the things on the list are prioritized based on how important they are. So, if I know that I have to clean the house before my in- laws come over that will be marked as more important than doing laundry because I have enough to last me for a few more days. And that is also usually the reality of a to-do list; not everything is going to get done. Thats exactly what this post is about. Prioritizing your to-do’s in the gym.
If you’re an average gym goer odds are you are making it to the gym 2-4 times per week for 30 minutes to an hour, some more some less. However, most people that go to the gym fall into this category. So, if you are someone that goes to the gym there is also a good chance that you follow social media pages related to fitness, or watch YouTube videos on how to workout, or maybe even check the internet for cool gym programs. Or, maybe you just go to the gym and “wing it”. No matter what, the things you do in the gym have to come from somewhere. Unfortunately, we live in the information age so when you log on to the computer to read up on some good workouts to do odds are you will be bombarded with contradicting information from the top 10 hits on Google or Youtube. So, I want to provide some clarity for all of you going to the gym without a set plan, or even those of you who have a plan but just need a bit of direction on how to make your workouts more effective. In the gym there exists a hierarchy of exercises. Some are vastly more important than others. For example if you were to compare a deadlift to an arm curl in terms of overall benefits for the body, the deadlift will win every time. Now, prioritizing exercises based on this hierarchy is very important if someone is seeking body change of any kind. Yes, this applies to fat loss, muscle growth, and everything in between. This prioritization becomes especially important if you are someone that has limited gym time. So here are some rules that I use to create programs for my clients. 1)The most important part of your workout is the warm up. Just like you wake up and get ready for work, you have to enter the gym and get ready to workout. The warm up is the preparation for what is to come. Many people sit at their desks all day and expect to get to the gym and be able to do a perfect squat. Your hips have been working all day and are tight, you gotta get some blood flow going before you try and descend towards the floor with that bar on your back. Taking even 5 minutes to do a proper warm up will give you a massive advantage during your actual warm up. 2) For the average person squat, bench, and deadlift are king. Or some variation of the 3. Olympic lifts burn more calories than The Big 3 (Squat, Bench, Deadlift) but most average people don’t have the know how or mobility to perform them correctly so they can be unsafe. That’s why for most of my clients we focus all of our lifts around squats, bench presses, and deadlifts or some variation of the three if someone does not have the strength or mobility to complete the three lifts properly. The Big 3 work every muscle in the body, which also means that they burn the most calories. So, whether your goal is mass or fat loss or “toning up” (To be fair I hate that phrase because most people believe that its different than fat loss and muscle building, but it isn’t) these three exercises are the best. Some of the best lifters and most fit people only do these three exercises or variations of them. 3) Follow up the Big 3 with some other kind of “Big” assistance exercise The big 3 are great, but sometimes other parts of the body can be weak or “lagging”. For those parts of the body we want to use assistance work to work on them. These assistance exercises can be things like rows, pull ups, pull downs, dumbbell presses, shoulder presses, lunges, glute bridges, etc. Focus on bigger exercises that work multiple muscle groups to give you the most bang for your buck. 4) Prioritize Single Joint Work Last Things like bicep curls, leg extensions, hamstring curls, etc. might give you a great pump, but they aren’t as important as everything listed previously in this article. These types of exercise should occupy the least amount of time in your training program. Think of these as the “icing on the cake”. Icing is great, but its useless without a cake. And if you don’t like icing, well find another metaphor. 5) If Fat Loss is Your Goal Combine Cardio and Weights If your goal is fat loss DO NOT spend all your time in the gym running on a treadmill, or climbing stairs. It’s a WASTE OF TIME, unless you really enjoy it then more power to you. The best method I find for those who are pressed for time in the gym is to combine exercises into circuits for a greater calorie burn. Combine big lifts with cardio movements. A typical circuit could be three exercises and could look like this. Exercise 1: Deadlift Exercise2: Flat Dumbbell bench press Exercise 3: Battle Rope Slams Combining workouts like this keeps the intensity up and heart rate high so your body will burn a ton of calories and build muscle at the same time. Leading to a higher overall calorie burn in the long run. Moral of the story is: Start with the exercises that work the most amount of muscle first and finish with the exercises that only work one muscle group. If you follow this blueprint for your workouts I can promise you a few things. One, you body will change. The added muscle activation from big exercises will grow new muscle mass and make you more “toned”. Two, you will get stronger. Using big exercises that work many muscle groups force your body to get stronger faster. Three, This blueprint is effective for fat loss and you will see fat loss if a proper diet is also followed. Use this blueprint to get the most out of your workouts. Thanks for reading everyone and as always, STAY STRONG! Truth be told, I don’t talk in detail about macro nutrition with most of the clients that I train. The reason why is because while macro breakdown matters there are many ways to break up your macro nutrition and still see results. That being said, I wanted to create a post for all of my people to have a detailed overview of my thoughts on macros and what I have found in the research I have done.
