Fit Quest Nutrition

Proper nutrition is at least as important to health as exercise. When exercising, it becomes even more important to have a good diet to ensure that the body has the correct ratio of macronutrients whilst providing ample micronutrients, in order to aid the body with the recovery process following strenuous exercise.

Proper rest and recovery are also as important to health as exercise; otherwise the body exists in a permanently injured state and will not improve or adapt adequately to the exercise. Hence, it is important to

remember to allow adequate recovery between exercise sessions. It is necessary to refill the glycogen stores in the skeletal muscles and liver. After exercise, there is a 30 minute window critical to muscle recovery. Before doing anything else, one should drink something for recovery. Liquids are ideal after exercise and there are several studies that show low-fat milk and chocolate milk as being effective recovery beverages because of its ideal 4:1 combination of carbohydrate and protein that fuels and replenishes our muscles the best.

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10 STEPS TO DEVELOPING A WORKOUT HABIT

It’s not breaking news that exercise is crucial to success in a weight loss program. We all know what has to be done, but why do so few of us do it? There are several reasons, but we won’t focus on why we DON’T– instead let’s make a plan to ensure that we DO! Remember FIT – Frequency, Intensity and Time? With that in mind here are 10 easy steps to success in jump starting an exercise program:

Step 1 – Take a small, realistic amount of time to set aside for exercise, specifically cardio type exercise. We’ll say 2 days a week for 20 minutes. There are very few, if any, people who can honestly say they don’t have that much time to devote!!
Step 2 - After 1-2 weeks of step 1, add 15 minutes of strength training to the cardio you’re already doing.
(Trainers can show you what to be doing during these workouts)
Step 3 - Add one more day, and slightly increase your intensity.
Step 4 - Now is about the time I use the old commercial – JUST DO IT. You need to do it in order to create a habit. Add 5 minutes to your cardio.
Step 5 - Add time to your cardio, whatever you can realistically handle, in 5 minute increments.
Step 6 - More strength training is in order now – increase sets to 2 per exercise.
Step 7 - We’re almost there! Increase strength sets to 3, and cardio should be at about 40 minutes by now.
Step 8 - Take your pick – increase your cardio F I or T, any or all.
Step 9 - Keep it up – again – JUST DO IT.
Step 10 – Congratulations, you’re there. Keep a positive attitude and look at exercise as something you “get” to do, not something you “have to do”. The more you do it the more you’ll want to, and you’ll actually feel physically off if you don’t.
Now that you have made it a habit, the big challenge is to keep doing it! The general rule for cardio is 5 times per week to lose weight, 3 times per week to maintain and/or for general cardio-vascular health. Weight training should be done three times per week, optimally.
One way to ensure that you do it is to find a workout buddy. It’s easy to make excuses for yourself, but if someone else is relying on you, you will be more apt to show up.
Look back to step 10, the more you do it the more you want to. In turn, if you’re consistent you will get the results you’re looking for, which makes all the effort even more worth it.

5 Effective Tips to Keep you on the Right Track

1. EXERCISE SMARTER NOT HARDER:
Make sure that you have a plan before going to the gym. Studies have shown that you can get an effective workout in as little as 30 minutes if you choose the correct exercises for your particular goal.

2. WORK OUT BUDDIES:
We are all very good at putting off exercise or coming up with a million excuses why we cannot work out. Studies have shown that people who have workout partners are up to 60% less likely to cancel their plans to workout.

3. MAKING THE CHANGE:
If you typically do cardio before weights, or you lift before spin class, try it the other way around. Sometimes just changing the order of your workout will make a difference. Keep your body guessing!

4. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER:
One of the first signs of dehydration is fatigue. This can make a fairly easy workout feel very hard. Drinking plenty of water before, during and after your workout is a must.

5. START SMALL:
When beginning a new exercise program start small. If you exercise too hard at the beginning it could lead to injuries that could than set you back even further.

NEW STUDY: Protein-Rich Foods Can Prevent Bone Loss

File this one under “who knew?”: Loading up on protein may prevent bone loss in dieters, reports a study published in The Journal of Nutrition.

People eating less grub overall don’t get enough bone-building, protein-rich foods, so for 12 months, researchers had 130 participants follow either a high-protein diet (including lean meats and low-fat dairy) or a lower-protein, higher-carb diet. Weight loss was equal in both groups, but meat-and-dairy eaters had a bone density 1.6 percent higher—thanks to skeleton-strengthening nutrients such as protein, calcium, and vitamin D (which increases calcium absorption), says lead study author Ellen Evans, Ph.D., of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

To ensure that your battle with the bulge is supported by a strong scaffolding, swap out high-carb snacks such as crackers and bread for high-protein ones. Aim to get at least two servings of lean meat and three servings of low-fat dairy every day.

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How to Prevent Overeating:

So much goes on around the table while you’re eating, and so much of it can affect your appetite. Subtle cues—lights, temperature, aromas, the shape of a wine glass, a whiff of espresso—can all tempt you to overindulge.

But a recent analysis of dozens of studies on “food ambience” (those factors around you that tickle the senses) suggests you don’t have to give in. Instead, experts say, you can make the environment work for your waistline.

Here’s how: Look before you eat.
The brighter the lights, the quicker you’ll eat. Physiologically speaking, light intensity revs up the nervous system, and you’ll often respond by eating too fast. Result: You’ll end up stuffing your stomach before your brain can tell you that you’re full. Unfortunately, dim lighting is no solution, because it can hide signals of satiety. “We lose track of what we have eaten,” says Brian Wansink, PhD, a nutrition-science expert at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. That’s why people tend to eat more in candlelit restaurants; they linger, picking at their plates even if they’re full.

The antidote: If you have to eat in a brightly lit restaurant like a fast-food joint, Wansink says, remind yourself—repeatedly—to eat slowly. In dimly lit restaurants with more romantic settings, pick one: drink, appetizer, or dessert. And keep yourself attuned to your feelings of fullness. When they come, ask your server to box up what you haven’t finished.