1,200 Starvation: Prolonged eating at or below this level can lead to nutrient deficiencies
and, ultimately, health problems.
1,500 Severe Undernourishment: At this level of deprivation it’s virtually impossible to
provide your body with all the nutrients it needs. Your body will make metabolic
compromises to hoard body fat.
1,800 Under eating: A proper balance of foods can provide most necessary nutrients,
but fat hoarding and metabolic compromise may still occur.
2,200 Restrictive Diet: About as low as you can go and effectively mobilize body fat
without reducing muscle mass or impairing your metabolic baseline.
2,350 Body-Fat Reduction: Ideal calorie consumption for reducing body fat.
2,500 Maintenance: Optimum calorie-consumption level to maintain body weight.
2,650 Quality Weight Gain: Necessary calorie consumption for quality (read: muscle
mass) weight gain. This does not mean that you should inhale fatty foods and Cheetos
by the bag.
3,000 Overeating: At this level of excess you’ll begin to put on body fat at the rate of
about one pound per week.
3,000-4,000 Performance Athletes: Depending on sex, weight, and height, a
performance athlete should consume daily especially during times of pre-season
conditioning and maintenance during the season if practices are grueling.
10 Nutrition Mistakes You Don't Know You're Making
1. Taking "fat-free" at face value. Don't assume that the label "fat-free" gives you license
to eat as much as you want of something without gaining weight, because in most cases
you'll still be consuming a bunch of calories, many of them empty of other valuable
nutrients. End result? Big gut, bigger butt. "You have to be careful of the word ‘nonfat,'
because that usually implies more sugar!"
"Fat-free" means the product you just picked up contains less than half a gram of fat per
serving. That's great, except that you'll often find that promise on cookies, cakes and ice
cream, which are loaded with sugar. Instead of relying on a misleading label, simply
avoid foods such as luncheon meat, cheese and whole milk that are naturally high in fat.
2. Fasting in the evening for fear of gaining fat. Doing so might make sense for an
obese, sedentary woman, but a guy or girl who's pumping iron or working out all week
needs to be provisioning their body to build muscle during sleep. "People have these
myths like 'I shouldn't eat after 8,' or I shouldn't do this or that, but it's like, ‘Do I fill my
car with gas at 8 a.m. or 8 p.m.?'" "What matters is, how many miles did you drive?"
3. Considering fruit juices a better alternative to soda. "A lot of people don't realize the
calorie content of beverages—not only soda but juice," "People assume that juice is
healthier than cola, so they'll go ahead and drink a bunch of it. Yet your average half a
cup of juice equals about 60 calories, and people will often drink half a gallon of orange
juice a day."
4. Eating too many nonfat carbs at lunch. Carbs lead to insulin release, and insulin
reduces the uptake of the neurotransmitters that govern alertness, while increasing the
uptake of tryptophan, the brain chemical that promotes lethargy. This effect will be even
more pronounced if the carbs have a high glycemic index, such as those found in white
bread, croissants, french fries, white rice and soda.
To stay sharp into the afternoon, keep lunch moderately sized (less than 400 calories)
and low in carbs (about the 25 grams you'd get from a plain baked potato).
5. Not eating a healthy snack as a bridge between lunch and dinner. You should already
be eating five or six small healthy meals a day, but if you still insist on just three squares,
you may end up compounding the ill effects of overeating at lunch and going hungry until
dinner. When 7 p.m. finally arrives, you're likely to indiscriminately stuff yourself with too
much too quickly.
Assuming lunch ended at 1:30 p.m., eat a small but healthy "bridging" snack between 4
p.m. and 5 p.m. Choose something that contains lean protein and carbs, such as a
protein shake mixed with a banana, some homemade trail mix (peanuts, sunflower
seeds, Cheerios), or lean turkey and cucumber slices on whole-wheat crackers.
6. Staying away from water to avoid bloating. Maybe you've heard girls talk about
"retaining water" and "feeling bloated," and you're afraid that extra H20 might obscure
your muscle. In reality, drinking plenty of liquids helps you burn fat, and tells your body to
lose that layer of muscle-camouflaging water it holds between your skin and muscles.