Fist off, let me start this post by saying that your macro breakdown can be on point, but if you aren’t eating in the proper calorie range then it will be impossible to reach your goals. Now that we have that out of the way we can talk about what different macronutrient groups exist, what they are for, and how they should be broken down in your diet. The first macronutrient we are going to cover is protein. Protein is all the buzz these days. I’m sure we have all run into someone in the gym saying “BRO, ARE YOU EATING 1 GRAM OF PROTEIN PER POUND OF BODYWEIGHT?, BECAUSE IF YOU AREN’T YOU SHOULD BE!” Yea we all know that guy. Now, while this might be a good recommendation for some it isn’t the be all end all of protein intake. Protein is used in our bodies to repair and build new muscle tissue. For the average adult the FDA recommends 50 grams of protein per day to maintain health and properly heal the body. What this means is that if a person is moderately active and is fine with their body composition 50 grams of protein per day is enough to maintain that. Extra protein becomes more imperative as activity increases. It is also important when someone is seeking a change in body composition. So as activity goes up so must protein. Now this is just a general recommendation. If you are someone that wants to be especially specific with protein intake we will talk about that as well. Most of the research that I have done on protein explains that protein intake should vary based on individual goals and calorie intake. When someone is in a calorie surplus (bulking up) the need for protein is actually lower than when in a calorie deficit. The normal recommendation for someone in a calorie surplus is .8 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Now, I’m sure you are thinking that this is counterintuitive because when someone is trying to build muscle wouldn’t they want to intake more protein? The truth is your body only needs enough protein to grow. Eating just enough gives more calories for things like carbohydrates and fats that can be used to fuel the intense workouts needed to build muscle mass. The way that it actually works is, as calorie needs become lower protein requirements become higher. When a person is trying to maintain their bodyweight (Calorie Balance) the need for protein is usually about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. And, when a person is trying to lose weight (calorie deficit) the need for protein is the highest at 1.2 grams per pound of bodyweight. There is a big reason for this. When your body is shedding lbs it is going to use whatever it can to make up for the lack of energy it is being fed. So, not only will it eat fat but it will also eat muscle mass. Allowing for extra protein in the diet will provide for “muscle sparing” when dieting. In my opinion protein intake is probably one of the most important things to consider in a diet. Fats and carbohydrates can be interchangeable in most cases, but protein is a macronutrient that cannot be replaced. Now that we have covered protein let’s move on to carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the bodies main source of energy. They are the macronutrient that requires the least amount of work to be turned into energy. Carbohydrates are the bodies preferred method for gaining energy for movement. Now, carbohydrates get a lot of flack in today’s society with things like gluten intolerance, insulin sensitivity, etc. However, for the average human being carbohydrates are completely safe. Carbohydrates can come in many forms. Simple sugar, complex carbohydrates, fiber (which we will discuss ion a bit). And, all of these types of carbohydrates provide energy at different rates. A complex carbohydrate is something that the body has to work a little harder to digest so it will provide higher levels of satiation. These are most carbohydrates that you would find in a balanced diet. Oatmeal, potatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole grains, etc. Whereas simple sugars are things like fruit, candy, table sugar, etc. Simple sugars can be digested in the body quickly and provide quick bursts of energy because they can be easily digested. The biggest thing I want to convey when talking about types of carbohydrates is that no carbohydrate is bad if used in the right way. Simple carbohydrates are great if used around activity to provide replenishment after a hard workout. Complex carbohydrates are great if consumed with meals. No matter what everything has its place. Now, for most people carbohydrates will comprise the majority of daily calories. This is because as Americans we tend to prefer a diet high in carbohydrates. Personally, I prefer a high carbohydrate diet, but eating high carb is not for everyone and energy can also be provided by a higher fat diet as well. Before we move on I want to talk about the role of fiber in the diet. Fiber is