Nutrition and gym for women. Gym and nutrition for girls
Women do not need to train in any other way. They can train like men for visible results, but what about diet? Should women eat differently than men? Not really.
The metabolism of men and women is very similar, except that women are better at burning fat, using it as an energy source, than men. This may be one of the reasons women are better off opting for a low-carb diet.
The main thing to establish is total calorie intake. Women need fewer calories than men because men have more muscle mass and less fat (relative to total body weight) than women. The amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fats is determined by the number of calories consumed.
We will show that women do not need to exercise or eat differently from men. Then why do we keep seeing women in the gym doing hours of cardio and lifting light dumbbells for endless reps?
This is most likely due to a lack of awareness or even misinformation (from the media) about how a woman should train. What about diet? One of the most common recommended breakfasts for women is yogurt and a banana. There is nothing wrong with yogurt or banana, but where is the protein and polyunsaturated (essential) fatty acids? If you are a woman trying to build muscle, you need to eat enough protein and good fats (essential fatty acids). It's time to stop the media flipping and personal misinformation, and it's time to get educated and get results. In this article, we will introduce some nutrition and training basics!
Calorie Control
A huge factor in dieting is calories versus no calories; The sum of your calories determines whether you are losing or gaining weight. Eating too many calories leads to fat storage. But if you don't eat enough calories, you won't build muscle. Establishing the number of calories you consume and counting the number of calories you eat every day is essential for burning fat and building muscle.
Management of macronutrients
Although total calorie intake is the most important dietary factor, the ratio of protein to fat can determine the loss of muscle or fat tissue. A diet that contains 80% of calories from carbohydrates, 10% from protein and 10% from fat will give different results from a diet containing 40% of calories from carbohydrates, 40% from protein and 20% from fat.
Maintain Hydration
You must drink enough water every day. Try to drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Drinking enough water promotes optimal hydration as well as a feeling of satiety without adding calories. Sometimes people deceive hunger with water. Therefore, staying hydrated can also prevent overeating.
Quality control
Choose fresh, unprocessed foods over prepackaged and processed foods. Packaged foods are loaded with preservatives, especially sodium and saturated fat, and often high in sugars, such as high fructose corn syrup.
You will be surprised how quickly you can lose weight by simply cooking at home instead of eating junk food and processed foods. You will also save a lot of money!
Insulin control
Insulin is a "storage" hormone. When it is produced, fat burning slows down. To control your insulin production, choose low glycemic carbohydrates and you may be able to reduce weight gain or increase weight loss. Stable blood sugar also improves energy levels and mood. All of our diets are based on insulin control, which leads to muscle gain with little or no fat gain.
The Right Protein
In addition to building muscle mass, you need to eat enough protein to maintain new muscle protein production. You may not be used to eating as much protein as our diet recommends, but once you get into a rut, not only will you not have any problems, you will also enjoy how full and satisfied you feel.
Polyunsaturated fats
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential for the proper functioning of the entire body. Dietary fats got a bad rap due to the diet fads of the 80s and 90s that promoted minimal fat intake, but in reality, essential fatty acids are essential for our bodies and are part of a healthy diet. Eating fat does not mean storing fat. In fact, most fats containing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids help support the process of burning fat and maintaining a toned body. Don't be afraid to eat healthy fats. Also make sure to add foods with quality fatty acids, such as flaxseed oil.
Women do not need significant differences from men in the diet. One metabolic difference between men and women is that women are more able to use fat as an energy source while lowering carbohydrate (sugar) in the blood than men, which is the reason why women tend to perform better on a low-carbohydrate diet. Due to this fact, we recommend that women follow a low-carb (not no-carb) diet for fat loss and toned muscle building.
Sports, fitness - for many it has long been not just words, but a way of life. These people, no doubt, are aware of how it is desirable to eat during regular (albeit at an amateur level) sports. However, there is another category - novice athletes. Those who finally made up their minds overcame laziness and signed up for a gym. We will talk about how to eat right when playing sports. Although, perhaps, the "pros" will also emphasize something new for themselves.
