How To Eat Properly When Dieting
I just finished my series, a quick guide on how to lose body fat, but now I'm going to hone in on the more advanced areas of dropping fat. This article focuses on the diet.
Consistency
The most difficult part about losing weight is being consistent because if you want to get shredded, you can't just cut all your calories and expect to have impressive results. Firstly, you're going to lose a lot of muscle, and secondly, your metabolism will shut down, causing you to initially drop weight, but then plateau. When you're on a diet, it calls for strict discipline.
In past articles, I talked about eating healthier, calculating your macros and such. Well, that's not a diet; that's a lifestyle. When you go on your diet, it's imperative you don't have crazy cheat meals. You can have "planned carb-up days" where you consume 25-percent more calories, mainly carbs, but that doesn't mean you're stuffing your face with chocolate cake. The calories from the fat in the cake, versus the extra calories from a carb source, make a BIG difference on your physique. You DO not want fat unless you're doing a Ketogenic diet.
On carb up days, you don't have to eat clean calories; you can have pancakes for your carbs, as long as it's the right amount of calories. Your MUST-HAVE carbs throughout the week should always be: oatmeal, sweet potato, rice, quinoa, pasta - whether you’re bulking or cutting. Also, Sunday should be your carb-up day, and Wednesday should be your low day. On your low day, you have practically zero carbohydrates, protein stays same, fat intake stays same, which should be zero. Then every other day, besides Monday and Wednesday, you eat your maintenance calories.
Good Carb Choices
Eighty calories of sweet potato, or any of the carbs I listed above as "must-haves" will provide enough energy to go through a workout, while 80 calories of bread may provide enough energy to be strong for a 1/4 of the workout. Choosing the best carb sources, especially on a diet, will make the difference between feeling strong and feeling like you've just got the sh*t kicked out of you. It's much better for your development and safety when you're exercising feeling strong.
High Day
Now were focusing on the unique days in your diet. On this day, as every day, you want to space your meals two to three hours apart. Don't miss meals; you're going to ruin your physique. If you ever wondered why you body is just average, or it's taking you FOREVER to see results, it's because you're not being spot on consistent, or your just using the wrong formula. In 12 weeks, I can go from 12-percent to five-percent body fat because I know my body so well. And everyone that does my formula exactly the way I do receives the same results.
Don't have a bunch of calories in one sitting; divide your calories evenly into your meals, and plan out those meals. Remember to do your cardio - that's essential for dieting down. The concept of dieting is to cut your calories low and increase caloric expenditure; thus, causing your body to burn fat for energy. Cardio is incredibly important in losing fat.
Low Day
This day you can have lettuce with your meals, so you can obtain some fiber, and then don't count the lettuce as your carbs. Have sweet potato, or whatever carb source you choose, and let that be your calculated carb for the day.
Maintenance Day
These days are vitally important; be consistent with them.
Next, I'll be reviewing what a Ketogenic diet is. Remember to keep checking back for more on staying fit!
Top Photo Courtesy: Tumblr