also considered a carbohydrate. However, dietary fiber cannot be broken down by the body. The daily recommended fiber intake is 25 grams for women and 30-38 grams for men. Fiber does two main things in the body. One, it helps with digestion by thickening stool and also slowing the digestive process in the stomach. Two, it provides satiety. The satiating effects of fiber are the main reason many people prefer a higher carbohydrate diet especially if it is balanced properly. No matter what type of diet you prefer the most important thing to consume alongside protein is fiber. This is because it aids in regularity and also provides a feeling of “fullness” which can be especially helpful when trying to lose weight because less total calories are being consumed. The last macronutrient we have to cover is fats. Fats, just like carbohydrates, have also been part of many smear campaigns over the years. Eating fat will make you fat, etc. Truth is fat is necessary in a healthy diet. Fats help with hormone production, especially testosterone and estrogen. They also aid in cell membrane production and have a host of other functions in the body. In studies, fats have also been shown to have satiating effects and many people prefer eating a higher fat diet because it can reduce the feelings of “extreme hunger” when one has gone a long time without eating. Fats can be used through the diet to provide the main source of energy for the body. Basically, fats can replace carbohydrates for energy purposes, but carbohydrates cannot replace fats for bodily processes like hormone production. Now, just like carbohydrates there are different types of fats. There are polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and saturated fats. Now I’m not going to get into the scientific details of all of the types of fats because it isn’t necessary for the scope of this post. But, in general you want to limit the consumption of saturated fats and increase the consumption of unsaturated fats. Increased saturated fats have been linked to higher cholesterol levels and other complications. This leads me into my next point. The one drawback to eating a diet high in fats is it can cause certain people to have elevated cholesterol levels. Many clients that I have trained over the years have told me that they tried the ketogenic diet and ended up going to their doctor and being diagnosed with high cholesterol. That is why for most I recommend limiting fat intake and not using it as a main source of energy. But, everyone prefers different methods of dieting. Now, one other drawback to consider with a high fat diet is when the body has a higher content of fat through the diet it is more likely that some of that fat will be stored as adipose tissue (Body Fat). This is more likely to happen in a calorie surplus than in a maintenance or deficit. Regardless, the point I want to make is that fats can provide energy for the body and can be eaten at a higher amount if someone prefers fatty foods over higher carbohydrate foods. So, to make sense of everything I just said. The two main things to consider with macronutrient breakdown are protein and fiber. These two things will usually make or break a diet. If someone is trying to build muscle and protein is too low the body will have a harder time creating new muscle mass. If someone is dieting and fiber intake is too low it is more likely that overconsumption will occur. Carbohydrates are the bodies preferred source of energy. However, the body can get all the energy it needs through a higher fat diet if that is the preferred method of the dieter. Fats are necessary in the diet for bodily processes and can make up the predominant amount of energy for the body if carbohydrate consumption is low. This is why as a coach I recommend one thing to all of my clients. Choose a diet that you will follow. Take into consideration how much protein and fiber intake you are getting. But, the rest can be broken down however you choose as long as you are eating in your calorie range. Macronutrient breakdown is simple, I hope this post provided some clarity to those of you who feel it is a cloudy subject. Good luck with whatever plan you choose and as always STAY STRONG. Weight loss can be complicated and confusing these days. Especially if you do an internet search for the fastest way to lose weight. Most of the time you will come across dozens of articles claiming their method as superior. Well, I’m here to tell you weight loss doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact its quite simple actually if you can weed through all the BS. Most people who tell you that there is only one way to do something are more interested in filling their own pockets with money rather than actually helping others. Now, while weight loss may be simple it definitely isn’t easy. But, if you put these 5 tips into practice you can see immediate weight loss and body change.
