Quick Fat Loss Tips to Help you for the New Year

Everyone is trying to achieve their "new body" for the New Year. Today, I am going to give some quick tips to always keep in mind when you are trying to lose that excess fat!

• Never Skip Meals! 
• Exercise Daily
• Maximize the thermogenic effect by keeping protein levels up, increasing activity, and taking supplement factors. (Refer to another one of my post on this subject)
• Vigorous resistance training will maintain or increase your lean body mass (muscle). Muscle burns calories, which means that, for every pound of muscle gained, you will be burning more calories and increasing the rate of fat loss.
• DO NOT DRASTICALLY REDUCE YOUR TOTAL FAILY CALORIC INTAKE!!! 
• Reduce fat intake to under 25% of total daily calories.
• Increase foods high in fiber and complex carbohydrates to help satisfy hunger.
• Avoid foods high in salt and fat, like all processed foods and snack foods.
• Eat fresh Foods.
• Avoid using heavy sauces on foods.
• Read food nutrition labels. Look for foods that have less than 2 grams of fat per 100 calories.
• Eat low fat protein foods.
• Use low fat protein supplements to help meet daily protein requirements.
• Eat egg whites as a snack to help reduce hunger pangs at night.
• Do not eat out daily and avoid eating fast foods. These foods are usually high in fat, salt, and calories.
• Eat plenty of vegetables.

Here are some basic tips to go by when constructing your plan for the New Year! Just remember that everything that you do in life that requires change is going to take time! Stay the course and believe that you can achieve the goals you have set!

Sport Specific Macronutrient Breakdown

A common question I get asked by customers/clients is about how much protein, fat, and carbs they are supposed to be intaking on a daily basis. Sometimes that question can be a little complicated to answer but for the most part there are formulas and ratios to go by for sport specific training. In this post I will break down the different sports and what the "normal" ratios are for macronutrient intake.

Each one of these percentages are for the athlete DURING their respective sport! The offseason macronutrients are a little different for each.

Nutritional Ratios of Selected Performance Eating Plans
Performance Nutrition Plan	Rationale
15% Fat 30% Protein 55% Carbohydrates	Anaerobic – Immediate Energy Sports. For individuals in sports where explosive strength and power is required, immediately available ATP and CP, anaerobic energy is used. Large muscles comprised of mostly fast twitch muscle fibers. High protein is required to maintain positive nitrogen balance and repair fragile fast twitch muscle fibers. Low fat, high carbohydrate intake is suggested, because these athletes utilize mostly muscle glycogen to replenish ATP and CP stores. Sports: Baseball, Boxing, Football, Gymnastics, Martial Arts, Swimming (Power/Sprint Events), Track and Field (Power/ Sprint Events) , Wrestling
20% Fat 25% Protein 55% Carbohydrates	Anaerobic Glycolytic Sports. For individuals in sports where explosive strength and power is required on a sustained, or highly repetitive basis. Muscle glycogen is a primary source of energy for these athletes. High protein is required to maintain positive nitrogen balance and repair fast twitch muscle fibers. Sports: Cycling-Sprint/Mid-Dist, Dancing (Power), Fitness (Power Exercisers), Golf, Hockey, Racket Sports, Rock Climbing, Soccer (Power Positions), Swimming (Mid-Distance Events), Track and Field (Mid-Distance Events), Volleyball
20% Fat 20% Protein 60% Carbohydrates	Anaerobic Glycolytic – Oxidative Glycolytic Sports. For individuals in sports where the aerobic pathway is the predominate energy source, but glycolysis is also relied upon. Fatty acids and muscle glycogen therefore become important energy sources. Moderate protein intake is required to maintain positive nitrogen fibers. This is a good daily nutrient intake for cross-training sports, or multi-energetic sports, as well for general health and fitness. Sports: Cycling - Long Dist, Dancing (stamina), Fitness (Mid-Distance Exercisers), Soccer (Mid-Distance Positions), Swimming (Long-Distance Events)
25% Fat 15% Protein 60% Carbohydrates	Oxidative Sports. For individuals in sports where oxidative endurance is required for long distance events. Slow twitch muscle fibers predominate. High carbohydrate is required to maintain glycogen stores. Endurance athletes utilize high amount of fatty acids for energy, therefore moderate dietary fat intake is warranted. Protein intake is lowest for this group of athletes. Sports: Fitness (Endurance Exercisers), Track and Field (Long Distance Events), Triathlon