We emphasize that the story in the material will not be about food additives (dietary supplements, etc.), sold in specialized stores. First, there is no certainty that they are absolutely harmless to health. Secondly, "Culinary Eden" is still a resource about "ordinary", albeit very tasty food, as well as about everything connected with it.
Sports activities are always enhanced muscle activity. For the normal functioning of the muscles and the achievement of sports results (for example, some muscle building), there is a need for additional protein nutrition. After all, it is protein that is “responsible” in our body for the formation and restoration of body cells and tissues.
However, do not forget about carbohydrates. Some mistakenly believe that their consumption should be limited, they supposedly make you fat. However, carbohydrates are the main source of energy. And energy is very necessary for the body during significant physical exertion. Fats are also a source of energy. They should not be forgotten either. In general, the body needs more proteins, carbohydrates and even fats during physical exertion than without them.
It is always better to rely on personal experience than on someone else's stories (although, of course, no one has canceled learning from other people's mistakes either). Fortunately, in this case there is such an opportunity (personal experience): the author of the text visits the gym three times a week.
How to eat right when exercising. Start
After returning from vacation and looking with sober eyes at his photos taken at a seaside resort, the author was surprised to find that he already had a fairly noticeable tummy. This saddened the author. But true friends did not let me die of longing - they encouraged me to sign up for a gym. Moreover, they formed a company. By the way, it is better to go in for sports with the company. At least with two people. And more fun, and there is a certain competitive spirit.
It is better to start exercising twice a week (this is not an invention of the author - the advice of a trainer). And when you feel that you have "swinged" - you can switch to a frequency of three times in seven days. Someone is engaged more often, but if you just want to "put yourself in order" - that's enough: excessive zeal can do harm.
By the way, I almost forgot, it is necessary to consult a doctor before starting classes. Moreover, preferably not with a doctor "assigned" to the fitness center. Take your time, don't be sorry. In the end, you will receive not just advice on the intensity of training and load, but also a more or less complete picture of your health. When was the last time you had an examination of the body for no apparent reason, just for prevention? That's the same.
When the doctor's consultation is received, finally go to the gym. Meet the trainer. At first, it is better to hire him - he will advise and control the implementation of a set of necessary exercises (depending on your goals), show you how to use the simulators correctly.
Want to eat something
To be honest, at first I was not up to proper nutrition. After a couple of first sessions, “everything hurt.” But then the body adjusted to the new rhythm of life, the muscles “developed”, the pains went away. My friends and I remembered that we seemed to have heard something about the need to eat something special when playing sports. Remembering, we turned to the coach with a question. By the way, he could enlighten us on this score himself. In the end, proper nutrition accelerates the achievement of the desired result. “Minus a hundred points - Gryffindor,” Minerva McGonagall, headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Wizardry from the Harry Potter saga, would say about this.
Anyway, the question was asked. In response, our coach recommended that we eat at least 5-6 times a day, stating that this way of eating is “the most physiological.” During the day, there should be two breakfasts (first and second), lunch, dinner and meals after training. At the same time, it is advisable not to eat up before training and not to overeat after it.
To eat right when playing sports, the first breakfast, which should not be too plentiful. A glass of yogurt, kefir (not necessarily low fat), maybe a little cottage cheese, tea, coffee (both without sugar), or fresh orange juice. The first breakfast is about 5% percent of the total daily caloric intake. Then the second breakfast. It can be eaten before leaving home for work or, if possible, already at work (approximately 30% of the daily calorie intake for an adult). Lunch is another 30% of calories. Snack - plus 5%. Dinner - 25%. Another 5% - nutrition after training. You shouldn't eat too much. With a weight of 70-80 kg, the amount of food eaten should be no more than 4 kg per day. Do not forget about fruits and vegetables: 15-20% of the daily diet. This is the ideal option.
Not everyone and not always can follow a similar diet. But, of course, options are possible! For example, there may be only one breakfast - nothing bad will happen to you because of this. Breakfast and lunch on a "sports day" should be nutritious enough.
