BODYBUILDING NUTRITION BASICS

Are you aware that 3500 calories is one pound of fat? If you want to lose one pound in a week, you have to cut out 3500 calories, so to lose five pound in a week, you have to cut out 17,500 calories.

But the thing is, the average person only takes in about 2000 calories a day, or 14,000 per week, and that is pretty much what it takes to sustain your health. In other words, to diet away five pounds in one week you can’t eat anything, ANYTHING, for the whole entire week, PLUS one day before AND one day after the week. An average daily food intake of 2000 calories would need nine days of zero, zip, nada, none, no food whatsoever to lose 5 pounds. The problem should be obvious at this point: You can’t just diet fat off. It takes more than diet.

So if you eliminate food, you’re in for a rough ride. Your body has this involuntary reaction which we refer to as hibernation, in bears. As good a name as any in people, but we usually call it metabolism. When the food stops coming in, your metabolism picks up on it and starts burning protein, which is your lean muscle. It’s 75% water, and is your first line of weight loss. You lose your water. You ever see body builders with their protein drinks and protein bars and protein powder? Lots of muscle there, isn’t there? But the next thing that your metabolism does is worse. It starts to burn carbohydrates, which means that your fat increases. You start to put more weight on!

Since you can’t diet off the weight then it stands to reason that you have to work on increasing your burn rate. Normally a diet gets you to take in fewer calories and what you burn slowly reduces your size. Actually, you are just losing water, and because 75% of your lean muscle protein is water, pretty soon you start to gain again. You are in hibernation. Your body has made a choice. Give up the protein, live off the carbs, and store as much fat as possible. Any food you take in is converted immediately to fat to help you through this period of starvation. Remember, a bear can sleep though an entire winter without eating.

One thing is for sure: Body Builders are mostly protein, and very little fat. They don’t eat a lot of Big Macs and Whoppers. They have a totally different diet with protein drinks and bars and shakes. They couple that with some simple exercises, and they control their metabolisms. If you like that sort of look, they are usually pretty hot, yet they eat like there won’t be food tomorrow. You have to control the burn rate, not the caloric intake.

By now you must understand that you can’t just diet and make fat go away, so you have to make a choice, a complete lifestyle choice. You want to lose weight? Start with a little exercise to get your metabolism kicked up. THEN start your diet. After that you increase your exercise. By starting after you have increased your metabolism, the whole thing will be more effective, and the pounds will come off faster and more easily. The lifestyle change is more likely to be permanent.

This isn’t about trying to sell you a product; it’s about what will be good for you. Wrap your head around the fact that you put your weight on because you don’t burn everything that you eat. You store some of it, and over time, that weight becomes your weight problem. Storage is driven by consumption, and consumption is mostly about water. Protein is 75% water. When you go on a diet, after you clear out the water you burn protein from your storehouse.

You can’t just diet fat off because your body will give away all of it’s protein to protect itself, so you start to live on carbohydrates- and gain weight. When you lower your food intake, you lose protein, and this loss lowers your burn rate.

Ifyour diet seems to be taking forever, consider that 3500 calories is one pound. Go ahead, come to my website at the link, or see my blog. There’s lots of articles and the blog has some interesting opinions as well.

Ray Fitz Fat Loss calories, carbs, diet, diet and exercise plan, fat, Fat Loss, Fitness, lifestyle change, lose fat, metabolism, pounds, protein, take off pounds, weight loss

Protein is an essential nutrient for the body, especially for the muscles. The general recommendation is an intake of around .3 grams of protein for each pound a person weighs. For athletes and bodybuilders, though, the requirement is higher because the body is working harder and demands more. The recommendation jumps from .3 to 1.25 grams for this group of people.

The total amount of protein intake is important, but equally important are the sources. Most people are able to get enough protein from their diet; but many athletes require supplements to meet their daily requirements for this nutrient. Protein supplements are usually made from four different sources. Each of these sources are different and athletes should choose according to their needs.

The four protein sources common in protein supplements are whey, soy, casein and egg. While some protein supplements are made from just one source, most often there will be protein from two of these sources in a given protein supplement.

Whey protein comes from milk. It is the most common choice in protein supplements. This type of protein is made up of nonessential and essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are not made by the body naturally and must come through diet. The body takes well to whey protein and will use it easily and safely. The only concern about whey protein is that it is not safe for those with a milk allergy or who are lactose intolerant. Concentrated whey protein is most often preferred as it more available and less expensive. Concentrated forms contain anywhere from 30 to 85% protein. The isolate forms will have about 90%, but are more expensive and harder to find. Whey protein helps to boost the immune system, provides amino acids and helps for quick muscle recovery and prevents muscle breakdown.

Soy protein is derived from soy flour. This is the most complete vegetable protein known and like whey protein, there are isolates and concentrated forms available; isolates are higher in protein but more expensive. Easily digestible, soy protein is suitable for everyone except for the small number of people who are allergic to soy. Soy protein can be added to foods easily and is beneficial in lowering blood cholesterol.

Egg protein comes from egg whites. It is fat free and very high in protein. It contains all the essential amino acids and is completely absorbed by the body. It is considered the best protein source. It should not be used by people who have egg allergies.

Casein is another protein derived from milk. Casein protein is digested more slowly than whey, which makes it a protein often combined with other, more quickly digester proteins. Casein protein is ideal for adding to pre-workout meals or before bed. As with whey protein, those with milk allergies should avoid casein protein.

When you’re shopping for protein supplements, always read the label to make sure that the protein sources used are suitable for your needs and that you can safely ingest. Protein supplements can be a great thing ” but make sure you choose well.

Mike Johnson Supplements bodybuilding, exercise, Fitness, health, lifestyle, muscle building supplements, muscle supplements, natural health supplements, Nutrition, protein, sports nutrition, Supplements, weight loss, weightlifting