Nutrition Tips for Week 5

[Diane Vives, Fit4Austin]

8/16-22/09

Run Group, 

I hope you all had a wonderful week.  Your bodies should be regenerated and ready to get back into it.  We are going to pick up on the training progression that has been be designed by our wonderful coach Diane.  Stay focused on your goals and keep up the good work!

  Last week we talked about basic principles and facts related to nutrition. I had you focus on getting three healthy meals throughout your day.  I am confident that all of you were conscious about your meal choices and got three meals in each day.  Good work!  This week’s focus is on calories.  Do we need to count every single calorie or just be aware of our portion sizes and eat whatever we want?  

Basic Education: 

One principle holds true to losing, maintaining, or gaining lean muscle and it is structured around your total caloric intake.  If I am trying to lose weight and my maintenance level is 2700 calories eating 3000 calories of lean protein will still put my body in a caloric surplus, thus gaining weight.  If I’m trying to lose weight and my maintenance level is 2700 calories can I just eat 2000 calories of pizza and still lose weight?  The answer is yes but there is much more to nutrition than just calories.  Think back to last week’s High – Low principles.  Obviously eating 2000 calories of pizza does not carry the same amount of nutritional value as a balanced meal plan would provide.  Different foods can affect your physical, mental, and emotional state so choosing healthy foods is crucial to a healthy lifestyle.  

Figure out your caloric maintenance level by taking your weight and multiplying it by 16 (NSCA, 2009).  Maintenance levels differentiate by activity levels, gender, age, and other demographics.  This is a general rule and if you would like to get more individualized attention Diane and I are happy to help.  

Guidelines:

Rather than walking around with a calculator and adding up every single calorie that you have just eaten, be proactive and create a menu plan for the week.  Be aware of the calorie in vs. calorie out equation, portion sizes, nutritional value, and satiety (how full you feel after a meal).  Try to eat only what is on your weekly menu.  This might take some organizational time but the benefits that precede this method are worth the extra 15 minutes.  

Weekly Goal:

Create a menu plan that focuses on three healthy meals and two healthy snacks a day.  Stick to your plan as much as you can.  If this means packing a lunch and taking it with you to work then so be it.  If you are trying to lose weight then structure your plan so that you are in a 300 caloric deficit.  Add variety to keep you from boredom and if you feel really good…put everything in a bag. : )   Just kidding…..food taste terrible out of a bag.  

Coach Dustin

Diane Vives, MS, CSCS

Owner, Fit4Austin

President, Vives Training Systems, Austin, TX

www.vives-ctl.com

e:  d...@vives-ctl.com

p:  512-750-7428

*Member of the Under Armour TNP Performance Training Council

*2006-2009 Member of the Board of Directors, National Strength and Conditioning Assoc. 

"The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something." 
~Randy Pausch