Since the human body often doesn't sense its own thirst until after the fact, proper
hydration requires drinking fluids preemptively. You also need to drink more water as
you get bigger from weight training. As you gain muscle mass, your body has more room
to store carbohydrate for exercise. Because you store additional fluid in your body when
you've got more carbohydrate in your muscles, it's extra important to stay hydrated. I
recommend a minimum of 16 eight-ounce glasses of noncaffeinated fluids per day, plus
an additional six ounces for every 15 minutes of training you engage in."
7. Mistiming your pre-workout fuel consumption. Begin your workout well-nourished, but
with your stomach virtually empty. If you skip breakfast and lunch before an afternoon
workout, your body will likely run out of fuel and crash before the session ends.
Conversely, if your stomach is full of food before you lift your first weight, too much blood
will be drawn to your stomach rather than to your muscles, where you want it. And if you
do cardio on a full stomach, it will take much longer for your body to start tapping into its
fat stores.
Ideally, you'll want to eat a high-energy meal or snack [a bowl of granola topped with
fruit, or some whole-wheat pasta with chicken, for example] two or three hours before
your workouts. An hour before training, augment that with a liquid meal or energy drink
along with 16 ounces of water.
8. Thinking that "2 percent milk fat" means what it says. It doesn't mean that only 2
percent of the calories you're drinking come from fat. In reality, 35 percent of the calories
in a single serving of 2-percent milk come from fat, most of it saturated. It's just clever
marketing. The manufacturers are referring to total volume, not caloric content.
Unless you're lactose-intolerant—and not as many folks are as believe they are—milk
can be a great asset to your diet, and 2-percent milk is a better choice than higher-fat
whole milk. But if you're keen on minimizing fat, your best bets are 1-percent or fat-free
milk. You'll get used to it, and eventually grow to prefer it.
9. Substituting margarine for butter. Margarine was created to provide a healthier
alternative to the saturated fats found in butter, but the trans fatty acids contained in
margarine make it even worse for your heart. Trans fatty acids have a negative effect on
heart health by lowering levels of the "good" HDL cholesterol while raising levels of the
"bad" LDL.
If you must use margarine, at least opt for the reduced-calorie liquid version. Better still,
steer clear of both margarine and butter—your heart and arteries will thank you for it.
10. Eating salad to lose weight. Salads have a place in any nutritious diet, but equating
their consumption with successful weight loss is a common error. A seemingly healthy
Caesar salad, for example, can leave you saddled with 50 fat grams from the cheese
and the Caesar dressing, which typically contains two healthy ingredients, mustard and
olive oil, along with a slew of fatty ingredients, including egg yolk. What's more, an hour
later your stomach will be growling and your protein-starved muscles shrinking as you
reach for something even worse.
Think of salads as an adjunct to, rather than a substitute for, your main meal. Limit their
fat profile by going easy on the dressings and other fat-laden toppings such as grated
cheese and croutons. And juice them up with lean protein sources such as chicken
breast and beans. Protein builds muscle, and the more of that metabolically active tissue
you have, the easier it will be to lose fat.