It is worth having an afternoon snack two or three hours after dinner. In general, in the afternoon you can eat little by little with an interval of two hours. At the same time, food should contain a lot of carbohydrates - this will give strength before class. It is worth building a schedule of daily meals so that the last one takes place at least an hour and a half before class. Drink water (not carbonated), juice - it won't hurt, especially in the last hour before training.
You need to eat varied. You should not get hung up on cottage cheese and dietary boiled chicken breasts (I know from my own experience that at first you only eat them, being happy for yourself, and then you can’t even look at these products). Boiled and steamed meat is perfect, legumes - only pureed, as well as oatmeal with milk. A great option is various soups, not too fatty, but not too lean. Neutral soups, again for a change, should be interspersed with sour soups.
If possible, in order to comply with the meal schedule, it is better to carry food with you (if there is no normal cafe at work or nearby, or if you want to save money). Nothing to be ashamed of. In the end, are you trying to improve your figure, or do you simply have nowhere to put your money and you give it away for a gym out of nothing to do? In addition to chicken and meat, eat fish. Garnish - buckwheat, rice, potatoes, even pasta can be eaten (without fatty sauces). Buy several hermetically sealed plastic containers in the store - they are convenient to take food with you.
The daily calorie intake (and not only when playing sports) also depends on the climatic conditions in which the individual lives. In the heat of the beam, reduce the calorie content of food, while in Siberian frosts - eat more protein foods, but at the same time reduce fat intake.
During and after training
Of course, you can’t eat anything during training. Agree, it is strange to pump, let's say, the press, with undigested food in the stomach, biting off a piece of bread from time to time. As already mentioned, you need to “tie up” with food at least an hour and a half before the start of the workout.
But during training it is worth drinking water (it’s good to drink a glass of water before it). Of course, not in liters, but little by little: a few sips every 20-25 minutes. Do not swallow water immediately, it is better to hold it in your mouth a little - thirst is quenched this way better. Naturally, no soda. Even mineral water, not to mention cola and other lemonades. Don't drink cold water. After exercise, it becomes hot, and a person tends to take a sip of cold water. This is exactly what you can't do. It is much better if the water is at room temperature, even slightly warm. As a rule, there are coolers in gyms - there is no problem to add some hot water to a glass of cold water.
It is impossible to limit yourself in the use of fluids during sports. This can lead to pressure fluctuations, increased stress on the heart, and the onset of dehydration processes.
After training - optional. If you're thirsty, drink; if not, don't drink. There is an opinion that you should not drink water immediately after a workout. But it's not. If you drink half a glass or even a glass of water, it will not get worse.
Now about food. The training is over, a lot of energy has been spent, I want to eat. A huge mistake is to wait two hours after a workout and only then allow yourself a snack. Should not be doing that. It is desirable that no more than an hour pass between physical exercises and the subsequent meal. Another thing is that you should not eat to satiety. A plate of rice, buckwheat, and even better - a little mashed beans or peas, a little cottage cheese with jam, fresh fruit - this is quite enough to remove hunger and reinforce strength.
It can't be eaten
Of course, there are products, the use of which during sports is best minimized. These are sweet drinks - any lemonades, coffee and tea with sugar (it is better to drink the latter with honey or, in extreme cases, with a sweetener). Of course, you should not lean on pastries. Sweet buns and even bread can be replaced with special loaves, yeast-free bread. Sweets, and not only chocolate, but mainly caramel. Various cakes, especially store-bought ones, which are made from “no one knows what” (it’s better not to eat them at all, never). Cheap pasta (it is acceptable and even useful to use only high-quality durum wheat pasta). We emphasize: "reduce consumption to a minimum" - does not mean completely eliminated: do not reproach yourself for eating one candy.