Step 1- EAT LESS When I say eat less I am not saying skip meals! What I am saying is make the meals you are already eating just a bit smaller. Weight loss is about a calorie deficit. Putting less food in will lead to a larger calorie deficit or even create a calorie deficit if you are currently eating too much. This also doesn’t mean removing half of your daily food intake! That is too much too fast. SLOWLY decrease your portion sizing. I would say the best place to start is decrease your portions by 1/4 or less and let your body slowly adjust to the change. Remember we are going for long term weight loss here not overnight results. Step 2- Move more At this point you might be thinking “these tips are stupid they’re too easy” And you are right. These tips are simple. Just like I said fitness is simple it’s just not easy. Now, where this becomes tricky is creating more movement in an already busy schedule. Many people that speak to me about weight loss tell me they don’t have time for the gym, or to add ANY activity into their life. First off, that is a fallacy. Also, when I say move more I am not saying spending hours in the gym. What I am saying is doing more than you are currently doing. If you are inactive start by adding one or two 30 minute walks into your week. If that’s too much then start by parking farther from the grocery store, opting for the stairs, or moving during commercial breaks while watching TV. Basically what I’m saying is find any way possible to move more. I promise you no matter how busy you are there are ways you can be better about moving. They might be minimal, but they add up. Let’s say you burn 10 extra calories by taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator. Over one year thats roughly a pound of fat loss. I’m sure many of you are saying, “well that’s not a lot”. And to that I have to say it’s more weight loss than you would see if you didn’t do it. Remember, the little things add up. Step 3- Plan ahead Planning ahead sounds nice in retrospect, but I would say this might be the hardest tip to follow on the list. This step requires conscious thought and planning, which if you already busy is extremely challenging. So, let me make this as simple as I can. We all know ourselves better than anyone else. So, look at your bad eating habits. Do you snack when you get home before dinner? Do you skip meals? Do you let yourself get too hungry? If you can take a good honest look at what “Bad” habits you have when it comes to eating then you can find ways to plan for them. So, let’s say you are a pre dinner “picker” or snacker. Well if you know you are going to pick or snack give yourself something “healthier to pick at or snack on. Trader your chips or croutons for cucumbers or carrots. This will do two things. It will lower your calorie intake and also lead to a smaller dinner because this kind of snack will be more “filling” than an empty snack. Planning ahead also means having healthy snacks with you at work and at home. We all have bad days where we wake up late or don’t have time to pack a lung. My best advice on this is to have healthy quick snacks and food to help you make it through the bad days. Some of my favorite healthy snacks to keep around are: boiled eggs, greek yogurt, fruit or veggies, string cheese, hummus, etc. Step 4- Don’t go too long without eating This is a BIG way to reduce total calorie intake. I’m sure we can all think back to a time we waited too long to eat. Then when we finally get a chance to eat we eat everything in sight. Yea, been there, done that. When this happens overeating is more likely. Because your body is looking for instant relief. So a few things can happen. One, cravings for bad easily digestible food will be higher. When your body is super hungry its more likely to crave food that is easily digestible. Sugary or fatty foods are more likely to be consumed. Two, the last thing you want to do when you’re hungry is wait longer to eat to prepare food. So, while food is being prepared “picking” and snacking is more likely to happen. And it will be ravenous snacking. Possibly even and entire bag of candy or potato chips. And boom, there goes your daily calorie deficit. Another thing that can happen when you’re extremely hungry is unnecessary eating out. Stopping at a fast food restaurant. So imagine coupling extreme hunger with a menu of greasy sugary items. Your body is going to crave the bad food which are always higher in calories that the “healthier” menu items. Step 5- Eat out LESS The sad truth about restaurants is they usually don’t care too much about their patrons health. They only care about getting them back in the door. How do they do that? Well usually by adding extra butter, oil, seasoning, etc to the foods on their menus. What does this mean for you? Extra unnecessary calories. Obviously never eating out isn’t going to be a reality so I would recommend cutting it back a little at a time. If it is something you do once a week cut it down to every other week. If it’s every day start doing it every other day. And so on. Slowly cut back and watch the weight come off. Now, when you do enjoy a meal out here are a few things I would focus on. Grilled