NUTRITION GUIDE
LEARN ALL THE MAJOR DO'S & DON'T'S YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHEN IT COMES TO DIETING & NUTRITION + ALL OF YOUR POTENTIAL FAQ'S ASKED & ANSWERED.
D R I N K E N O U G H W A T E R
> Drinking water is a basic survival requirement for any human being to stay alive since our bodies are mainly composed of 57-60% water.
> Drinking water throughout your day (preferably on an empty stomach) will not only help you stay hydrated and keep you alive, but it will also help you function better, gain & maintain healthier skin complexion, boost your immune system, fend off headaches, makes it easier to lose weight, prevent formation of kidney stones, cleanse your colon as well as flush out toxins from your body.
H Y D R A T E B E F O R E A N D A F T E R Y O U R M E A L S
> Drinking water while eating can disturb and disrupt your digestion process that can actually prevent your stomach from properly breaking down food and efficiently absorbing essential nutrients, and it can increase your body’s tendency to retain water.
> So I strongly reckon drinking a large glass of water 20-30mins before any of your meals (preferably on an empty stomach) then have another 30-45mins after you're done with your meals. By doing this you can aid with having a healthy bowl movement.
> If you’re used to drinking water with your meals then I reckon having a small glass of natural Apple juice instead, full of anti-oxidants, great source of potassium that's great for your heart, and will aid in your digestion process.
H Y D R A T E B E F O R E A N D A F T E R Y O U R T R A I N I N G S E S S I O N S
> I consider ‘cooling off’ an engine while it’s still hot & runnin' -your body's status while exercising- is not the best idea, especially If you aim to reach the finish line and be done with your entire workout without feeling lethargic (tired) midway, just cause you drank some water midway and your body kinda cooled off before finishing your workout…
> I reckon having a tiny bit of water every 20-30mins ONLY if you felt very dehydrated and really needed to hydrate during your workout. Otherwise, I highly reckon you keep that engine up and running and continue with your workout until you're done without consuming any water.
> Once you're done with your workout, make sure to properly hydrate by drinking lots of water. Also, it is absolutely crucial for you to 'always’ properly hydrate before any of your training sessions by drinking plenty of water 20-30mins pre any of your workouts.
A V O I D F I L L I N G Y O U R S T O M A C H
> Putting food on top of previously undigested food is a big mistake and a really bad habit that can lead to all kinds of GIT (Gastro-Intestinal Track) problems.
> Make sure to always give your stomach a chance to properly digest and process any food you just ate -as it should- before eating again or having another meal.
> The more you chew your food and the slower you eat it, the better! Filling only 60-70% of your stomach’s capacity with high grade quality food during any of your main meals can help you reach optimum health, while still promoting fat loss as well as achieving optimum energy levels throughout your day and for your workouts.
> Imagine giving 10 workers a task that can be handled by only 6 or 7 workers, and how efficient those workers can get the job done when they’re not overwhelmed, VS how stressed out and overwhelmed they would be if you give them a full work load every single time!
Now apply the same concept to your stomach and it's digestive system, and imagine how smooth & efficient digestion can be when your stomach is not overwhelmed when you fill it up with food most of the time. So it’s best to eat smaller meals that are easier to digest, and won't make you feel all tired and sleepy afterwards.
D O N O T M I X Y O U R F O O D
> Mixing several types of food and eating it all at the same time is never a good idea. Having a meal that consists of one food item per main food category (Protein, Carb & Fat) should be more than suffice to provide your body with all the essential nutrients it needs to function in a healthy manner, without overwhelming your digestive system.
> For example, an optimum lunch meal can consist of one source of protein such as fish or chicken -both are great sources of 'lean' protein- to the side of mixed veggies -a great source of complex carbs, fiber, vitamins & minerals- while adding a table spoon of extra virgin olive oil or a chopped up avocado on top to add a healthy source of fat.
> For verity, you can switch some of your food items with others from the same food category, like having fish instead of chicken, or having a green salad instead of mixed veggies, but rather not have 2 of the same food category within the same meal, especially when it comes to carbs, like having both rice & potatoes in the same meal for example.
