Keto Means
Keto Means
Photo: Taryn Elliott
Avoid or limit alcohol, foods with added sugars and deep-fried foods. In addition to your diet, whey protein, creatine and caffeine can be useful supplements.
While 1 ounce (28 grams) of high quality dark chocolate can fit into a keto diet, a larger serving will likely exceed your limit. Dark chocolate...
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An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but it really has no place in a keto diet. One medium apple has more than 22 g of net carbs, according to...
Read More »Bodybuilding focuses on building your body’s muscles through weightlifting and nutrition. Whether recreational or competitive, bodybuilding is often referred to as a lifestyle, as it involves both the time you spend in and outside the gym. To maximize your results from the gym, you must focus on your diet, as eating the wrong foods can be detrimental to your bodybuilding goals. This article explains what to eat and avoid on a bodybuilding diet and provides a one-week sample menu. Bodybuilding Basics Bodybuilding differs from powerlifting or Olympic lifting in that it’s judged on a competitor’s physical appearance rather than physical strength. As such, bodybuilders aspire to develop and maintain a well-balanced, lean, and muscular physique. To do this, many bodybuilders start with an off-season followed by an in-season way of eating, referred to as a bulking and cutting phase. During the bulking phase, which can last months to years, bodybuilders eat a high calorie, protein-rich diet and lift weights intensely with the goal of building as much muscle as possible ( 1 ). The following cutting phase focuses on losing as much fat as possible while maintaining muscle mass developed during the bulking phase. People aim to achieve this through specific changes in diet and exercise over 12–26 weeks ( 1 ). Summary Bodybuilding training and dieting is typically divided into two phases: bulking and cutting. The goal of the bulking phase is to build muscle, whereas the cutting phase is dedicated to preserving muscle while losing body fat. Benefits of Bodybuilding There are several health benefits associated with bodybuilding. Bodybuilders frequently exercise to maintain and build muscles, performing both resistance and aerobic training. Resistance training increases muscle strength and size. Muscle strength has links with a lower risk of dying from cancer, heart and kidney disease, as well as several other critical illnesses (2). Aerobic exercise, which bodybuilders regularly implement to reduce body fat, improves heart health and significantly lowers your risk of developing or dying from heart disease — the number one killer in America ( 3 , 4 ). In addition to exercise, bodybuilders also focus on their nutrition. With careful planning, bodybuilders can eat in a way that not only supports their efforts in the gym but keeps them healthy too. Following a healthy eating pattern, including nutrient-dense foods from all food groups in appropriate amounts, can significantly lower your risk of chronic diseases ( 5 ). Summary Bodybuilders exercise regularly and may eat well-planned and nutrient-dense diets, both of which offer many health benefits. Calorie Needs and Macronutrients The goal for competitive bodybuilders is to increase muscle mass in the bulking phase and reduce body fat in the cutting phase. Hence, you consume more calories in the bulking phase than in the cutting phase. How Many Calories Do You Need? The easiest way to determine how many calories you need is to weigh yourself at least three times a week and record what you eat using a calorie tracking app. If your weight stays the same, the daily number of calories you eat is your maintenance calories. This is the level where you’re not losing or gaining weight but maintaining it. During your bulking phase, you should increase your calorie intake by around 15%. For example, if your maintenance calories are 3,000 per day, you should eat 3,450 calories per day (3,000 x 0.15 = 450) during your bulking phase ( 6 ). When transitioning from a bulking to a cutting phase, you would instead decrease your maintenance calories by 15%, meaning you would eat 2,550 calories per day instead of 3,450. As you gain weight in the bulking phase or lose weight in the cutting phase, you will need to adjust your calorie intake at least monthly to account for changes in your weight. Increase your calories as you gain weight in the bulking phase and decrease your calories as you lose weight in the cutting phase for continued progression. During either phase, it’s recommended not to lose or gain more than 0.5–1% of your body weight per week. This ensures that you don’t lose too much muscle during the cutting phase or gain too much body fat during the bulking phase ( 7 ). Macronutrient Ratio Once you establish the calories you need, you can determine your macronutrient ratio, which is the ratio between your protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake. Unlike the difference in calorie needs between the bulking and cutting phase, your macronutrient ratio does not change. Protein and carbs contain four calories per gram (g), and fat contains nine. Recommended intakes include: ( 6 , 7 ): 30–35% of your calories from protein
5 healthy toast toppings Avocado. Give cheese on toast a miss and instead use sliced or mashed avocado to top toast or crumpets. ... Mashed or...
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For a weight change to show up on your face, you'd need to change your BMI by 1.33 points, the study found. That means a woman and man of average...
