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NUTRITION
Most of us know now that in order to get into lean shape an effective diet is a HUGE component of your overall results. We also know that to lose body fat we need to burn more calories than we consume, but still take in enough to maintain a healthy metabolism and fuel our training. Some people are lucky to get decent results with less than optimal nutritional habits, but most get little to no results in that process. This segment is designed to help you avoid many common mistakes, and get the best results for the body you want for a lifetime!
DIET
First off before we get into the actual nutritional regimen, we need to cover a few things! The building blocks and the foundation of creating a successful plan for fat loss or muscle gain are just as important as the diet itself. Once you start to understand these, you will be able to tell which nutritional approach works well with your lifestyle, and why so many of those fad diets out there are not as great as they advertise themselves to be. The truth is, there is no ONE type of diet that is optimal for everyone! After reading these few things you should have a great understanding of the building blocks.
COMMON MISTAKES & FITNESS HABITS THAT HALT RESULTS
01. Eating too Few Overall Calories Not consuming enough food, or the right foods, will hinder your fat loss journey in multiple ways. The fewer calories you take in, the more your metabolism will slow down and adjust to a lower calorie intake. This results in a difficult uphill battle when trying to lose weight. When calorie levels are too low, not only will your metabolism drop, meaning less fat burning, but your muscle tissue also has a higher chance of being burned for energy. Not only that, but a decrease in calorie intake will also have a significant impact on your strength and performance in the gym or any physical activity you do.
02. Eating too Many Calories Overall Now on the opposite side of the coin, eating too many calories, or too much of the wrong foods can be just as bad. Eating more does increase your overall metabolism over time but keep in mind this is a tool you use when trying to build muscle, or rebuild a metabolism that has slowed down. Weight loss is all about energy balance. Too many calories, even too many clean, nutrient dense calories can prevent weight loss. This is not to say that eating a number of calories that is above your maintenance is going to prevent fat loss, just weight loss. Choosing the correct nutrients, and consuming them at the appropriate times will cause dramatically different effects than the wrong nutrients at the wrong time. When trying to gain muscle, it is good to be in a slight surplus of calories (usually no more than 250 – 500 calories over your maintenance.) However if you manipulate when you get them, what they come from, and how you use your peri-workout nutrition you can actually build muscle and lose body fat at the same time. We will get more into this later. (the food an individual eats before, during, and/or after training. The concept of peri workout nutrition is based on the idea that strategically providing the body with certain nutrients around periods of stress (i.e. working out and/or competition) will optimize performance, recovery, and various training adaptations.)
03. Not Drinking Enough Water
Drinking enough water is very overlooked when it comes to fat loss or building muscle. Drinking enough water will increase our energy, our performance, keep our body operating at it’s best. Being properly hydrated is also essential for total body detoxification, and joint health. Detoxification is also absolutely critical to fat loss. Lastly, one of the most common reasons people think they are hungry, is because they are dehydrated. In reality you just need to drink more water! I recommend at least half your body weight in ounces per day. Ideally you’d even get a little more, especially if you are active.
SETTING THE FOUNDATION TO YOUR LIFESTYLE APPROACH TOWARDS NUTRITION
You cannot out-train a bad diet. In any weightloss or muscle-gain program, nutrition affects A HUGE majority of the results, and training (physical exercise) will affect the remaining results, along with your sleep/ recovery. This stresses the importance of a proper nutrition program. As you continue to read through our Proplus Nutrition Guide you will find helpful nutrition tips and foundational components for obtaining great results, and developing an optimum fitness lifestyle. Studies show that flexible dieters do better than strict dieters who think they must adhere to a specific diet 100% of the time. This is part of the reason why hitting your daily number requirements (Total daily calories, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) and not the actual food choices, are the MOST important factor on body composition results. Now, notice I didn’t say overall results; I am just talking how you look. What good is a great body if you are not healthy, or setting yourself up for great blood work for the rest of your life? I am a firm believer in flexible dieting, which in my belief, is eating nutritionally dense whole foods (natural, unprocessed) at least 80% of the time. Then, the other 20% of the time you eat really, anything you want AS LONG AS YOU FIT IT IN YOUR DAILY NUMBERS! That’s all you have to do, and your body transforms as optimally as ever. This means it’s completely fine to have a piece of pizza, have a few cookies, treat yourself to an ice cream, or enjoy your favorite brunch with friends or family. With utilizing flexible dieting methods you can enjoy tasty foods, as long as you’re exercising the 80/20 rule and additionally your “Cheat Meals” fit into your daily macronutrients and calorie numbers. (A macronutrient is a type of food (e.g., fat,protein, carbohydrate in the following pages click on the video links for an in-depth explanation of Macros and calculating your Calorie Numbers).
SO I CAN EAT WHATEVER I LIKE AND GET IN SHAPE?