> I reckon having fruits only on an empty stomach as a snack between your main meals or a pre-workout energy booster instead of having them during, right before or right after any of your main meals.
E A T W I T H P U R P O S E
> It means that you should eat to maintain optimum health, boost your immune system, be able to function with ease throughout your day as well as achieve peak performance when exercising. All this can be done ‘only if’ you eat the right types of food at the right times of day.
> For example, having a pre-workout snack like an apple or a banana that is meant to give your body an energy boost right before your workout, should not have the same main ingredients nor the same purpose as your post-workout meal that 'has to have' protein as it's main ingredient, that is primarily meant for muscle growth and recovery.
> So if you eat the right type of food but you're having it at the wrong time of day, then it won't grant you the results which you seek. For example, you could have a balanced meal full of protein, good carbs and a healthy source of fat (slow digesting food items) right before your workout; and it is guaranteed that it'll make you feel heavy & lethargic (tired), instead of giving you an energy boost as you want.
Or having an apple right after your workout that contains just the right amount of ‘good’ sugar and fiber to boost your energy levels, but NO protein content. Hence, why an apple should be your ‘pre-workout’ snack, and a meal full of protein should be your ‘post-workout’ meal.
> So before eating or drinking anything any time of day, make sure to always ask yourself first if now is the best time to do so. In other words, you shouldn't randomly eat or drink anything you want, anytime you want to irregardless to the consequences... Different types of food or drink have different effects on our bodies.
> Make sure to always best utilize that which you eat or drink by consuming it at the right time of day, or you’ll end up either gaining unwanted extra body weight, or not properly recover and grown as you want to.
B E S E L E C T I V E
> Not all foods are created equal. Some types of food are beneficial for your health and can help you reach your goals faster (when consumed properly), while other types of food can simply cause you just the opposite of that –bad for your health, and will definitely make it harder for you to reach your goals.
> Being selective when it comes to what you 'should' or 'shouldn't' eat or drink, should always be a priority of yours if you value your health & overall well-being and if you're serious about reaching your goals. So choose :
- (Organic, natural & fresh) over (canned, long shelf life, packed or processed).
- (Oven baked, air-fried or grilled) over (fried or dipped in oil).
- (Fresh veggies or fresh green salads or sweet potatoes/yams) over (bread, rice or pasta).
- (Brown rice) over (white rice), (brown pasta) over (white pasta) and (plain oats or plain muesli) over (corn flakes or cereals of any kind).
- (Fresh fruits) over (baked goods, donuts, muffins or dried fruits).
- (Green tea or herbal tea blends) over (coffee or caffeinated beverages).
- (Freshly squeezed or freshly blended fruit juice) over (soda cans, energy drinks or carbonated beverages)
- (Natural herbs & spices or sea salt) over (refined table salt).
- (Skimmed & organic fresh milk or almond milk) over (full cream cow milk or long shelf life milk).
- (White cottage cheese) over (cheddar).
- (Whole wheat or brown bread) over (white bread).
> Each type of food or drink and the way it's been cooked or prepared shall affect your body's chemistry in a different way than the other. For example, it’s how light and fresh you feel after having grilled fish to the side of green salad VS how heavy and lethargic (tired) you will feel after eating a large pizza full of dough & cheese… The first one will keep you sharp, lean & healthy, and the later will cause you just the opposite of that.
> Ditch any type of food or drink that makes you feel bloated or uncomfortable, and rather choose ones that help you stay young & healthy.
T H E ‘ M A G I C - P I L L ‘ M Y T H
> Any so called "Magic Pill" that claims it can grant you a dream physique without you actually putting in the work by dedicating yourself to a decent level of training and dieting, is an absolute myth and a scam and you should never buy into it!
> PEDs (performance enhancement drugs) or steroids in general will always come with a list of serious side effects that will take a toll on your health sooner or later, and you will ‘still’ have to exercise and commit to a proper training & dieting regiment while using them... So nothing magical about that!
> There is no such thing as “take this drug or supplement now and you’ll be able to eat whatever you want without any side effects or consequences”, or that “you won’t even need to workout or put in any effort yet you can still reach your dream physique just by using this drug or supplement”!
> Truth is, you will still always need to exercise and watch what you eat if you want to achieve optimum health and reach an ideal physique.