- 200 g fat-free cottage cheese, oatmeal (3-4 tablespoons in dry form), an apple or orange, a cup of unsweetened coffee with milk (with regular, not with condensed milk and not with cream);
- Snack: a glass or two of kefir or 100-150 g of cottage cheese or an apple (orange) and 50 g of hard cheese;
- Low-fat meat or fish or poultry (200-250 g), cereals or pasta, greens;
- Look at what you haven’t eaten yet - you can have a vegetable salad, you can - cottage cheese, you can - 1-2 eggs, you can, if you don’t really want to eat, in general a glass of kefir, or milk;
- After training: green salad (white cabbage, greens, you can with fresh cucumber) with meat, fish or poultry (150-200 g), or eggs;
- Before going to bed - a glass of fat-free kefir or green tea with skim milk.
To eat right, you need to at least roughly know how many calories are “burned” during sports training. However, the workouts are different. Above, we were talking about classes in the gym (simulators, treadmill). But not only the gym is alive sport. The table below will help you correlate energy expenditure with sports.
As an addition to nutrition during intense physical exertion, you can take vitamins (in winter and spring, this is worth doing even without sports). There are specially designed vitamin complexes (not dietary supplements!) for those who are friends with sports. Before using them, consult your doctor. Now you know how to eat right when playing sports. Exercise, eat right and be healthy! The author's tummy, by the way, is gradually decreasing.
The nutrition of athletes is different from the diet of ordinary people. Athletes require much more energy, they need more protein for their constantly stressed muscles, more water to quickly deliver all the nutrients to the tissues and replenish constant fluid losses during sports, their diet directly depends on the training schedule. Nutrition and the gym are much more connected than it seems at first glance. No matter how hard an athlete trains, if he does not eat improperly, he is unlikely to achieve the set results. Improper nutrition can damage not only the effectiveness of training, but also the health of the athlete, so you need to understand that proper nutrition and sports are parts of one system called a healthy lifestyle, and they are closely interconnected.
Proper nutrition for the gym
Here are the basic nutrition rules for the gym.
Proper nutrition during training should be fractional - eat 5-6 times a day in small portions. Your daily calorie intake should match your energy expenditure if you want to lose weight, and exceed it if you are interested in muscle growth. At the same time, the diet for the gym should contain an increased amount of proteins and a fairly high amount of complex carbohydrates - the former are needed for the formation of muscles and tissues, as well as for the synthesis of amino acids and hormones, the latter provide your body with energy for sports and recovery after training. Proper nutrition for athletes is not complete without sufficient fluid intake - at least 3 liters per day, and with intense training - even more.
What foods should an athlete eat?
As already mentioned, proper nutrition for athletes should contain a lot of protein. Sources of protein - meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, nuts, green vegetables, potatoes. Especially useful for an athlete are eggs and fish, as well as low-fat dairy products.
An athlete also needs fats - cell membranes are built from them. Approximately half of the fats consumed should be from plant sources and half from animals, with the healthiest animal fats found in fish and the healthiest plant fats in nuts and olive oil. These fats are completely absorbed and do not threaten to gain fat mass.
The best sources of carbohydrates in nutrition for the gym are vegetables, fruits, cereals, nuts, berries and dried fruits, whole grain bread, durum wheat pasta. Proper nutrition for the gym necessarily includes a lot of vegetables, cereals (especially oatmeal, buckwheat and brown rice cereal), dried fruits, and fruits. Fast carbohydrates are best obtained from fruits, berries, honey, dark chocolate.
Nutrition scheme for the gym
Proper nutrition and sports are the key to good health and a long life for you., but proper nutrition during training must be correctly compiled.
Proteins should make up 10-15% of the daily diet (calculated from the individual caloric intake), 25-30% - fats, the rest - carbohydrates, and mostly complex ones.
You need to eat little and often - so you do not overload your digestive system and provide yourself with a constant supply of energy and nutrients. Combining proper nutrition and sports, you can constantly be in good shape, and your body will be healthy and strong. Set up a proper training nutrition regime depending on your training schedule in order to make sports activities as effective as possible for you.
Pre-workout nutrition
Your pre-workout meal should provide you with protein for muscle growth and carbohydrates for energy during and after your workout. Accordingly, before training, you need to eat something protein-carbohydrate about 2 hours before training.
