Vicky Mirceta, Sports and Performance Nutrition Specialist, shares her BS free starter fact file, giving insight into her top 6 nutrition tips you can start to implement everyday.
As a Sports Performance Coach, I have heard on countless occasions the term….
“Where Do I START?”
This has always been the biggest issue for many people whether they are a Novice Strongman, a parent who just wants to look good naked, or the Beach babe who wants to take it that one step further and become a competitive Bikini Athlete – The first thing to do is NOT over complicate it – so in true Titan fashion I have collated the easiest starter guide BS free, to help you under way….
1: Eat when you’re hungry
This may seem basic as basic comes, but the reality is, the general population just don’t follow basic advice! They run on a “clock” rather than an intuition – “It’s 12pm – that means it’s LUNCH TIME!” So whether they are hungry or not, they go and get a fully laden lunch thinking they may DIE if they wait for another hour when they are ACTUALLY hungry.
TIP: Get accustomed with realising what hunger is, rather than eating to a clock face.
2: STOP eating when you’re full
Again, some really basic advice – but how many times have you been told – “finish what’s on your plate?” I can almost guarantee you, that if I blindfolded you, you would leave a lot more on your plate than you normally do simply because you can’t “see” what’s left. So to reiterate, get in tune with your hunger and fullness signals and stop when you’re satiated.
3: Eat adequate amounts of protein
A controversial debate at best BUT time and time again, it has been proven that protein is not only the most satiating of macronutrients but is vital for growth, repair and health. It is very easy to consume what I would recommend for the general population of 1g per pound of body weight through sources such as fish, chicken, and dairy. For vegetarians, it is still just as easy to get a decent amount of complete proteins that can come from egg whites, whey protein and other sources such as pulses, tofu and whole grains – this of course will impact on your carbohydrate intake so it will have to be a fine balance of the two.
4: STOP focussing on the scale weight and focus on BODY FAT
Scale weight can change day to day due to a number of factors including undigested food left in the gut, how hot your room was that you slept in that night, whether your left arm was uncovered or your left Leg was covered up! Sodium intake can make the scale weight increase by miles making you think you have gained 5lbs of fat over night due to the curry you had the night before! The best thing to do is use the scales as ONE method of measuring progress, add in some body measurements – usually the girth measurement (around your belly button) and this will give you a much better reflection on the kind of body fat loss you are achieving.
5: Lift HEAVY
No, you wont get big and muscly or turn into the next Mr Olympia if you lift anything heavier than 5kgs dumb bells. Sorry to shatter anyone’s dreams here but it’s true – you will not get massive lifting heavy weights, you will burn fat, add lean muscle tissue and essentially – if you are new enough to lifting – cause a radical re-composition effect, making you leaner and harder, giving you that athletic look that all the celebrities use photoshop to achieve!
Compound exercises are the best kind of exercises to start off with, these are things such as presses, rows, squats, lunges, deadlifts – get stronger in these moves over time and you will see huge progressions in your physique.
6: Bonus tip - Stay Accountable
It’s easy to say “Oh one pizza wont hurt me!” But if you have a goal in mind, especially one with a deadline – then that pizza WILL make an impact. By having accountability, you can ask your coach what you can do in terms of having an “off plan meal”. A good coach is always on hand to help make life as sociable as possible without compromising your physique goals.
I hope these facts have made you realise it’s not all “Science and complication” that you need to start off with – it’s small every day basic information that helps lead to EPIC results.
Start with the basics and when you are ready to add in the Science to make that extra step – get in touch and become a Titan.
Vicky Mirceta
Body Transformation Coach
Sports & Performance Nutrition Specialist
Titan Coaching: www.titan-coaching.com
Contact: 07909 443 390
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