Losing weight is an uplifting feeling. You see your body change shape, feel more energised and fit into the clothes you always wanted with the confidence you previously only dreamed of. So why are there people in your life trying to sabotage your efforts?

We all know someone who does this. There’s the office feeder, your partner, friends and family. Though they may mean well, they will jeopardise your efforts in a flash. You need to identify these saboteurs and either eliminate or address them instantly.

Let’s start with the Office Feeder. You know the one; she sweeps through your office with home baked cookies, trays of cupcakes and the like, claiming you simply must try one or she’ll be offended! Have you noticed how she rarely eats them herself? These ‘feeders’ are likely to be insecure in themselves and are scared to see others making changes they don’t feel confident to make themselves.

My advice in this situation is as follows:

Stick to your guns! Be polite but firm and inform the ‘feeder’ that as lovely as her treats look, they are not part of your healthy eating plan and one bite could spiral out of control. The truth is simple and should end the matter. Making other claims such as you’re full or allergic to icing/chocolate or whatever it is, will only put you in a difficult situation when a non-offending offer arrives!
Do not spend time looking at the treats or imagining how they might taste. Imagination dominates the will and so this activity will make resisting them more difficult. Turn your attention to your work or take a walk and focus on non-food related issues until the temptation passes.
Make sure you have snacks to hand so that hunger does cause you to succumb to the treats. Healthy snacks for weight loss include fresh fruit with raw nuts or some yogurt with honey and seeds.

It can be more difficult when dealing with your Loved One and there are a number of reasons why they may be sabotaging your diet plan. Often the reason is fear; fear that when you achieve your ideal body you will leave them for somebody else or fear that you will not be that same person that enjoys a take-away with them on a Friday night. Seeing you change can make your partner question whether you will still be compatible and enjoy the same things in life.

You need to do the following in this instance:

Share with your partner all the reasons why you are making these dietary and lifestyle changes and let them know how much their support would mean to you. Let them know how much more confident you feel when you eat well and exercise and how this can only have a positive effect on your relationship. Inform them that you can still enjoy the occasional take-away night can still happen (there’s no harm in having a treat meal each week) but suggest it could be fun to practice cooking healthy alternatives together.

A lack of understanding is another reason for your partner’s lack of support. They will probably say ‘but you look fine as you are’; ‘why do you want to lose weight?’; ‘what are you looking to change?’ These questions may also be linked to fear but more likely your partner doesn’t want to face any changes themselves.

Do the following:

Encourage your partner to join you on your journey so that you can support one another and change together. Weight loss is much easier when you share the experience. Simply point out all the ways he/she will feel better. This will include greater confidence, better health and more energy for daily life and for your sex life (that should seal the deal!) Basically, recall the reasons you wanted to make changes yourself and relay these to your partner.

Your Friends can be the making or breaking of any successful weight loss plan.

My advice here is simple: Surround yourself with friends that understand, support and encourage you. You do not need friends that feel threatened or insecure that you are looking to better yourself.

These friends will only act to destroy your confidence and make each social gathering a battle. So what should you do?

Some say surrounding yourself with your ‘slimmer’, ‘fitter’ friends will motivate you the most. But I say to also encourage your ‘larger’ friends to join you on your weight loss diet plan.

Select restaurants with healthy offerings to meet at, throw a dinner party at your house with healthy recipes and swap coffee shop gossip sessions for brisk walk and yoga classes and you will have more fun than you thought!

Lastly, there’s your Family to deal with. Mums in particular like to feed us and remind us of childhood home baked apples pies and casseroles. Ok, not all mums are ‘feeders’ but they do tend to worry if we start looking a little ‘skinny’! Family meals are to be enjoyed and nobody wants their parents to worry. So here’s what to do:

Let them know what your new healthy eating regime involves and how good you’re feeling as a result.

Offer to bring a fruit salad or side salad to dinner to ensure healthy choices are available and get everybody outside for a brisk walk after the meal.

Failing that, a little of what mum has to offer won’t do too much harm in moderation and you must learn to get back on track after any event that disrupts your routine at some stage.

So, there you have it… my guide to recognising and addressing those who try to disrupt your healthy eating plan. In simple terms, once you have identified your weight and lifestyle goals, inform, educate and recruit those around you and not only will you look and feel good but so might they!

