Nutrition 101          By Robin Lyons

As a Personal Trainer, what I know and have come to understand is that beginners trying to lose body fat don't need me to take them through an advanced fat loss program in order to get results. If you're fat, you're fat, and following an advanced training program won't necessarily speed up the process. All they really need to do is move.

The same can be said about introducing nutrition. Many new clients are quick to ask how often they should be taking their protein shakes, what kind of carbohydrates to eat or what advanced supplements they should take. However, all they really need to do is focus on some basic guidelines.

One of the hardest things to do as a Personal Trainer is to get new clients to understand that what they eat and how much they eat it plays a significant role in their overall progress. There's nothing new or revolutionary discussed in this article. Matter of fact, it's about as basic as you can get. But for most people, that's all they need!

Let's Begin

Not a day goes by where I don't hear one of the following: "I eat really well”, “My diet is fine", "I am eating what you told me."

The reality is that most people aren't making good nutritional choices and most have no idea what they're putting into their systems. If you're eating so well, then why are you 20 pounds overweight? If your diet is so flawless, then why do you always feel lethargic and have low energy? If you make such great nutritional choices, why haven't you, while standing, been able to see your shoe laces in over five years.

You Have No Idea

Most people have no idea what they're eating or how much. Numerous data has shown that people tend to under-report how much they really eat. A simple solution is to start measuring your portion sizes. When you visually see 3oz of chicken on a scale you will find that your 7 oz chicken breast is too much. Record you daily eating habits in a journal for a week. Then make adjustments with portion sizes and food selection.

What Most People Will Find

1. They are eating more grains/starches than they think. This isn't a bad thing per se; carbohydrates have a time and place. I'm not a "carb phobe," but most people would be wise to limit their grains and starches, especially if fat loss is one of your main goals. What a lot of beginners don’t know is that wheat influences blood sugar levels the same way as plain table sugar! Replace grains with greens!

2. People are not eating nearly as much fruit as they think they are. The darker the fruit the better it is for you. Dark fruits tend to have very thin skin ( hence they need to produce more anti-oxidants to protect themselves from the sun) That’s is why darker fruits are great anti inflammatory foods

3. People are not eating nearly as many vegetables as they think they are. Vegetables are classified as “fibrous carbs” which typically have low carbohydrate content. The inherent high fiber brings about a very moderate insulin response, making fiber an ideal fat loss food. One lettuce leaf on your sandwich doesn't count as a serving, folks!

4. People are not eating as much meat (protein) as they think they are. I'm a firm advocate of high(er) protein diets, especially for fat loss and body re-composition.

5. People are eating more fats, oils, and sweets than they think they are. We are quick to forget about the cookie here and a pizza slice or two there… this quickly adds up to be an extended waist line. On the contrary, I feel that dietary fat is an integral component of a fat loss diet. Reducing overall carbohydrate intake and replacing it with quality fats (i.e. Fish Oil, Olive Oil, etc.) will rebuild your body as a fat burning machine.

Rules to Follow

The goal now (not tomorrow, not next week, now) is to just make better food choices and improve your daily eating habits. There's no need to get cute or technical with things. There's no need to count calories daily, nor is there any need to worry about macronutrient percentages.

Instead, I want you to follow these simple rules for the next six to twelve months. In doing so, I can guarantee you'll feel and look better.

1. Eat Breakfast Every Day!

This is simple. There's no excuse not to eat breakfast every day. It takes no more than two minutes to whip up a bowl of oatmeal or blend a protein shake with a piece of fruit. Anyone who says they don't have time to make breakfast in the morning is being flat-out lazy and just doesn't want to make the effort to change. Get up fifteen minutes earlier if you have to.

Studies show that people who eat breakfast on a consistent basis tend to be significantly leaner than those who don't. Additionally, breakfast is a great way to stunt the release of cortisol (a hormone that tells your body to store fat). Start each day with breakfast, no excuses.

2. Eat Lean Protein With Every Meal

Protein has the greatest Thermic Effect of Feeding (TEF) compared to fats and carbohydrates combined, which translates to more calories being burned during digestion.

Additionally, protein provides essential (and non-essential) amino acids, which are the building blocks of precious lean muscle. Protein also takes longer to digest which will give you a greater feeling of satiety and prevent hunger pangs.

3. Eliminate Calorie Containing Beverages

Alcohol is basically a poison to the body, and when it's ingested the body's main objective is to get rid of it. Fat loss is impossible or at least stunted when alcohol is present in the body. The liver must metabolize and excrete all the alcohol before it can process carbohydrates, proteins and fats eaten that day.

I'm not saying a glass of wine here and there is a bad thing, but I will say that if your goal is fat loss, alcohol should be limited (if not eliminated entirely).

