Healthy eating tips can help lose weight

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

Weight loss and fitness information today is abundant and easily accessible. However, there are more and more people who are getting even more confused about proper nutrition. Each diet contradicts with one another. I know it can get very confusing.   I will provide you with a great guideline to help you lose weight. These are a few of the basic, yet extremely effective, tips I use with my clients to help them maximize their time in the gym and help them maximize their lives. Remember though, this information stays to be just “information” — it becomes knowledge when it is implemented. Let me simplify it for you. Rule No. 1: Eat smaller meals throughout the day.  Ideally, try to eat a smaller meal every 31⁄2 hours everyday.  Not only will you feel less hungry, but it will help boost your metabolism by constantly supplying your body with the adequate amount of “energy.”  Stay away from eating three larger meals and start eating smaller meals throughout the day.  Rule No. 2: Consume enough high quality protein every day.  Protein (such as chicken) has a higher thermic effect than carbs and fat.  What does it mean to you?  Your body has to burn extra calories to break down your protein into smaller amino acids. Plus, it will keep you satisfied a lot longer compared to carbs.  In addition, protein is needed to build and maintain lean muscle. How much do you need? It depends on too many factors individually. Any program that just gives you a certain number of protein grams or calories without knowing anything about you is wrong. Rule No. 3: Time your foods out appropriately. This is a huge focal point for my clients. The role of carbs is energy. The role of protein is to repair, build and maintain muscle tissue. Why do we eat loads of carbs (pasta, breads, fruit, etc.) in the evening? Most Americans eat enough carbs at night to play four quarters of a football game — plus overtime — but we’re just going to sleep. Eat your energy source in the early parts of your day. As the day goes on, eat more protein-focused meals. Rule#4: Avoid refined sugars and refined grains. One of the biggest reasons we are so overweight is because of the amount of sugar intake that we consume every year (Yes. That means to put your soda down). High sugary food/drink intake can cause your blood sugar to spike up, causing your body to stop producing another hormone called glucagon.  Glucagon is a releasing hormone that is responsible for releasing body fat to be utilized as energy. However, when you consume too much sugar, your glucagon production is discontinued.  I am not a nutritionist, and I do not claim to know everything. However, I focus a huge portion of my life studying how the body functions and implement these techniques on a lot of people everyday. Combine these points with a progressive full body strength exercise regimen — and you will see results. To learn more, e-mail me at ryan@ptsfit.com. Or check out our website at www.ptsfit.com.