I get a lot of questions
and inquiries on a weekly basis through email & message boards. What
the common trend is—exercising isn’t a problem for a lot of people, its
diet. Either not eating enough, too much, and not the proper foods.
I don’t blame you….there is A LOT of confusion out there about what is
healthy, how much is too much (processed foods) and how much does a person
need?
First things first, you need to figure out how much calories you need in a day
based on activity. Here is a great calculator I like and find to be the
most efficient….
Now that you’ve got a number to work with, figure out what your goals
are—weight loss, weight gain or maintenance.
Studies show that in order to change body composition and maintain or gain a
little bit of muscle and get that lean look, you need approx. 1kg per pound of
body weight in protein per day. So if your 140lbs, you need 140g of
protein per day (*even 120g per day would be sufficient). Hence the 5-6
meals a day theory. 25g per meal for 5 meals = 125g. Your body can
only absorb 30-35g protein in a meal, so sticking to the smaller meal method
generally yields the best results.
The rest of your calories should be made up with veggies, complex carbs and
fruit, and don’t forget a bit of healthy fats to keep you satisfied. I
also understand that with a busy lifestyle, there needs to be a bit of
convenience and that whole foods aren’t always an option at every meal. I
tend to use salad dressing, protein shakes, certain protein bars (or
homemade–pre-prepped), microwaveable brown rice, whole grain wraps. You
just have to be a bit more careful with packaged foods as the calories add up a
lot faster.
I’m actually not a calorie counter often…. only if I really need to tighten
things up. Generally if I’m eating mostly whole foods its more difficult
to go over my calories. Majority of the time, I just go by my appetite.