About Caroline Pearce

Caroline Pearce is a former International athlete, a fitness and nutrition consultant, sports scientist, model, TV Gladiator and TV presenter. She is also the creator of JustSlim, the revolutionary online weight loss plan. JustSlim is personalised to suit your requirements and is the stress-free weight loss plan.

Being invited out to dinner should be a great experience where you enjoy good food and good company. But how many of us, when trying to lose weight, view a restaurant invite as a fate worse than death?

You know the feeling; you start to play different scenarios through in your mind. The first is whether to go at all and risk ruining your healthy eating plan and the second is whether, if you do go out, to have a night ‘off’ your diet and eat what you like or the third is to feel isolated by skipping courses and worrying about food and not your friends. Well, fear not.

Whilst I don’t advocate eating out all the time if you’re serious about weight loss (the cooking methods, menu items and portions are out of your control) I do feel you should be able to enjoy a meal out from time to time without apprehension and without any guilt or worry about weight gain.

You just need to apply a few simple rules and you can eat out and still lose weight.

1. Research Your Restaurant
To avoid having to make a food choice under pressure or being influenced by your other diners on the night, I advise you look up your restaurant online prior to arrival. Check out the menu and select the meal for you or consider an alternative restaurant if nothing is suitable.

2. Dressing on The Side
Whatever the salad dressing or meat sauce accompaniment may be, if you have it on the side you can reduce the amount added. Just have enough to moisten and add flavour. If the dressing provided is creamy and high in calories then don’t be afraid to ask your waiter for a simple alternative such as balsamic dressing, vinaigrette or salsa.

3. Go For a Grill
Select grilled meat dishes or grilled, poached or steamed fish dishes. Read the menu carefully to see how the dish is cooked. This is usually specified and can inform your decision. If all cooking methods seem inappropriate kindly request an alternative.

4. Add Bulk with Vegetables
A good tip is to ask for any pasta, rice or potato accompaniment to be replaced with extra vegetables. These will be sure to fill you up due to their high fibre content. Choose vegetables that are boiled or steamed with no added butter or oil.

5. Soup or Salad To Start
If having a starter, fill up with a broth based soup or a leafy salad. These are low in calories and will stop you over eating your main course and being tempted by dessert.

6. Avoid the Bread Basket
You wouldn’t stuff yourself with bread before a meal at home, so don’t be tempted when in a restaurant. If you are hungry whilst waiting for you main dish then order some olives to nibble on.

7. Skip on the Dessert
Avoid reading the dessert menu as your taste buds will kick into overdrive and cravings for your favourite indulgences will creep in. Instead opt for herbal tea. Lemon and ginger tea, with a spoonful of honey, is a very satisfying post meal satisfier. Alternatively, choose a skinny cappuccino or latte to finish on so you’re not playing with your dessert spoon as everyone else tucks into their chocolate brownie. If you skipped on a starter then look out for a fruit salad for dessert.

8. One Glass or Two
It’s considered sociable and relaxing for some people to enjoy a glass of wine or pint of beer when out to dinner, but remember all those extra calories in alcohol will slow your weight loss efforts if you overindulge. If you have a treat meal allocated (prescribed once per week when following JustSlim) then do sit back and enjoy a tipple, but for damage limitation, drink only one glass of wine or 2 half glasses mixed with soda, to spread your drinking over the evening, or choose a half pint of light beer or lager. Alternatively, volunteer to be the driver for the night to avoid temptation and to justify your abstinence to others if necessary! Personally I’d rather consume my calorie allowance with food anyway!

9. Drink Lots of Water
Water fills the stomach and prevents you overeating. It will also ensure you’re hydrated and flushing toxins from your body. Have a full glass before your meal and sip regularly throughout.

For more eating out tips and other great weight loss articles sign up for the great FREE e-book “The Weight Loss Code” now.

About Caroline Pearce

Caroline Pearce is a former International athlete, a fitness and nutrition consultant, sports scientist, model, TV Gladiator and TV presenter. She is also the creator of JustSlim, the revolutionary online weight loss plan. JustSlim is personalised to suit your requirements and is the stress-free weight loss plan.

Anabolism is the construction of complex molecules from smaller units to create new cellular materials including enzymes, proteins, cells and tissues. In other words it provides the body’s growth, maintenance and repair functions.