> So why put your health at risk while chasing something dangerous and unrealistic? Be smart & think long-term, cause it ain’t worth the risk.
> Nothing beats hard work and pure dedication while following a proper fitness & diet program that can still get you where you want to be!
T H E T R U T H A B O U T S U P P L E M E N T S
> Supplements in general should only play a minor role when seeking optimum health or chasing physique improvements. Your dependency on any supplement should never be absolute -meaning that you should still be able to survive and excel without using it.
> Your main focus should be aimed towards exercising regularly while following a balanced diet regiment that serves your targeted health & fitness goals, instead of obsessing over finding supplement(s) that can get you the 'quickest’ results -irregardless- to it's sides effects and the toll they can take on your health.
> Know that any supplement(s) out there is absolutely ‘useless’ if you’re not exercising regularly while following a balanced diet regiment alongside using that supplement... Because otherwise, you shouldn’t expect any significant results to take place if you're using a supplement yet you’re not eating the right type of food, or if you’re not forcing your body to change and adapt to pressure by exercising regularly.
> The human body doesn’t work that way, and ‘nothing’ will work unless you do. For example, if you’re using a reasonable dose of a certain safe supplement that should encourage your body to mobilize fat and use it as a primary source of energy such as (L-Carnitine) in hopes of trimming down some unwanted body fat, yet you’re still eating fried food or having pizza every other day, then you shouldn’t expect to 'still' end up losing any body fat despite having a high carb messy diet, just cause you’re using a supplement that aids fat burn!
> No supplement will ‘ever’ give you that extra edge unless your diet was spot on alongside using the supplement –simple as that. Supplement abuse is also a real and dangerous thing, when some people consume high doses of any certain supplement(s) for long periods of time without taking any breaks. Abusing any substance of any kind can always cause serious health issues, so moderation is key.
H A V E D I S C I P L I N E
> Full commitment is the no.1 prerequisite for you to succeed in reaching any goals in life.
> Once you've started a journey towards self-improvement, then by the grace of God, make sure you finish it until the very end. It doesn't matter how many times you might fall off the wagon, it's getting back on track that is the most important thing. Don't ever be a quitter!
> "I’ll start tomorrow…“ is probably the worst & most destructive sentence you could ever possibly say to yourself if you were ever serious about reaching your goals.
> Procrastination will kill your progress like nothing else could, as most of the time “tomorrow” becomes NEVER... Life is guaranteed to no one, and taking good care of your health is a very serious and urgent priority that demands immediate action and not for it to be done later or get postponed.
> Be strong and ditch any food or drink that you know will mess up your diet or set you back with your progress. Like having junk food that doesn't hold any nutritional value and won't benefit your health in any way except derail your progress and ruin your health & figure.
> Remember that it’ll always come down to how much you value your health and how strong you want to reach your goals.
> So embrace healthy eating habits that serves your journey to become the very best version of yourself, and a chance to live a longer & happier life, with less health problems and even lesser visits to the Doctor’s office.
N U T R I T I O N . F A Q
1. My best recommended Diet-Plans :
Updating soon...
2. What is the best way to cook my food?
Feel free to cook your food like however you want ((as long as it is NOT ‘fried’ -dipped in Oil)). You can grill, oven bake, steam or air-fry’ any of your food, just as long as you don’t fry it then it’s fine.
Using only a hint of ‘Extra virgin - Olive Oil’ or ‘Organic Coconut Oil’ while cooking your food (a teaspoon or a tablespoon) is also fine.
Using minimum amount of sodium (table salt) while cooking your food is also highly recommended. You can always sub salt with other delicious herbs & spices that are low in sodium content and are much healthier for your heart, blood pressure & kidneys.
There are literally hundreds -if not thousands- of delicious cooking recipes on how to cook your food in a healthy way that are available for FREE on YouTube. Never hurts to learn a new skill ;)
3. What are my food alternatives?
You can only substitute ‘similar’ types of food with each other. Meaning, you can only sub ‘protein’ with ‘protein’ or ‘carb’ with ‘carb’, but you can’t sub ‘protein’ with ‘carb’ or vise versa. For example:
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You can sub ‘Chicken’ with ‘Fish’ or ‘Egg Whites’ or ‘Unprocessed - Turkey Meat’ and vise versa. Lean ‘Red Meat’ can also be an alternative and a great source of protein, but should be your last option due to its higher fat content than all the previously mentioned sources of protein.