The ratios listed above are great starting points for YOU to determine what works. Remember that EVERYONE is different and these exact ratios may not work with your performance standards. It is up to YOU to listen to your bodies signals and responses to training. Adjust according to how you are feeling. For example, someone looking to lose weight: This person has hit a plateau in losing a few lbs so now they believe they need to change everything, not the case at all! Just adjust your carbohydrates by 10g for a week and see where that takes you.

Just remember to not out think yourself when it comes to your food, that is when you get frustrated and you fall back into bad habits! If you have any questions just leave a comment! Thanks for reading!!!

Lipids and the Athlete

Athletic Significance of Lipids: 

• Essential fatty acids are required for growth, recovery, and overall health.
• Essential fatty acids are part of each cell, including muscle.
• Fatty acids are an important source of energy, especially for endurance athletes.
• Intake of saturated fats and cholesterol must be kept low to avoid development of coronary heart diseases. 
• Daily intake of fat metabolizing vitamin and mineral cofactors is necessary for efficient fat metabolism. 
• Omega 3 fatty acids and Gamma Linolenic Acid cause beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, act as moderators of inflammation, and play possible roles in improvement of strength and aerobic performance. 

Fats: The Most Misunderstood Macronutrient 

The term "Fat" has gained a bad rep in the nutrition world. Medical research has linked a diet high in saturated fats and cholesterol to many diseases, like cancers, coronary heart disease, and obesity. (think about that next time you eat fast a few times a week :) ) The fact remains, however, that certain fats are very essential to your health. It's really a matter of balance and habit of trimming down the total amount of fat in your diet.

The main problem with lipid intake in the diet is simple: we get too much total lipid, too much of the wrong kind of lipids, and not enough of the good lipids. The ultimate goal for the athlete will be keep total lipid intake below 30% of total daily calories or less, maximize the essential fatty acids and omega 3 fatty acids, and minimize saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. The main function of lipids are:

• To provide fuel; fatty acids are major fuel source during exercise.
• To provide insulation.
• To aid in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins.
• To act as an energy storehouse.
• To supple essential fatty acids.
• To provide protective padding for the body structures and organs.
• To serve as a component of all cell membranes and other structures.
• To supple building blocks for other biomolecules.

For the athlete, getting enough fat in the diet is usually not a problem. In fact, the opposite is more often the case. While fats are necessary for health, too many of the wrong kind of fats can have negative effects on the body and lead to certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Saturated fats and cholesterol are common culprits. (Always think in moderation! Understand you are never going to be perfect, but when you slip up, get right back on track) Of course, too much dietary intake of any fat can cause obesity. Most experts recommend a total dietary fat intake of less than 30% of the total daily calories. Some recommend keeping fats under 20%. Getting more of the right fats is therefore a major focus for sports and fitness nutrition. 

About the Different Lipids:

Lipids occur in both plants and animals but vary slightly in chemical composition. By definition, lipids are compounds soluble in organic solvents, but not in water. Mammal fats tend to be more saturated than fish oils and plant oils. The degree of hardness a fat displays at room temperature is an indication of how saturated the fats are. 

Major Lipids found in the diet and body:

• Triglycerides (consisting of glycerol and 3 fatty acids)
• Fatty Acids (saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated)
• Essential Fatty Acids (Linoleic, Alpha-Linolenic)
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids (EPA and DHA)
• Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA)
• Medium Chain Triglycerides
• Phospholipids 
• Lecithin
• Cholesterol

For our next post we will start breaking down the different kinds of fats!! Have a good day!

Special Concerns of Athletic Females

Nutrition for female athletes does not differ all too much from a male athlete on a pound for pound basis. However, female athletes are at higher risk for developing nutrition disorders. As the number of female athletes has increased during the 1980's and 1990's , medical professionals have noticed an increase in injuries and ailments. A frequently seen set of symptoms observed among female athletes, termed the "Female Athlete Triad", can have devastating effects to individuals who fall victim to it. Being aware of the reasons, cure and prevention of this syndrome is critical to all female athletes. 

