Back to the Basics
Have you ever dieted down and wondered why you can NEVER maintain the results? I find that most people can relate! It is important to remember that if this is you, you are not alone and it is a very common issue.
Most people choose a diet that eliminates a certain food group. This is a partial byproduct of the media selling fad diets and companies profiting off of them. People choose these fad diets, such as paleo, keto, high carb, no carb, vegan, vegetarian, or just a trial and combination of all of the above. While these may work short-term for some people they are not always the long-term resolution that most people need and are looking for.
Tips
The best fitness tip that most trainers can give, is to tell their clients to pick a diet that works for them. This means, allowing them to eat the foods they like while staying within a certain caloric and macronutrient range. When you tell somebody to never eat a certain food type again, it can promote an unhealthy relationship with food and can drive someone further away from what is likely to be sustainable lifestyle. For the masses, the key is to focus on covering the basics and not focusing on the minutia of specific foods.
The basic dietary focus for trainers should be to advise clients to stay below, be at, or go above caloric maintenance for each individual goal they have. For instance, if someone is trying to lose body fat, a coach should advise to simply focus on eating less than is burned. This will result in a net calorie deficit which will then cause gradual fat loss.
On the other hand, you can put muscle on by implementing a calorie surplus. Consuming slightly more than you burn over the course of time, allows for muscle gain. That being said, muscle gain is not the only thing that comes with a calorie surplus. Even with a very moderate calorie surplus, fat gain will still occur over a period of time.
As a result, many coaches should advise their clients to vary between a surplus and a deficit. This process is switching between the gaining and fat loss phases. It should only be done infrequently, as not sticking to one diet phase will provide a lack of results overall. The extent that calories are above or below maintenance, should be adjusted based on progress and the individual.
Proteins, Carbohydrates, & Fats
Protein is the building block of food and greatly assists with gaining muscle. Protein is an essential macronutrient that helps build muscle, repair tissue, and make enzymes and hormones. Using protein powder may aid weight gain and help people tone their muscles. With the array of protein powders available on BulkSupplements.com you can choose one to incorporate into your routine.
Carbohydrates are a great source of fuel/glycogen for the muscle. They also provide great anabolic opportunities, especially for those who consume them with a weight training regimen. One that you can incorporate into your lifestyle, that can be added to pre- and post-workout shakes, is Maltodextrin. It is easily digestible and is absorbed rapidly by the body as it is proceeded from vegetable starch.
Fats are a calorically dense macronutrient and also help maintain regular hormone levels. Remember to moderately consume your healthy fats like avocado, dark chocolate, and eggs for sustainable and well balanced nutrition.
Guide for how much to eat
For muscle-gaining purposes, and for most individuals, fats should make up about twenty to thirty percent of the diet.
Protein should be around one gram per pound of lean body mass. For instance, if you are a lean individual at 200 pounds, you should roughly consume 200 grams per day.
The greatest percentage of your diet should be filled in with carbohydrates.
As stated earlier, the amount of calories on a daily basis is dependent on the individual and the goal. You can adjust your calories based on what results you see using a calculator online. Usually, clients should weigh themselves daily upon waking for accurate measurements. To equate the average weight of the week you can add these weekly and divide by seven.
Things to Avoid
The only thing that science and people all agree upon is that alcohol is bad for you. Alcohol hinders sleep and muscle growth, as well as promotes fat gain. In fact, alcohol equals about 7 calories of fat per gram. Because of this alone, people should understand that they are better off eating whatever they want, and going slightly above their caloric intake than drinking alcohol. The act of drinking provides no nutritional value to your body is any way. If you do choose to drink alcohol, make sure that you hydrate and stay within your limits!
In summary, simply choosing to focus on macronutrients and calories is the bread and butter of fitness. Covering that is going to yield almost all the results, especially for the average person seeking out a meal plan. A client can work out all day and take all of their supplements, but if they are eating too much or too little, they will not be able to achieve their goals.
The average person is much more likely to stick to a simple diet and sustain their results when the diet is feasible to a normal lifestyle. When a coach specifies exact target macro and calorie goals, a client has the freedom to eat what they want but is also covering all the basics. People do not need more complex answers, they need the fundamentals which will help them succeed and continue their plan without making drastic changes. I advise anyone and everyone to focus on caloric intake and macronutrients first, and when you master that start thinking about the smaller variables.
With my guidance and 500+ supplements available at your fingertips on BulkSupplements.com you can start your journey confidently! You can follow me @AJZiggy1818 on IG for any coaching needs, and also get 5% off your first order of Maltodextrin or any protein powder by using my code Andreas5!