Not quite, it’s also about your hormones, health, performance, and energy. For example; If you have a macronutrient intake of 180 grams of protein, 200 grams of carbs and 75 grams of fat, it is very unlikely for you to completely hit your goal calories & macros with pop-tarts, chips, burgers, and fries. To get that much protein while restricting carbs and fat, you’re still going to have to rely a lot on of the fundamentals of your nutrition, which should be – lean meats, fish, oats, potatoes, fruits, veggies, etc. Sure, if you have room to fit the odd junk food snack into your day, by all means go for it, but don’t kid yourself you can spend all day eating whatever you please. It’s also about your HEALTH! A very important requirement in flexible dieting is being diligent about food quality. It’s important to set a minimum fiber intake (usually around 20-25 grams for women and 25-35 grams for men.) Achieving this will require lots of vegetables, fruits, and minimal processed, nutrient dense carbohydrates. If you do get all your calories from junk, you’ll probably feel very sluggish and lousy – definitely not what you want before a workout, or ANY part of your days.
WHAT IS THE IDEA THEN?
You still eat good, wholesome, nutrient dense foods, but you have a lot more leeway in the process. Going out for a meal at a burger joint? That’s fine – you’ll probably use up a lot of your day’s allowance of carbs and fats with the bun and fries, but you can compensate by relying on chicken, lean beef, protein shakes and non-starchy vegetables for the rest of the day. You might not want to do this every day of the week, but once in a while it’s no problem.
GREAT, AND THEN WHAT?
From here, it’s just a case of tracking what you eat using a calorie counting site or app like “myfitnesspal” or “Cronometer.” These are incredibly easy to use once you get to grips with them. Play around to find what foods you can use to meet your macronutrient needs. Just simply make sure your macronutrient numbers and calorie numbers still line up at the end of the day! This will get you the best results, and enjoy the freedom that flexible dieting offers, which will allow for a LIFESTYLE approach. Do not get discouraged if you fall off the wagon, this is to be expected with any change. As long as you keep working toward your goals consistently (small breaks are acceptable) you will be pleased with the results you earn. Since most people fall off of a diet plan by the end of the third week, the first 21 days represent the hardest part of any nutrition program. You need to focus during this period and work hard to establish good eating habits. Repetition and discipline are your best friends during the first 21 days.
MACRONUTRIENTS EXPLAINED
Before you do an overhaul on your refrigerator and pantry, I want to make sure you have a good understanding of what and why we are eating what we are eating. Macronutrients, which some people also just call “Macros” for short, are the nutrients that provide us our calories (energy.) These nutrients are what your body requires for lean muscle growth, metabolism, hormone function, and other functions in the body. “Macro” means large, so macronutrients are what you need in large amounts. The three macronutrients are: Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats. Let’s break them down:
PROTEIN
Protein is required in order to grow new tissue and maintain existing tissue. Aside from water, protein is the most abundant molecule found in the human body. It comes from the Greek word "proteios" which means "of first rank importance". Protein exists in all cells of the body and is the major structural component for all cells found in the body, particularly muscle. This fact also extends to include body organs, hair and skin. Protein is also used in membranes such as glycoproteins. Once they have been broken down into amino acids, they are used as precursors to nucleic acid and vitamins. Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are involved in every biological process in the body. Hormones and enzymes are also formed from amino acids, which are then used to help regulate metabolism, support the immune system and regulate other body functions. Finally, the formation of blood cells also requires protein. Protein is also essential for phase 2 of hepatic detoxification. (The ultimate goal of hepatic detoxification is to transform compounds that are fat-soluble, or lipophilic chemicals, into water-soluble compounds. Once these fat-soluble compounds are converted to water-soluble compounds, they can be eliminated as urine by the kidneys, as sweat by the sweat glands, and as fecal matter by the colon from bile. The steps involved in this process have been named phase I and phase II. Phase I detoxification involves the cytochrome P450 enzymes. Phase I enzymes directly neutralize some chemicals, but most are converted to intermediate forms that are then processed by phase II conjugation enzymes. The end result of phase I is either complete neutralization of the compound or the conversion of a compound that contains a functional group to react and bind with the conjugating moiety of phase II enzymes. Phase II detoxification typically involves conjugation of phase I intermediates; however some toxins are directly acted upon by phase II enzymes. This conjugation reaction either neutralizes the toxin or makes the toxin more easily excreted through the urine, sweat or bile. There are six main phase II pathways which include: glutathione conjugation, glycine (amino acid) conjugation, methylation, sulfation, acetylation and glucuronidation.) In this phase toxins, which are chelated in phase 1 of this process, are bound to an amino acid to allow for safe removal from the human system. For all these reasons, maintaining the required amount of protein to cater to your needs is crucial. As you can see, a protein deficiency will not only affect your ability to maintain/grow muscle tissue, but if not properly supplied, your body will be forced to pull the necessary protein-related nutrients from your vital organs, blood, muscle, etc.
PROTEIN IN EXERCISE
Protein is crucial in terms of success in sports. This is because protein plays a very important role in the body’s response to exercise. Amino acids, which are derived from protein, are used for repairing damaged tissue and also for building new muscle. Protein, however, only provides a small amount of energy for the exercising muscles to use when carbohydrate and lipid (fat) resources are low. This is due to the energy required in order to break down protein components, which protein consists of and the processes required for deconstruction into usable energy.
