The Infamous Diet
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Contents |
Is there really such a thing as the BEST diet?
The answer is no! There is no one right diet that will work for everyone because different foods affects everyone in different ways. To get the right diet for YOU, you have to consider a myriad of different aspects of your own life. These different aspects include your age, weight, activity in your lifestyle, your goals, and even your own taste.
How many calories should you eat?
It all depends on what your goals are. If you want to cut (lose weight) or bulk (gain weight) you have to eat different numbers of calories. To bulk (healthy way to gain weight/muscle) then it would be good to eat at least 500 calories above your Basal Metabolic Rate, which is the ammount of calories your body uses by itself. This ammount would allow you to gain approx. 1lb (3500 calories) in one week. Or likewise for cutting (healthy way to lose body fat) you would have to eat 500 less calories than your Basal Metabolic Rate, which would allow you to lose approx. 1lb in one week.
When should you eat?
Now that we've figured out how much to eat to healthily lose or gain weight, lets figure out when to eat. It is best to spread your meals throughout the day with 5-6 meals, with the majority of calories earlier in the day. NEVER skip breakfast, it is the most important meal of the day, and where a majority of your calories should come from! It is your fuel for the day. Now with these six meals, it is best to seperate them three hours apart from one another. Doing this will give your body time to digest the foods you've consumed, then allow them to proccess more foods. This in turn keeps your metabolism going consistantly. An example of times when to eat throughout the day are 8:00am, 11:00am, 2:00pm, 5:00pm, 8:00pm, 11:00pm, with calories tapering out throughout the day.
What are good foods to look out for?
- Whole Wheat Breads (containing 4g of fiber or more per 100 calories)
- Lean Meats
- Healthy Cereals
- Fruits
- Vegies
- Yogurt
- Cottage Cheese
- Eggs
- Skim Milk
- Nuts
- Natural Peanut Butter
- Fish
- Water
- Poultry
Suppliments
- Whey Protein Powder
- Multivitamins
- Fish Oil Concentrate (For people who aren't fans of seafood)
- Creatine (Not for the casual fitness person)(beware--this is water weight and will be lost when you stop taking it)
What are bad foods and ingredients to look out for?
- Anything Fried in "bad fats"
- Fast Foods
- Sweetened Beverages (e.g., soda, Kool Aid, some fruit juices)
- Candy
- Greasy pizza
- Alcohol
- Fatty Meats
- Trans fats
- Saturated fats
- High fructose corn syrup
- White bread
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) of a food ranks the blood sugar responds to foods. Some foods will cause a spike in blood sugar soon after eating them, which in turn makes us hungry shortly after eating. Eating large amounts of food high in the GI will lead to over eating; foods low in the GI will keep you feeling full longer. More information about the GI can be found at glycemicindex.com including a database with the GI of many foods.
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