Step by Step Tools for developing a Nutrition Plan that is tailored for you. Remember that everyones bodies react differently so use this as your starting point & try it out for a month. Then adjust as needed depending on how your body reacts and if you are getting the results you want.
STEP 1: Use these Equations to calculate your Daily Caloric intake, Protein intake, Carbohydrate Intake, and Fat Intake.
Calories to maintain bodyweight… (increase/decrease if your goal is to gain/lose weight)
- Mesomorphs – bodyweight x 15.
- Ectomorphs – bodyweight x 16-17.
- Endomorphs – bodyweight x 13-14.
Protein to maintain muscle… (4g per calorie)
- Mesomorphs – 1.2g/lb – 1.3g/lb.
- Ectomorphs – 1.4g/lb – 1.6g/lb.
- Endomorphs – 1.4g/lb – 1.5g/lb.
Fats for hormone balance… (9g per calorie)
- Mesomorphs – 17% – 23% of total calories.
- Ectomophs – 24%-28% of total calories.
- Endomorphs – 23%-28% of total calories
Carbohydrates for energy… (4g per calorie)
- TOTAL CALORIES - (PROTEIN + FATS) = CALORIES OF CARBOHYDRATES
STEP 2: Develop a Timed-Efficient Meal Plan which involves eating every 2.5-3 hours
Eating 6 meals a day is not strict enough. Timing is everything when it comes to dieting. Carbohydrates release insulin which blocks cortisol release, so they make sure our muscle is not converted into energy. Carbs save our muscles! That is why it is crucial to eat certain things at certain times based on our workout schedule. Here is how your Carb intake should be spaced out:
- Breakfast (within an hour of waking) – 15%
- 1.5-2 hours pre-workout – 35%
- During workout – whey protein shake with multidextrose at 20%
- Within 30 minutes after your workout – food/shake at 25%
- TOTAL = 95% so the other 5% carb intake comes from veggies throughout the day
If you workout in the morning, then you should combine your 15% breakfast with 35% pre-workout meal. That way you are eating 50% of your daily carbs before your workout.
STEP 3: Incorporate a Re-Feed day every 6-12 days
Re-feed days mean you will be getting most of your caloric intake from Carbohydrates that day. It allows your body to create more Leptin levels which is a hormone that helps burn fat. If you are lean, it should be closer to the 6 day mark. If you are higher in body fat, it should be closer to the 12 day mark. The re-feed day should occur on a day you are working out a large body part aka Legs Day.
To calculate this, your Protein should be 1g/lb and your Fats should be low to none. The remainder comes from Carbohydrates which will be increased 50-100% compared to a normal day.
STEP 4: Print out this list of acceptable foods for a Healthy Diet
Protein:
- Tuna or most any fish.
- Cottage cheese.
- Eggs (especially the whites).
- Chicken breast (boneless skinless).
- Turkey breast (boneless skinless).
- Lean beef.
- Low fat or no fat cheese (cottage cheese).
- Low fat pork.
- Milk protein isolate.
- Whey protein.
- Soy protein.
- Essentially most any other source of protein so long as it is low in saturated fat and carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates:
- Sweet potatoes or yams.
- Oat meal.
- Brown rice.
- Quinoa
- Protein pancakes.
- Rice cakes.
- Wheat bread or Ezekiel Bread ( limit to 2 slices per day).
- Beans (black, lima, edamame, or kidney)
- Low fat popcorn.
- Fruits (limit to 2-3 servings per day).
- Malto dextrin (during workout).
- Dextrose (during workout)
- Vegetables (non-starchy: asparagus, carrots, cauliflower, celery, green beans, lettuce, peppers, onions, spinach, sprouts, squash, zucchini, tomatoes)
- Stay away from refined grains and anything that says “enriched” or “high fructose corn syrup” on the label!
Healthy Fats:
- Omega 3 capsules (i.e. fish oil capsules).
- Flax seed oil.
- Avocado.
- Olive oil.
- Unsalted Nuts (limit to 1 serving per day), peanut butter (as long as it does not contain hydrogenated oils).
- Egg yolks.
- Sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
- Fish (salmon especially).
- All other fat should come as a by-product of your carbohydrate and protein intake.
STEP 5: Choose which Supplements you will use
See my Supplements Guide
here for information on Shakes & Pills you may want to add to your diet to provide your body with all it needs to run optimally. My favorites are Protein shakes, Fish Oil, Multivitamin, and Green Tea pills.
Don’t forget about the most important one - WATER! Strive to drink 1-2 gallons a day. See why this is important
here. Coffee & Unsweetened Tea are also great. My favorite is adding Crystal Light into my water (especially the Energy ones).
STEP 6: Set aside 1-2 hours per week for Meal Prep
As I have mentioned before, we do most of our cooking Sunday nights: the chicken, ground turkey, tilapia, asparagus, and green beans. This is where Tupperware comes in handy to pack it all up for the week. Since I am always at work and boyfriend is always at school, it is easy to grab 3-4 Tupperware meals on our way out the door. Having your food with you also decreases the temptations to go out to eat or grab some food to-go when you are not at home. So I highly recommend doing this.
STEP 7: Get to the Gym
Eating healthy isn’t the only change that should be made. Make sure you are getting to the gym and optimizing all the energy and good foods you will now be providing your body! Remember that your body burns fat at around 65% of your Max HR (max heart rate).
Calculate 220-age to find your Max HR.
Multiply your Max HR by 0.65 to find out what heart rate you should be at during your Cardio sessions in order to use fat as your fuel source.
If burning fat is your goal, remember to include
HIIT (high-intensity interval training) into your workouts 2-3 days/week because it is proven to burn fat faster than any other form of exercise.
Reference: Dr. Layne Norton @
http://www.simplyshredded.com/layne-norton-the-most-effective-cutting-diet.html
