Simple blue print to eating right

Hey folks! How are we? I hope you are all well. 

In this one I want to talk about how to structure your meals and snacks throughout the day to help you...

• Improve athletic/gym performance
• Lose that stubborn body fat
• Improve your lean muscle tone and size
• To ensure you are feeling full throughout the day
• To help you have more energy
• To help you become less injury prone
• To generally improve your overall health (physical and mental)

BREAKFAST

Let's get straight to the point on this one. DITCH THE CEREALS!!! This includes all the so called healthy stuff, so Alpen, Special K, Weetabix, Shredded Wheat, the whole useless F*****G lot of them. 

Healthy cereals are the world's biggest con and they will not help you improve your health or lose weight. A meal based around wheat and pretty much zero protein or fat is not a healthy meal. It is unbalanced pro-inflammatory and will leave you feeling hungry again within an hour or so. 

Make protein the main component of your breakfast instead of the carbs. So instead of cereals or toast, go for the following. 

• Skyr yoghurt with oats and berries
• Protein smoothie (add some nut butter to top up those good fats)
• Eggs! Anyway you like them because eggs are awesome!!!
• Last nights left overs (yes it is fine to eat a dinner type meal for breakfast)
•  Protein porridge 

​These are just some suggestions but the key is to think protein first as this will help you stay fuller longer and help you balance out blood sugar levels which will help prevent you snacking on crap.

LUNCHES AND DINNERS

So for this one you will probably notice a bit of theme occurring. Again, protein is your friend. Base you lunch choices around a good protein source. Protein should fill up a third of your plate, then a combination of a good carb choice like brown rice, quinoa, buck wheat, sweet potato, rye or sourdough bread, beans (not baked), chick peas etc. coupled with vegetables should make up around 50% of your plate. the other 15-20% should be made up of good fats, which include avocado, seeds, nuts, olive oil, feta cheese etc.

SNACKS

So snacks are an important part of your day and getting these right can keep you fueled well, keep your blood sugar levels fairly constant and again help prevent you snacking on unhealthy processed foods. So again, a good snack choice needs to either be based around a good protein source like the boiled egg option in the picture or a good fat option, like nuts and seeds, nut butter, goats cheese, feta cheese etc. 

So a protein shake and a handful of nuts would be perfect, adding some avocado to the egg option would work well, as would peanut butter and apple or some nuts and seeds and a couple of pieces of dark chocolate. 

SUPPLEMENTS

So when talking about supplements, the first question we should ask is:

Do we really need them?

In an ideal world, I would always say NO! But, we don't live in an ideal world. We have busy lives which are stressful and often lead to us making compromising choices at meal times. So while not essential (if you can consistently stick to the diet outlined above) they do indeed make our lives a whole host easier. 

We know that we have a golden 20 minutes after a workout where we need to get a good source of protein into our bodies to aid muscle repair and growth. We also know that we need a wide variety of vitamins and minerals and good fats in our diet. 

So let's sum this up. If you can consistently hit good varied meal choices that contain good lean protein, good carb choices rich on B vitamins, a wide variety of fruit and veg and good fats then no you should be good with your food choices alone. 

If however, you struggle with time etc  and you need a top up, then I would go for a good natural whey or plant based protein supplement, a good multivitamin  and a fish oil supplement to help you fill in the gaps. 

​Other supplements like creatine might be good for muscle building and sports performance but for good general health and to aid weight loss etc. Those three should have you covered. 

IN SUMMARY

Our days should consist of 4-5 separate meal or snack times. If you are looking at dropping body fat, go for 4, to build muscle and to enhance athletic performance aim for 5. 

So our day should look like this. 

                             Breakfast➡Mid morning snack ➡ Lunch ➡  Afternoon snack ➡ Evening meal. 

As I said earlier, if fat loss is your primary goal, simply ditch one of the snacks, either is fine its just down to personal choice and preference. 

Hopefully that should help clear things up for you and give you an insight into our nutrition methods and how it will help you get the results you need coupled with your training regime. 

DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH MOTIVATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY?

So as a trainer, I know that telling you what to eat and when is not the real issue. There are more resources than ever on hand at the touch of a button to help you with recipes, meals, snacks and even training and exercise. The problem lies in being motivated and guided properly in order to help you make the right choices more consistently. This is where a great coach and a great program comes in. 

So if you feel a bit confused or a bit overwhelmed and a bit unmotivated and unsupported then why not take action  and get the help you need to achieve your goals. 

At Faster Fitness Solutions our small group and 1:1 coaching packages have everything you need to help you guarantee success. All the resources, support and guidance you need to help you break down those mental barriers and achieve your goals and keep it up long term. 

If you would like to find out more, click on the appropriate link below to get started. 

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