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbs, carbs, carbs. These guys have gotten such a bad rep or negative moan when spoken about. Too many people see carbs as bad, or eating them will cause you to start gaining fat. While these statements could certainly be considered true to a point, there are some caveats to these statements. The truth is, when carbs are integrated properly into your diet, they can certainly have some benefits. The key is to use them properly! Timing is everything when it comes to carbohydrate intake. The human body breaks down carbs into glucose through digestion. Once broken down to glucose, it becomes the ENERGY that FUELS your body and your mind. It’s important to note, that this can also be considered a bad thing at the wrong time. If your goal is to lose body fat, your goal should also be to use body fat as fuel! Ingesting carbs early on in your day makes this nearly impossible, and in the overweight demographic it is even harder. This concept is known as metabolic flexibility, or nutrient programming. This states that the first thing that you eat in the day is going to dictate your bodies preferred fuel source for the rest of the day. If you eat a bunch of carbs for breakfast, you’re going to run off carbs all day. This is the cause of the mid day energy slump. Once you run out of glucose, your energy levels plummet resulting in carb cravings and poor diet choices made in desperation. This is one of the reasons many diets fail so miserably. Breakfast should always be high protein and high in good fats. We’ll get into that more later on. Along with this, taking in carbohydrates can also be very useful at certain times. Strive to ingest the vast majority of your carbs during and up to 3 hours after your workout. The amount is determined by your carb tolerance, and how hard you were working. Earn your carbs. Ideally, it’s good to keep highly processed carbs in moderation. Why? Not because processed foods will turn to fat, but because the more a food is processed beyond its original state the faster it is digested in the body. This will cause a greater and faster spike in insulin, which leads to greater fat storage and also blunts your body’s ability to burn fat. Along with this, the faster you digest something, the sooner your hunger will kick in again. This leaves most people to overeat throughout the day. If you stick to mostly whole, natural foods you will feel fuller longer and give more control back into your daily diet. Here is a more advanced/scientific approach to how carbs work for those interested! If not, skip right on to the next Macronutrient – Fats! Carbohydrates, though not needed by the body, are the preferred fuel for the brain, nervous system and skeletal muscle. There are three major classes of carbohydrates: monosaccharaides (simple sugars),disaccharides (two bonded monosaccharaides) /oligosaccharides (more than two simple sugars) and polysaccharides (the most complex carbs). Monosaccharaides or “simple carbs” are the simplest form of carbohydrates that oligosaccharides and polysaccharides are broken down into. Monosaccharide is Greek for “one sugar”. They can not be broken down any further by the body. They are usually colorless, water-soluble, crystalline solids and some of them have a sweet taste.
A few examples are fructose (fruit sugar), galactose (milk sugar) and glucose (blood sugar). Oligosaccharides (a “short” polysaccharide) and “disaccharides” (two bonded monosaccharaides) are also known as simple carbs. They are short chains of monosaccharaides (containing 2 - 10). Common examples include sucrose (table sugar), lactose (a dairy product combination formed through the condensation of galactose and glucose) and maltose (found in malt beverages). Polysaccharides, better known as “complex carbs”, are repeating units of monosaccharaides or disaccharides. Starches (cereal, bread, beans, pasta, potatoes), glycogen (long chains of glucose stored in the liver and muscle) and cellulose (indigestible fiber) are examples of polysaccharides. ` It should be noted that your focus should be the consumption of minimally refined carbohydrates (i.e. oats, whole grains, beans, citrus fruits, barley and most vegetables). You should keep processed carbs in moderation (i.e. white and whole wheat flour, fructose/ corn syrup). They are some of the most unhealthy carbs you could possibly eat. Note that the glycemic index of carbohydrates does not need to be considered in food choices unless you are diabetic or have blood glucose issues, however since 90% of the population does have these kinds of issues it is worth paying attention to if you’re eating a meal consisting of carbs and carbs alone. If you’re eating a meal that is only carbohydrates, the glycemic index indicates how quickly these foods raise your blood glucose level, and how much insulin will be secreted to try to store this sugar in your tissues. The higher the glycemic index the worse these foods are for your health and fat loss. On the other side of the table, it’s also been shown that when carbs are combined with protein and fats the glycemic index levels out. Fat, fiber, and protein all work towards stabilizing your digestion and slowing the release of glucose into the blood stream.
The concept of avoiding certain foods is actually very simple. It breaks down like this:
The more a food is processed beyond its natural state, the less work your body has to do to digest it. - This means food is digested quicker allowing you to intake more calories while you are eating. - If you eat these highly-processed foods, you will be hungry sooner (because of the reduced time in digestion) and you will tend to eat more often throughout the day, as well as being hungry for foods that would be considered poor choices! It’s a lose, lose situation. It is as simple as that. You will find the more you limit refined/processed foods. You will feel full longer and have more control over your body/energy levels.
