Nutrition Article

What is a diet?

When training it is essential to plan your nutritional intake regardless whether you goal is to increase or reduce your body weight. One of the most important concepts to understand is that in order to maintain your health and lose or gain weight you must eat a well balanced diet.

Unfortunatley the word ‘diet’ has been wrongfully associated with cutting down and sacrificing certain food types, this is incorrect. A diet does not involve significant reductions in calorie intake, just simply balancing food intake so that food types are consumed in the correct proportions. Minor adjustments are also made to the amount of calories consumed, and the frequency of meals eaten per day.

The components of a diet

There are various components that make up the ideal diet. These are carbohydrates, protein, fats, known as macro nutrients, vitamins, minerals enzymes and water - known as micro nutrients. All of these are essential but must be consumed in the correct proportions.

Carbohydrate – is the body’s immediate energy source and is used throughout the initial phases of training . carbohydrates are stored in the liver and muscles so that it is readily available to fuel the body. The types of foods that contain carbohydrates are potatoes, rice and pasta. In order to provide the body with ideal levels approximately 5-7g should be consumed for every kg of  bodyweight per day making up approximately 50-60% of your diet.

Protein is an essential component of the diet and is required to promote development and growth in body tissue including muscles. Protein is required by everyone whether you are a bodybuilder or an endurance athlete. It is recommended that 1.4 – 1.8g be consumed for every kg of bodyweight per day. Protein is found in meats, soya and dairy products and should form approximately 30% of the diet.

Fats – Fats are also essential providing the body with insulation, a long term energy source and is required for the manufacture of certain vitamins. Therefore fat should never be removed from a diet. However it should be limited to approximately 20%of total calories. Fats are found in oils, meats and dairy products.

Other vital components of a diet include fluids, which are without a doubt the most important constituent of a diet. The body is made up of 60% water and therefore the majority of the body’s mass. Without it life cannot be sustained. It is important to consume water before, during and after training to maintain energy levels and help maintain your body temperature. It is recommended to consume between 1.5 – 2 litres of water a day as a minimum.

Last but not least, vitamins and minerals, which maintain all of the bodies, various systems must be consumed to prevent deficiency diseases. These are not required in great quantities but are still vital in maintaining health. Vitamins and minerals are found in all food types in particular fruits and vegetables. The recommended daily allowance (RDA’s) are often displayed on the nutritional information section on food packaging. If you feel that there is a lack of vitamins and minerals in your diet a supplement can offer you 100% fulfilment of the RDA’s within a single tablet.

If your goals are to increase body weight to compliment a strength-training programme, then total calorie intake should be increased by approximately 20%. The proportions of the diet may change slightly to allow a slightly greater intake of protein.

If your goals are to reduce your body fat/weight calorie intake should not be reduced by more than 15%. This will allow the maintenance of lean weight (muscle, bone etc.) and the reduction in fat weight. A reduction in any more than recommended leads to muscle wasting.

These recommendations are based around an average male requiring between 2750-3250 kcal per day and a female requiring between 2250-2700 kcal per day (these figures are only guidelines, consult a member of staff if you wish to gain a more accurate result).

How often should I eat?

Eating regularly maintains metabolism throughout the day, thus promoting a greater rate of calorie burning, preventing overeating and the body becoming lethargic. Six meals a day is optimum but remember to maintain the proportions of the diet discussed earlier.

Top tips

When planning a diet, record what you eat and measure the calories in a food diary over a cross-section of the week (i.e. two weekdays and one weekend day). This will give you and idea of what needs changing.

If you wish to lose fat, refrain from eating a high carbohydrate meal a few hours before workouts, so the body has to delve into the fat stores.

A strict diet can be very difficult to start with but be persistent and once a routine is formed you will feel better for it.

Allow yourself a day off when you can eat what you want when you want. This will give you something to look forward too and keep you on the right track.

*These diets are guidelines only and may not be suitable to all individuals due to their metabolisms and goals. If you require further information consult a member of staff at fitbody fitmind.