Catabolism works in the opposite direction and is the breakdown of complex molecules into smaller units and the release of energy to fuel anabolism.

Where does the energy come from?

Energy is produced in every cell of the body as a result of the catabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Energy is released when a chemical bond is broken within the substance adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The ATP molecule, found in every cell in the body, consists of a carbon “backbone” to which three phosphate groups are attached.

When one phosphate group breaks off energy is released and the molecule is converted to adenosine diphosphate (ADP). A new phosphate group immediately attaches to the ADP molecule, turning it back into ATP and this process repeats itself continually. You can think of ATP as a fully charged battery, which can provide instant energy. But only a small amount of ATP is stored in the muscles for immediate use and when you begin to exercise the body must manufacture more ATP by mobilizing its reserves of glycogen, in the first instance. 

A quantity of glycogen is stored in the muscles and in the liver, and is capable of providing sufficient energy for most activities. However, when exercise is carried out over prolonged periods, glycogen supplies can become exhausted and additional fuel is required.

Stored fat can provide this fuel, but only when sufficient oxygen is present within the body to metabolize it. Proteins can also be used as energy for exercise. However, this involves the breakdown of muscle tissue into amino acids for energy production. The body resorts to this only when glycogen supplies are low. 

A diet low in carbohydrate reduces the amount of stored glycogen. This means that protein is more likely to be mobilized to create additional energy, leading to the loss of muscle and lean tissue.

What are the Basal Metabolic Rate and the Resting Metabolic Rate?

The Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR is the amount of energy used by the body for the vital functions while at rest and when the digestive system is inactive. It is normally expressed as the number of calories required daily. A true reading of BMR is difficult to ascertain because it requires the body to have fasted for approximately twelve hours prior to measurement and to be completely at rest.

Resting Metabolic Rate or RMR is similar to BMR but is measured under slightly less stringent conditions. Both are influenced by age, sex, height and even climatic conditions and although they differ in scientific definition, they are generally regarded as interchangeable terms.

Nutrition and Metabolism

Good nutrition plays a vital role in maintaining metabolism at optimum levels. The body needs a wide range of nutrients to function optimally and even a slight deficiency of one vitamin or mineral can slow down metabolism and cause chaos throughout the body. 

Maintaining a fully functioning metabolism is therefore critical for the athlete or strength trainer. Adhering to the principles of the food pyramid is a great start in achieving the correct balance. 

But most of us need some assistance in achieving the perfect plan, particularly if you make a change to your training program.

plan:one gives you the helping hand you need, at the click of a mouse, so you can be 100% sure that all your bases are covered, whatever your metabolism.

Given the importance of good nutrition it is puzzling why many people who are interested in bodybuilding and fitness don’t pay enough attention to what they eat. One of the main reasons for this is that when you read the fitness magazines, page after page is full of information about nutrition supplements that make big claims and promises that are hard to ignore.

The “evidence” behind these claims certainly makes a compelling case for the various powders and capsules. 

They almost make it seem that food is a poor substitute for their “perfect formulation”.

Take branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) as an example.

These are three essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) and they make up about one-third of our muscles. During exercise, BCAAs are broken down (or metabolized) within the muscles and are used by the body to supply energy. 

They are particularly important during periods of sustained exercise (25 minutes or more) when the body uses BCAAs as its main source of energy.

So taking a BCAA supplement seems to make sense. Or does it?

The problem is that the synthetic BCAAs contained in supplements are not as easily absorbed by the body as the BCAAs found naturally in foods such as eggs, red meat and whey protein powder. This means that only a small proportion of the BCAAs contained in the supplements is actually used to create energy; the rest is totally wasted. 

The same is true for very many of the hyped up supplements that the magazines and fitness “gurus” want you to buy. 

And there is one reason for this, and one reason only: they are making a clean fortune from them.

Many of the magazines are in fact owned by supplement companies and those that aren’t generate a lot of their income from supplement company adverts – so there are clearly vested interests. But the purpose of this article is not to bash the big supplement companies – it is to provide information on the value of good nutrition and to help you get real results from your training.

Do I Need Any Supplements?

It is scientifically proven that the vitamins and minerals contained in food are more easily absorbed by the body than those within supplement capsules and powders.