foods not fried. Only eat 1/2 or 3/4 of what you order and save the rest for later. Eat similar to how you would eat if you were at home. Many people I know think of eating out as a crazy treat where they can go wild and eat like a maniac. Remember eating out is a treat in itself you don’t need to go crazy on what you order. One bad meal a week at a restaurant, especially if it includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert can ruin an entire week of eating better. Weight loss is not easy, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. The golden rule is: Slowly make better decisions. Will you be immediately in the best shape of your life? No, but you will be healthier than you were yesterday. And a healthier day leads to a happier day. And a string of healthy and happy days leads to long term satisfaction. Make one small change and others will follow. Stay strong everyone! I was inspired to write this post after speaking with a friend today about business growth and success. We have very differing viewpoints and as I thought more about it I realized that my views of fitness success and business success are very similar. So, let’s dive in. I’m sure all of you reading this at one time or another have seen a post on Facebook promising copious amounts of weight loss in a very short time. Or maybe you’ve been approached by a friend selling some new weight loss supplement or fad diet. Or maybe you’ve even been inspired by the fitness “guru’s” with their six pack abs promising their method will “GET YOU RIPPED NOW”. Well guess what IT’S ALL BULLSHIT. Can you get ripped in 30 days? Some people yes, some people no. So let me go more into detail about this subject.
In my opinion, people who advocate for “challenges” or “fast weight loss” end up hurting more people than they help. Now, don’t get me wrong some people thrive on having a deadline and a big goal get’s them excited. But, for us “normal people” moms, dads, wives, husbands, we just want to feel and look better while still enjoying food that we love and not being chained to a squat rack. When you have someone who boasts on Facebook about this new fad diet or workout plan they’ve been doing and they show off their awesome before and after pictures you have to take it with a grain of salt. I believe there are a few questions everyone needs to ask themselves before being envious of this “success”. One, is what they are currently doing sustainable for your lifestyle? Maybe you have kids and this person doesn’t. Maybe this person has a little more willpower than you do (AGAIN THAT IS OK, STOP TRYING TO FIT INTO OTHER PEOPLES MOLDS!). Two, what level of fitness is this person on? If you take someone who is 200lbs and ask them to lose 50lbs in the same amount of time as someone who is 300lbs the 200lb person is going to have to work a lot harder. You also have to take into account that you are not genetically the same as anyone else. This makes your journey completely unique. Three, will this person still be down in weight in a year? MANY PEOPLE take on big goals and burn themselves out leading to more weight gain or constant weight swings. What’s the point of losing 30lbs if you are only going to gain 20 of it back? Four, are there health risks involved with drastically changing your lifestyle? In many cases there are. I’ve had several people come to me and tell me that they ended up with high cholesterol after jumping on a high fat “keto” diet. I’ve had others tell me they were hospitalized from taking supplements that were recommended from a Facebook diet “guru”. I’m going to be honest with you it’s not worth risking your health to look a certain way. Because if you get seriously ill or injured you are only only going to be farther away from the goals you originally set for yourself. If you’ve read my previous blog posts you know that I’m an advocate for lifestyle modification in small doses which leads to big changes. I recommend “pulling a few weeds” here and there to clean up your diet, instead of uprooting your entire lifestyle. Making small changes each day is really what leads to success. Imagine if you ate one less “bad” food per week? Over a year how much would that add up? What about 10 years? Now imagine doing that and then adding another good habit. How much farther along would you be? IT ALL ADDS UP! Now, is doing that going to provide FAST, INSANE, AMAZING results overnight? No, it won’t and maybe that doesn’t get you excited. However, it will provide sustainability, long term progress, and BIG changes in the long run. Everyone these days wants crazy results right now. But, for most of us that type of progress is not in the cards. We have obligations, cravings, setbacks. It’s ok, you don’t have to lose 20lbs by tomorrow. You just have to get a little better everyday. Slowly getting better and forging new habits is the key to long term success. Do you want to look good for one day or the rest of your life? Do you want to constantly battle with up and down weight gain and loss or just learn how to control your portion sizing? The choice is yours, but I will tell you in my experience it is those who are in if for the long haul that are the happiest and the most successful. I hope you all enjoyed this post and remember, it’s not about being your best all the time it’s about slowly making better decisions that will create a better you. STAY STRONG! “It seems like there just isn’t enough hours in the day sometimes” I guarantee all of you have said this to yourselves at one time or another. Being on the go all the time makes eating for success a real challenge. Most people barely have the time to workout, so how are they supposed to find time to meal prep? Well, eating for success is a lot more simple than it seems as long as you know what actions to take.
