| Most people realize that in order to achieve | | | | To put it bluntly, you will lose muscle mass and |
| certain fitness-oriented goals, they will need to | | | | gain body fat at the same time. |
| pay special attention to what they are eating. As | | | | Now, back to the basic nutrition lesson. As we are |
| simple as this seems, it is often one of the most | | | | all aware by now, calories are the fuel for the |
| confusing aspects of a fitness plan. I mean what | | | | body. You probably realize that calories come |
| fad diet are we going to try this week? Adkins, | | | | from food, but lets take it a little bit further and |
| South Beach and the hard to kill Cabbage Soup | | | | explain what types of food contain what types of |
| Diet are a few of the more popular fad diets | | | | calories. There are six basic nutrient classes. |
| making the rounds these days. Now don't get me | | | | Protein, Carbohydrate, Fat, Vitamins, Minerals and |
| wrong, not all of these diets are totally useless, | | | | Water. Each nutrient is utilized in the human body |
| but overall, fad diets are responsible for some | | | | for very specific tasks. The body as amazing as it |
| very unhealthy habits. Not to mention the fact | | | | is, will often try to manipulate certain types of |
| that the majority of all dieters fad and otherwise, | | | | responses from these nutrients in order to sustain |
| will ultimately gain all of the weight back! Some will | | | | life, especially when incorrect proportions of |
| even gain more weight back than what they | | | | nutrients are consumed. |
| started with. | | | | Protein |
| Hopefully after reading this article, you will | | | | Protein serves numerous functions in our bodies. |
| understand the basics of nutrition and realize just | | | | It is the major structural component of the cell. It |
| how simple creating an effective and healthy | | | | is also used for growth, repair and maintenance of |
| nutritional plan can be. | | | | body tissues. Another important function that |
| In order to get started, you will need to arm | | | | protein plays in the body is the ability to form |
| yourself with a few things. Grab a pen, some | | | | antibodies for disease protection. And as stated |
| paper, a calculator and a scale. | | | | previously, protein can be used to create energy, |
| First, we will need to define your goals. What do | | | | although not very efficiently. Protein contains 4 |
| you want to achieve from this program? Do you | | | | calories per gram. Although there are many |
| want to lose 20lbs, 50lbs or even 100lbs? Do you | | | | benefits to consuming protein, especially for |
| want to gain 20, 50 or 100 lbs? It really doesn't | | | | bodybuilders and people wishing to increase lean |
| matter how crazy your goals may seem now. I | | | | body mass, it is important to realize that protein |
| assure you that if given the proper amount of | | | | is only a piece of the nutrition puzzle. Only paying |
| time, any goal is within your reach! Just write | | | | attention to your protein intake and neglecting |
| down the first few things that come to your | | | | other areas of your nutritional plan, will guarantee |
| mind. Next to each one of your goals, write what | | | | that you will not achieve your fitness goals. |
| your motivation for attaining them is? | | | | Carbohydrates |
| Maybe you want to look good for a wedding. Or | | | | Carbohydrates also serve many functions in the |
| perhaps you have been ordered by a doctor to | | | | human body. Carbohydrates are the main source |
| loose weight or else! Now I realize that this may | | | | of energy for the human body, especially during |
| seem like a very unimportant part of the | | | | high-intensity exercise. Carbohydrates regulate fat |
| equation, but I speak from experience when I | | | | and protein metabolism, as well as providing the |
| say, no goal will ever be achieved unless you can | | | | exclusive energy source for the nervous system. |
| understand exactly why it is important to you. | | | | Carbohydrates, like protein contain 4 calories per |
| Nobody else needs to know what makes you | | | | gram. |
| tick, but in order for you to achieve success at | | | | Fats |
| anything in life, you must master this step. | | | | Fats are responsible for maintaining proper brain |
| Nutrition 101 | | | | function as well as supplying energy to the body. |
| Now that you're on the track to success, you will | | | | The main responsibility of fats in the human body |
| need to learn what components make up a | | | | is to provide a constant supply of energy. |
| successful nutritional plan. Bear with me as I | | | | Because the body must be prepared for times |
| explain the basics of nutrition. Everything that you | | | | when energy consumption is minimal, the human |
| eat is made up of calories. Calories are fuel for | | | | body tends to place a supply of fat on the body |
| the body. Calories are responsible for providing | | | | for later use. This is also why it can be difficult to |
| fuel for the body to do everything from basic | | | | lose body fat after it has been stored there. |
| body functions to more advanced functions like | | | | When you try to lose fat, you are actually |
| muscle contraction and exercise. So basically, | | | | working against your bodies instincts. |
| calories are energy. It is extremely important to | | | | Dietary fats have taken a bad rap in recent years |
| be able to accurately estimate your body's caloric | | | | due to the amount of publicity given to obesity |
| needs. | | | | and heart disease. The most important thing to |
| BMR | | | | remember here, is that saturated fats and |
| The most accurate method for estimating your | | | | trans-fatty acids are bad for the body and |
| caloric needs is a simple equation involving your | | | | unsaturated fats can be good for the body. |
| estimated body fat % and estimated activity | | | | Saturated fats come primarily from animal |
| level. This equation will lead you to your BMR or | | | | sources. Saturated fats are responsible for |
| basal metabolic rate. The value that you get for | | | | clogging arteries, elevating cholesterol and a slew |
| your BMR can be use to calculate your Total Daily | | | | of undesirable side effects. Saturated fats come |
| Expended Energy. Basically, your total daily | | | | primarily from meats and manufactured and |
| expended energy is the amount of fuel, (calories), | | | | processed foods. |
| needed to maintain the weight that you are | | | | Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated fats, |
| currently at, at the body composition that you | | | | "healthy fats", come from sources such as |
| are currently at. | | | | flaxseed, safflower, grapeseed and olive oils. |
