Nutrition for weight loss during training for girls - the right menu for sports. Proper nutrition for weight loss

Perhaps the surest way to lose weight once and for all is exercise. Now every woman has access to regular classes in the gym, even after a working day. But, if you feel more comfortable, you can practice at home.

Fitness diet is designed to speed up the process of losing weight. It includes healthy foods rich in vitamins and proteins, which are so necessary for everyone, and especially for athletes.

Despite the fact that the fitness diet does not provide for a hunger strike, but rather the opposite - you need to eat up to 1800 kcal per day, it has proven itself well and allows you to lose up to 5 kilograms of excess weight per week.

And all thanks to a properly constructed menu and sports.

Indeed, right nutrition is being popularized all over the world, and if you decide to start eating right, it is better to adopt the basic principles of this sports diet.

In addition to nutrition, it is worth regularly attending training. You need to devote at least three days a week to strength and cardio loads.

For a relief sports figure, in addition to exercising in the gym, you need to reconsider your diet. Particular attention, in addition to what you eat, should be paid to when and how much you eat.

Fitness diet contains in its menu:

  • proteins that are so necessary for the muscles;
  • the so-called "long" carbohydrates that charge our body with energy, which proteins and fats are incapable of.

It is worth abandoning the use of fats, as they affect the metabolism, slowing it down, and effective training will not work on a full stomach.

So what to eat to lose weight on this diet?

Food before workout

Immediately, we note that you should not eat immediately before training. Try to eat no later than 1.5-2 hours before going to the gym. At this time, you can eat foods rich in proteins and fiber, such as: poultry, fish, vegetables, eggs, oatmeal, apples or pears.

It is also allowed to drink a cup of black coffee or unsweetened tea half an hour before training. These drinks will help remove fat from the cells and burn it faster. Thus, you will spend less carbohydrates, and you will have energy for household chores.

As for liquids, you should lean on water. The more water you drink before, during and after exercise, the more effective it will be. The drinking scheme is simple: a glass of water half an hour before the start, and a couple of sips every 15 minutes. More often, it all depends on the needs of the body.

Food after workout

Eating at the end of class is a must. If your goal is to get lean muscle, give your body some liquid carbohydrates like grape juice or eat boiled potatoes, vegetables, fruits, brown rice.

Include chicken breast, egg whites, beans, fat-free cottage cheese, fish in your dinner. All food must be low-fat, the only thing is moderately fatty fish (such as carp, trout, tuna). As a dessert, you can drink yogurt. But it is best to refuse coffee and tea. At least two hours after class.

More about calories

Fitness diet is based on the principle of counting calories. Of course, not everyone likes doing boring calculations and constantly weighing portions, but it is important to remember that you need to burn more calories than you consume.

Try not to eat too large portions (the ideal portion should fit in your palm), it is better to eat more often, but little by little, then you will avoid heaviness in the stomach and will be full of energy and strength.

The optimal number of calories individually. In addition, try to diversify the menu, lean on vegetables, give up processed food: canned food, convenience foods, fast food, replace sunflower oil with olive oil.

The advantage of a fitness diet is that all meals are extremely simple and consist of the foods that we eat every day. If you do not have a double boiler, you can bake in the oven, on the grill. Try to eat at regular intervals, at least five times a day. Then the body will be calm and stop accumulating fat reserves.

Sample diet menu

There are four main groups: proteins, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. The most important group is proteins. Give preference to chicken breast, fillet, fish, seafood, low-fat cottage cheese, egg whites, soy.

Try to have at least three servings of vegetables and fruits in your diet - apples, pears, oranges, lettuce, cucumbers, and more, except for potatoes.

Twice a day, you can afford a serving of porridge and a slice of whole grain and bran bread.

As a source of fat, it is allowed to eat some nuts or add up to 2 tablespoons of olive oil to food.

Here are some examples of a fitness diet menu.

  • Breakfast: oatmeal, 2 egg whites, a glass of juice, low-fat cottage cheese;
  • Lunch: yogurt, coleslaw with a spoonful of olive oil;
  • Lunch: a portion of buckwheat porridge, 100 g of fish, fruit salad seasoned with low-fat yogurt;
  • Afternoon snack: 2 whole grain toast with a slice of ham, green tea;
  • Dinner: baked or boiled potatoes, lettuce, 2 tomatoes.
  • Breakfast: orange, scrambled eggs, a cup of black coffee;
  • Lunch: low-fat cottage cheese, 2 kiwis;
  • Lunch: rice stewed with vegetables, a glass of milk;
  • Afternoon snack: dietary bread with slices of hard cheese;
  • Dinner: a portion of beef with mushroom sauce.
  • Breakfast: a portion of corn porridge, green tea, grapefruit;
  • Lunch: A glass of vegetable juice, 2 eggs, yogurt;
  • Lunch: tomato soup, 1 baked potato, pear;
  • Afternoon snack: 2 bananas;
  • Dinner: boiled beans or beans, carrot and apple salad.