However, a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement containing the recommended daily allowances (RDA) is unlikely to cause any ill-effects and can serve as a safeguard against a less than perfect diet.

What About Antioxidants?

Everyone has heard of the term antioxidants and knows that they are important for health. But what are they and what do they do?

Simply put, antioxidants are vitamins or minerals that help prevent damage to the heart, arteries and other tissues. They do this by neutralizing the harmful free radicals that are created as a by-product of metabolism.

During exercise the rise in body temperature and increase in respiration levels increases the rate of free radical production and more antioxidants are needed to keep these in check. Antioxidants are found in vitamins C, E and beta-carotene (a provitamin found carrots and other fruits and veg) and in the minerals copper, manganese, selenium and zinc.

The daily requirements of all of these nutrients are found in a good, balanced diet and there is little evidence to support the need for supplementation. However, as noted earlier, a general purpose multi-vitamin and mineral supplement will make good any shortfall.

Using plan:one makes sure that you get the best possible nutrition to achieve the fastest results from your training program, without unnecessary nutritional supplements.

The pyramid is made up of six main building blocks, or groups of food:

1. Grains (bread, cereals, pasta, rice)
2. Vegetables
3. Fruit
4. Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese)
5. Meat and Beans (meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts)
6. Oils

In addition to these six groups is a discretionary allowance which includes sweets and treats not included elsewhere in the pyramid. Because the needs of individuals vary, the actual amount required of each food type varies depending on factors such as age, sex and level of activity. Achieving a precise balance is complex but the principles behind the food pyramid are simple and easy to incorporate into your daily eating plan. 

Grains

This covers a large range of foods including bread, cereals, pasta and rice which are high in carbohydrates and provide the body with energy.

For optimum fitness, this group should account for at least 60% of the total calorie consumption each day. Depending on individual calorie intake, this equates to between 6 to 8 ounce equivalents each day for a moderately active individual. Training and intense physical activity will increase this requirement. An ounce equivalent in the grains food group equates to half a cup of cooked rice or pasta, an ounce of cereal, an average sized slice of bread or half of a small bagel.

To maximize the benefit of grains, at least half of all grain foods you choose should be wholegrain instead of refined. These provide more roughage and are richer in vitamins and minerals than their more processed counterparts.

Vegetables

Vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals and a healthy diet should include a minimum of 21/2 to 3 cups a day.

In this group, one cup is the equivalent of a cup of chopped vegetables, two cups of raw leafy greens, or 8 oz of vegetable juice. Vegetables are low in calories, so more is better. The variety of vegetables is endless and many can be eaten both cooked and raw or in juice form. Go for a variety of color and choose fresh or frozen veggies where possible. Canned products tend to contain higher levels of sodium, although rinsing with water helps to reduce it.

Fruit

Fruits are vital to health and like vegetables, are crammed with essential vitamins and minerals.

The daily diet should include between 11/2 and 2 cups a day and again there is a massive amount of choice available. As with vegetables, fresh is best but canned, frozen and dried are also healthy choices, providing they do not contain added sugar. Fresh fruit juices also contribute to the daily requirement. In this group, one cup is the equivalent of a cup of chopped fruit, 8 oz of fresh juice or half a cup of dried fruit.

Bananas, apples or and pears are perfect, portable snacks to assist recovery after a training session. 

Meat and Beans

Meat and beans are rich in protein which is essential for muscle building and repair. It is also vital for healthy bones, cartilage, skin and blood as well as the development of enzymes, hormones and vitamins in the body.

Depending on your overall calorie intake, 5 to 61/2 ounce equivalents are required daily. For meat eaters, chicken, turkey, fish are excellent, low fat choices with an ounce equivalent being 1 oz of cooked meat. For non-meat eaters, beans, nuts, eggs and tofu are great sources of protein. Ounce equivalents for favorites in the non-meat category are:

• Peanut butter – 1 tablespoon
• Nuts and seeds – ½ ounce
• Cooked dry beans – ¼ cup
• Egg – 1 whole egg

It is important for meat eaters to eat a variety of non-meat proteins to avoid eating an excess of the saturated fats found in meat.

Milk

Milk and diary products, particularly low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese are important elements in the daily diet and 3 cups per day are recommended.