FATS
Also known as lipids, provides energy for the body as well. It also supports every important process occurring in the body from building new cells to regulating hormone production. When people see the word fat they cringe and point the finger like it’s going to do harm or make you gain weight by eating it…but it’s completely the opposite! Fatty acids are ESSENTIAL nutrients, meaning that you can’t produce them in your body from different compounds and must be consumed through food. There are three groups of fat: saturated fat, unsaturated fat and transfatty acids. Unsaturated fat can be broken down further into monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble, meaning they can only be digested, absorbed and transported in conjunction with fats. Fats are also sources of essential fatty acids, an important dietary requirement. Fats play a vital role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs against shock, maintaining body temperature and promoting healthy cell function. Fats also serve as energy stores for the body, containing about 37.8 kilojoules (9 Calories) per gram of fat. They are broken down in the body to release glycerol and free fatty acids. The glycerol can be converted to glucose by the liver and thus used as a source of energy. Fat also serves as a useful buffer towards a host of diseases. When a particular substance, whether chemical or biotic reaches unsafe levels in the bloodstream, the body can effectively dilute, or at least maintain equilibrium of, the offending substances by storing it in new fat tissue. This helps to protect vital organs, until such time as the offending substances can be metabolized and/or removed from the body by such means as defecation, urination, accidental or intentional bloodletting, sebum excretion or hair growth.
RECOMMENDED CHOICES FOR THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR DAILY DIET
Egg whites
Chicken Breast
Turkey Breast
Beef (lean, sirloin, flank steak, ground beef, bison beef)
Salmon • Tilapia (This is the most popular fish on the market currently, we don’t advise this to be your main source of fish, we urge you to embrace variety in the types of fish you eat, to reduce risk of contamination. Additionally avoid tilapia farmed in China for the near future.)
Tuna • Lower Sodium Deli-Meats
Scallops
Cottage cheese
Shrimp
Protein Powders (Whey, Rice, Hemp, Pea, Egg ,Casein, etc..)
CARBS
Brown Rice, White Rice, Wild Rice
Sweet Potatoes, Red Potatoes
Oats, Regular or steel cut
Quinoa • Whole wheat bread With at least 3g fiber per slice, Sourdough Bread
Ezekiel Bread (All Types)
Whole wheat bagel
Pinto Beans, Black Beans, Kidney Beans
Basically most fruits and veggies!
FATS
Ghee
Flaxseeds (Ground) and Flaxseed oil
Coconut Oil
Extra Virgin Olive oil (Cold Pressed)
Avocados
Almonds
Cashews
Pistachios
Walnuts
Pecans
Peanut butter 100% natural
Almond Butter 100% Natural
Fish oil softgels (Or Krill Oil, Cod Liver Oils)
WHETHER YOU GAIN, LOSE, OR MAINTAIN YOUR BODY WEIGHT WILL DEPEND ON THE FOLLOWING:
Calorie Surplus
When the body has more energy (food) entering in than it is using (burning). This surplus energy will increase body mass (body weight) and MUST eventually be stored as fat, used to build muscle or both depending on the degree of physical activity and the amount of calories you intake.
Calorie Deficit
When the body has less energy (food) entering it than it is using (burning).This will decrease body mass (body weight) by reducing fat, and possibly muscle depending on the degree of physical activity and the severity of the calorie deficit.
Calorie equilibrium
When the energy (food) you intake is equal to the energy being used by the body. This will maintain your total body mass (body weight) with minimal fluctuations inweight. This is known as “maintenance”.
Macronutrient Timing
What you eat and when, are just as much important as how much you eat. Studies have shown that people who eat a large breakfast with a decrease in meal size throughout the day are significantly healthier and leaner than people who don’t eat breakfast and end with a large dinner, EVEN IF THE CALORIES ARE EXACTLY THE SAME. So when it comes down to it you can’t only look at the calories you’re ingesting, but also the organization and timing behind them. More food in the mornings smaller meals towards dinner.
Meal Frequency
Now, while it’s true that eating more frequently does little to nothing for your metabolism, if you’re looking to build muscle by spiking muscle protein synthesis, meal frequency is essential. The concept of only being able to digest 20-30g of protein in a sitting isn’t the most accurate of concepts; many different numbers are perpetuated in this myth. Some “experts” claim you shouldn’t eat more than 40 grams of protein per meal, whereas others give lower numbers, (Most commonly 20-25 grams) and yet others higher. It stands to reason that an NFL linebacker’s body deals with protein intake differently than a 160lb sedentary male. Protein needs due to lifestyle and lean mass will influence the matter of protein metabolism. Additionally, if it were true that a person can only absorb a relatively small amount of protein in one meal, then “super-dosing” daily protein needs into 2–3 meals would result in protein deficiencies. This assumption would beg the question of how the human species survived the hunter-gatherer days, but the truth is, the human body is incredibly adaptive.
Now, here’s what does count. Stimulating protein synthesis is basically what makes muscle grow. You can maximize this at about 50g of protein so consuming and utilizing more than that IS possible, however not at all necessary for developing more muscle mass. You can only create this spike 4-6 times a day without limiting your sensitivity to it. So, for those of us hoping to build muscle when we go to the gym, eating more meals is definitely a better alternative to fewer.
The Right Dieting Environment
Restructuring your environment will pay dividends towards helping you comply with your nutrition program. Create a positive food environment that will help you stay on track instead of persuading you to cheat.