Other beverages on the hit list:

Soda: Nothing but sugar and/or artificial sweeteners

Fruit juice: Highly processed and devoid of the "good stuff" (fiber)

By eliminating calorie containing beverages from your daily diet, you're essentially reducing your daily caloric intake by quite a bit, which will equate to fat loss.

Rule of thumb: Drink at least a gallon of water per day if you're a woman, 1.5 to 2 gallons if you're a man. A great way to judge if you're drinking enough water is the color of your urine. It shouldn't be yellow; it should be clear with a hint of off-yellow tone. If it isn't, you're not drinking enough water.

4. Ingest Vegetables and/or Fruit Every Time You Eat

Remember, that lone leaf of lettuce you have on your sandwich doesn't count. You need to be eating vegetables and/or fruit with every meal and plenty of them.

Sadly, that leaf of lettuce is the most vegetables people will ingest in their diet... and they will typically get it from cheeseburgers…

Various fruits and vegetables offer a plethora of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and fiber. Buying fresh fruits and veggies will undoubtedly provide a fuller flavor compared to frozen, but in the end just eat them and quit being so stubborn.

5. Save "Starchy" Carbs For After You Train

Use your carbs, don't wear them. When it comes to starchy carbohydrates (pasta, rice, and potatoes), your best bet would be to save them for only after you train. Please read that again. Save your starchy carbs for only after you train (which for most is three to four times per week). The rest of the day, focus on protein, veggies/fruit, and healthy fats.

After you train, your body will actually put those carbohydrates to good use: replenishing depleted glycogen stores, aiding with shuttling nutrients to muscle cells, and shutting down cortisol production (a very catabolic hormone which breaks down muscle). Your body will handle the carbs much more effectively in the hours after a workout than at any other time during the day, so save them for that time only.

6. Eat Fat

Let's say this together: dietary fat does not make me fat. We need to focus on the quality of the fats we eat, not necessarily the quantity.

There are three types of fat — saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Eating all three kinds in a healthy balance can dramatically improve your health and even help you lose fat. Sounds like an oxymoron (you need to eat fat to lose fat), but when you concentrate on the "good" fats, that's what happens.

Your saturated fat should come from animal products. You can even toss in some butter or coconut oil for cooking. Your monounsaturated fat should come from mixed nuts, olives, and olive oil. Your polyunsaturated fat should come from flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, fish oil, and mixed nuts.

Avoid trans fats and hydrogenated oil at all costs!

7. Have 10% Foods

Dr. Berardi (Specialist in Nutrition) has stated numerous times that 100% nutritional discipline is never required for optimal progress. The difference in results between 90% adherence to your nutritional program and 100% adherence is negligible. This is one concept I have found true with clients of mine who chose to change their nutrition intake.

Weekends tend to be the time when people are tempted to stray from their normal eating habits. As long as you're strict 90% of the time, those three slices of pizza you ordered on Friday night won't be the end of your success. Planned cheat meals are actually quite beneficial to fat loss in general and have actually been shown to help people get out of their fat loss plateau.

Just make sure you do the math and determine what 10% of the time really means. For example, if you're eating five meals per day for seven days of the week, that's 35 meals total though out the week. Ten percent would equate to four meals (we’ll round up!). Therefore, you're allowed to extend out of your nutritional guidelines with four meals each week.

8. Food Preparation is Key

The hardest part about eating well is making sure you can follow the rules above consistently. I can't stress enough how important food preparation is for your success. This should be your first priority!

It takes time and discipline to prepare the foods you need to be eating. Sure, it's more convenient to order fast food rather than cooking a few chicken breasts and steamed veggies for dinner. But we are talking about your health, performance and appearance. Preparation should never be a hindrance.

Cooking and preparing meals ahead of time will ensure that you're eating the right foods and not eating for convenience. If the good food is already there in your fridge, you're less inclined to eat the bad stuff. Make a grocery list every week and go shopping for all the foods you'll need to succeed.

What to Shop For

Try to stick to the outer perimeter while grocery shopping. This is where your fresh produce, meats, and dairy are located. Don't shop in the middle aisles. With a few exceptions, all your grocery shopping should be done on the outer isles of the grocery store.

Here are some middle isle exceptions: tuna, old fashioned rolled oats, beans (no added sugars), some whole grain pastas, spices, brown rice, mixed nuts, natural peanut butter.

Some Food For Thought

· If your food has a wrapper or a box, chances are it isn't good for you.

· If your food has ingredients you can't say, chances are it isn't good for you.

· If your food has a big label that says “Fat Free” or “Sugar Free”, chances are it isn't good for you.

· If your food comes pre-seasoned, chances are it isn't good for you.

Wrap-Up

The above recommendations represent how I approach nutrition with the bulk of my own clients. With a few exceptions, most just need some basic structure of what, when, and how to eat for their first six months to a year of training. There's no need to worry about percentages or how often one should re-feed, or what supplements he or she should be taking.

Keep it basic, newbies!