Having decided to try this menu, remember that a fitness diet does not bring instant results, but at the end of it, you will not only get rid of extra pounds, but also get a beautiful, toned and embossed body!

Both healthy weight loss and weight gain are impossible without regular exercise. But even coaches insist that sport is about 30% of success. The remaining 70% is food. It is very important that the athlete's menu and his training are correctly combined with each other. Nutrition during sports should be balanced, contribute to the saturation of the body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Also, when compiling a diet, you need to consider why you are doing it: for weight loss, for gaining mass, or just to keep fit.

To achieve good results in sports, you need to observe the correct load during classes, fully recover and, of course, eat properly. Proper nutrition when losing weight and playing sports should perform the following tasks:

  • Activate and normalize the metabolic processes in the body necessary for muscle growth and recovery.
  • Saturate the body with all the necessary minerals and vitamins, give sufficient calories.
  • Adjust the weight depending on what the goals of the trainee are.

When exercising, the body consumes a large amount of energy. Energy is needed to maintain the work of the heart, digestive and respiratory systems under stress. If you eat poorly before training, then exhaustion of the body is possible, which will extremely negatively affect the health of the athlete. The menu should consist of fresh and nutritious foods.

The menu of how to eat when playing sports should be compiled individually, taking into account the age, weight, goals and objectives of the athlete, the characteristics and intensity of the loads. However, there are also general principles. So, Each meal should include a balanced ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

The optimal calculation formula for those involved in sports looks like that:

  • 30-35% proteins
  • 10-20% fat;
  • 50-60% carbohydrates.

The optimal amount of protein in the diet during sports is 2-2.5 grams per kilogram of weight, fat - 0.5 g per kg of weight. Carbohydrates should be about 2 g per kg of weight if you want to lose weight, and 4-7 g per kg of weight if you need to gain. And before preparing for competitions and during the drying period, carbohydrates are cut to 0.5-1 grams per kg of weight.

Let's see what it will look like sample scheme for men and women:

  • If a man weighs 70 kg, then he needs 140 g of protein per day, 35 g of fat, and 210 g of carbohydrates to maintain weight, 280-490 g for weight gain and 140 g of carbohydrates. You can calculate the calories yourself, given that a gram of protein and carbohydrates is 4 kilocalories, and a gram of fat is 9 kcal. For example, to stay in the same weight category, an athlete weighing 70 kg needs about 2000 kcal.
  • For a girl weighing 50 kg, who wants to remain at the same weight, giving muscles elasticity and correcting problem areas, you need to eat about 60-80 grams of protein, 25g of fat and 100-150g of carbohydrates. When compiling nutrition for girls when playing sports for weight loss, we reduce the amount of carbohydrates, respectively.

  • Of the 5-6 daily meals, three should be complete (breakfast, lunch and dinner), as well as 2-3 light snacks. It can be cottage cheese, sour milk drinks, fruits, vegetables, etc.
  • Serving size should be about the size of your palm.
  • For breakfast, it is recommended to consume complex carbohydrates or a combination of carbohydrates and proteins.
  • For lunch, it is not recommended to use combinations such as meat (fish) with pasta (potatoes). The best option is cereals, protein foods and vegetables, especially if you still plan to hit the gym afterwards.
  • It is better that the nutrition menu for weight loss during sports involves a protein dinner or a combination of proteins and vegetables. This will help the muscles recover after physical exertion.
  • On the days of training, it is strictly forbidden to starve, as this can lead to exhaustion of the body and other negative consequences.
  • Try not to eat in a hurry - this is the easiest way to consume prohibited foods. In addition, it is recommended not to eat from common dishes, but to put food on a plate - it will be more convenient to control portion sizes.
  • Better to limit the amount of salt.

Sports and water

If you want to achieve results in sports, then it is important not only to eat right, but also to drink enough water. We are talking about water - not about coffee, not about tea, not about other drinks. Dehydration can not only negatively affect the results of training, but also harm your health. You can drink water before training, and after it. If you feel thirsty during the session, you should also drink some water.

Water helps prevent dehydration, gives the body the opportunity to replenish energy resources, protects the heart and blood vessels, improves the functioning of the digestive tract, cleanses the body, rejuvenates the skin and the whole body.

A person needs to drink at least two liters of water per day. It is useful to drink a glass on an empty stomach and 20 minutes before a meal. But it is not recommended to drink food with water.

Nutrition before and after training

The weight loss plan for sports and nutrition should involve their harmonious combination with each other. On an empty stomach, you can do it only in the morning. In general, it is better to eat food 1-1.5 hours before training. It is better that these are products containing complex carbohydrates - this way you will get enough energy for training.