- Get rid of trigger foods. This entails getting rid of foods that cause you to overeat or eat unhealthily. (A trigger food is a specific food that sets off a course of overeating where control is lost. The most common trigger foods are calorie-dense, highly palatable foods that are often combinations of sugar and fat (e.g. ice cream, cookies) or fat and salt (e.g. nuts, potato chips, French fries.)
- Prepare your meals ahead of time to ensure you have a healthy meal ready when hunger strikes. Doing this will also control portion size and minimize the risk of overeating. A simple, smart rule: Once you finish eating the prepared meal, you are done eating, period.
- Avoid shopping when hungry. This ensures you do not buy junk food and/or trigger foods at the grocery store. You need to shop with your mind, not your stomach.
MUSCLE GAIN TIPS
The primary reason people have trouble gaining muscle is because they are not consuming enough calories. The following are tips to help you maximize lean-mass gains while mitigating fat gains.
Consuming protein and carbohydrates around the time of resistance training is more important than the total intake of protein and carbs during a day. This ensures muscle growth and adaptation. This method uels your intensity for the workout and aides in recovery, allowing you to work out sooner and maintain a high intensity for the next workout. Do not skip meals around a workout. Expectations Beginners should expect to gain around 2 pounds of muscle per month which equates to 24 pounds in a year. Intermediate and Advanced trainees should expect 1 pound of muscle per month.
THE FOLLOWING TIPS WILL AID IN ACHIEVING LEAN-MUSCLE GAINS:
Pre-Workout
Have a pre-workout meal. If it is solid food, you should consume this meal 1.5 to 3 hours before resistance training. The size of the meal is directly related to the time between ingestion and workout. The larger the meal, the greater the amount of time you will need between the workout and consumption of the meal. A protein shake can be consumed 30 minutes before a workout as a suitable substitute for a pre-workout meal.
During Workout
----- Water! That is all.
Post-Workout
A meal consisting of .3g per pound of body weight for protein and .5g per pound of body weight for carbohydrates is appropriate for good all around a post-workout meal. A solid meal can be consumed for post-workout nutrition. The only difference between consuming a solid meal vs liquid (such as a whey protein shake) is the rate of digestion and the insulin response. Insulin levels are typically higher and will stay up longer with ingestion of whey. High insulin levels have been suggested to stimulate protein synthesis (muscle building) more effectively, but the “post workout window” has been shown to be a myth, and you DO NOT HAVE TO have a post workout shake to get results. Again, it all comes down to hitting your daily total calorie and macronutrients numbers. As long as you do that, everything will be digested, and your body will efficiently repair, and regrow muscle.
Tips to Remember
Sufficient protein consumption to suit your needs is crucial in achieving your goals. Ingesting complete proteins (egg whites, turkey breast, fish, shellfish, chicken breast, lean red meats, some low/non-fat dairy products, whey, etc.) before, and after training is great. Efficient protein consumption maintains a positive nitrogen balance and allows you to build muscle. Long story short, do not slack on your protein if you want to gain muscle. There are many other consequences when not consuming enough protein, but most of all, you will not gain unless you are in an anabolic (growth) state. Sufficient ingestion of complete proteins will maintain a positive nitrogen state and allow you to grow.
It is important to note that an adequate amount of protein is not the only requirement to build muscle, an adequate amount of carbohydrates and fats are just as important as protein.
Consuming carbohydrates and protein after resistance training leads to a more pronounced growth hormone release than just ingesting protein alone (GH stimulates growth, cell production and regeneration as well as fat breakdown). -Because protein synthesis (muscle building) is an ongoing process that takes place 24 to 48 hours after resistance training, it is important to keep your daily calories the same, even on days you are not training.
Increase your calories if your performance is suffering. This will provide the nutrients necessary for adaptation to training. A decrease in performance is a good indicator that your body is not receiving the necessary nutrients required to rebuild the tissues involved in your training.
It is important to rely on many sources for protein rather than a single source. Different protein sources (i.e. red meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and more) have different positive and negative properties. Strive for a well-rounded diet and your body/mind will benefit.
Fat Loss (Dieting Down)
As stated before, studies show that flexible dieters do better than strict dieters who think they must adhere to their diet 100% of the time. This is part of the reason diet breaks are recommended and encouraged.
Expectations
Depending on your eating habits prior to dieting you may see substantial weight loss in the first couple weeks of your new diet. Carbohydrates increase water retention in your body. As such, when starting a diet which reduces your carbohydrate intake, you will see a noticeable reduction in weight due to the loss of water. When you combine this effect with the fact that your prior dietary habits may have been less than desirable, it is easy to see how your body may experience a higher than normal rate of weight loss during the beginning of a good and/or improved diet plan. A reasonable expectation for fat loss while retaining muscle tissue (which is REALLY important) is 1 to 1.5 lbs per week but no more than 1% of your total body weight per week. If your weight loss exceeds 1% per week, your body is possibly losing muscle mass which (for most people) is not the goal.