So first, let me talk about why eating well is important when you’re busy. Above all else it increases longevity. Feeding your body well adds years to your life. It also yields greater energy levels to help you handle that busy schedule you got going. You’re going to have a lot more sustained energy if you feed your body vegetables, lean meats, fruits, nuts, and whole sources of carbohydrates than if you stuff your face full of doughnuts every day. There is a place for “bad” food, but it should be in moderation to help you get the most out of your diet. So now that we’ve covered the “why” let’s talk about the “how”. The most important thing you need when you have a busy schedule is a plan. I’m sure most of you have you phone calendar or if you’re old school a calendar hanging from your fridge with all your obligations for the month on it. So I want you to look at that calendar, and I want you to block out time to cook. It doesn’t have to be every day. It could even be as little as two 30-45 minute blocks a week, but it needs to go into your schedule. Because if it doesn’t it will be like all the other things that aren’t written down “FORGOTTEN”. Now, when you’re at the level of busy where you only have about an hour to cook per week you want to make the process as simple as possible and only cook what you need to. Luckily, we live in a world where most foods can be bought pre cooked. Vegetables, rice, deli meat, hamburgers, etc. All of these things can be bought pre made in microwaveable bags to help with convenience. So, all that leaves you with is basically cooking meat. Steak, chicken, etc. I would recommend making this process as simple as possible as well. Bake your chicken, then toss it in some kind of low calorie sauce and BOOM you have a delicious food that you’re excited to eat. And when you bake chicken you can cook enough to last you 3 to 4 days. So now that we have covered making a plan, let’s talk about what happens when things don’t go according to plan. Life never happens quite the way we picture it. This can be a massive hinderance to your fitness efforts if you don’t know what to do when you’re in a bind. So here’s a few things you can do to make sure you’re successful. First, buy sandwich meat. Sandwiches are quick, easy, and can be made in several varieties so you never get bored. Two, if you’re really in a bind most grocery stores have pre cooked rotisserie chicken or healthy frozen options. Is it ideal? No, but its better than letting yourself go hungry until you get angry and start eating everything in sight. If you buy frozen aim for something high in protein, low in calories, and make sure the sodium isn’t crazy high. You can also utilize snacks like greek yogurt, string cheese,, protein bars (Quest and ONE are my favorites), and tunafish (Starkist makes grab and go packets). Now, what if you hate to cook? Or you really don’t have the time? It’s simple. Utilize a meal prepping service. Companies like FRESHLY or even local companies like Box Bistro (right in Berlin) can provide low cost meals that only need to be reheated. This is extremely convenient and can really help the busy fitness enthusiast. So that covers everything at home, but what about if you’re out and about and in a bind? Eating out can make our break your fitness efforts depending on the choices you make. Fast food can be healthy (or at least semi healthy) or it can be full of excess calories that leave you feeling like garbage. So, when you’re out and about and in a hurry where should you eat? And what should you get? Well, first let’s talk about health friendly chains. My personal favorite is Chipotle, (Moe’s is ok, but chipotle allows for more protein and less overall calories). Personally, I would stick to a salad or bowl. Choose one source of carbohydrates (rice), one source of protein (chicken, beef, sofritas), and one source of fat (guac, cheese, queso, sour cream). DO NOT add more than one fat item. Fat is the highest calorie macronutrient and it can easily wreck your calorie intake. Another favorite of mine is Subway. Depending on your weight and your goals will determine if you get a 6inch or footlong. Follow the same principal as before; 1 source protein (get double meat if need be), one source carbohydrate, and one source fat (cheese, oil, sauce). Again, ONLY ONE SOURCE OF FAT. Also, pile on the veggies and I would also recommend going whole wheat on the bread. These are not the only two fast food chains you can untilize. These days you can find healthy options just about anywhere. Here are a few tips to see success when eating out.