At the end of the workout, you will open the so-called "protein-carbohydrate window". If your goal is to build muscle mass, you can eat something protein, such as cottage cheese, or drink a protein shake during this time. A full meal is best done about 1.5 hours after a workout. All these restrictions are not imposed on water - you can drink it as much and whenever you want.

What to eat when exercising

Not everyone knows what to eat if you play sports. In fact, the body's need for nutrients in this case is increased. Consider what nutrients an athlete needs.

Squirrels- the main building material for muscles, and their number, as we have already said, should be at least 2-2.5 g per kg of weight. Their main sources are lean meat and fish, cheese, peas and beans, eggs, cottage cheese. Of the total amount of proteins, about half should be of animal origin, and the other half - vegetable.

Carbohydrates- the main source of energy, so it is also important that their amount is correct. From Carbohydrates are divided into complex and simple. It is necessary to focus on the complex ones, as they give long-term energy. Their sources are cereals, pasta, beans, peas, vegetables. Simple carbohydrates should be no more than 35%. Their sources are fruits, honey, sugar, sweets.

Also important do not give up fats. This is especially important with proper nutrition for girls involved in sports, since the female body suffers greatly with a lack of fat. It is recommended to focus on vegetable fats, which are found in nuts, avocados, vegetable oils. Also a useful source of them is sea fish.

Another point - with intensive sports, the need for such mineral components as phosphorus to calcium. Their ratio in the diet should be 1.5:1. If this ratio is violated, phosphorus is poorly absorbed, which can provoke a number of troubles, since phosphorus compounds determine the speed of reaction and muscle work, which requires serious nervous tension.

Best sources of phosphorus- meat, fish, cottage cheese, milk, cheese, carrots, onions, buckwheat, wheat and oatmeal, beans, peas, lentils, soybeans.

A large amount of calcium is found in dairy products, legumes, canned fish.

It is also important that the athlete's body receives the right amount vitamins. This helps to increase the endurance of the body, accelerate its recovery after exercise. To get enough vitamins, try to eat fruits and vegetables. In winter, you can use vitamin and mineral supplements. Some of them are designed specifically for athletes, but before taking them, it is recommended to consult a specialist.

The list of the most useful products for athletes includes the following:

  • buckwheat;
  • oatmeal - better not instant cooking;
  • boiled chicken, turkey, beef, rabbit;
  • Fish and seafood;
  • cottage cheese with fat content up to 5%;
  • milk with a fat content of up to 2.5%;
  • natural yogurt without additives (it can also be made at home using yogurt starter);
  • vegetables, fruits, herbs;
  • vegetable oils;
  • nuts;
  • dried fruits.

There are also products that are best avoided by a person who wants to achieve results in sports, or at least minimize them. These include sugar, products containing it, sweets, muffins, smoked meats, canned food, fast food, carbonated water. Alcohol is recommended to be minimized or avoided.

If you like sweets and it's hard for you to give them up, try to choose healthy sources of it, for example, honey, marmalade, marshmallows, marshmallows. It is recommended to consume them in the morning in small quantities.

Proper nutrition for weight loss when playing sports: menu

The menu for nutrition when playing sports for a girl or a guy should be calculated individually, taking into account gender, weight, goals, and so on. To get an idea of ​​what it might be, consider an approximate version of it:

  • Breakfast: 150 grams of oatmeal boiled in water, 100 grams of fruit, 10 nuts, a teaspoon of honey.
  • Snack: whole grain bread with a slice of cheese, tea without sugar.
  • Lunch: 100 grams of buckwheat, boiled egg, 150 grams of vegetables and herbs seasoned with vegetable oil.
  • Snack: 100 grams of cottage cheese with low fat content.
  • Dinner: 100 grams of baked or boiled meat.

Proper nutrition is very important with regular physical activity. What happens if you eat and play sports? If you have the right things, you will achieve amazing results. Remember that your success largely depends on the menu, and try to plan it correctly.

How to eat while playing sports: video instruction


The gym is a place to work on your body. Everyone has their own goals and wishes, it depends on them how to eat during training. However, the basics are the same for everyone.

The basics of proper nutrition

Proper nutrition is necessary not only for weight loss or weight gain, but simply for healing the body.

Principles of healthy eating:

Refusal of food waste;

Fractional frequent meals;

A sufficient number of calories for the normal functioning of the body;

Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits;

The use of healthy fats;

Eating enough slow carbohydrates;

Vitamins.

Doctors recommend eating more vegetables and fruits of local origin - the world is arranged in such a way that everything that is most useful for the body grows in its native area. Overseas products should be eaten in a limited way, as delicacies, and not as the basis of nutrition.

Proper nutrition and sports

Alone, these factors do not work enough, without an integrated approach, you can not reach the goal at all. Only by combining proper nutrition and sports, you can achieve the desired results.