There is a tendency for most people to stall during a fat-loss diet because of the body’s metabolic adaptation to the diet. The following tips given below should help alleviate this problem:
Preventing Stalls/Stops in Fat Loss
When dieting in the long term, be sure to insert diet breaks. These are periods where you resume ingesting a normal level of calories. What is normal? A normal level would consist of a diet indicative of a maintenance meal plan. You are not overeating or under eating, you are simply eating at a level that a person maintaining your current weight would eat. This will raise certain hormones back to normal levels while increasing your metabolism. These breaks will ensure your fat-loss progress is not stalled while providing you with much deserved psychological relief.
How long is the break? The break should be, one to two full days every six weeks. Initiate the first diet break only after the first six weeks on a diet (remember the first 21 days the hardest).
The goal during this diet break is to increase the total amount of carbohydrates for the day while lowering the total amount of fat.
Tips to Remember
Expect a temporary increase in weight due to the fact that carbohydrates attract water. This effect is only temporary. Your weight should return to a normal level after a few days as long as you have stayed within the parameters given above.
High amounts of carbohydrates are much more likely to cause fat gain in the general populations. There are certainly exceptions, but they are few. If you’re the exception you’re probably not trying to lose weight. Fat gain on a low carb diet is entirely possible, but much harder. Remember that timing is everything with carbs. Use them during and after your workouts, and avoid them in your first 1-2 meals in the day at all costs.
Do not avoid pre/during/post workout nutrition. Do not worry, ingesting calories during and around your workout will not slowdown your progress toward fat loss. The body handles nutrients completely differently during and after your workouts. Don’t be scared. This is where you’re fueling your performance. Better performance equals better results.
LET’S TALK SUPPLEMENTS.
First off no, you do not NEED them to get results. If you execute the training program, follow the nutritional regimen and lifestyle, sleep and recover then you can still build a great physique without using any supplements at all.
However, if you're aiming to achieve the best results possible in the shortest amount of time and as conveniently as possible, then yes, supplements will help about 5%, IF your training, diet, and sleep are aligned.
Supplements essentially concentrate all of the "good stuff" into one place in a specific combination, dose and ratio to push your bodybuilding results to beyond normal levels. In addition, supplementation can make your program a lot more convenient to follow. For example, consuming 5 whole food meals a day is a much more daunting task then consuming 3 whole food meals and 2 whey protein shakes. In short, supplements streamline your diet and make it far easier to follow by helping you easily meet your daily nutritional needs. The good news is that it doesn't require anything overly fancy or expensive. A few smart investments can help you get the body of your dreams without spending an arm and a leg to get it. Remember though RESULTS COME by working hard, recovering, and sticking to the Training & Nutrition Program! When it comes to supplements, it's best to stick with supplements that are supported by science, both in terms of efficiency and safety. Keeping that in mind, below are the supplements that are most suitable for results.
BASIC RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTS
A Protein Powder (Whey, Rice, Pea, Hemp, or Egg Powder):
Will protein powder give you better results? Really, it depends. If you are already getting enough protein in your diet through food then no, protein powder would not enhance your results at all. If you struggle getting enough protein in, then a protein powder can significantly help you as a convenient and effective way to get your protein number up. Protein Powders are also great for TONS of unique recipes. Protein powders are just like getting protein from any other source like chicken, turkey, fish, beef, eggs, etc… except it is in a powder form.
A few other things to consider:
1.) Whey protein supplements have a great amino acid profile, meaning as a protein source, it is used very effectively in the body. Whey protein is not required post workout, but it doesn’t hurt either. It’s simply up to you, as long as you hit your daily protein goal by the end of the day, it won’t matter what time you eat/drink your protein, or where it comes from. However, to be honest, I myself still use a post workout shake most days simply because I always have, and I have always found it works well for me.
2.) Protein supplements are no replacement for high-quality protein sources from food. Food sources include various minerals that are essential for well being that you won't find in a supplement. SO DO NOT rely solely on protein powder, if you want to get the most out of your nutrition. Simply use it as a tool of convenience, a way to switch things up, enjoy the taste of shake, or make recipes with. Just use it towards hitting your protein goals. If you have a dairy allergy, or are highly lactose intolerant, you can use other protein powders as well like Egg White Protein Powder, Rice Protein Powder, Beef Protein Powder, Pea Protein Powder, or Hemp Protein Powder.
A Superfood or Multivitamin Supplement
Soil today is much more cultivated than it was in years past, which has greatly depleted the minerals and vitamins you get from the foods that grow in the soil and the animals that live off the land. This is why I highly recommend taking a multivitamin and possibly a multimineral formula if it fits into the budget, but definitely a multivitamin. I recommend it in the morning to be sure your body is provided with all the nutrients it needs for good health that you may not be getting from the foods in your diet. If you want to get the best results, you want to ensure you get a majority of all your vitamins and minerals through food. The multivitamin is there to help fill in the gaps, NOT a substitute, as the body usually won’t absorb everything in each vitamin capsule anyhow. Any brand of multivitamin will work, just follow the instructions on the bottle.
Fish Oil or Marine Algae Derived OMEGA-3
I can't think of a person in the world that shouldn't be taking a quality OMEGA-3 supplement. The biggest reason I recommend fish oils/OMEGA-3 because of their anti-inflammatory effect. Which will definitely help if you want to burn fat, and build muscle. Fish oils/OMEGA-3 have positive benefits on just about everything from cardiovascular disease to various forms of cancer.
