How to make your diet work for you

I receive many questions in regard to nutrition; it is amazing how Misinformed fitness enthusiasts are when it comes to nutrition. YOU’RE eating the wrong foods at the wrong time of day or not enough food/macros for training. Here is some helpful basic information;

Fueling your body adequately is one of the most important aspects for your fitness success, failing to do so; your results will suffer… Eating before you lift gives you the necessary energy to work out; eating after you training helps you restore your body’s needed resources. However, you can’t just consume mindless calories. You need to pay attention to what you are putting into your body if you want the benefits from your hard earned work. This is what happens to your body after an intense exercise regimen; immediately your body goes into repair mode, repeated lifting causes microscopic tears in muscle fibers. The body then automatically rushes protein to the tear sites to pave over the damage done. When this cycle occurs repeatedly, it enlarges the size and number of muscle fibers, the recovery processes can continue for hours and even days – during this time, new proteins get incorporated into the muscle fibers promoting repair of any damaged tissue and promoting increased muscle mass. What and how much you eat should be determined by your training goal. Simple rule to follow; eat 1 to 1 ½ grams of protein for every pound you weigh.

CONSIDER THIS AS A BASIC RULE FOR MAINTAINING MUSCLE MASS, OBVIOUSLY YOU NEED TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF PROTEIN IF YOUR LOOKING TO INCREASE YOUR SIZE AND STRENGTH.

It’s best to eat 4-6 smaller meals a day by eating a meal every 2-to-4 hours to continually feed your muscles the protein it needs to build bigger muscles. Complex carbohydrates such as high-fiber cereals, whole-grain breads and pastas, dried beans, and starchy vegetables are the best type of foods for prolonged energy because they are digested at a slow, consistent rate. Complex carbs also stabilize your body’s sugar level, which in turn causes the pancreas to produce less insulin. This gives you a feeling of satiety and you are less hungry. You need carbs for energy to help you lift heavier weights, do more reps and/or sets to help you keep continually gaining muscle. If carbs are less than 40% of your diet, for needed energy your body may use the protein and possibly the muscle you already built. Key fact… eating proper carbs lets the protein do its Job!

Adequate fluids are also essential for sustaining energy,” says Suzanne Lugerner, RN, director of clinical nutrition at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. “Water is necessary for digestion, absorption, and the transport of nutrients for energy. Dehydration can cause a lack of energy. The average person needs to drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day.”

Without the proper nutrition, you become irritable, lethargic, weak, and unable to think clearly. Hence, you’re wasting your time at the gym….Train smart, train safe. IFBBPRO Joe Palumbo

Be consistent and most of all be safe…

JOSEPH PALUMBO

Director of Physical Performance

IFBB Professional Bodybuilder

Certified Trainer

Advance Sports Nutrition Specialist (ASNS)

Certified Navy Seal fitness Instructor

WWW.FITNESSWITHJOESWAT.ORG

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