RSSAre You Hydrated?
Feb 22
This is a great way to find out if you need to drink more water or not. It is easy! Go pee and see what color your urine is and match it up to this chart to determine if you are hydrated or not.
Quick Tips about Nutrition
Jun 15
Building muscle, Losing Fat, Nutrition No Comments
1. Eat five to six small meals a day.
2. Stay away from high sugar foods like candy, sodas, or ice cream
3. Eat more fruits, vegetables, and nuts throughout the day
4. Stay away from fast food
5. Eat lean proteins throughout the day
6. If you really want to cut weight, only eat starch-containing foods (bread, rice, cereal, etc) in the morning for breakfast or immediately after your workout.
7. Drink water and limit your consumption of liquid calories (soda, juice, beer, etc.).
8. Have a cheat day in which you can eat whatever you want. However, the best time to pig out is right after you workout (metabolic window)
9. Record everything you eat and the times you eat. This will allow you to keep on track with your diet and stick with it.
10. If you eat out, eat half of what you ordered and take the other half home and consume it at another time.
The Metabolic Window
Jun 02
Building muscle, Losing Fat, Nutrition 1 Comment
While you’re working out or doing any type of physical activity, your body has to use substrates such as carbohydrates, fats, and protein to produce energy for your body to move and stay moving. After you are done with your workout, there is a 45 minute metabolic window in which you need to fuel your body with good carbohydrates, fats, and protein. The sooner you get a meal or meal replacement shake into your body after your activity, the better your body will progress in building lean muscle mass and replenish the substrates you have burned to produce energy for your body.
So what should you eat?
You want to eat something that involves simple carbohydrates, good fats, and lean proteins. This might include:
1. Meal replacement shakes or protein shakes that involve protein, fat, and most importantly carbs.
2. Chocolate milk is a really good post workout drink. It has simple carbohydrates (the chocolate) and the right amount of fats and protein in the milk
3. Turkey or chicken sandwich on white bread
4. A bowl of cereal
5. If you want to have a cheat day in which you want to pig out on whatever your stomach desires, the best time to eat it is after you workout within the 45 minute metabolic window.
Fueling your body with in the 45 minute metabolic window after your workout is crucial in enhancing your metabolism and spending up your desire goals in health and fitness. However if you are trying to lose weight, make sure that you are watching your calories so you can achieve a calorie deficit which will allow you to burn fat while keep building that lean muscle mass.
Northridge, CA 91325
Move More and Eat Less
May 29
Losing Fat, Nutrition No Comments
There are 3500 calories in 1 pound of fat. For someone to lose 1 pound a week, they would have to have a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day. Maintaining this 500 calorie deficit a day for seven days will allow you to lose 1 lb in a week.
500 cal/day x 7 days = 3500 (1 pound of fat)
The Pros:
1. You resting metabolic rate (RMR): The calories that your body will burn just to keep it functioning.
a. Typical Male: Burns 1200 – 1800 cal/day
b. Typical Female: Burns 1100 – 1300 cal/day
2. Eat what you want: Calories are calories but some foods have more calories than others. If you eat a lot one day, you must workout just as hard the next day.
3. You will be more active throughout the day because you will be conscious of maintaining a calorie deficit. This means to “move more and eat less”
The Cons:
1. Achieving a calorie deficit of 500 cal/day is very hard to achieve. You must be more active throughout the day and also counting your calories. 1500 – 1800 calories a day is standard for losing weight.
2. It is psychological demanding! You must be mentally tough because you must count calories, weigh, and measure your food every single day. Staying motivated will be very hard because you might not lose that 1 lb in the week.
3. You will have low levels of energy because calories = energy. Maintaining a constant calorie deficit will be physically demanding.
To tell you the truth, the reason why so many people are overweight and not losing the weight that they want is because people do not move enough. You don’t have to spend two hours a day at the gym. You must live an “Active Lifestyle” …this means you must walk to the store, wash your own car, clean your house, stand don’t sit, join a basketball or softball league…pretty much don’t be lazy.
Checkout the obesity rates in America from 1985 – 2007
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/index.htm