Fish oil supports: 1. Cognitive function 2. Healthy immune system 3.Hormone health 4. Heart health 5. Healthy skin 6. Vision 7. Joint Health.
It's important that you try to use a quality supplement though (>50% of the total fish oil is from EPA and DHA), as the lower quality ones can be high in mercury. I go with the liquid fish oils. A good place to start is with 3g of combined EPA and DHA. But simply follow the particular bottle’s recommendations that you have.
Creatine
Creatine has undergone more scientific study than any other supplement along with caffeine. The take home message is creatine supplementation leads to greater improvements in muscular size and strength than training without it. Benefits have been noted for a wide variety of clinical and non-clinical populations. Creatine can boost maximal strength and energy output during exercise, allowing you to lift heavier, longer. It also acts as a "cell volumizer," making muscles fuller. Creatine is a by-product of amino acid metabolites found in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Approximately 95 percent of creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, and the remaining five percent in the liver, kidneys, brain and testes. While there are multiple forms of creatine available, creatine monohydrate has been around longest and is the best-tested. It is the only type of creatine I recommend. Furthermore, you can also get creatine naturally from your diet, mostly through red meats. But to get the most bang for your buck, the dosage would need to be higher which is why supplementing creatine is very convenient, if taken in the recommended doses. I recommend no “loading phase” and simply taking 5g of creatine per day, at anytime of day with water. However, just follow the bottle’s instructions that you have. Those are the recommend supplements for the Ignite training program, if you choose to use any. Again, not required for results, but may be a convenience for you.
Here are some meal examples you can try. These are just a few examples. Remember, all that matters is that by the end of the day, you hit your target calories and macronutrients. You can make up these calories with any foods that you want. These are just a few recommended ideas you can utilize sometimes. You may need to adjust the serving sizes based on how many calories you need. Just add your foods to the “myfitnesspal” app and track things as your day goes on!
Some breakfast meal examples:
Breakfast Shake
Blend Together: 1 Scoop of Whey Protein Powder 70g of Frozen Peaches, Strawberries, or Blueberries. 1 Handful of Raw Baby Spinach Unsweetened Almond Milk or Water to desired consistency Ice and Stevia Natural Sweetener, and 1 Tablespoon of Cocoa Powder all Optional 10-15 Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, on the Side OR 20-25 Pistachios
Egg White Omelet
1 Whole egg and ½ cup of egg whites Cooked in 1 teaspoon coconut oil Add 3oz of cooked chicken breast, turkey, or extra lean beef. 1 Handful of raw baby spinach 50g of Sweet Potato or ½ Cup Frozen White Hashbrowns stuffed inside or on the side Stuff with Unlimited Veggies and or Salsa of Your Liking Add 30-40g of Avocado ¼ Cup of Low Fat Cheddar or Mozzarella Optional For more Anti-Inflammatory Effect Season with Garlic, Oregano, and Basil 10-15 Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, on the Side OR 20-25 Pistachios
Breakfast Platter
½ Cup of Egg Whites Scrambled in 1 teaspoon coconut oil 40g Avocado Mixed in After Cooking, Salsa also is optional 1 Cup of Shredded or Cubed White Potato Frozen or Fresh Hashbrowns or 100g Sweet Potato 2 Diced up Slices of Turkey Bacon or 3oz of Diced up Cooked Chicken Breast Add Unlimited Veggies and Seasonings of Your Liking 1 Scoop of Whey Protein Powder Mixed With Water on the Side 10-15 Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, on the Side OR 20-25 Pistachios
Breakfast Salad with Eggs Over Easy
This is my breakfast of choice when I need something in a pinch. Plus it’s a good source of protein and vegetables to start your day. If you have your veggies already cleaned, chopped and stored in the refrigerator it can take less than 5 minutes to put this breakfast together. 1. Melt some grass fed butter or coconut oil in a small frying pan. 2. Crack two eggs and cover, then prepare salad on a plate. Combine fresh baby spinach, peppers, onion, carrots, avacado and brocolli, or any other of your favorite vegetables. 3. Cook the eggs to your preference. 4. Season your salad with some sea salt and pepper, with a touch of avacado or oilive oil. 5. Top it off with your two eggs and enjoy!
