Nutrition for Muscle and Fitness

How to eat and eating are very different realities when it comes to eating healthy. Men seem to have a more difficult time watching what they eat instead of how much they eat. A simple and easy way round this problem could be to imagine yourself sitting at the table in front of a plate. Normal guys would load up the largest section with the burger, the meat, the ribs or the chips leaving the smaller portion for fruit, veg and grain foods. Turn the plate around, switch around in order to have the veg in the largest section and the meat in the smaller one. This will decrease your fat intake without your feeling deprived or cheated. When you finish the plate you are done and have eaten as much as you should. If you are still hungry eat more of the grains or veggies or pass on seconds and eat fruit for dessert.

The most effective way to eat for weight management in either direction "eating to grow or eating to shrink" plus or minus is to eat five times a day. Five small meals or three moderate sized meals plus two snacks seem to work for most people. It all depends on what you are eating and what you are trying to achieve as your goal.

If you were burning a fire in a fireplace, you would build that fire with kindling wood and bunched up paper. A match ignite the flames and the fire would burn brightly with a roar. You may ask, "What does this have to do with anything" Well, if you think of your body's metabolism as a fire, the fire that burns fat stored on your body you will see the similarity. Your body will break down the foods into energy (glucose) and store supplied energy for later use. That is what love handles or the layer of fat in front of your six-pack of abs is.

Depending on the size of the meal, your metabolism will work until it is satisfied. When the amount of food your body requires has been digested and metabolized your body will go for stored fat until it is finished and then rests. The only exercise here is eating that delicious meal, although the consequences are simple - nutrition of course but you are storing fat and wasting foods at the same time. The by-products of that tasty meal get pushed through your system as waste and the rest as stored fat.

About 3,500 calories in reserve, equals one pound of fat on your body. Then the metabolism will look for energy to burn on its own until it is satisfied. That is why the effect of eating smaller meals will help you boost the metabolic reaction and keep it working until it has taken what it needs. If it needs more than it is given, it will go to the storage unit and that means loss of fat stored equals weight loss.

In addition to taking plenty of complex carbohydrates and high-quality protein whilst avoiding sugars and fats, you also need to take in an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals. Just as a bodybuilder's needs for protein are higher than they are for you average person, vitamin and mineral needs also increase. You get quite a few vitamins and minerals in your food but to make certain that you don't miss a couple of crucial vitamins or minerals it is a good idea to take a one-a-day vitamin and mineral supplement. You don't have to go overboard and take mega-doses of various vitamins or minerals.