Sample Menus:
Breakfast:
1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt with 1/2 cup fresh strawberries
1 whole-grain bagel with 2 tbsp cream cheese
1 cup fresh orange juice
Midmorning snack
1 banana
1 granola bar
Lunch
4 oz. lean roast beef sandwich on rye bread with tomato, lettuce and 1 tbsp low-fat mayo
1 cup fresh-fruit salad
1 oz. pretzels
1 1/2 cup milk
Postworkout snack (consume within 15 minutes of training)
16 oz. formulated recovery drink containing at least 50g of carbs and 20g of protein and one of
the following: Homemade trail mix: 1/2 cup Frosted Mini-Wheats, 2 tbsp raisins, 2 tbsp peanuts
or:
1 sports bar containing at least 40g of carbs and 10g of protein
Dinner
4 oz. chicken breast in stir fry with 2 cups vegetables
1 cup brown rice
2 cups milk
1 cup peaches (canned in water)
Pre-bedtime snack
4 cups low-fat microwave popcorn
Total calories: 3,300-4,000
Macro breakdown: 508g carbs (62 percent), 181g protein (22 percent), 60g fat (16 percent)
“or”
Second Two Months Breakfast
2 cups bran flakes with 1/2 cup fresh fruit
2 cups milk
1 whole-wheat English muffin with 2 tbsp jam
1 cup grapefruit juice
Lunch
3 chicken fajitas
1/2 cup refried beans
1/2 cup rice
Iced tea (lite on sugar)
Postworkout snack (consume within 15 minutes of training) 16 oz. formulated recovery drink
containing at least 30g protein
or:
Homemade alternative containing 2 packages Carnation Instant Breakfast, 2 cups skim milk, 2
tbsp protein powder, 1 banana
Dinner
5 oz. lean pork loin
1 cup spinach salad with tomatoes, onions, 2 tbsp soy nuts and 2 tbsp low-fat dressing
1 1/2 cups steamed mixed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
2 cups milk
Pre-bedtime snack
1 orange
2 oatmeal cookies
Total calories: 3,100-4,000
Macro breakdown: 470g carbs (60 percent), 180g protein (23 percent), 60g fat (17 percent)
Foods to Cheat with:
1. Baskin-Robbins Smoothie
150 cal, 35g carbs, 4g protein, zero fat
The Barry White of delectable indulgences, these rich and thick smoothies will have you singing
"Can't get enough of your love, babe" after your first mouthful. But unlike Barry, every one of
these cool numbers is fat-free.
Compare: Calorically speaking, one smoothie equals less than a quarter of a Friendly's
Vanilla Fribble shake.
2. McDonald's Hotcakes
340 cal, 58g carbs, 9g protein, 8g fat
Three fluffy flapjacks, sans margarine and washed down with a glass of pulpy Orenthal
James and a carton of skim milk, will provide you with sustainable energy all morning.
See Ronald run!
Compare: One serving equals a fifth of a McDonald's Sausage Biscuit with Egg.
3. Domino's Hand-Tossed Cheese Pizza
two slices: 319 cal, 44g carbs, 14g protein, 10g fat
With numbers like these, you can power down half the pie without feeling like Tony
Soprano's body double. But be sure to get "hand-tossed," as the deep-dish pizza has
double the fat per slice.
Compare: Two slices equals a third of a slice of Domino's Deep Dish Pepperoni and
Italian Sausage.
4. Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Yogurt
200 cal, 35g carbs, 4g protein, 4.5g fat
Ben & Jerry's is like crack for the active guy: intense pleasure coupled with devastating
consequences, and virtually irresistible after the first spoonful. The yogurt concoction
tastes almost as decadent as the original, but with a lot less fat.
Compare: A half-cup of yogurt equals 21¬4 tablespoons of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip
Cookie Dough Ice Cream.
5. Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Sorbet
120 cal, 28g carbs, 2g protein, zero fat
There must be a God. Here's a Haagen-Dazs product that doesn't require an elastic
waistband. Your biggest risk is the brain freeze you can get from wolfing this stuff down
too fast.
Compare: Half a cup of chocolate sorbet has less calories than a quarter-cup of HaagenDazs Chocolate Ice Cream.
6. Kettle Crisps Baked Potato Chips (Honey Barbecue flavor)
1 ounce (about 30 chips): 110 cal, 22g carbs, 3g protein, 1.5g fat
Someone finally figured it out: A smoky-sweet, low-fat chip that's seasoned just right and
isn't the least bit cardboardy. If salty snacks and ESPN are your favorite combination,
these are your bag.
Compare: 30 Kettle Crisps equals a mere 21¬4 Lay's KC Masterpiece Barbecued Potato
Chips.