They are all rich sources of calcium which is essential for bone health, which is particularly important for women. They are also rich in potassium, vitamin D, and protein. It is important to limit the amount of full fat dairy products as these are high in saturated fats and can lead to health problems if eaten to excess.

A cup in this food group equates to a cup of liquid milk or yogurt, 11/2 oz of natural cheese or 2 oz of processed cheese.

Oils

Oils are important for good health with most being high in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, and low in saturated fats. The daily requirement of between 5 and 7 teaspoons is easily obtained from a wide variety of foods including:

• Nuts
• Fish
• Mayonnaise
• Soft margarine (with no trans fat)
• Cooking oil
• Salad dressings

Discretionary Calories

The tip of the pyramid is a discretionary calorie allowance. Any calories left over after eating the essentials from the food pyramid may be spent on treats such as desserts, candy or an alcoholic drink.

So, if your daily allowance is 2,000 calories and you “spend” 1,850 on your essential nutrition, you have 150 calories leftover to spend on the treats of your choice.

Summary

The food pyramid aims to simplify the complex science of nutrition to make it possible for everyone to design a healthy diet.

But it can still be a challenge to get the balance right and to make your diet interesting and right for your lifestyle, particularly if you are an athlete or training regularly.

plan:one incorporates the principals of the food pyramid and takes the pain out of preparing your daily nutrition plans, leaving you more time to train. It ensures that you get the perfect balance for your own individual needs every day.

Get the most from the food pyramid with plan:one.

A firm, powerful body with good muscle definition is the aim of all strength trainers. There are many forms of strength training and they are all effective in building muscle, but only with the correct nutrition. Protein is essential for muscle building and repair. It is also vital for healthy bones, cartilage, skin and blood as well as the development of enzymes, hormones and vitamins in the body.

When you exercise, muscle fibers are placed under stress and this causes micro tears. That’s why muscles can ache a day or two after an exercise session. The body immediately sets out to repair the damage using nutrients including amino acids, which are made available by the metabolism of protein. The muscle proteins created are myosin and actin and during the repair process these build up in the fibers to create stronger muscles.

The importance of protein in this process is evident and it might seem reasonable to assume that eating more protein will result in more effective muscle development. However, this is not true and later in this article we will look at the reasons why.

So how much protein is the right amount?

Adults who undertake limited exercise are advised to consume 0.8 grams of protein for each kilogram of bodyweight. For an adult weighing 80 kilograms (176 lbs) this would work out at 64 grams (2.3 oz) of protein daily. For higher levels of activity, the daily protein requirement increases. In the case of a strength trainer, to ensure good muscle growth the protein requirement effectively doubles to 1.6 grams of protein for each kilogram of bodyweight. So for an 80 kilogram (176 lbs) adult the amount would be 128 grams (4.5 oz) of protein a day.

Aerobic exercise is even more demanding of protein, due to the body’s need for additional energy. Although the body uses carbohydrates for energy first, when supplies from this source are exhausted, it will utilize components from certain proteins to supply additional energy. The components it uses are called branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). To allow for aerobic sessions the recommended protein requirement increases to some 1.8 grams per kilogram which equates to a total of 144 grams (5.1 oz) for our subject weighing 80 kilograms (176 lbs).

In preparation for competition, bodybuilders decrease their calorie consumption to reduce body fat levels. At this stage it is important to maintain a high protein intake to avoid loss of muscle along with the fat. So pre-competition, protein levels should be within the range of 1.8 grams to 2.0 grams per kilogram of bodyweight or 144 grams (5.1 oz) to 160 grams (5.6 oz) for a 80 kilogram (176 lb) person.

Protein is vital in building and maintaining good muscularity. Although athletes and strength trainers must consume more protein than those who take little or no exercise, there is no benefit in exceeding the guidelines above.

Good Sources of Protein

There is a wide range of protein rich foods suitable for meat eaters and also vegetarians. For meat eaters, chicken, turkey, fish are excellent, low fat choices. However, red meat is also a rich source and although it does contain a higher proportion of fat than its paler counterparts it also delivers high levels of zinc and iron, both essential for good health. Other meats such as pork and lamb are also generally higher in fat than poultry and fish but if lean cuts are selected, then these are also excellent protein options.