You can also utilize MyFitnessPal to check calorie counts to make sure you’re staying within range for the day. The most important component to staying healthy while being busy is staying consistent. Not every day will be perfect. But, focus on the wins. Make the best choices you can with what you have. And if you fall off, don’t worry about it. Being healthy and fit isn’t about looking and acting perfect every single day. It’s about forging good habits and focusing on the long term. Stay strong everyone. The question I get most often as a trainer and health coach is how should I be eating? To many people’s dismay the answer I give is usually pretty simple, exactly how you want as long as you are within your calorie range and getting adequate amounts of macro and micro nutrients. Now, I usually dive into more detail with each person individually to help them maximize their health and whatever fitness goals they have, but the truth is nutrition is a lot more simple than people make it out to be.
So first, let’s explore the definition of nutrition. Nutrition is defined as: the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth (or loss), yes I added that last part. Basically, you need to provide your body with enough calories to live and breathe and hit whatever fitness goals you have. What those calories are made of is NOT as important as how many you get if you look at it from a general standpoint. Basically, if you want to lose weight and you burn 1500 calories per day and you consume 1200 calories per day you will lose weight. At that rate mathematically you would lose 1 pound of weight every 11-12 days. Your bodyweight will continue to drop until your body reaches homeostasis at the new calorie level. This usually takes anywhere from 1-3 months. Now let’s say you want to gain weight, if you burn 1500 calories a day and you consume 1800 calories a day you will gain 1 pound of weight every 11-12 days, give or take. And this will continue until your body reaches homeostasis at the new calorie goal and so on and so forth. So that’s it, It’s really that simple. Deficit yourself to lose and surplus yourself to gain. But, not really. If you’re at least semi- educated in the fitness realm you know that two people who weigh the same amount can look very different. One person who weighs 190lbs and 8% body fat will look much different from another person the same weight at 25% body fat. Person one is holding significantly more muscle mass than person two and also significantly less body fat. So, when you’re looking at nutrition it needs to be something that’s viewed from a position of altering body composition. So most people who come to me that want to “lose weight” aren’t really searching for a number they’re searching for an image in the mirror. So, how do you eat to get that “dream body” you’ve been looking for? Well, let’s take a look at macro-nutrition to explain that. There are three macronutrients; protein, carbohydrates, and fat. If you’re looking for a “toned” body odds are you need to build some muscle mass. If you are a female reading this and saying you don’t want to build muscle, relax having muscles isn’t going to make you look gross or bulky. Instead it’s going to make you look firm, toned, and curvy. So, building muscle mass will require a bit more protein than your body would need otherwise. How much will depend on how often you train, how hard you train, and how new to working out you are. The RDA of an inactive adult is 50 grams of protein per day. So, when talking about protein intake with a client we usually base needs off of how often they work out. If I am working with a female client who works out 3x per week with the goal of fat loss and building muscle who is new to working out I will usually recommend a minimum of 75 grams per day. If the client is male or is working out more often the recommendation will usually be higher. When you are new to working out I believe a less is more approach is better. If you wanted to see a more rapid gain in muscle you could increase the protein to as high as one gram of protein per pound of lean mass. Not getting enough protein is something that’s very rare especially in the US because most foods we eat on a regular basis have protein in them. However, the longer you train and more muscle you build the higher your protein needs become. So, now that we have protein covered let’s talk about carbs and fats. The reason why I group both of these macronutrients together is because, even though they are different, as