Pre-workout carbohydrates will be converted to glycogen to provide energy to your muscles, while proteins will be used to produce amino acids and building materials for your muscles. Immediately after the end of a workout, the muscles, resting and recovering, greatly increase protein synthesis to grow and repair the micro-tears that inevitably occur during intense training.
But it is better to exclude fats from the diet before training - they slow down digestion, which can adversely affect your well-being during training and your tone.
An example of a well-designed pre-workout meal:
- baked chicken breast with spinach in cream and mozzarella cheese; whole grain bread, berry jam - 2 hours before training;
- 40 g of hazelnuts, cashews or almonds or the same amount of prunes or dried apricots and a cup of unsweetened coffee - 30 minutes before training.
Also, half an hour before training, you can eat any fruit and a protein shake - this will enhance muscle growth. Coffee in the pre-workout diet is named for a reason - it will not only give you an extra boost of energy, but also increase the production of enzymes that break down fat for energy. But after a workout, it is undesirable to drink coffee, as it interferes with normal metabolic processes and slows them down, reducing the effectiveness of proper nutrition and the gym.
There is another nutrition secret for the gym: At least half of the daily protein intake should be eaten 5-6 hours before exercising. For example, if your workout is scheduled for the evening, then your lunch should be mostly protein, and before training, eat carbohydrate foods and protein, such as cottage cheese with dried fruits and nuts.
Nutrition in the gym
While exercising, you should definitely consume enough. In the absence of fluid in the body, the nutrition of all tissues and cells is immediately disrupted, the rate of chemical reactions decreases, the intensity of which during training should be at a sufficiently high level, the elimination of toxins and fat decay products, as well as by-products arising from protein synthesis, worsens. Also, the importance of drinking enough water when eating for the gym is to prevent constipation, the danger of which increases with a high protein content in the diet.
If your workouts are very intense or long, drink carbohydrate shakes or fruit juices during your workouts - they will replenish energy losses and increase the effectiveness of your workouts.
Nutrition after training
Proper nutrition for the gym involves the use of proteins immediately after training They are needed for muscle growth and repair. If you had a workout in the morning or afternoon, then you need energy for further normal functioning, so you can not do without carbohydrates. After training for 1.5 hours, you can drink a glass of kefir and eat an apple or a pear - this way you will give the body both the protein it needs and a sufficient amount of carbohydrates. 2 hours after training, eat a heavy meal - eat meat or fish and a serving of slow carbohydrates, such as buckwheat or oatmeal.
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Nutrition when exercising in the gym is associated with a number of nuances. In most cases, such training is aimed at gaining muscle mass, and, accordingly, it is not so much the correctly calculated daily calorie intake that is of decisive importance, but the proportion of protein in the diet.
General rules
It's no secret that in order to stay at the same weight, you need to balance the amount of calories consumed and expended. The right diet when visiting the gym, which involves building muscle mass, should “shift” this balance somewhat. Thus, the number of calories consumed should be 15% higher than the number of calories expended (obviously, this “difference” is covered exclusively by proteins).
The daily rate of protein in the diet is 1.5-2 g per 1 kg of body weight of an athlete. If no “shifts” in muscle growth are observed a month or two after the menu correction, then another 10% is added to the 15 percent “difference” (again, we are talking about exclusively protein products).
Now it is necessary to discuss the issue of diet during training in the gym. The minimum number of meals per day is four. At the same time, every day the athlete should consume an equal number of calories.
Nutrition scheme for beginners:
- Before going to the gym (no later than 1.5-2 hours) - proteins and complex carbohydrates (20 g / 50 g), it is recommended to limit the amount of fat. Approximate menu: Poultry with vegetables, fish and baked potatoes, chicken breast, eggs or cottage cheese with whole grain bread.
- After training, it is recommended to fill the deficiency of amino acids by eating a protein omelette, or boiled chicken breast, cottage cheese, turkey meat or other lean meat. Eating should take place no later than half an hour after the lesson ended. A mandatory item in the nutrition program is a protein shake. It is drunk early in the morning, on an empty stomach, and immediately after the end of a workout.
