The human body is designed in such a way that the little things we do in our pursuit of the perfect body affect our trajectory. It is irresponsibly impractical to start your goal’s journey without being meticulous about your nutrition. And it simply is not as simple as foregoing soda and scarfing down as many vegetables as you can. The right path to reaching your body goals lies on the path of watching your calorie intake, and making sure you eat meals that are suitable for your trajectory; carbs for calories, proteins for building, and vitamins to act as supplements in your diet.
If you are a beginner, you might have started to get turned off by what seems like dietary rules. You should not be. Dietary restrictions in the journey to fitness are a lot more different than what you might experience in military can or boarding school. You still have a smorgasbord to pick your options from, and you may not even have to give up the things you really like at all. At the end of the day, you just have to pick one thing that works for you and stick to it decisively. That isn’t so different from having a favourite burger place where you go to chow every other day.
Tips For An Ideal Diet For Regular Workout Routines
These tips have stood the test of time, and they would continue to do so even for you. You are sure to notice changes in the way your body feels after a short period.
- Start your day with a healthy breakfast
We respectfully make clear that this is not a piece of advice. It is an important and necessary aspect of keeping yourself within a healthy dietary threshold. And what makes this aspect of nutrition so important?
Consider this article published by the Harvard Medical school, which makes clear the relationship between the breaking of the fast, and the risks of developing certain diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. People who regularly eat breakfast are less likely to develop any of these diseases.
Also consider that the study was based on a broad range of subjects, including people who do not make any efforts towards keeping fit. What this implies (or at least, what we interpret as) is that people who are on a fitness journey should hold themselves to a higher standard. When you do not eat breakfast, especially on workout days, you are more likely to feel more sluggish while doing so.
Even if you do your workouts early in the morning, eat a light breakfast an hour before. Carbohydrates are the go-to choice. They fuel you for the task ahead. Sample breakfast meals include whole-grain cereals, bread, low-fat milk or yoghurt, fruits like bananas, etc.
-
Watch your snacks
Processed food should be relegated to the closet of indulgence; something you only do when you are feeling particularly sinful. Do not misread us, you should be able to eat whatever you want, however, you should stick to healthy snacks to retain your gains and keep your lifestyle. Best practices include snacking just before a workout session and just after the workout session. The rationale behind this is that snacking just before working out keeps you focused and in some cases, maximises protein synthesis (it rarely does give you energy for the workout itself). Healthy snacks include whey protein powders, energy bars, low-fat granola, fruits like bananas, yoghourts, smoothies, etc.
-
Pace your portions
As you get bigger and fitter, your appetite may increase by a noticeable level, considering the fact that your metabolism needs to fuel your body on an adjustable larger scale. You have to learn to find and style a balance that does not leave you torpid while exercising. Before you exercise, count the hours before you last ate and consider the portions. Big meals should be paced at around 4 hours, and small meals should be scarfed at around 1-3 hours before each session. If you fail to pace, you would feel too heavy, and you would likely only spend the day exercising your bowels in the water closet.
-
Watch your carbs
The fact that carbs give your body energy should not make you decide to opt for processed carbohydrates or other unhealthy sources. These undesirable sources include processed snacks, sweetened foods, and commercially produced “whole grains”. Instead, opt for the options we have mentioned earlier and then, some.
Seek out whole-grain foods like pasta (yes, but in moderation), brown rice, bread and oatmeals. Eat fruits rich in carbohydrates, including apples and berries. Ingest as many healthy legumes like beans for as much as is needed; and then seek out vegetables like corn and potatoes (try not to deep-fry in fat, please). You can also take whey protein supplements to balance out your carb intake.
Apart from giving your body the necessary fuel needed, these options make you feel full and would prevent you from making a habit of bingeing. They also contain more complex carbohydrates and optimise your blood sugar level.
-
Eat after exercising
You stress a lot while working out, so it is important to eat after each session. It does not necessarily mean that you should go against your timetable, but even a light snack can go a long way. Eating after each session is a necessary part of easing muscle recovery. Your meal should also include both carbohydrates and protein. Meals to consider include fruits, whey protein, whole-grain bread, etc.
-
Stick to healthy fats
Yes, healthy fats are not even a rarity, considering the fact that this food class as a whole gets a lot of bad press. Healthy fats act as a source of calories for exercise, and they are known to reduce inflammation. Sources of this type of fat include olives, nuts, avocados, etc.
-
Replenish your fluids
Exercising without fluid intake is dangerous, to say the least. You are putting yourself at risk of dehydration, and starving your cells of a very important solvent for metabolic reactions. Water never goes out of trend, however, if you are going to be working out for a long time, get a sports drink.
For your healthy snacks, check out our catalogue at Goals by Steve, a brand that produces some of the best whey protein Australia offers. Visit our site to know more about us, make your order, and enjoy your protein supplements and your workout session. We wish you the best in your fitness endeavours.