The Female Athlete Triad is a disorder that occurs in female athletes, and is characterized by disordered eating & menstrual irregularities, which eventually can cause osteoporosis. Its early diagnosis is critical to prevent sever health risks. It seems that the onset of mestrual irregularities is the first warning sign. This is a common condition among female athletes, which historically has been thought to be a trivial occurrence. Medical researchers now consider this condition to be more serious. 

Who is at risk?

Poor nutrition combined with strenuous training is the root cause of the Triad. Inadequate nutrition practices create energy and essential nutrient deficiencies. This then leads to a poor state of health, which is typically associated with loss in body weight. This condition triggers menstrual irregularities to develop, which should be considered early warning signs of over-training and inadequate nutrition. Then, if the condition is allowed to persist, osteoporosis develops, which leads to increased risk of bone fractures. It seems that female athletes who are highest risk, participate in sports where nutrition deficiencies are common; i.e., distance running, cycling, and swimming; gymnastics; diving; figure skating; triathlon; dancing; rowing; martial arts; and other sports where weight control is involved as demanded by the sport or because of body image concerns. 

Disordered eating is not to be confused with eating disorders, such as anorexia or other psychiatric eating disorders. Beware that eating disorders do occur among female athletes and are another series problem to be aware of. However, disordered eating is abnormal eating patterns. It includes poor nutrition habits, eating the wrong foods (junk foods), unneeded or extreme dieting, and use of purgatives and laxatives for unhealthy weight control. This leads to an energy deficit, decreased metabolic rate, and reduced structure and function of the body. When disordered eating is combined with intense athletic training, it's easy to see how this deadly duo can lead to health problems, the first which includes menstrual irregularities. 

Measures That Can Be Taken To Prevent the Female Athlete Triad?

First and foremost a sound performance nutrition program must be strictly adhered to. This means eating the proper amounts of carbohydrates, protein and fats, over 5 to 7 meals per day, maintaining adequate fluid intake, and taking your supplements to insure intake of the essential macro and micronutrients, such as essential fatty acids, protein, vitamins, and minerals, especially calcium and magnesium. The major cause of osteoporosis. It is also good to practice to keep a training journal that documents your athletic life, including  medical history, medical exams, health problems, medication, nutrition logs, dietary supplement intake, sleep patterns, menstrual periods, behavior patterns, and training logs. This simple daily task, which only takes minutes a day, will prove to be extremely beneficial and result in improved performance and optimum health.

Thermogenesis: Increasing fat loss through diet

Thermogenesis occurs when the metabolic rate increases above normal. Thermogenesis, or the thermogenic effect, is activated by a few different mechanisms including nutrition, exercise, or exposure to cold (Don't advise going and standing in the cold :) ). Macronutrients have different effects on the thermogenic response. When food is ingested, the metabolic rate (energy used) increases above the fasting level. The rise is often referred to a specific dynamic action (SDA). In the case of protein, it is thought that thermogenesis occurs because the body much use energy to process protein, which is then used as building blocks for tissue growth and repair (Protein taking more energy to digest). Carbohydrates and fats function primarily as fuel, and are more efficiently metabolized, without much energy input. Therefore they have much lower thermogenic effect.

Being able to use thermogenesis through diet to your advantage is not hard to achieve! Everyone's fat loss diet is different but for the most part the breakdown of the macronutrients will be something around 50% Carbohydrates, 30-35% Protein, and 15-20% Fat per day. (Generally speaking your protein intake would be around 20% with either raising your Carbs up about 5%. But more often than less you take calories away from fat and add to protein) Increasing your protein at the 30-35% mark will bring you anywhere from 1.5-2.5g of protein per body weight (normally, the rule of thumb is to be a 1g of protein per body weight).

Now that you have the macro's broken down, you need to be able to split up the protein accordingly throughout the day. The most important meal of the day for a fat loss diet is BREAKFAST!!! (breakfast is the most important for any goal really, but thats for another post) Breakfast is going to be used to jumpstart the "engine that burns inside" (metabolism) which sets the tone for your thermogenesis throughout the day! You are going to want to have about 25% of your daily protein during this meal!! Also, we cannot neglect the other macros fats (natural almond butter, fats from eggs (not too many), olive oil, coconut oil, along with many others you can look up on google), complex carbs (oatmeal, ezekiel toast, whole wheat toast), and last but not least SIMPLE CARBS (fruits, jams, and jelly).