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You can sub ‘White Meat Fish’ with ‘Salmon’. Salmon is a healthy option if you have it 2-3 times per week.
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White Meat Fish can include : Seabream, Seabass, Tilapia, Grouper, Cod, Catfish, Snapper and Haddock, which are all considered as great sources of pure/lean protein. White Meat Fish is considered as the purest/leanest form of protein source, alongside Egg Whites.
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You can sub ‘Green Veggies’ with other Veggies or Salads and vise versa.
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You can sub ‘Brown Rice’ with ‘Sweet Potatoes’ or ‘Quinoa’ and vise versa.
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You can sub ‘Oats’ with ‘Muesli’ and vise versa, but you cannot sub either one with ‘any type’ of ‘Corn Flakes’ even the “Fitness” branded ones, as they are all high in sugar content and are equally bad for you -despite of what's written on the box!
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You can sub ‘Organic Skimmed Cow’s Milk’ with ‘Almond Milk’ and vise versa. ‘Soy Milk’ is highly NOT recommended since Soy has estrogen mimicking compounds that can cause hormonal imbalance for both men & women, hence why all Soy products should be completely avoided to maintain a healthy diet.
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You can sub ‘Greek Yogurt’ with normal ‘Regular Low-fat Yogurt’ Although ‘Organic Yogurt’ is highly preferred than ‘Regular Yogurt’ as it has more protein and less sugar.
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You can add ‘Almond Milk’ or even ‘Warm Water’ to your ‘Oats’ instead of using ‘Regular Cow’s Milk’ if you can’t digest dairy or if you’re ‘lactose intolerant’.
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A ‘Fresh Tuna Steak’ is always more favorable to have than having ‘Canned Tuna’ since a can is more likely to be full of preservatives, as well as having much higher sodium and mercury content vs having a regular ‘Fresh’ Tuna Steak.
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'Egg Whites' are considered as the leanest, purest source of protein that your body can easily breakdown and digest. It is easy to prepare and is a great/quick option to keep your body in an 'anabolic' state, especially when you have it first thing in the morning after many hours of sleep and no food.
4. How do I properly adjust my food portions based on my target?
If your main goal is lose weight yet you usually end up feeling totally full after finishing any of your meals, then that should be your first indication that you're eating more than you should, and that you need to start lowering down your food portions per meal by %20-30.
If your main goal is losing weight yet you're not on a daily 'healthy' caloric deficit (eating lower calories than that which you normally burn on a daily basis), then your body will NEVER be forced to rely on utilizing any of your stored fat and use it as a primary source of energy! In other words, you'll never lose weight if your stomach is constantly full of food after finishing each and every meal!
By 'healthy' caloric deficit I mean having 'small-medium' sized food portions of 'lean', high quality food, without actually having to starve yourself -not eating for extremely extended long periods of time for the main sole purpose of losing weight.
If you aim to lose weight, then always make sure you fill only %60-70 of your stomach during every meal.
Now if you’re someone with a naturally spiked/high metabolic rate (your body naturally consumes a lot of calories as is), then exceeding the portions mentioned in your ‘Diet Plan’ in regards to having more than recommenced protein & carb intake per meal (10-30%) more is acceptable.
Those who are slim by nature and are struggling with putting on weight in general (ectomorphs) usually require having more food intake per meal than others just to be able to compensate all that elevated natural calorie consumption that they possess, and are classified as ‘hard gainers’ for a reason. So if you’re an ectomorph, then eating more food is actually encouraged.
Your 1st & 2nd weeks are usually meant for you to test your metabolic rate capacity :
1) If you’re an Endomorph (someone who’s overweight and trying to lose weight) and you fully committed to your ‘Diet Plan’ and ‘Nutrition Guide’ yet you still didn’t lose any weight? Then try to apply Rule no.1
2) If you’re an Ectomorph (someone who’s slim by nature and usually struggles when it comes to gaining any weight) and you fully committed to your ‘Diet Plan’ and ‘Nutrition Guide’ yet you still didn’t gain any muscle mass? Then try to apply Rule no.2
Food portions mentioned in your 'Diet Plan' are 'Post-cooking' and not 'Pre-cooking' measurements.
