Tips for Building Muscle and Reducing Fat (1 of 2)
Who rn doesn’t want more muscle and less fat? The real question rn is who is willing to evaluate their diet and exercise habits, find out what rn their body needs to make the shift and then actually put the changes into practice. rn The complicating thing is, diet is so variable in our daily lives and rn the most appropriate regimen is not always an exact ratio or level of calories. rn To further complicate matters, it is very hard to build muscle and lose rn fat at the same time. To keep things simple in this article, rn let’s just focus on protein intake and how to get in enough, but not too much. rn
Estimating current daily protein intake:
· This will obviously rn change from day to day, so just to get an idea, take three days and document rn all the protein that you consume. If you do not have a nutrition facts rn label, look up the protein content on www.nutritiondata.com. ·
Remember that protein is found in a great number of foods, including the obvious rn sources: beef, fish, pork, chicken, eggs and dairy. Less obvious sources rn of protein include: soy products, nuts, legumes, vegetables such as broccoli rn and sweet potatoes, and grains including oats, barley, wild rice and brown rice.
· Once you have a pretty rn good idea of how many grams of protein you typically consume per day, have a rn qualified individual who is familiar with your training plan and body composition rn goals evaluate the level. They will be able to give you feedback on whether rn it is enough, too much or just right. This information is indispensable rn when it comes to complete diet planning and adjustment. Some VERY general rn guidelines for the healthy weight athlete are: take half your weight in pounds rn (times grams) for the low end and actual weight in pounds (times grams) rn for the high end. Actual needs vary by individual based on levels rn of activity, body composition, weight goals and time of the season. Some rn excellent times to get in protein:
· In your exercise recovery rn drink, within 1 hour after exercise, to aid in muscle recovery, growth and energy rn replenishment. PowerBar Recovery, Accelerade or Endurox R4 will provide rn a good ratio for the endurance athlete with a goal of maintaining weight and rn muscle.
· For the individual rn with the primary goal of burning fat; a high protein, low carbohydrate snack rn or supplement can stimulate muscle recovery, while allowing the body to continue rn burning body fat. Try to consume about 15-20 gm protein and 10 gm carbohydrate. rn Work-up to an amount that you can tolerate. Just a few of the shake options rn are: EAS Carb Sense, Worldwide Pure Protein, Twin Lab Super Whey Fuel or Labrada rn Nutrition Lean Body For Her.
· Incorporate a mid-morning rn and afternoon (between meals) snack. The mid-morning snack can be a recovery rn drink after exercise. Otherwise, try products such as: PowerBar rn Harvest, Pria or Nut Naturals, Clif Bar Luna bar, Balance Bar, or Kashi GoLean rn High Protein and Fiber Bar. Additionally, granola bars, bagels with peanut rn butter and jelly, roasted soy nuts and almonds, dried fruit and nut mixes (Chex, rn dark chocolate chips, almonds, mixed dried fruit, Cheerios), mozzarella cheese rn sticks, cottage cheese and fresh fruit (bananas, apples, oranges, grapes)
.· For morning cereals, rn try the following brands: Nature’s Path, Back to Nature, Kashi GoLean, rn or Wild Oats. Try to consume at least 5 grams of protein and 5 grams of rn fiber per serving of cereal. Add frozen raspberries, blueberries, and/or rn blackberries for an antioxidant kick. Also, try Silk Soy Plain or Unsweetened rn for balance.
· If you want to include rn more protein to meet needs, smoothies are a good option. Use whey protein powder rn mixed in a blender with fruit, yogurt and ice. Adjust the amount of water rn and ice for this shake to suit your personal taste preference. The 100 rn Optimum Whey is the best value I have found per gram of high quality protein. rn It is available to order on the Internet. The five pound container of rn 80 servings is approximately $31.00. This protein supplement can also rn be found at local health food stores, as well as other quality brands such as: rn EAS, Labrada and TwinLabs.
· rn My favorite protein shakes include: Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey, Myoplex Original, rn Met-Rx Engineered Nutrition and Nestle Carnation Instant Breakfast Drinks. Part rn 2 of this article will examine calorie intake and it’s effects on rn the efforts to lose body fat.