It is important to remember that not all of the daily protein requirement should be derived from animal sources. There is a vast array of protein rich options suitable for non-meat eaters including beans, nuts, eggs, tofu and dairy products like low-fat and non-fat cheese, milk and yogurt. However vegans, who do not eat any animal products like eggs or dairy products, face a challenge in ensuring that all of the essential amino acids are included within their diet.

There are 20 amino acids and of these, nine are classed as “essential” which means they can only be obtained from food. The remaining 11 “non-essential” amino acids can be produced by the body from other compounds. Foods that contain all of the essential amino acids are known as “complete” proteins and these are almost exclusively from animal sources including meat, dairy products and eggs.

Soyabeans are the main exception to this rule and offer one of the few complete protein sources to those following a vegan diet. To ensure an adequate supply of amino acids, vegans are advised to eat a slightly higher amount of protein (approximately 10% more) each day than non-vegans and to include a wide variety of beans and grains in their diet.

The dangers of a high protein diet

It is clear that protein plays a vital role in building and maintaining muscle. Many well publicized diets advocate a high protein regimen for effective weight loss and many, including high profile celebrities, have testified that they do really work. So it appears logical to assume that eating a larger amount of protein than the recommended amount could boost muscle development and assist with faster weight loss.

But surprisingly this is not the case.

High protein diets are in fact detrimental to the body for a number of reasons. Firstly, they are usually very low in roughage which slows down digestive transit and causes constipation which contributes to a feeling of general sluggishness. A second problem is that the high protein diet often comprises a high proportion of meat and dairy products which are loaded with saturated fats and cholesterol, both of which have serious implications for overall health and cardiac health in particular. Thirdly, when excess protein is present in the system, it is broken down by the body with some being converted into urea which is then excreted in the urine. A large amount of nitrogen is created by this metabolic process which is passed through the kidneys, causing stress to these organs and can lead to long term health problems.

Furthermore, any remaining protein will be converted into glucose and if the body does not need the glucose immediately it will be stored as body fat. Finally, the presence of high protein levels causes calcium depletion and this can be problematic in later life, with women in particular being vulnerable to brittle bones (osteoporosis).

So given these adverse effects, there is clearly no benefit in eating more protein than the body needs. Following the daily guidelines for your bodyweight, sex, age and level of activity will ensure that you get the optimal amount for your personal requirements to build and maintain muscle strength.

plan:one makes sure that you get the optimum amount of proteing to achieve the fastest results from your training program.

When the muscles need energy, glycogen is broken down to release energy in the form of glucose. However, when glycogen levels are depleted because of prolonged exercise, the body needs more fuel and will begin to use protein as an energy source. This diverts the valuable protein away from its primary function of muscle repair and maintenance, which is detrimental to muscle development. 

Fat is a further energy source, but it is the least available to the body and is dependent on the presence of carbohydrate to trigger its metabolism. Without sufficient carbohydrate in the body, fat cannot be burned efficiently and remains stored.

In summary, sufficient carbohydrate in the diet ensures that protein is preserved to carry out its primary function of muscle repair and building and that fat can be mobilized effectively into energy when additional fuel is required.

The main sources of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates fall into two distinct categories: simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates contain simple sugars such as fructose and glucose which are commonly found in fruit, some vegetables, honey and refined sugars as well as dairy products (particularly low-fat options). These simple carbohydrate foods provide a quick release of energy to the body, which is particularly important post-exercise.

Complex carbohydrates, commonly known as starches, occur primarily in cereal and grain products. Complex carbohydrates act as slow release fuels for the body and are filling and satisfying to eat. They also contain soluble and insoluble fiber which are essential for healthy digestion and elimination.

To maximize the benefit of grains, at least half of all grain foods you choose should be wholegrain instead of refined. These provide more roughage and are richer in vitamins and minerals than their more processed counterparts. 

How much carbohydrate do I need?

For strength training, a good rule of thumb is to derive around 70% of overall calorie intake from carbohydrate sources. Therefore if your overall calorie allowance is 2,500, you should consume 1,750 calories in the form of carbohydrate.

But don’t carbohydrates make you fat?

The good name of carbohydrates has been sullied over the years by misguided beliefs that they are fattening and many fad diets have profited magnificently from perpetuating this myth. Yes, it is true that carbohydrates are converted to glucose (sugar) within the body and yes, it is also true that if you don’t use up the glucose, any surplus will be converted into fat and stored.