5. Certain types of recommended food or drinks are causing me discomfort, what should I do ?
You should immediately STOP eating or drinking any type(s) of food or drink that might cause you any sort of stomach discomfort, and rather try it’s alternative from the list of food/drink options previously mentioned in this guide.
6. What types of food or drink should I do my best to avoid?
Updating soon...
7. How can I overcome 'snacking'?
One of the easiest hacks to do whenever you feel hungry between meals or at times when you're not supposed to be eating (anytime past 9pm), is to drink lots of water as water can be a natural appetite suppressant and your body won’t know the difference once your stomach is full.
Having a ‘small’ plate of Green Salad or a piece of fruit like an apple, an orange or a pear, are all excellent choices to make vs unhealthy snacking that includes sweet or savory snacks, which will undoubtedly come between you and achieving your goals especially if you’re trying to lose weight.
8. How can I overcome having a 'sweet-tooth'?
Having a piece of fruit like an apple, an orange, a kiwi, a couple slices of water melon, a couple slices of cantaloupe, a handful or two of red grapes whenever you get an urge to have something sweet, is a hundred times better and a way healthier option than having a piece of cake, a muffin, a donut, a bar of chocolate (even dark chocolate) or any other type of pastry and/or sweet sugar treat that is mostly pumped with refined sugar that will spike your insulin levels in an abnormal/unhealthy way (Insulin is the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels in our bodies) and such habit of constantly indulging on sweet sugary treats can actually cause Type 2 diabetes for some people on the long run.
9. When can I have a 'Cheat Meal'?
As harsh as it may sound, but my take on ‘cheat meals’ in general is that no one who’s in the process of or who’s currently attempting to lose weight should be having any 'cheat meals' before at least losing %80 of the weight they aim to lose, as having a cheat meal anytime before then will definitely derail your progress and not the other way around.
For example, if you currently weigh 90kgs and you want to come down to 70kgs -you need to lose 20kgs- then you definitely shouldn’t have any cheat meals before at least losing 16kgs of body weight -mostly BodyFat and water retention.
How it works?
1) A big portion of food that we eat gets broken down and digested by our bodies to help it repair itself & grow 2) Another portion gets utilized by our bodies to be used for current energy release, then the remainder of digested food 3) Gets stored in our bodies as fat and glycogen 4) And the final portion leaves our bodies in the form of waste.
So if you're someone who's currently overweight and your body already has enough excess fat as it is, then why would you overwhelm it by giving it more fat to store when it hasn't yet consumed at least 80% of it’s current fat reserve?
The main purpose of eating 'lean' & 'clean' while being in a 'healthy' caloric deficit for anyone who's overweight or anyone who's trying to lose weight, is to constantly force your body to consume 'stored fat' and use it as a primary source of energy.
Now if you're constantly 'disrupting' that process where your body's trying it's best to burn off it’s excess/stored fat, by having a 'cheat meal' every now and then that includes but not limited to (Wheat / Starch / Fried Food / Pastries / Refined Sugar), then your body will simply redirect it's efforts to burn off that which you just ate as a cheat meal, instead of being entirely focused on burning off your current excess/stored fat... Not a good idea!
Finish the job and reach your desired goal first (or at least %80 of it) then reward yourself by having that ‘cheat meal’ you crave and deserve, but I highly reckon postponing cheat meals to ‘after’ losing weight and never ‘during’.
10. Can I still excel without having any caffeine?
Believe it or not, but it’s purely psychological and is not real how you “can’t focus or start your day without having your cup of Joe...” and I'm 100% sure about it!
Coffee, Black Tea, Energy Drinks, the majority of Pre-Workouts or 'caffeine' in general is NOT good for your health. It is probably the most well known brain and nervous system stimulant known to man, and it is classified as an addictive substance that has been scientifically proven to be a leading cause of insomnia, anxiety, heart palpitation (irregular heart beat), an aggression trigger, and it can inhibit the absorption of essential vitamins and minerals -just to name a few. Side effects that I’m sure none of us welcomes nor wants to experience. Remember that we seek certain food or drink to make us feel better, and the other way around.
