-Begin to change
the way you think of food. Instead of thinking of food as something to
fill you up, think of food as fuel. Certain foods will provide more
energy and will help rebuild your muscles better than others.- protein is for
repairing and building muscles, NOT for energy
-FOOD
FIRST. Supplements are supplemental, they do not replace food.
-Prepare meals
ahead of time so you can keep healthy options with you all day to avoid
unhealthy choices.
-Try to keep
your macronutrients within these ranges: carbs (breads, veggies, fruits- look
on nutrition labels) in between 45-65%, protein between 10-35% depending on how
much lifting you are doing (if your body doesn’t use the protein to rebuild the
muscles it will turn into fat), fats 20-35% (try to stick to healthy
fats- avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, etc)- remember fat has over twice the
amount of calories per gram as carbs and protein does.
-As an athlete,
I suggest aiming for 25-35% of calories coming from lean protein depending on
how much you are working that day. This means about 45-55% of your
calories coming from carbs and 20-30% fat. Longer distance runners need
less protein than sprinters, since their energy systems are different.
-Stay away from
junk food, refined pasta, white bread, as these do not hold much nutritional
value.
-An easy way to
ADD calories to your diet is to put them in a shake if you are looking to gain
weight or muscle mass. Peanut butter, almond butter, and nuts are
calorically dense as well if you haven’t hit your goal for the day.
-Try to vary
your fruits and veggies in order to get the maximum amount of micronutrients
(vitamins and minerals) in your diet.
-Aim for 3
fruits and 3 veggies every day in your diet, fruit is a great snack IF you
don’t have time to eat a meal 1-2 hours before a workout.
-HYDRATE as much
as possible. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water.
-Prior to
exercise, drink 12oz of water. Try to consume water every 10-20 minutes
during exercise and at least 12 oz immediately after to replenish what was lost
in sweat or conduction and convection.
-Rule of thumb-
you should drink half of your weight in ounces per day (not including workouts)
Mollie Martin, CSCS
ACE-Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Health Coach, Certified Group Fitness Instructor