Equally important for the effectiveness of training is the drinking regimen. So, with intense loads aimed at mass gain, the daily fluid intake should be at least 3 liters per day. Water deficiency negatively affects metabolism, does not allow fat to be actively broken down, and affects the physical endurance of an athlete.
Best drinks:
- Cleansing or herbal teas;
- Green tea (possible with honey);
- Natural freshly squeezed juices (from fruits or vegetables).
- Purified water.
The correct diet for those who regularly go to the gym involves the last meal no later than two to three hours before bedtime. In addition, it is recommended to avoid stress, emotional overload - they disrupt the healthy process of assimilation of calories and do not allow muscles to grow intensively.
Many people tremble in fear at the word diet because they imagine celery sticks and a long list of forbidden foods. While it's hard to dismiss these negative associations, it's important to remember that "diet" is not a bad word. Your diet, or the foods you eat, is key to maintaining your fitness goals.
In the nutrition section of most strength training manuals, they try to insert a standard nutrition plan, but this is not what we need. We want to instill the idea that metabolically and physiologically your body is unique. What works for one may not work for another. Understanding how your body works and discovering your dietary needs is an important concept for understanding how to shape your own nutritional strategy.
Calories are essentially food energy that your body uses to carry out its daily functions, such as breathing, heart rate regulation, digestion, and others. The amount of calories a food contains depends on its composition. Each product consists of a combination of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Collectively they are called "macronutrients".
Everyone needs a minimum amount of calories to live. This minimum amount is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and may depend on the amount of a person's lean muscle mass. The total number of calories your body uses in a day is made up of the sum of BMR plus the extra calories used for walking, sleeping, exercising, driving, and even laughing. Together they make up the total energy expenditure (TEE) or daily calorie requirement.
Each TEE is different, so the diet that works for your friend may not work for you. Generally, men have a higher TEE than women because they have more muscle mass.
Macronutrients!
There are three nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Together they make up all the calories or nutritional energy you get from food.
Protein
Protein is a key ingredient for building muscle and shaping your body. No, eating more protein will not make your muscles huge. Although, building muscle mass is important in order to look toned. Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the body's building blocks for numerous functions, including building muscle protein.
Lifting weights causes tension and breakdown of muscle fibers that need to be repaired. These fluctuations in muscle breakdown (catabolism) during exercise and recovery (anabolism) during rest help you get stronger and more focused over time.
The general recommendation for individual absorption is one gram of protein per 0.5 kg of your body weight. If your weight is 62 kg, then your goal is to eat about 135 grams of protein. Of course, it's hard to get that much protein in two or three meals, which is why people tend to make multiple meals including some form of protein in each one.
Each gram of protein provides 4 calories.
Foods containing protein: 
- Lean meat
- Milk
- Greek yogurt
- Quinoa
- nuts
- Legumes
Fat
Poor fat is so underestimated and neglected. Dietary fats got a bad rap due to a major landmark study from the 80's that grossly misplaced dietary fats as a cause of heart attacks and other diseases. As a result, the government urged people to eat as little fat as possible, and corporations began producing fat-free and low-fat foods to protect everyone from heart failure.
In fact, fats claim their rightful place on your plate; they are associated with maintaining optimal health. Plus, it's a macronutrient that your body needs to function. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) such as omega-6 and omega-3s help maintain good health, protect internal organs, help absorb fat-soluble vitamins, support essential intelligence and development, and have many other benefits.
However, processed fats, which are added in the food industry to increase the shelf life of products, should be avoided. Check product labels for any "hydrotreated oils"; this definitely means that this product is not worth eating. Support the absorption of dietary fats by avoiding trans fats!
What's more, fat doesn't make you fat. The claim that the fat you eat is quickly deposited in your tissues has long been debunked. Weight gain is an inherent attribute of overeating calories that your body doesn't know what to do with.
Each gram of fat provides 9 calories. 
Sources of healthy fats:
- Avocado
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Melted butter
- nuts
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are another macronutrient that has the same bad reputation as fat. Contrary to what many people will tell you, carbohydrates are not bad.
