You could train 6 times a week. Savage intensity. Pushing yourself to your physical limitations each time. Sweating buckets really working your body and muscles to their max. You get home. Look in the fridge/freezer, spot a pizza and stick it in the oven.

Another night you might just ring and order a pizza / take away. What’s wrong here? You are not fueling your body with the correct nutrients to obtain the results you are capable of from your training. You are outing petrol into a high powered diesel car. It simply will not work and will never reach its true potential.

Whenever I get asked about nutrition and what I should be eating etc. I always try to keep it as simple as possible. Eat good food that gives you energy and makes you feel good. Sure, you’ll feel great in those initial moments of stuffing that slice of meat lover into your mouth but I can guarantee you 30 minutes after you’ve finished that pizza you will feel like you’re ready to give birth to triplets, that’s if you haven’t already reached for the ben and Gerry’s by now. Compare to that to how you would feel with for example a homemade stir fry with fresh chicken, vegetables, flavoured with natural spices on a bed of rice? The answer is you would feel less bloated, more energetic and if prepared properly would taste just as good as a Thai take away.

There is a technical side to nutrition and food for fitness. People on diets like to count their calories. This is out dated and unsustainable when it comes to lasting results. Instead of simply counting calories you should be taking in the right amount of different macro nutrients. The word ‘macros’ is a buzz word in the fitness industry. It is short for macro nutrients and refers to protein, carbohydrates and fats-the basic components of every diet.

Protein

• 4 calories per gram
• build muscle/recovery
• found in meats/fish/nuts

Carbs

• 4 calories per gram
• source of fuel/energy

Two types-

1. sugary types found in cakes/chocolate
2. complex found in whole grains/porridge/sweet potatoes

Fats

• 9 calories per gram
• insulation/energy/hormonal function
• Good fats and bad fats (good fats-oils/nuts/butters)

How much of each macro nutrient do I need?

This is individual and dependent on a number of factors. Your age, gender, weight, occupation (have you a sedentary job/active job) your physical activity levels. The simplest way of doing this is to use an online TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculator. In two minutes it will give you a rough estimate of what your daily maintenance level of calorie intake should be, i.e. the amount of calories you should take in that would make you not gain or lose weight. If you want to lose weight you eat less of your maintenance calories and if you want to gain muscle mass you eat in a calorie surplus.

Example:

Bob’s calories maintenance level is 2500 calories

Bob wants to lose weight, what does he do?

He takes 500 calories off his daily intake so he now consumes 2000 calories a day.

So now you have an idea of what each macro nutrients role is and how many calories a day you should be consuming to reach your intended targets. Now you might ask how much of each do I need to consume, i.e. how much of protein carbs and fats do I need. Again simplicity rules the roost here and I like to go with something along the lines of 40%-40%-20% for beginners. I.e. 40% protein and carbs and 20% fats. This can be tweaked depending on how your body is reacting to it.

What sources of each should I eat and when should I eat them?

When it comes to what types of food to eat go for the healthy fresh whole food options. Buy fresh meat, fresh fruit and vegetables. Try staying away from packaged, processed foods that are high in calories and not nutrient dense. Foods high in protein include chicken breast, turkey burgers/sausages/rashers, fish, red meat, pork. Complex carbohydrates like wholegrain bread instead of starchy white bread, wholegrain rice, sweet potatoes, porridge, these foods will make you fuller for longer and will help you avoid sugar crashing. Good fats include real butter, almond/cashew/walnuts/avocados/peanut butters.

When to eat again is personal preference and dependant on your lifestyle. The simplest can be to have three main meals(breakfast,lunch,dinner) with a couple of snacks thrown in. have a source of protein and carbohydrates after your workout to aid recovery and restore lost glycogen stores.

This is a lifestyle change but once you start feeling the positive effects and notice the difference in yourself it will become habitual and at the end of the day we are creatures of habits so the healthier ones we build up the better we will feel and be. Being fit and healthy is not just about a training and going to a fitness class and doing a workout. If you want lasting and sustainable result then you have to take a serious look at what you are putting into your body. If you want to be a well-oiled machine then give your body the best cleanest fuel. Cut out the fad diets of zero carbs, juice diets, going vegan because a size 4 model is. An 80%-20% rule of eating clean and enjoying your food is a fair and sustainable way of staying on track. Track your food for a couple of weeks. You can use the myfitnesspal app on a smart phone or be old school and write it down, this way you can be accountable for your actions.

Check out ParkFitnessJohnstown Facebook page where I will post recipe ideas and other fitness related material. Fitness classes continue every Wednesday at 6.45pm and Saturday morning at 10am. Any questions don’t hesitate to contact me and I will get back to you ASAP.