Sweet Potato Pancakes
To create batter: 1. Cook in Microwave and Mash 150g of Sweet Potato or Canned Raw Pumpkin 2. Add 1 Scoop Plant Fusion Powder 3. Add in 6 Tablespoons of Egg Whites 4. Add a custom mix of any of: Cinnamon/Clove/Nutmeg/Ginger and Stevia 5. 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract and a small amount of water to get a batter consistency Top With 2 Tablespoons of Melted Almond Butter or Peanut Butter 6. 1⁄4 Cup of Sugar Free Pancake Syrup Optional
SOME LUNCH AND DINNER EXAMPLES
Protein Salad
6-8oz of Cooked and Cut up Chicken Breast, Turkey, Shrimp, or Extra Lean Beef 2 Cups of Raw Baby Spinach and a Large Serving of Mixed Greens of Choice Add any mix of these or all - tomato, cucumber, mushroom, red onion, carrots, broccoli, etc.. Add 50g of Avocado and Add 1 Serving of Dried Fruit of Choice Add 2 Tablespoon of Sunflower Seeds, Pistachios, or Slivered Almonds Add 1 Serving of Dried Fruit of Choice and ½ Cup of Black or Red Beans Add a 1-2 servings of any dressing of your choice (60cals or less per serving)
Talapia or Salmon Balsamic Avacado Dish
8-10oz of Tilapia or Salmon Cooked and Cut up Add 2-3 Cups of Raw Baby Spinach Add 50g of Avocado Add ½ Cup of Black or Red Kidney Beans OR Any other Carb Serving of Choice Sprinkle on Garlic Powder and any other seasonings of choice Top With Walden Farms Brand Balsamic Vinegar or Regular Balsamic Vinegar. Can mix with Lemon too.
Protein Wrap
1-2 Tortilla Wraps of Choice (any brand, Look for wraps in the 18-25 carb per serving range.) Fill with 6-8oz of Cooked and Cut up Chicken Breast, Turkey, Fish, or Extra Lean Beef Add ½ Cup cooked brown or white rice inside OR 100g of any type of potato Add 1 handful of raw baby spinach and any mixed greens of choice 20-30g of Avocado Stuff with any veggies of your liking Add a light sauce or dressing of your choice (60 cals or less per serving)
Rice Bowl
Mix All Together: ½ Cup Cooked Brown or White Rice 6-8oz of Cooked and Cut up Chicken Breast, Turkey, Shrimp, or Extra Lean Beef 1/8 cup Black Beans and Unlimited Salsa 30-40g Avocado Any Veggies of Choice (Mushrooms, Olives, Bell Pepper, Onions, etc..)
Stir Fry
6-8oz of Cooked and Cut up Chicken Breast, Turkey, Shrimp, or Extra Lean Beef 2-3 Cups of Mixed Veggies of Your Liking Cook Veggies in 1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil For Sauce use BRAGGS Liquid Amino Soy Sauce, or a light sauce of your liking Add 15-20 Almonds, Cashews, or 30-40 Pistachios on the side
Protein Packed Sandwich
2 Slices of Ezekiel Bread or a Bread of Your liking 4-5oz of Turkey, Chicken, or Cooked 2 Eggs Add 30-40g of Avocado Add Veggies of Choice (Tomato, Onion, Cucumber, Bell Peppers, Olives, Spinach, etc) Add on 1-2 Tablespoons of Dressing/Spread of Choice Side of 01 cup of greek yogurt made to taste Mix in one tablespoon of Almondor Peanut butter with the yogurt
Flatbread Pizza
1 Large Flatbread of Choice Add 4-6oz of Cooked/Cut Up Chicken, Turkey, Or Lean Beef 10-12 Slices of Turkey Pepperoni Optional Spread on ½ Cup of Ragu Light Sauce or a Light Marinara Sauce Add ½ Cup of Low Fat Cheddar or Mozzarella Cheese Top With Unlimited Veggies of Choice 01 Scoop of Plant Fusion Protein Powder
Balanced lunch or Dinner plate
6-8oz of Cooked Chicken Breast, Turkey Breast, or Steak 100g of Cooked Sweet Potato or Red Potato on the Side (Seasoned to Liking) 1-2 Cups of Veggies of Choice on the Side
Salmon or Tilapia and Asparagus
Cook 6-8oz of Tilapia or Salmon (Season to Liking) Add Lemon Juice for More Flavor Grill 8-15 Asparagus Spears in 1-2 Teaspoons of Coconut Oil Season Asparagus to your liking Wrap Your Asparagus in Deli Turkey or Chicken and a little cheese (Optional)
RESTAURANT GUIDE
I want you to enjoy a lifestyle. After all this is a lifelong way of eating! There is no reason you have to cut out the great time of eating out with friends and family.
The Problem
Restaurants load meat with hidden butter, oil and salt, making even seemingly "healthy" choices a total calorie-bomb. - Side note: Most restaurants cook with vegetable oils wich are one of the absolute worst things you can put into your body!
The Solution
Call ahead and ask the chef to only prepare foods that can be made with Ghee or, order meat grilled, baked, or steamed. Order all sauces to be put on the side. "No Oil" and "light butter" if any is used. Other oils that are not vegetable based oils are fine as well such as; Coconut oil, avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil etc.
The Problem
That damn bread basket. Especially when you show up hungry, saying no can be nearly impossible.
The Solution
Tell the server that you don't need any bread, you'll take the pre-dinner salad instead. Order with olive oil and vinegar dressing and you're good-to-go.
The Problem
Ever notice that your vegetables "glisten" when you order them in restaurants? That's because they're saturated in butter and oil. Again, a "healhty" choice turned bad.
The Solution
Order vegetables to be grilled or steamed with no butter, oil or salt.
The Problem
Restaurants load salads with ingredients that are high in fat and calories.
The Solution
Order your salad with zero - crutons - Tortilla strips - Dried or fresh fruit - Ranch or Thousand Island dressing