Carbohydrates include all sugars, including single molecular sugars and two-component sugars. When three or more sugar molecules come together, they form complex carbohydrates in foods like potatoes, oatmeal, broccoli, and countless other vegetables.
Most of your carbs should come from these complex carbs because they take longer to digest, making you feel full longer, and don't raise your blood sugar levels as quickly as simple sugar. An added bonus is that complex carbohydrates are high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Your diet should include both simple and complex carbohydrates, but long-term success in managing blood sugar and weight may depend on limiting your intake of simple sugars.
Each gram of carbohydrates provides 4 calories.
Healthy sources of complex carbohydrates:
Should I cut down on carbs for weight loss?
One popular recommendation to lose weight is to reduce carbohydrates. The level to which you really need to reduce carbohydrates is different for everyone, but in general, take about 50-150 grams of carbohydrates per day. Fifteen grams of carbohydrates is a cup of cereal or two slices of bread. It is not difficult to calculate that this can be accommodated in one meal or even a snack. To replace carbohydrates in your diet, include more healthy fats and proteins.
While many people support a carb-reducing strategy for weight loss, this isn't always ideal. Losing weight may be easy at first, but chronic carb starvation has a negative long-term effect. A woman's delicately balancing hormonal system can be disrupted by exposure to a low-carbohydrate diet, which can backfire in bone density loss and chronic sleep loss. On a low-carb diet, some women may experience delayed or disrupted periods because the body perceives chronically low energy levels as starvation and stress.
Thus, some women may do well on a low-carbohydrate diet. If you decide to try it, then it is important to monitor the reaction of your body.
Your body type and diet
The ratio of how many calories you get from proteins, carbohydrates and fats is important for building your body. Usually macronutrients are divided into 40% carbohydrates, 30% proteins and 30% fats, but this ratio does not work for everyone. The best way to determine your macronutrient ratio is to determine your body type. Your body type is more than just body type, it provides key information about how your body responds and processes macronutrients.
Body type is divided into three categories:
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Ectomorph
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Mesomorph
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Endomorph
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Portion control
Calorie counting is a popular way to estimate portion size and calories. This meticulous record of what you eat certainly has its benefits, but who wants to keep a food chart all their lives?
Calorie counting doesn't have to be lifelong. This does not work exactly for the long term. Studies have shown that calorie counting has a margin of error of 25%, even if you triple-check your calculations and sources. Differences come from label errors, inaccurate portion sizes and measurements that cannot be taken correctly, differences in product quality, and a lot of guesswork.
A more manageable way to track your nutrition is to determine a reasonable portion size. Most restaurants tend to serve you a huge pile of food, more food means better value for your money, right? Getting bigger portions for less money means you'll pay for them elsewhere, like your waistline.
Studies have shown that when people pour large portions, they turn off the internal satiety system and eat every last bite after they have long been satiated, but do not feel it.
Get to grips with portion control
Eating until full is not always the best way to determine portion size. Instead, we recommend using the more appropriate and personalized tool at your disposal - your hands:
- Use your palm to determine protein absorption
- Use a clenched fist to determine your vegetable intake
- Use a Handful to Determine Your Carbohydrate Intake
- Use your thumb to determine your fat intake
Assuming you eat 4 meals a day, below are the servings for each meal:
For ectomorphs
- 2 handfuls of carbohydrates
- 1 palm of proteins
- 1 fist of vegetables
- ½ thumb fat
For mesomorphs
- 1 handful of carbs
- 1 palm of proteins
- 1 fist of vegetables
- 1 thumb fat
For endomorphs
- 1/2 handful of carbs
- 1 palm of proteins
- 1 fist of vegetables
- 2 fat thumbs
These are great general guidelines because your arms are in proportion to your body. Be flexible and adjust your portion according to how you feel and look. For example, if you're gaining unwanted weight, then try reducing your carbs to half a handful per meal and your fat to half a finger.
Meal frequency
Whether you eat small, frequent meals or eat everything in two sets, meal frequency should revolve around your food list and be comfortable for you. As long as you get the right food in the right amount, how you eat depends on your preference.