What we achieved in this post is to properly help you start your breakfast for individuals looking to lose weight. Take these EASY and SIMPLE rules and see the change in your appetite, metabolism, and your appearance. Obviously you need to be consistent with this concept and eat a clean for the other 4-5 meals. But this is a great way to start!

As always, please comment if you have any questions!!!

Understanding Macronutrients

Macronutrients are nutrients that are required daily in large amounts, and are thought of in quantities of ounces and grams. They include carbohydrates, protein, lipids, and water. Macronutrients supply the body with energy and serve as the building blocks for growth and repair. Macronutrients occur in all foods and vary in proportion.

Carbohydrates and lipids are the macronutrients primarily used to provide the body with energy. Proper energy substrate intake is important to balance energy expenditure and maintain desired body composition and performance. Energy requirements vary with age, activity, and foods eaten. Daily energy requirements can range from 1,700 to over 6,000 calories per day.

Carbohydrates yields 4 calories per gram
Protein yields 4 calories per gram
Fat yields 9 calories per gram
Alcohol yields 7 calories per gram
Water yields 0 calories per gram

In the past, it was assumed that all calories supplied by nutrients were metabolized the same way and that their total calories content was equally used for energy. In recent years, scientists have determined that energy content of different macronutrients may vary slightly in the body depending upon the relative proportions of the other macronutrients present in the diet, the type of macronutrient, the presence of vitamin and mineral cofactors, the level of hydration, and the physical conditioning of the body.

      *Side Note: The paragraph above should let you know that one specific diet is not for everyone!
                          The dieting world is FULL of fad diets that put a lot of false information in dieter's                               heads to lure them in for MONEY!! The main reason why the diet industry is so                                   wealthy is due to people constantly coming out with a new diet to help you lose the                             weight but they never once tell you how to maintain your weight loss. Basically,                                   understand YOU are going to have different needs than Sue or Bob from the gym.                               Seek advice from someone who has a nutritional background, and do not get your                                 knowledge from the next fad on the internet.

Protein is considered a protected nutrient the body reserves its use for the synthesis of tissues and molecules instead of energy instead of using ingested protein and protein that makes up muscle tissue. In fact, a thermogenic response has been detected in response to eating diets high in protein. Having said that, high protein diets are not for everyone. The rule to thumb is consuming 1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass (LBM).

Next post we will go more into the thermogenic process that you can create with your diet! Remember to comment if you have any questions, concerns, or have anything different. Also, feel free to Facebook message if want to discuss an issue in private. Have a great day everyone!!

Digestion Of Carbohydrates

Chemical digestion of carbohydrates begins immediately in the mouth by enzymes present in the saliva. In the stomach, long chains of glucose that make up starch are further broken down. The stomach has some capacity to allow glucose into the bloodstream, which is beneficial to endurance athletes drinking glucose drinks during exercise to promote glycogen sparing. Once in the intestines, glucose and fructose absorption occurs at their respective rates, glucose being taken up faster than fructose. When complex carbohydrates are eaten, alone or with sugars, short chains of glucose polymers in the intestines slowly release glucose for an hour or two. This provides a prolonged supply of glucose in the intestines slowly release glucose for an hour or two. This provides a prolonged supply of glucose to the bloodstream as well as a nutritional energy that spares and replenishes muscle glycogen. 

When compares to protein and fat, carbohydrates are more quickly released from the stomach to the intestines. The more protein and fat present in the diet, the longer the stomach will take to empty. Logically, before and during exercise it makes sense to eat and drink foods very high in carbohydrates to advantage of this process. Again, this is where special sports nutrition drinks play an important part of increasing performance nutritionally. 

Looking for a carbohydrate supplement to help you replenish the carbs for after your workout?!

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• Quickly Hyper-Loads Muscle Tissue With Glycogen To Support Performance, Endurance & Recovery!*
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A Bio-Engineered High-Performance Carbohydrate

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