If you’re an adult and go to any physician with any type of pain or ailment, notice that they‘ll most likely ask you to limit your 'caffeine' intake for starters. Pediatricians also advise against the consumption of caffeine or any caffeinated beverages for children under the age of 12, as well as teenagers between the age of 15-18.
If caffeine in general was by any mean a healthy substance to consume, then I would have been the very first one to advocate for it and recommend it to others, but unfortunately that is not the case.
So I strongly reckon you avoid caffeinated beverages all together if you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and rather switch to ‘Green Tea’ instead that contains only 1/3 the caffeine content that coffee or ‘Black Tea’ has. Green tea is full of antioxidants, considered as a natural diuretic, great for your joints, reduces inflammation, and can be a great hot beverage to have between your meals that can also spike your metabolism without negatively affecting your nervous system or elevate your heart rate or cause you any of the other bad side effects that comes along with other caffeinated beverages, especially when you're trying to lose weight. You can also mix it with lemon and honey -and Voila!
11. Can I have fruit juice with my meals?
A small glass of %100 Natural 'Home made' Apple, Pomegranate or Watermelon juice with no added sugar is acceptable to have with 1 or 2 of your daily meals but not with every meal as fruit still has sugar (fructose) in it, which is not best to have that often especially if you're trying to lose weight.
Other juices such as Orange juice is often NOT that recommended (unlike what most people think) as it can be too acidic causing an instant or delayed feeling of heart burn or acid reflux to those who have it often.
12. I’m overweight, I’ve been losing 1-2kgs on a weekly basis, but now my weight loss progress has slowed down... How can I overcome that?
If you’re an overweight person then ‘Yes’, it is normal for you to lose weight faster during your first 1-3 weeks after getting into a new Fitness & Diet program, then have your weight loss progress slow down in later weeks.
Solution :
1) Increase your ‘post-workout’ cardio by adding an extra (10-30mins) to your usual post-workout routine.
2) Decrease your daily food intake/meals portions by (10-30%).
These are the best two courses of actions to take if you ever hit a 'weight loss' plateau. By doing these two things you'll end up forcing your body to rely more on burning more stored fat while functioning on lesser fuel.
Less fuel intake (food) + More output (exercise) = Weight loss.
Make sure to stick to 'small-medium' sized food portions with at least 3-5hrs gaps in between, and try to drink lots of water between your meals (preferably on an empty stomach).
NEVER decide just to cancel any of your main meals all together and rely mostly on starving yourself to lose weight, as by doing so you'll end up causing more harm to yourself than good.
Eating 'smaller' food portions and making better/cleaner food choices is always a much healthier choice to make than starving yourself or cutting any of your main meals all together.
'IF' you’re in a ‘healthy’ caloric deficit and your 'output' (a.k.a the amount of calories you burn and consume during your workouts and throughout your day) exceeds your 'input' (a.k.a what you eat & drink during your day), then the outcome should ‘always’ be in your favor to losing more weight!
In other words, if you constantly make sure that you burn more calories than that which you intake, then your body should 'always' be forced to burn more fat and drop more weight (fat & water).
13. My goal is losing weight, and I’ve managed to work out 5x days this past week, and I fully committed to my ‘Diet Plan’ without any cheat meals or slip-ups, and I still haven’t lost any weight... Is that normal?
If you’re an overweight person who’s 10-15kg above your healthy weight range, and you have just started following a new Fitness & Diet programs, then you should comfortably lose anything between 1-2kgs on a weekly basis, or 4-6kgs on a monthly basis.
A ‘healthy’ weight to lose is that when you get rid of extra body-fat, then never putting it on back again!
If you've managed to exercise 5x days a week and you fully committed to a balanced ‘Diet Plan’ that should aid in your weight loss without any slip ups or cheat meals and you’ve kept yourself in a ‘healthy’ caloric deficit throughout your whole week (forced your body to use it’s stored fat as a primary source of energy), then there’s absolutely NO reason for you to ‘still’ not be able to drop down at least 1-2kgs in body weight by the end of your week -unless-
1) You didn't really fully commit to your ‘Diet Plan’ and/or didn’t follow all basic guidelines mentioned in your ‘Nutrition Guide’, and/or if you’ve committed to your Diet but didn’t equally commit to your training as you should have!