long as you consume both the distribution does not really matter all that much. Now, this only applies if you are a regular person. If you’re a competitive athlete there are proven methods of dieting that are superior, however that is not what this blog post is about. First, let’s talk carbs. Carbohydrates are your bodies main energy source. They can be broken down easily and converted to glycogen which can be stored in the liver or muscles and is basically the fuel for all human activity. Fat can also be used as energy. Your body has to use multiple processes to turn it to glycogen so it is not recommended as a “main” fuel source, but also can be used as one especially if you are following a ketogenic diet. Now, fat also plays a big role in hormone production and normal body function. So, consuming it is important in day to day life. So as you can see each of these macronutrients are important, but the distribution is not all that important. This is where I tell people to gravitate towards foods that they like. If someone loves peanut butter then we leave more room for fat in their diet. If someone is more in love with carbohydrates then we get more of our calorie content from carbs. But, at the end of the day if you’re a regular person the distribution between the two macronutrients is not that important as long as you eat some of both of them. Now, obviously this all sounds easy on paper, but application in real life is where things get tricky. Eating whatever you want to lose weight sounds like a dream come true, but it is the application that usually breaks peoples willpower. Staying in a calorie deficit is challenging. Its challenging because your body by nature does not want to lose weight. When you are trying to lose weight you are decreasing the volume of food that you eat. When your body, mind, and stomach are used to a certain amount of food there is usually a little backlash such as hunger which can be minor or major depending on the breakdown of your food. So let’s say person one gets all of their calories from low volume high calorie foods (basically foods that are packed with calories for how big they are I.E pizza, ice cream, chips, etc). And person two get’s all of their food from high volume low calorie foods (veggies, lean meats, whole grains, etc). Who do you think will be more successful? Probably person two for a few reasons. One, they can eat more food volume. Getting calories from more nutrient dense foods allows you to eat more total food which keeps the stomach full aiding in will power. Two, nutrient dense foods are hard to consume in high amounts. For example 2 slices of a large cheese pizza (no toppings) is around 800 calories. You would have to eat almost 4lbs of kale to consume the same amount of calories. An extreme example, but you get my point. Now, another thing is if your calorie goal is 1500 for the day and you just ate 800 of it in one sitting you only have 700 calories left over for the rest of the day. 2 slices of pizza is filling for some, but it will only keep you full for a couple hours. So, as you can see where you get your calories from may not matter, but having the willpower to eat in a calorie deficit becomes easier when you don’t feel starved at all hours of the day. This is why I recommend to my clients that they do not eat high calorie foods when trying to lose weight because it lowers their chances of being successful. So, I hope I shed some light on some of the nutritional myths that exist these days. When you have any goal in fitness just follow the 80/20 rule. If you make 80% good decisions and 20% not so good decisions you will set yourself up for success and not lose your mind. If your goal is to lose weight try to eat a variety of foods and try and stick to nutrient dense high fiber foods. Fiber will keep you full and help you push through being in a calorie deficit. If your goal is to gain weight make sure you are getting adequate protein and adequate calories. Also, just because you’re trying to gain weight don’t go crazy and gain a ton of bad weight that you have to lose later. Regardless of your goals the most important thing is to stay within you calorie range. If you stay within your calorie range you will hit your fitness goals before you know it. |
AuthorMy name is Patriel Dunford and as the owner of Infinite Fitness my main goal in life is to spread good advice in the health industry and help people live healthier, longer, more fulfilling lives. Archives
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