Eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, daily. If your protein intake is too low on a restricted-calorie diet, youll lose a lot of muscle in addition to any fat youre lucky enough to shed. A high protein intake will help you preserve lean mass during your dieting phase. Choose lean high-quality proteins like egg whites, poultry, lean red meat and protein supplements. The diet provided here contains about 220-250 grams of protein daily, fine for a male weighing 200-250 pounds. Up your protein only if youre heavier than 250 pounds, or youre very hungry and need to add food during the day. Juge suggests an additional protein shake for an easy quick fix. (If youre under 180 pounds, cut out 3 ounces of meat or chicken per day from the diet.) Keep your carbohydrates low to moderate when trying to lose weight. On a low day youll have closer to 100 grams of carbs, he says. A moderate day is about 150 grams of carbs. Juge prefers to rotate low and moderate days in order to keep energy high and provide a change of pace. Good, clean, fiber-rich carbs include oats, potatoes, rice and whole-grain bread. Drink at least a gallon of water per day. Itll keep you hydrated and healthy. Water should be your primary beverage during dieting. Though many rely on diet sodas, Crystal Light and other low-calorie sweetened drinks, plain old water is really your best bet. HOW TO STAY ON TRACK Habits and cravings are the devil when it comes to dieting. Lets deal with habits first. Juge explains that it takes a good week or two to ease into dieting. Fast food is so easy and theres a McDonalds on every corner. The hardest thing is to develop the new habit of preparing your meals and taking them with you. The first week is the most difficult, so prepare yourself for some challenges as you abandon your usual routine. For example, you might usually go out for a sub sandwich or burger at lunch. Youll now have to bring your food with you and resist the temptation of spicing up your meal with the Doritos in the vending machine or your usual can of Coke. It can be a real mental battle to stick to your food plan. To stay motivated and deal with cravings, Juge has a couple of great recommendations. First, schedule a cheat meal on every seventh day. Many of my clients have their cheat meal on Sunday, so then theyre ready for Monday and the week to come, he says. If you feel deprived during the week, concentrate on the cheat meal to come, knowing you can eat absolutely anything you want to -- pizza, lasagna, doughnuts, beer, chips, you name it! Remember, though, its just one cheat meal, not an entire day of cheating. Afterward, get right back on the wagon with your next scheduled meal. Second, take a few photos of yourself to keep your motivation up. Most of the people who come to me are doing it for a reason, he explains. Theyre going on vacation, competing in a bodybuilding show, or maybe going to a reunion. I always have them strive for that goal. I take front, side and back pictures of them at the beginning and have them post the photos on their mirror at home. I tell them, just keep looking at that picture and think of what youre going to look like in a few weeks. When it comes to cravings, protein drinks and bars may also help cure your need for sugar, says Juge. He recommends mixing a flavored protein powder in a blender with as much ice as possible, so itll taste more like a milkshake. Day Fives protein shake includes a cup of berries, which will also help with sugar cravings. Once or twice per week, Juge adds, you can have a low-sugar high-protein bar. The newest varieties taste more like candy bars, with state-of-the-art sweetening techniques. Your habits and cravings may both rear their heads at restaurants, where its easy to blow your diet in seconds. To stick to the plan, says Juge, be diligent in ordering. Ask them to grill your meat without oil or grease. Ask for steamed vegetables with no butter. Get a salad (no cheese) with either fat-free dressing or a vinaigrette. After his 14 years in bodybuilding, Juge testifies that hes found many restaurants are accommodating, so theres no reason to avoid them as long as theyll cook to your preferences.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 01:19:31 +0000
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