7. Nestle Flipz
1 ounce (8 pieces): 130 cal, 20g carbs, 2g protein, 6g fat
A great choice if you're fiending for chocolate: crunchy, salty Rold Gold pretzels plunged
into a cauldron of milk chocolate. Technically, they're considered "candy," but these
twists have fewer calories and less fat than most chocolate items.
Compare: Eight pieces equals less than half of a Little Debbie Fudge Brownie.
8. McDonald's Strawberry Sundae
290 cal, 50g carbs, 7g protein, 7g fat
Enjoy this dessert guilt-free-unless you've just downed a Big Mac and fries. Although this
smothered mound of vanilla ice cream packs sugar, it's also loaded with potassium and
calcium and has more protein than most desserts.
Compare: One sundae equals just half of a McDonald's Baked Apple Pie.
9. Kellogg's Low-Fat Frosted Strawberry Pop Tart
190 cal, 39g carbs, 2g protein, 3g fat
Although the fruit in these icing-coated pastries is more sugar, gel, gum and food
coloring than sumptuous San Joaquin berry, the numbers are bearable. In any case,
popping a tart is a lot better than dunking a donut.
Compare: One Pop Tart equals less than a quarter of a Dunkin' Donuts Jelly Stick.
10. Planter's Peanut Bar
1.6 ounce bar: 230 cal, 22g carbs, 6g protein, 14g fat
Sometimes the siren song of the vending machine is just too strong. Need ... candy ...
now. Of course, 14 grams of fat isn't great, but this bar contains monounsaturated fat,
which raises HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and lowers LDL cholesterol.
Compare: One bar equals three-quarters of a Klondike Bar.
11. Dairy Queen Chocolate Soft Serve Ice Cream (small)
150 cal, 22g carbs, 4g protein, 5g fat
The bad news is that this soft and creamy ice cream might drip on your new trail-running
shoes. The good news is, after this guiltless pleasure, you'll still be able to see your
shoes.
Compare: Equals a fifth of a Dairy Queen Regular Chocolate Malt.
12. Rice Krispies Treats
90 cal, 18g carbs, 1g protein, 2g fat
You may feel too old to indulge in snacks repped by three onomatopoeic homunculi, but
sating your sweet tooth with only 90 calories is worth the shame. Runner-up: the peanut
butter-chocolate variety (110 cal, 4g fat).
Compare: One Rice Krispies Treat equals a sixth of a Nestle Crunch Bar.
The Bodytype Diet: How to eat to fit your genes.
People come in all shapes and sizes, but those shapes and sizes all had definite
beginnings -- a genetically predetermined bodytype of ectomorph, endomorph or
mesomorph or, more likely, some combination thereof. You can find out which one you
are by taking a good, hard look in the mirror. Are you slender and small-boned, with long
arms and a thin neck? You're probably an ectomorph. If you're pear-shaped with shorter
arms and legs and big bones, you might be an endomorph. And if you're thick-chested,
broad-shouldered and naturally muscular (not to mention shunned by the other two
bodytypes!), you're probably a mesomorph.
So, what types of food and how often should you eat? Should you take any
supplements? Would any type of food, supplement or situation hinder you from
maximizing the growth potential of your particular bodytype? To help you answer these
important questions, digest the information on the following pages that's appropriate to
the bodytype you most closely resemble. It could help you transform your body into the
physique you've always wanted!
ECTOMORPH
Just Eat!
Dietary needs: Consume 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight; protein
intake can be as high as 30% of your total daily calories. Your carbohydrate intake
should be around 50%, and fat intake 20% of your total daily calories. To add muscle,
the number of calories you eat daily must exceed the number of calories you burn.
Frequency of meals: Eat five medium-sized meals a day. Eating too many small meals
could fuel your already high metabolism.
Supplements: Have one weight-gain or protein shake each day with a meal and
another one right before bedtime. Take creatine to help your energy levels during
training and aid muscular adaptation.
Things to avoid: Fat-burners, mahuang, stress.