However, this will happen only if you eat more calories than you require. But whether your additional calories come from high carb foods such as potatoes or bread or from carrots or salads is not important – it’s the number of calories that count.

Carbohydrates are not the enemy. Maintaining a high carbohydrate diet is essential for all strength trainers and athletes.

plan:one calculates exactly how much carbohydrate you need to get the best possible nutrition to achieve the fastest results from your training program.

So when you begin an exercise session, your body calls upon its stores of glycogen for fuel. It is only when glycogen supplies are exhausted that fat may be mobilized as a fuel source, but only when oxygen is present.

Regular exercise and aerobic exercise in particular improves the circulatory system, enhancing the transportation of oxygen around the body which facilitates the breakdown of fat for use as energy. So for short bursts of aerobic exercise and most strength training sessions, the body’s fuel of choice will be glycogen and not fat.

What are the types of fat in food?

There are three main types of fat in food: saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated and it is important to understand a little about each of these.

Saturated fats are usually hard or solid fats (when at room temperature) and are found mainly in meat and dairy products.

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are usually in the form of oils at room temperature and are derived mainly from plant sources and oily fish. Some margarine products are high in poly or monounsaturated fats and are solid at room temperature because they have undergone a process called hydrogenation. This changes their chemical structure and produces trans fats, which are linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

How much fat should I eat?

Fat is high in calories, with each gram of fat equating to 9 calories which is more than twice the calorie value of a gram of protein or carbohydrate (at 4 calories per gram).

The amount of fat in the average adult diet should be within the range 20% to 35% of the total calorie intake. However, for strength training and bodybuilding, the lower limit of 20% is recommended to maintain leanness and definition.

This means that if your daily calorie requirement is 2,500, then the amount of fat in your daily diet should be 55.6 grams (equivalent to 500 calories).

All fats are not equal and most of your intake should be poly or monounsaturated fats, as opposed to saturated and trans fats.

Maintaining a low fat diet is not difficult to do if you follow these simple rules:

• Stick to low-fat options where you can
• Choose the leanest cuts of meat
• Trim off visible fat
• Keep processed foods to a minimum

Using plan:one makes sure that you get the best possible nutrition, with just the right amount of fat, to achieve the fastest results from your training program.

When you exercise you need to drink even more because of the water lost by sweating. The actual amount lost will depend on the type of exercise you do, your bodyweight and the air temperature but you can lose 2 pints or more for each hour of exercise and this must be replaced.

How do you know if your are dehydrated?

There are a number of indications for dehydration and you should remain vigilant for these.

Dark colored urine with a strong odor is one of the most obvious signs. Other warning signs are dry throat and mouth, dry cough, dizziness, extreme tiredness and loss of appetite. Symptoms of severe dehydration are more dramatic and include pain when urinating, muscle cramps and spasms, headaches, nausea and even delirium.

When is the best time to drink?

Drinking sufficient water at regular intervals throughout the day will ensure that the body remains hydrated and functioning properly. At exercise time, it is advisable to drink 2 cups of water two hours before your session. Immediately before exercise drink a cup of water, and sip between 2 to 3 cups during each hour of your session. After an exercise session you also need to drink to replace the fluid lost through sweat. To accurately assess your needs, weigh yourself before exercise and again on completion. You will need to drink one pint of water for each pound of weight that you have lost.

Are sports drinks better for me when I am exercising?

Most sports drinks contain a mixture of carbohydrates and electrolytes (minerals) dissolved in water and they are often fruit flavored and pleasant to drink. When you exercise for longer periods (in excess of an hour) then sports drinks are beneficial because the carbohydrate provides the body with readily available energy to boost performance.

Otherwise, for shorter periods of exercise there is no real benefit over plain water, despite the promotional claims of the manufacturers of these drinks.

plan:one calculates exactly how much water you need to make sure that you achieve the fastest results from your training program.

Each vitamin serves a vital function within the body and the following table outlines what each one does and gives examples of the foods it is found in. The table also provides information on the recommended daily allowance (RDA) or the guidelines for adequate intake (AI) for an average adult (AI values are marked with *).

Sources: National Academy of Sciences. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board / USDA

Using plan:one makes sure that you get the vitamins you need to achieve the fastest results from your training program.