Beginner's Guide to the Gym: NUTRITION

August 03, 2017 0 Comments

NUTRITION | Beginner's Tips:

Chew your Food Slow:

Sounds obvious I know, but just remember it's better for a couple reasons, like digestion; your saliva will start “pre-digesting” your food before it even hits the stomach, just think of it as Jeff Goldblum as “Brundlefly” in the Fly...except you aren’t vomiting up green goo all over a doughnut if front of your girl Veronica you later find out you impregnated and then kidnap her to make sure she carries your baby because it's the last remnant of your humanity...seriously go watch the Fly. Eating slow also lets your stomach send signals to the brain to let it know you’re full, through releasing a hormone called Leptin. It could take up to 15 - 20 minutes to feel the full effect of being full. So take your time dammit! Just try to savor every bite, like its your last.

Know your Macros:

Calories are calories, right? WRONG! There are certain metabolic effects caused by different calories and these calories come from different sources called, Macronutrients. There are 3 primary macros: Fats, Carbs and Protein. Fats = 9 calories per 1 gram which makes it the most energy dense of the macros but they also provide many other benefits such as, reducing bad cholesterol, protecting against cardiovascular disease and even helping lose weight. Carbs and Proteins = 4 calories per 1 gram. Let’s talk protein - these dudes are comprised of amino acids and are mostly known for building muscle, but also help in many other avenues like helping create enzymes and hormones. Oh, and protein also will help you feel more satiated - which is a fancy word meaning full. Carbs are not only the main energy source for the body but also provide energy for the brain. But watch those sugary carbs because your blood sugar levels can spike and your body will release insulin, making it easier to store fat and possibly cause diabetes by becoming insulin resistant. Okay enough doom and gloom - just make sure you eat whole healthy foods and remember, you are what you eat.

Portion Size:

Make a fist...now punch yourself, because you’ve likely been ignoring portion control. Ya know that fist that just punched you? That’s about the size of your stomach and it might be able to stretch a bit, but you need to be aware of how much you’re stretching that bad boy. Are you stretching it to just the right amount like, the hot girl in your gym stretching in her yoga pants, or are your stretching it like a douche bro with ILS wearing a shirt 3 sizes too small to look bigger? Point is, be aware of how much food you’re eating. Usually dinner plates are large and it's easy to try and fill them with food and eat it all. So, buy smaller plates, use your hand as a measuring tool and you can thank us later.

Why are you eating:

It might sound like a funny question, and you might answer it with “because i get hungry” or “to survive” and those are valid answers, but when you sit down and make a goal of a more specific reason why you’re eating I.E. Im eating to lose weight or gain muscle or build strength, you’ll be forced to figure out the amounts of total calories you require, and have the need to find out macro percentages that work best to your goal, and in the process learn what your body responds best to.

Keep it simple:

It's easy to want to jump on the most popular nutritional dieting trends, paleo, anal digestion, intermittent fasting, IIFYM, but before you go that route, try to get into a healthy habit and routine of eating whole healthy foods, training your self discipline and understanding what different foods do and how they affect you. Now we’re not saying never to try anything new, but maybe wait till you understand this whole nutrition thing a little more first.

Meal Prep:

Do it.

 

Helpful tool:

TDEE Calculator: https://tdeecalculator.net/

 

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