Nutritional Guidelines for Fat Loss,
Muscle Gain, and a Healthy Lifestyle.
1. Eat 5-6 small meals per day
Eating smaller meals throughout the day instead of three large meals has been shown in research to
be more beneficial for healthy weight control. Eating more frequently causes your metabolism to
stay revved and allows you to feel full on less total calories.
2. Combine carbohydrates and protein at every meal
Both of these nutrients are essential for healthy weight maintenance and when eaten together they
provide many benefits. Eating carbohydrates (e.g. rice, vegetables, whole grains) and protein (e.g.
chicken, turkey, lean beef, eggs) together keeps insulin and energy levels stable, prevents excess fat
storage, and keeps you feeling fuller longer.
3. Keep portion sizes in check
It is easy to overeat these days with portion sizes becoming bigger and bigger everywhere you look.
Prevent unnecessary calorie consumption by using a “handy” portion size trick. Use the size of your
clenched fist or your palm as a rough guide for your carbohydrate and protein portions. It is also
helpful to try and eat meals slower, as the feeling of fullness can take 15 minutes or so to set in.
4. Prepare your meals ahead of time
One of the biggest obstacles that prevent people from eating healthy is convenience. With limited
time and the convenience of fast food, our hunger can often get the best of us. To combat this,
prepare large quantities of lean proteins, whole grains, and other healthy alternatives early in the
week. This will not only keep your goals on track, but it can also save you significant money!
5. Stay away from “white” and “processed” foods
Food items such as white bread, white rice, crackers, candy, etc… cause large increases in insulin
levels followed by crashes shortly after. This means you are not full for very long, have large peaks
and valleys in energy levels, and are more prone to store these calories as fat. None of these
outcomes are desirable for a healthy lifestyle. The majority of your foods should be composed of
lean proteins, whole grains, vegetables and fruits. These foods keep you fuller longer, do not cause
unnecessary spikes in insulin, and contain more important vitamins and minerals.
6. Eat lots of lean proteins, whole grains, and vegetables!
These three food types should comprise the majority of your diet. Enough said!
7. Eat immediately after your workout!!!!
This is one of the easiest ways to increase the effectiveness of your training. Consuming a
carbohydrate and protein mix that is quickly digestible within 30 minutes after your workout has
been shown to improve recovery, cause greater increases in lean body mass (muscle), and increase
the improvements seen with training. Examples of foods that can accomplish this are a protein
shake with sugar, chocolate milk, or eggs and fruit juice.
8. Drink AT LEAST 8 glasses of water per day
Having adequate hydration is extremely important when on an exercise plan. Proper hydration can
aide in fat loss, recovery, and keeping you feeling full. A good goal is to have a glass of water with
each of your 6 meals, during your workout, and another throughout the day.
9. Don’t drink your calories
One of the quickest ways to ingest unnecessary calories is by drinking them via things such as soft
drinks, coffee drinks, and alcohol. Alcohol by itself (without adding soda or juice) has 7 calories per
gram, which is more than a gram of carbohydrate or protein! This means a supposed “low calorie”
drink like a gin and tonic can have around 200 calories! Soda and coffee drinks such as a latté or
frappuchino can also contain large amounts of unnecessary calories. Cutting down or eliminating
these drinks from your diet can lead to significant weight loss. What is more important to you - your
drinks or your goals?
10. Stay away from large amounts of carbohydrates before bed
Since your metabolism slows down significantly while sleeping, make it a goal to not eat large
amounts of calories about 2 hours prior to bed time. Specifically, do not eat large amounts of
carbohydrates, as they are especially susceptible to being stored as fat if not used. The best options
closer to bedtime are meals composed mostly of protein such as a protein drink, salad with lean
protein or low calorie veggies paired with a lean protein.
11. Make CONSISTANCY your goal, not perfection!
Strive to consistently follow these nutritional recommendations and perform exercise regularly.
While being consistent is great, the occasional treat or reward can go a long way to preventing a
total meltdown. Moderation can sometimes be the missing link between success and failure.