Things to remember: Don't skip meals, and make sure you drink at least 80 ounces of
water a day.
A constant flow of high-quality protein, clean carbohydrate and fat is critical. In fact,
you'd need 2,000-2,500 extra calories from a good diet to add just 1-2 pounds of lean
tissue from resistance training! This illustrates the unfortunate truth that the ectomorph
begins at a deficit and must counter the effects of that blazing metabolism with a rush of
quality nutrients.
The ectomorph must also be aware of the need to eat properly before and after training.
Evidence shows that eating a meal containing carbohydrate and protein before lifting
weights may reduce catabolism during exercise; eating a similar meal afterward may
promote a more anabolic profile. IFBB pro Milos Sarcev suggests eating 2 grams of
protein per pound of bodyweight daily and increasing your intake of starchy
carbohydrates like rice, potatoes and pasta. "It's even okay to add some saturated fat,"
he says. "Eating steak and eggs wouldn't hurt." Don't get too much saturated fat,
however.
The ectomorph lives in the land of catabolism and it's an uphill battle to leave town. To
make it to the freeway, you must fuel your body with something other than its own
muscle protein throughout the day. Stay full with a few medium-sized meals. Basically,
your motto could be, "Eat big to get big."
ENDOMORPH
The Heat Is On
Dietary needs: Above all else, limit your fat intake. All your protein should come from
lean sources such as low-fat fish, skinless chicken breasts, egg whites and lean turkey.
Consume a variety of vegetables, but never use plant sources for protein. Limit fruit to
the early part of the day. Eat only quality complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, longgrain rice and lentils.
Frequency of meals: To get the calorie-burning benefits of constant digestion and
absorption, eat 5-7 small meals every day. The thermogenic nature of food is critical.
Supplements: Thermogenic products and protein shakes (unless inadvisable for health
reasons).
Things to avoid: High-fat dairy products, deli sliced luncheon meats, incomplete protein
sources, alcohol and soft drinks, second helpings.
Things to remember: Don't eat too late or too quickly, and make sure you leave the
table before you're stuffed.
The endomorph has less room for error. Just as with the ectomorph, calories are the
controlling factor. Yet if your goal is to taper, calories need to be restricted and each
macronutrient amount (protein, carb or fat) has to be more exact. Also realize that while
some foods will boost your metabolism, some will slow it down. This thermic effect is a
process the endomorph needs to take control of now!
Here's the skinny on what this means for you: For roughly every 100 calories of protein
you ingest, your body will use 20% of its own calories just to digest, absorb and
distribute the protein. And for every 100 calories of carbohydrate you eat, your body will
burn roughly 10%-12% of its own calories to do the same. As for fat, well, your body will
burn just 5% of its own calories to digest and absorb 100 calories.
To get the most out of your protein, make skinless chicken breasts, fish and scrambled
egg whites your mainstays. This way you can eat more and have a full feeling without
eating too much carbohydrate and fat. All in all, be careful what kinds of carbs you eat,
watch your fat intake and utilize the thermogenic nature of protein.
Mesomoph
Get With the Program
Dietary needs: Eat 1 gram of lean protein (scrambled egg whites, lean turkey, skinless
chicken breasts and fish) per pound of bodyweight daily. Your carbohydrate intake
should remain high: 60%-65% of your daily calories. Limit fat to 15% of your daily caloric
intake.
Frequency of meals: 5-7 meals per day.
Supplements: Protein shakes and meal replacements.
Things to remember: Don't eat the same things in the same amounts each week -variety is the spice of life! Rather than trying to stay too lean all year, increase your
calories now and then to pack on the muscle. You can gain muscle and lose fat easily,
so make the most of that gift of balance.
Mesomorphs are blessed, to say the least. Not only do they look sensational, but their
bodies have an innate ability to keep them that way. Research shows that muscular
bodybuilders have a higher 24-hour energy expenditure, meaning they burn more
calories both during activity and at rest than their non-bodybuilding counterparts of the
same age, height and percent fat. Who could ask for more?