It is very important to know that a healthy diet is not only a restriction of sweet, starchy foods, convenience foods. The main thing is the absence of a large and good ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates in the diet. There are applications for calculating the number of calories consumed, broken down by nutrients. The minimum number of calories for an average person is 1300 kcal, of which proteins are 100 g, fats are 60 g, carbohydrates are 300 g. When playing sports, their number increases to 1800.

A healthy diet and a gym can not only give you a dream figure, but also preserve beauty and youth for a long time. Physical activity releases hormones that improve physical and mental health, but this is not possible without proper nutrition. If you want to lose weight, the number of calories decreases, while building muscle mass, it increases.

Features of nutrition during cardio training

Cardio training is used to increase the stamina of the body and for weight loss. Can be done on a separate day or after strength training.

There is a myth that morning cardio is more effective for burning fat, but experiments have not proven this. The desire for a quick result can adversely affect health. Fasting cardio is not recommended due to the high load on the heart and the burning of muscle mass along with fat. In order to avoid muscle loss in the morning, it is recommended to consume 2-3 egg whites or 6 capsules of BCA.

If endurance training, you need to consume fast carbohydrates before it. It can be a mass gainer, banana or juice, or a cocktail of all three products.

If the goal is weight loss, after a workout, you should drink protein or eat a couple of proteins. This is due to the significant energy consumption and the need to restore it. Meals - in an hour. If there is no need to lose weight, there is no restriction in the use of carbohydrates after training (which does not mean uncontrolled eating of sweets at all).

Features of nutrition during strength training

Strength training requires the mandatory intake of slow carbohydrates 2 hours before class. Protein is also essential for maintaining muscle, and it is recommended to consume protein before and after training. Fast carbohydrates after training contribute to good muscle growth. Even for losing weight, their consumption is necessary immediately after training.

Nutrition when exercising in the gym should be complete and balanced. It depends on him whether the expected result will be achieved or not. If you neglect the post-workout meal, you can get a deplorable result: due to a lack of nutrition, the body will split its own muscles. Muscle first, then fat.

Before going to bed, it is important to consume slow proteins to maintain and restore muscle mass. It can be cottage cheese or casein. Cottage cheese should not be fat-free, you need a normal fat content of 5%.

Water for sports

Drinking water is very important when playing sports. Dehydration is dangerous to health, it threatens with a long quality workout.

The norm of drinking water is 1-2 liters per day. During training, about 1 liter of water evaporates and is excreted with sweat per hour. Replenishment of the water-salt balance of the body is necessary for a comfortable state of health and for less fatigue. It has been proven that when drinking water during a workout, the session lasts longer and the result is more effective. If during training it is worth drinking only a few sips, then after that you can replenish the entire volume of fluid spent.

During prolonged intensive training, it is permissible to drink water with honey to maintain the endurance of the body. On sale there is a drink for athletes with additional minerals and additives. It can be used for long cardio endurance training, and short for weight loss. It has no sugar. Before buying, you should carefully read the composition.

Products for proper nutrition

Absolutely all natural products are suitable for proper nutrition with moderate or limited consumption. Below is a healthy diet pyramid.

Sources of fast proteins are meat, Slow - cottage cheese. (they are also slow carbohydrates) - legumes. Also, these are all cereals, durum pasta. Fast carbohydrates - fruits. Fats - oily fish, vegetable oil, nuts. Fresh vegetables - fiber, boiled these are fast carbohydrates, the use of which should be limited.

All these products must be consumed daily, then the body will be healthy and young. And no depression and overwork are terrible if such nutrition is during exercise in the gym.

Daily routine and nutrition of a healthy person

Let's imagine an approximate Table of the daily regimen with meals will help with this.

timeactionproduct% DV
7:00 wake up, light exercise or cardioBCA or proteins-
8:00 breakfastcarbohydrates + proteins35%
11:00 snackprotein for weight loss / fruit for a healthy diet10%
13:00 dinnercarbohydrates + proteins + vegetables25%
15:00 snackprotein for weight loss / fruits, nuts for a healthy diet10%
18:00 dinnerprotein + vegetables for weight loss / carbohydrates + protein + vegetables before training10%
20:00 workoutafter - protein-
21:00 second dinnercottage cheese for weight loss / protein + carbohydrates + vegetables for weight gain10%
23:00 dreamcasein for weight gain-

Recipes for healthy, simple dishes without heat treatment

Products for proper nutrition are very diverse, you can cook anything from them. Banal marinated chicken breast with fresh vegetables in thin pita bread is very tasty and there are more interesting recipes for healthy dishes that allow you to eat tasty and healthy.

A carbohydrate bar for a post-workout snack. Dry oatmeal in a pan (100 g), add a spoonful of honey, 2 tbsp. l. cocoa, 2 tbsp. l. dried fruits (previously chopped with a blender). Mix everything and form a bar. It is a good substitute for high-carbohydrate sports nutrition when exercising in the gym.