Read More »Sirloin steak, ground beef, pork tenderloin, venison, chicken breast, salmon, tilapia, and cod. Dairy: Yogurt, cottage cheese, low fat milk, and cheese. Yogurt, cottage cheese, low fat milk, and cheese. Grains: Bread, cereal, crackers, oatmeal, quinoa, popcorn, and rice. Bread, cereal, crackers, oatmeal, quinoa, popcorn, and rice. Fruits: Oranges, apples, bananas, grapes, pears, peaches, watermelon, and berries. Oranges, apples, bananas, grapes, pears, peaches, watermelon, and berries. Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, corn, green peas, green lima beans, and cassava. Potatoes, corn, green peas, green lima beans, and cassava. Vegetables: Broccoli, spinach, leafy salad greens, tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, zucchini, asparagus, peppers, and mushrooms. Broccoli, spinach, leafy salad greens, tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, zucchini, asparagus, peppers, and mushrooms. Seeds and nuts: Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds. Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds. Beans and legumes: Chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans. Chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans. Oils: Olive oil, flaxseed oil, and avocado oil. Foods to Limit While you should include a variety of foods in your diet, there are some you should limit. These include: Alcohol: Alcohol can negatively affect your ability to build muscle and lose fat, especially if you consume it in excess ( 8 ). Alcohol can negatively affect your ability to build muscle and lose fat, especially if you consume it in excess ( ). Added sugars: These offer plenty of calories but few nutrients. Foods high in added sugars include candy, cookies, doughnuts, ice cream, cake, and sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda and sports drinks( 5 ). These offer plenty of calories but few nutrients. Foods high in added sugars include candy, cookies, doughnuts, ice cream, cake, and sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda and sports drinks( ). Deep-fried foods: These may promote inflammation and — when consumed in excess — disease. Examples include fried fish, french fries, onion rings, chicken strips, and cheese curds ( 9 ). In addition to limiting these, you may also want to avoid certain foods before going to the gym that can slow digestion and cause stomach upset during your workout. These include: High-fat foods: High-fat meats, buttery foods, and heavy sauces or creams. High-fat meats, buttery foods, and heavy sauces or creams. High-fiber foods: Beans and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower. Beans and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower. Carbonated beverages: Sparkling water or diet soda. Bodybuilding Supplements Many bodybuilders take dietary supplements, some of which are useful while others are not ( 10 , 11 ). The best bodybuilding supplements include: Whey protein: Consuming whey protein powder is an easy and convenient way to increase your protein intake. Consuming whey protein powder is an easy and convenient way to increase your protein intake. Creatine: Creatine provides your muscles with the energy needed to perform an additional rep. While there are many brands of creatine, look for creatine monohydrate as it’s the most effective ( 12 ). Creatine provides your muscles with the energy needed to perform an additional rep. While there are many brands of creatine, look for creatine monohydrate as it’s the most effective ( ). Caffeine: Caffeine decreases fatigue and allows you to work harder. Pre-workout supplements, coffee, and tea are often high in caffeine. ( 13 ). A multi vitamin and mineral supplement may be helpful if you’re limiting your calorie intake to reduce body fat during your cutting phase. Summary Include a variety of nutrient-rich foods across and within all the food groups in your diet. Avoid or limit alcohol, foods with added sugars and deep-fried foods. In addition to your diet, whey protein, creatine and caffeine can be useful supplements. One-Week Sample Menu Many people believe bodybuilding diets are restrictive, repetitive, and boring. Traditional bodybuilding diets typically contain limited food selections and little variety among and within food groups, leading to an inadequate intake of essential minerals and vitamins ( 14 ). For this reason, it’s important to incorporate variety into your diet to ensure your nutritional needs are being met — especially during a cutting phase when you eat limited calories. When you’re in a bulking phase, your food intake will be much higher than when you’re in a cutting phase. You can enjoy the same foods in the cutting phase that you would when bulking — just in smaller portions. Here is a sample one-week bodybuilding menu: Monday Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with mushrooms, oatmeal, and a pear. Scrambled eggs with mushrooms, oatmeal, and a pear. Snack: Low-fat cottage cheese with blueberries.
What to do after a cheat day Be kind to yourself. ... Remind yourself of other healthy behaviors your practicing. ... Don't turn a cheat day into a...
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50 grams The ketogenic diet typically reduces total carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams a day—less than the amount found in a medium plain...
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A safe average loss is around one to two pounds (0.5-1 kg) per week. Here's what studies say about losing weight on the ketogenic diet: One study...
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Most people will need to go under 50 grams per day to reach ketosis. Keep in mind that this doesn't leave you with many carb options — except...
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Even on a keto diet, there are plenty of low carb alcoholic beverages to choose from. Wine, light beer, and pure alcohol offer little to no carbs...
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Here are some fruits that are known to cut belly fat: Apple. Fresh and crunchy apples are packed with healthy flavonoids and fibres that may help...
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