Spring Break!!!

iolllloi
Thu, 17 Mar 2005 19:20:50 +0000

What to Eat

This is simple. Eat good foods.

Protein:


Fish: Salmon, Tuna, Cod
Eggs
Chicken breasts
Cottage cheese
Milk protien isolates
Whey-casein blends
Lean Red Meat


Carbohydrates:


Vegetables
Mixed beans
Low-GI fruits
Oatmeal/Oat bran
Mixed-grain bread
Small amounts of protein-enriched pasta


Fats:


Flax oil
EPA/DHA
Olive oil
Mixed nuts
Fish oil


Foods to Avoid

Proteins:


Fatty meats
Fatty dairy
Most lunch meat
Large amounts of milk
Large amounts of soy


Carbohydrates:


Regular bread
Added sugar
Most cereals
Soda
Fruit juice
Bagels
Fruit bars
Candy


Fats:


Margarine
Vegetable oil
Corn oil
Heated/fried oil


Fat loss 101

Losing fat is the easiest physiological process of all. It’s very simple and straight forward, it will also be the most challenging for a majority of the population. Let’s begin with the most important aspect of fat loss, calories. A note about calorie calculators: They suck. They are NOT meant to be followed exactly. In fact, for the most part, they actually do suck. For example, for me a lot of calculators give me 4000 calories to diet on. This is the same for a lot of people. One must realize that any calories given in ANY article, including this newbie thread, are STARTING POINTS. You MUST re-assess weekly or every 2 weeks.

Another note - the goal of losing fat should be 1-2 lbs a week. Anymore than this, unless assisted or obese, and you will be losing muscle in the process.

First, the basics:

Calories: Set calories to begin with at 11 to 12 times your bodyweight. This means if you weigh 200 pounds, eat 2200 to 2400 calories per day to start.

Protein: Set protein at 1-1.5g per pounds of bodyweight. More is not neccesarily better, but it does not hurt. I personally diet on 1.5g per pound of bodyweight. Protein is THE most important macronutrient during a diet. It is also the macronutrient that will most favorably change body composition.

Fat: Set fat at 25% of total calories. One can stress about the ratios of fat, but a good, general way to get adequate fat is to simply eat some eggs, lean red meat, take 3-6g of fish oil, and take some olive or flax oil.

Now, for the individual part. The rest of the diet needs to be filled based on what you think you’ll do well on. In general, those who feel great on low carbs feel like **** on a more carb based diet, and vice versa.

If you’ve never dieted before: Fill the rest of the diet up with carbohydrates. This ensures a basic, straightforward, balanced diet that allows you to assess on what you’ll do better on. Note: there is no physiological difference in fat loss between a carb based diet vs. a low carb diet.

If you know what you’re doing, fill the rest of the diet up with what you know you’ll do better on. This could be all fat, a mix of carbs/fat, etc.

It is very important to take a break off dieting for 2 weeks every 4-6 weeks of dietng. The fatter you are the more you can diet without a break. A general guideline would be: 15% and below - 2 week break after every 4-6 weeks of dieting. 20-25% - 2 week break every 6-10 weeks of dieting. 30% and above - 2 week break after every 8-12 weeks of dieting.

Honestly, don’t expect that much of a difference in two weeks. No miracle pills can make that happen. But reevaulate your health goals and try to make a concious effort to stay fit in the long run, for yourself.

good luck