| In order to lose weight, you must create a calorie | | | | Polyunsatuated fats serve as the building blocks |
| deficit. In order to gain weight, you must increase | | | | from which cells are produced. It is important to |
| your total caloric intake. | | | | consume an adequate amount of these "healthy" |
| Very simple, straight-forward stuff. | | | | fats for proper bodily function. |
| Now you have a place to begin. You will no longer | | | | Healthy or unhealthy, each gram of fat contains 9 |
| be guessing at how many calories you have to | | | | calories. |
| eat. You can calculate exactly how many your | | | | As you can see, fats are the most calorie dense |
| body needs and adjust from there. | | | | nutrient, more than doubling up on carbohydrates |
| In order to calculate you basal metabolic rate and | | | | and protein. Because of this, it is important to not |
| your total daily expended energy, simply plug in | | | | only limit your consumption of fats to avoid an |
| your estimated % body fat and lean body mass | | | | excess of calories, but also to make sure to eat |
| in kg, into the Katch-Mcardle formula. | | | | primarily "healthy" types of fats. |
| BMR = 370+(21.6 x Lean Body Mass kg) | | | | Vitamins and Minerals |
| Now select your estimated activity multiplier from | | | | Vitamins and minerals are often overlooked |
| the table below. | | | | components of any nutritional plan. Vitamins are |
| Activity Muiltipliers | | | | responsible for promoting growth and maintaining |
| Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk | | | | health. Minerals are essential for normal cellular |
| job) | | | | function. Together vitamins and minerals create an |
| Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports | | | | environment primed for optimum performance. |
| 1-3 days/wk) | | | | Although not very exotic, vitamins and mineral |
| Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise | | | | supplements, when consistently taken, can bolster |
| sports 3-5 days/wk) | | | | your immune system, increase your energy levels |
| Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports | | | | and promote overall body function and health. I |
| 6-7 days/wk) | | | | personally do not believe that you need to break |
| Extra active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise | | | | the bank here, when looking for a good vitamin/ |
| sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e | | | | mineral supplement. Many excellent vitamin/mineral |
| marathon, contest etc.) | | | | supplements are on the market today for a |
| After you have established your BMR and | | | | fraction of what they would have cost you 5-10 |
| selected you activity multiplier from the chart | | | | years ago. |
| above, simply multiply your activity multiplier by | | | | Water |
| your BMR. This value is your total daily expended | | | | Water is the last of the six nutrient classes |
| energy. From here, you will need to apply a little | | | | discussed here, but certainly not the least. Water, |
| bit of skill in order to adjust your value to achieve | | | | makes up roughly 60% of the human body. Do I |
| your goals. For most people, if your goal is to lose | | | | really need to explain any further? Water serves |
| weight, you will need to adjust you caloric intake | | | | as the lubricant by which body function is driven. |
| down from the TDEE value somewhere between | | | | With out enough water, you will die. At the very |
| 5 and 20%. If your goal is to gain muscle mass, | | | | least, without consuming enough water throughout |
| then you will need to gradually increase your | | | | the day, you will certainly not be able to reach |
| caloric intake. Again I would recommend making | | | | your fitness/ health goals. It is recommended that |
| any changes to your TDEE value gradually. | | | | training athletes consume a minimum of 24 oz of |
| Generally speaking, an increase of 5-25% is | | | | water per hour of exercise. Regardless of your |
| typically a good place to start. | | | | goals, I personally believe that a minimum of 1 |
| Before we go any further, it is critical that you | | | | gallon of water per day should be the goal. |
| realize a few important functions of the human | | | | Conclusion |
| body. The more fuel you eat, (calories), the more | | | | Hopefully, you have gained a better understanding |
| energy your body will be able to expend. The | | | | of the important role that nutrition plays in |
| human body is a very complex organism. You | | | | achieving your fitness goals. You simply can't |
| must eat the right amount of calories to fuel your | | | | neglect this area of your program, without |
| daily activity or your body, as clever as it is, will | | | | consequences. To briefly recap, establish your |
| begin to store as many of the calories that you | | | | maintenance calorie needs. After you have |
| eat as body fat. This is not what you are looking | | | | established this value, take a look at your goals. If |
| for, unless you see a future in sumo wrestling | | | | your goal is to lose weight, realize that you must |
| down the road. | | | | create a calorie deficit. You will need to expend |
| So, what really happens when your caloric intake | | | | more energy than you are consuming. The only |
| is too low? Your body, going back to the | | | | two ways to accomplish this are to increase you |
| prehistoric days will revert to the flight or fight | | | | activity levels via cardiovascular exercise to burn |
| mode. Not knowing when it's next meal will come, | | | | more calories, or to eat fewer calories. If your |
| your body will attempt to store any and all of | | | | goal is to gain weight, you will need to increase |
| your calories as body fat for future use, after all | | | | your caloric intake. Typically, you will want to |
| it may not eat again for days. This is one of the | | | | continue to live an active life, including |
| basic reasons that starvation diets rarely work. | | | | cardiovascular exercise. In order to increase this |
| Not only will you more than likely gain weight, but | | | | value enough to see a measurable difference, you |
| your body will begin to canabolize itself and try to | | | | will need to gradually increase your caloric intake |
| turn protein (muscle mass), into energy. This | | | | over time. Typically 500 to 1000 extra calories |
| conversion process is one of the most inefficient | | | | per day, should get you headed in the right |
| ways for your body to generate energy. You in | | | | direction. If you are happy with where you |
| turn, will feel the effects of this inefficiency as | | | | currently are, simply eat enough calories to match |
| you begin to feel groggy and tired all of the time. | | | | your maintenance level. |