Soufflé of whipped proteins with a sweetener. 4 proteins are whipped, dissolved gelatin is gradually added. The mass is poured into a mold and placed in the refrigerator. After 2 hours, you can take out the soufflé, cover with melted natural chocolate, crushed nuts. Such a simple dessert will keep your figure and please you with excellent taste. You should not get carried away with sweeteners, their use is permissible only in extreme cases. It is better to consume enough carbohydrate foods, then you do not want sugar.

Sweets for evening tea. You will need: cottage cheese, cocoa, nuts, sweetener. Everything is mixed and cooled in the refrigerator. Fiber can be added to the mass, which will make the recipe even more useful. Instead of cocoa, you can use flavored protein with your favorite flavor. Such an evening dessert will have a positive effect on the figure.

Healthy pastries

Homemade healthy bread is simply necessary for people who take care of their health. Its composition: fiber, rye bran, 1/4 of rye flour, favorite spices, a little oil, yeast, salt. Mix everything, let the dough rise, put in a mold. Baked in the oven on low heat for an hour. Healthy fresh bread is ready.

Pumpkin curd cake. Ingredients: cottage cheese - 200 g, pumpkin - 500 g, eggs - 4 pcs., pumpkin seeds, sweetener to taste. Everything is crushed with a blender (except seeds), laid out in a mold and baked in the oven at a temperature of 200 0 C for an hour. After removing the form, it is necessary to allow the cake to cool well, only then cut it out and put it out of the form. It is very light and gentle.

Nutrition when exercising in the gym should not be scarce, otherwise weakness, depression, and illness are possible. Don't forget the importance of a proper diet. Only by eating tasty and healthy, you can achieve the desired results and not give up halfway.

Sports, fitness - for many it has long been not just words, but a way of life. These people, no doubt, are aware of how it is desirable to eat during regular (albeit at an amateur level) sports. However, there is another category - novice athletes. Those who finally made up their minds overcame laziness and signed up for a gym. We will talk about how to eat right when playing sports. Although, perhaps, the "pros" will also emphasize something new for themselves.

We emphasize that the story in the material will not be about food additives (dietary supplements, etc.), sold in specialized stores. First, there is no certainty that they are absolutely harmless to health. Secondly, "Culinary Eden" is still a resource about "ordinary", albeit very tasty food, as well as about everything connected with it.

Sports activities are always enhanced muscle activity. For the normal functioning of the muscles and the achievement of sports results (for example, some muscle building), there is a need for additional protein nutrition. After all, it is protein that is “responsible” in our body for the formation and restoration of body cells and tissues.

However, do not forget about carbohydrates. Some mistakenly believe that their consumption should be limited, they supposedly make you fat. However, carbohydrates are the main source of energy. And energy is very necessary for the body during significant physical exertion. Fats are also a source of energy. They should not be forgotten either. In general, the body needs more proteins, carbohydrates and even fats during physical exertion than without them.

It is always better to rely on personal experience than on someone else's stories (although, of course, no one has canceled learning from other people's mistakes either). Fortunately, in this case there is such an opportunity (personal experience): the author of the text visits the gym three times a week.

How to eat right when exercising. Start

After returning from vacation and looking with sober eyes at his photos taken at a seaside resort, the author was surprised to find that he already had a fairly noticeable tummy. This saddened the author. But true friends did not let me die of longing - they encouraged me to sign up for a gym. Moreover, they formed a company. By the way, it is better to go in for sports with the company. At least with two people. And more fun, and there is a certain competitive spirit.

It is better to start exercising twice a week (this is not an invention of the author - the advice of a trainer). And when you feel that you have "swinged" - you can switch to a frequency of three times in seven days. Someone is engaged more often, but if you just want to "put yourself in order" - that's enough: excessive zeal can do harm.

By the way, I almost forgot, it is necessary to consult a doctor before starting classes. Moreover, preferably not with a doctor "assigned" to the fitness center. Take your time, don't be sorry. In the end, you will receive not just advice on the intensity of training and load, but also a more or less complete picture of your health. When was the last time you had an examination of the body for no apparent reason, just for prevention? That's the same.

When the doctor's consultation is received, finally go to the gym. Meet the trainer. At first, it is better to hire him - he will advise and control the implementation of a set of necessary exercises (depending on your goals), show you how to use the simulators correctly.

Want to eat something

To be honest, at first I was not up to proper nutrition. After a couple of first sessions, “everything hurt.” But then the body adjusted to the new rhythm of life, the muscles “developed”, the pains went away. My friends and I remembered that we seemed to have heard something about the need to eat something special when playing sports. Remembering, we turned to the coach with a question. By the way, he could enlighten us on this score himself. In the end, proper nutrition accelerates the achievement of the desired result. “Minus a hundred points - Gryffindor,” Minerva McGonagall, headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Wizardry from the Harry Potter saga, would say about this.