2) The other reason which is also very likely and quite common, is doing everything else by the book in regards to your training and dieting, yet neglecting your sleeping and resting...
If your cortisol (stress hormone) levels are constantly elevated due to lack of sleep or rest, or if you’re someone who’s living a generally stressful lifestyle, then your body won’t function as it should -irregardless to what you eat or how often you workout. Elevated stress levels can highly affect and prevent muscle growth or any athletic improvement, and it can also lead to undesired water retention that can reflect on the scale when you get to measure your weight by the end of your week.
If you’re a female and you’re on your menstrual cycle, then that is also a very common reason and major contributor to why you still haven’t lost any weight by the end of your week despite your full commitment to your training and dieting, and the reason why you’re feeling bloated and/or experiencing some obvious water retention.
Summary: Make sure not to skip on any of your training days and be equally committed to your dieting throughout the entire week without any slip-ups or cheating, and most of all make sure that you get enough rest & sleep so your body can repair/rebuild itself and recover as it should.
14. How can I prevent losing muscle mass when cutting down weight?
Losing a bit of muscle mass while cutting down weight is normal but can be easily managed by having a daily adequate amount of ‘protein’ intake that should prevent any muscle loss even when cutting down body weight.
‘Over-training’ can also be a leading cause for muscle mass loss if you’re not getting enough rest/sleep in between training days. Give your body a fair chance to fully repair/rebuild & recover as it should, otherwise it’ll switch from being in an anabolic state (muscle building state) to a catabolic state (breaking down muscle to use for energy state).
No one should workout 6days a week, nor should anyone workout more than 3days in a row. My top recommended training split for an entire week should be : 3Days ON / 1Day OFF / 2Days ON / 1Day OFF.
15. How can I still be able to pack muscle mass despite being naturally slim who struggles with gaining weight?
Updating soon...
16. I got stuck at work and there are no 'healthy' food options available, what should I do?
Never put yourself in that position in the first place by making sure to ALWAYS prep your meals in advance the night before to take them with you to work the following day.
You can also make an arrangement with any near by restaurant that serves 'healthy' and/or 'grilled' food, and have them deliver your meals everyday straight to your workplace.
17. What are the rules for eating out?
Remember that even McDonald’s has ‘Chicken Caesar Salad’ on their menu! There are “No Excuses” when it comes to eating healthy -wherever you go!
You have a whole list of healthy food options that you can choose from whenever you're out and about, and they're all mentioned in your given ‘Nutrition Guide’ under the paragraph named 'Be Selective'
18. (Keto / Atkins / Paleo / Carnivore / Vegan / Vegetarian) Diets :
Updating soon...
19. What are the benefits of 'intermittent fasting' and what is the best do it?
Updating soon...
20. What is 'insulin resistance' and how to deal with it?
Updating soon...
21. Can I change my meal timings ?
God created the human body to function at peak performance when it’s used to receiving or undergoing certain activities at certain ‘fixed’ timings everyday.
In other words, your body should be at it’s most ‘receptive’ state when it’s used to eating, exercising & resting/sleeping at the same timings everyday. That's why for example if you’re used to waking up @ 6 am in the morning everyday for work during week days, you’ll eventually find yourself waking up on your own around the same time on weekends without even setting up an alarm clock! Same rule applies to your training & your eating, you'll find yourself all hyped up an energized at times when you're used to working out even on your off days, and you'll find yourself getting hungry at times when you're usually used to be eating.
So don’t confuse your body by constantly changing your eating timings, and rather do your very best to fix your meal timings.
22. Which supplements are safe and recommended to use?
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MuscleTech
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MusclePharm
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Optimum Nutrition
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bpi
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Nature’s Bounty
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Puritan’s Pride
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Gaspari Nutrition
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Nutrex
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Solgar
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Universal
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Dymatize
23. What are the most well known Diet or Nutrition Myths?
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