Anyway, the question was asked. In response, our coach recommended that we eat at least 5-6 times a day, stating that this way of eating is “the most physiological.” During the day, there should be two breakfasts (first and second), lunch, dinner and meals after training. At the same time, it is advisable not to eat up before training and not to overeat after it.

To eat right when playing sports, the first breakfast, which should not be too plentiful. A glass of yogurt, kefir (not necessarily low fat), maybe a little cottage cheese, tea, coffee (both without sugar), or fresh orange juice. The first breakfast is about 5% percent of the total daily caloric intake. Then the second breakfast. It can be eaten before leaving home for work or, if possible, already at work (approximately 30% of the daily calorie intake for an adult). Lunch is another 30% of calories. Snack - plus 5%. Dinner - 25%. Another 5% - nutrition after training. You shouldn't eat too much. With a weight of 70-80 kg, the amount of food eaten should be no more than 4 kg per day. Do not forget about fruits and vegetables: 15-20% of the daily diet. This is the ideal option.

Not everyone and not always can follow a similar diet. But, of course, options are possible! For example, there may be only one breakfast - nothing bad will happen to you because of this. Breakfast and lunch on a "sports day" should be nutritious enough.

It is worth having an afternoon snack two or three hours after dinner. In general, in the afternoon you can eat little by little with an interval of two hours. At the same time, food should contain a lot of carbohydrates - this will give strength before class. It is worth building a schedule of daily meals so that the last one takes place at least an hour and a half before class. Drink water (not carbonated), juice - it won't hurt, especially in the last hour before training.

You need to eat varied. You should not get hung up on cottage cheese and dietary boiled chicken breasts (I know from my own experience that at first you only eat them, being happy for yourself, and then you can’t even look at these products). Boiled and steamed meat is perfect, legumes - only pureed, as well as oatmeal with milk. A great option is various soups, not too fatty, but not too lean. Neutral soups, again for a change, should be interspersed with sour soups.

If possible, in order to comply with the meal schedule, it is better to carry food with you (if there is no normal cafe at work or nearby, or if you want to save money). Nothing to be ashamed of. In the end, are you trying to improve your figure, or do you simply have nowhere to put your money and you give it away for a gym out of nothing to do? In addition to chicken and meat, eat fish. Garnish - buckwheat, rice, potatoes, even pasta can be eaten (without fatty sauces). Buy several hermetically sealed plastic containers in the store - they are convenient to take food with you.

The daily calorie intake (and not only when playing sports) also depends on the climatic conditions in which the individual lives. In the heat of the beam, reduce the calorie content of food, while in Siberian frosts - eat more protein foods, but at the same time reduce fat intake.

During and after training

Of course, you can’t eat anything during training. Agree, it is strange to pump, let's say, the press, with undigested food in the stomach, biting off a piece of bread from time to time. As already mentioned, you need to “tie up” with food at least an hour and a half before the start of the workout.

But during training it is worth drinking water (it’s good to drink a glass of water before it). Of course, not in liters, but little by little: a few sips every 20-25 minutes. Do not swallow water immediately, it is better to hold it in your mouth a little - thirst is quenched this way better. Naturally, no soda. Even mineral water, not to mention cola and other lemonades. Don't drink cold water. After exercise, it becomes hot, and a person tends to take a sip of cold water. This is exactly what you can't do. It is much better if the water is at room temperature, even slightly warm. As a rule, there are coolers in gyms - there is no problem to add some hot water to a glass of cold water.

It is impossible to limit yourself in the use of fluids during sports. This can lead to pressure fluctuations, increased stress on the heart, and the onset of dehydration processes.

After training - optional. If you're thirsty, drink; if not, don't drink. There is an opinion that you should not drink water immediately after a workout. But it's not. If you drink half a glass or even a glass of water, it will not get worse.

Now about food. The training is over, a lot of energy has been spent, I want to eat. A huge mistake is to wait two hours after a workout and only then allow yourself a snack. Should not be doing that. It is desirable that no more than an hour pass between physical exercises and the subsequent meal. Another thing is that you should not eat to satiety. A plate of rice, buckwheat, and even better - a little mashed beans or peas, a little cottage cheese with jam, fresh fruit - this is quite enough to remove hunger and reinforce strength.

It can't be eaten

Of course, there are products, the use of which during sports is best minimized. These are sweet drinks - any lemonades, coffee and tea with sugar (it is better to drink the latter with honey or, in extreme cases, with a sweetener). Of course, you should not lean on pastries. Sweet buns and even bread can be replaced with special loaves, yeast-free bread. Sweets, and not only chocolate, but mainly caramel. Various cakes, especially store-bought ones, which are made from “no one knows what” (it’s better not to eat them at all, never). Cheap pasta (it is acceptable and even useful to use only high-quality durum wheat pasta). We emphasize: "reduce consumption to a minimum" - does not mean completely eliminated: do not reproach yourself for eating one candy.

  • 200 g fat-free cottage cheese, oatmeal (3-4 tablespoons in dry form), an apple or orange, a cup of unsweetened coffee with milk (with regular, not with condensed milk and not with cream);
  • Snack: a glass or two of kefir or 100-150 g of cottage cheese or an apple (orange) and 50 g of hard cheese;
  • Low-fat meat or fish or poultry (200-250 g), cereals or pasta, greens;
  • Look at what you haven’t eaten yet - you can have a vegetable salad, you can - cottage cheese, you can - 1-2 eggs, you can, if you don’t really want to eat, in general a glass of kefir, or milk;
  • After training: green salad (white cabbage, greens, you can with fresh cucumber) with meat, fish or poultry (150-200 g), or eggs;
  • Before going to bed - a glass of fat-free kefir or green tea with skim milk.

To eat right, you need to at least roughly know how many calories are “burned” during sports training. However, the workouts are different. Above, we were talking about classes in the gym (simulators, treadmill). But not only the gym is alive sport. The table below will help you correlate energy expenditure with sports.

As an addition to nutrition during intense physical exertion, you can take vitamins (in winter and spring, this is worth doing even without sports). There are specially designed vitamin complexes (not dietary supplements!) for those who are friends with sports. Before using them, consult your doctor. Now you know how to eat right when playing sports. Exercise, eat right and be healthy! The author's tummy, by the way, is gradually decreasing.

Many people tremble in fear at the word diet because they imagine celery sticks and a long list of forbidden foods. While it's hard to dismiss these negative associations, it's important to remember that "diet" is not a bad word. Your diet, or the foods you eat, is key to maintaining your fitness goals.

In the nutrition section of most strength training manuals, they try to insert a standard nutrition plan, but this is not what we need. We want to instill the idea that metabolically and physiologically your body is unique. What works for one may not work for another. Understanding how your body works and discovering your dietary needs is an important concept for understanding how to shape your own nutritional strategy.

Calories are essentially food energy that your body uses to carry out its daily functions, such as breathing, heart rate regulation, digestion, and others. The amount of calories a food contains depends on its composition. Each product consists of a combination of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Collectively they are called "macronutrients".

Everyone needs a minimum amount of calories to live. This minimum amount is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and may depend on the amount of a person's lean muscle mass. The total number of calories your body uses in a day is made up of the sum of your BMR plus the extra calories used for walking, sleeping, exercising, driving, and even laughing. Together they make up the total energy expenditure (TEE) or daily calorie requirement.

Each TEE is different, so the diet that works for your friend may not work for you. Generally, men have a higher TEE than women because they have more muscle mass.

Macronutrients!

There are three nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Together they make up all the calories or nutritional energy you get from food.

Protein

Protein is a key ingredient for building muscle and shaping your body. No, eating more protein will not make your muscles huge. Although, building muscle mass is important in order to look toned. Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the body's building blocks for numerous functions, including building muscle protein.

Lifting weights causes tension and breakdown of muscle fibers that need to be repaired. These fluctuations in muscle breakdown (catabolism) during exercise and recovery (anabolism) during rest help you get stronger and more focused over time.

The general recommendation for individual absorption is one gram of protein per 0.5 kg of your body weight. If your weight is 62 kg, then your goal is to eat about 135 grams of protein. Of course, it's hard to get that much protein in two or three meals, which is why people tend to make multiple meals including some form of protein in each one.

Each gram of protein provides 4 calories.

Foods containing protein:

  • Lean meat
  • Milk
  • Greek yogurt
  • Quinoa
  • nuts
  • Legumes

Fat

Poor fat is so underestimated and neglected. Dietary fats got a bad rap due to a major landmark study from the 80's that grossly misplaced dietary fats as a cause of heart attacks and other diseases. As a result, the government urged people to eat as little fat as possible, and corporations began producing fat-free and low-fat foods to protect everyone from heart failure.

In fact, fats claim their rightful place on your plate; they are associated with maintaining optimal health. Plus, it's a macronutrient that your body needs to function. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) such as omega-6 and omega-3s help maintain good health, protect internal organs, help absorb fat-soluble vitamins, support essential intelligence and development, and have many other benefits.

However, processed fats, which are added in the food industry to increase the shelf life of products, should be avoided. Check product labels for any "hydrotreated oils"; this definitely means that this product is not worth eating. Support the absorption of dietary fats by avoiding trans fats!

What's more, fat doesn't make you fat. The claim that the fat you eat is quickly deposited in your tissues has long been debunked. Weight gain is an inherent attribute of overeating calories that your body doesn't know what to do with.

Each gram of fat provides 9 calories.

Sources of healthy fats:

  • Avocado
  • Olive oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Melted butter
  • nuts

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are another macronutrient that has the same bad reputation as fat. Contrary to what many people will tell you, carbohydrates are not bad.

Carbohydrates include all sugars, including single molecular sugars and two-component sugars. When three or more sugar molecules come together, they form complex carbohydrates in foods like potatoes, oatmeal, broccoli, and countless other vegetables.

Most of your carbs should come from these complex carbs because they take longer to digest, making you feel full longer, and don't raise your blood sugar levels as quickly as simple sugar. An added bonus is that complex carbohydrates are high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Your diet should include both simple and complex carbohydrates, but long-term success in managing blood sugar and weight may depend on limiting your intake of simple sugars.

Each gram of carbohydrates provides 4 calories.

Healthy sources of complex carbohydrates:

Should I cut down on carbs for weight loss?

One popular recommendation to lose weight is to reduce carbohydrates. The level to which you really need to reduce carbohydrates varies from person to person, but in general, take about 50-150 grams of carbohydrates per day. Fifteen grams of carbohydrates is a cup of cereal or two slices of bread. It is not difficult to calculate that this can be accommodated in one meal or even a snack. To replace carbohydrates in your diet, include more healthy fats and proteins.

While many people support a carb-reducing strategy for weight loss, this isn't always ideal. Losing weight may be easy at first, but chronic carb starvation has a negative long-term effect. A woman's delicately balancing hormonal system can be disrupted by exposure to a low-carbohydrate diet, which can backfire in bone density loss and chronic sleep loss. On a low-carbohydrate diet, some women may experience delayed or disrupted periods because the body perceives chronically low energy levels as starvation and stress.

Thus, some women may do well on a low-carbohydrate diet. If you decide to try it, then it is important to monitor the reaction of your body.

Your body type and diet

The ratio of how many calories you get from proteins, carbohydrates and fats is important for building your body. Usually macronutrients are divided into 40% carbohydrates, 30% proteins and 30% fats, but this ratio does not work for everyone. The best way to determine your macronutrient ratio is to determine your body type. Your body type is more than just body type, it provides key information about how your body responds and processes macronutrients.

Body type is divided into three categories:


Ectomorph

  • In general, ectomorphs are thin, with small bone structure and limbs, with a high metabolism, they can absorb large amounts of carbohydrates.
  • They look like long distance runners
  • Recommended macronutrient ratio: 50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fat

Mesomorph

  • Mesomorphs have the best of both worlds, they can easily build muscle and stay lean. They have a medium bone structure and an athletic appearance.
  • They look like bodybuilders, gymnasts
  • Recommended macronutrient ratio: 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat

Endomorph

  • Endomorphs are built to be bigger and stronger. They usually have a large bone structure. Because of their size, they are better at absorbing more fat and less carbohydrate.
  • They look like weightlifters
  • Recommended macronutrient ratio: 25% carbs, 35% protein, 40% fat

Portion control

Calorie counting is a popular way to estimate portion size and calories. This meticulous record of what you eat certainly has its benefits, but who wants to keep a food chart all their lives?

Calorie counting doesn't have to be lifelong. This does not work exactly for the long term. Studies have shown that calorie counting has a margin of error of 25%, even if you triple-check your calculations and sources. Differences come from label errors, inaccurate serving sizes and measurements that cannot be taken correctly, differences in product quality, and a lot of guesswork.

A more manageable way to track your nutrition is to determine a reasonable portion size. Most restaurants tend to serve you a portion with a huge pile of food, more food means a better investment for your money, right? Getting bigger portions for less money means you'll pay for them elsewhere, like your waistline.

Studies have shown that when people pour large portions, they turn off the internal satiety system and eat every last bite after they have long been satiated, but do not feel it.

Get to grips with portion control

Eating until full is not always the best way to determine portion size. Instead, we recommend using the more appropriate and personalized tool at your disposal - your hands:

  • Use your palm to determine protein absorption
  • Use a clenched fist to determine your vegetable intake
  • Use a Handful to Determine Your Carbohydrate Intake
  • Use your thumb to determine your fat intake

Assuming you eat 4 meals a day, below are the servings for each meal:

For ectomorphs

  • 2 handfuls of carbohydrates
  • 1 palm of proteins
  • 1 fist of vegetables
  • ½ thumb fat

For mesomorphs

  • 1 handful of carbs
  • 1 palm of proteins
  • 1 fist of vegetables
  • 1 thumb fat

For endomorphs

  • 1/2 handful of carbs
  • 1 palm of proteins
  • 1 fist of vegetables
  • 2 fat thumbs

These are great general guidelines because your arms are in proportion to your body. Be flexible and adjust your portion according to how you feel and look. For example, if you're gaining unwanted weight, then try reducing your carbs to half a handful per meal and your fat to half a finger.

Meal frequency

Whether you eat small meals often or eat everything in two sets, meal frequency should revolve around your food list and be comfortable for you. As long as you get the right food in the right amount, how you eat depends on your preference.