Nutrition: Fat Does NOT make you "Fat"!

What is the most important rule to follow for a healthy diet?

Maintaining enough vitamins, minerals and proteins while limiting calories is by far the most important rule to a healthy diet regardless of their source and whether or not they are "natural" or "whole". Repeated studies have shown that having excess body fat, type 2 diabetes and weight gain are resultant from eating and storing more calories than one burns. Eating too many of any form of calories whether from whole foods or not will cause these problems. A Newcastle University team has recently discovered (2011) that Type 2 diabetes can actually be reversed by an extreme low calorie diet alone.

I should avoid fat, right?

Fat calories are not "worse" than other calories. Fats are essential for many bodily functions including metabolism, brain function, and testosterone production. However, fats are more calorically dense than other macronutrients and provide more calories - this makes a difference if you are attempting to eat at a deficit.

Well then I should avoid sugar because of insulin spikes, right?

Insulin gets a bad rap. Sugar isn't the only thing that spikes insulin - protein does too. Insulin is considered to be the anabolic hormone - you need it to build muscle.

Rather than worrying about insulin, you should worry about whatever diet works the best for you and helps you hit your overall caloric goals.

Which diet plan is the best?

There is no best. There are many paths to maintaining a good diet and losing weight. The important thing to understand is that people are different in their tastes and lifestyles but not in their body metabolisms by any large degree. Resting body metabolism between extreme athletes and unfit people vary by less than 5% which means it has virtually no impact on how much you can eat or burn in daily decisions. You should be prepared to experiment and find what works for you so that you can maintain a diet that avoids an excess of calories over your lifetime however actively you choose to live.

In the end, the "best diet" is the one that you will stick to.

What about Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting, or IF, has been shown to increase metabolic rate in some circumstances. But at the end of the day, IF is just another way to reduce caloric intake over a 24 hour period. It is merely a "trick" to eat less.

What's the deal with low carb diets?

Low-carb dieting is another "trick" that allows people to stop eating so much sugar and carbohydrates (flours and starches and pastas) which greatly reduces caloric intake without jeopardizing vitamin, protein or essential oils (fats) losses. Most processed carbohydrate sources are not nutrient-dense foods and are not ideal, unless you are trying to store more energy for more significant periods of exertion (e.g. marathon, distance bicycling or days of long hiking).

Carbohydrates are not what makes people fat. Calories matter most. However, low-carb diets have been shown to improve fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels, cholesterol levels, blood triglycerides, preserve muscle mass during weight loss, and other health markers.

Low-carb dieting has side benefits for ultra-endurance athletes (increase in intramuscular triglycerides), but can negatively impact high intensity strength training by reducing muscle glycogen and forcing the body to convert protein into glucose, rather than use it for muscle building.

What about Paleo / Primal / Keto / South Beach / Atkins ?

These are restrictive diets that also use "tricks" to make people simply eat less calories. The tricks vary, but usually result in a person eating a low-carb / high-fat diet, but restricting food choices.

Because food choices are restricted on these diets, finding good things to eat can be tough. Below is a list of cookbooks and websites with information pertaining to these diets:

• Mark Sisson at Mark's Daily Apple has a bunch of good "primal" recipes
• Mark has a cookbook out that has a lot of good "primal" recipes, too, with pictures and so on.
• Joyful Abode's recipe index has a lot of good low-carb recipes in it.
• Everyday Paleo has nice looking paleo recipes
• What does r/Fitness eat for lunch at work?
• r/Paleo and the r/Paleo FAQ
• r/keto and the r/keto FAQ

Can I still get strong if I am a Vegetarian / Vegan?

Yes. Protein requirements vary, but you will probably want to consume a protein supplement in addition to your normal diet if you are strength training. Rice protein, hemp protein, and gemma pea protein are good options, as is soy. Egg or whey protein is ideal if that is allowed.

There are certain important factors to keep in mind when considering vegetable protein. PDCAAS, the FAO/WHO standard for determining protein quality, considers soy protein to be just as useful as whey or animal protein. Unfortunately, recent research suggests that measurements such as BV and PDCAAS do not take into account important factors such as anti-nutritional factors and chymotrypsin inhibitors. These anti-nutritional factors limit the extent to which your body can utilize the protein and are commonly found in soy and other vegetable protein isolates. Thus, it is important to keep in mind that you may require a higher dosage of vegetable protein to gain the same effect.

If you aim for a more moderate but still adequate protein intake (1-1.2g/kg bodyweight or lean mass), then you can achieve this through a healthy and smart diet. Just be aware to eat varied sources for a more complete distribution of amino acids.

Won't soy protein affect my testosterone levels?

In regards to soy usage and phytoestrogens (isoflavones), they do not affect testosterone levels per se. They may modulate the androgen receptor, which mediates the effects of testosterone. This is a 'leveling mountains and filling valleys' effect, and could potentially reduce testosterone if your testosterone levels were well above baseline to start. There is evidence that these same phytoestrogens can actually actandrogenic (like testosterone) in older men suffering from low testosterone!

A conclusive statement about whether soy is 'good' or 'bad' cannot be made about the isoflavone content. Just be aware to cook your soy to denature the trypsin inhibitors so you can actually get the protein. A good review of soy can be found here

Should I take a multivitamin?

If your diet is lacking in vitamins and minerals, a multivitamin might be beneficial, but it is certainly not needed.

Multivitamins are a stop-gap to fill holes in an insufficient diet. The best option is still to get these vitamins from whole food sources when possible.

Should I take other supplements?

As the name implies, supplementation should only be used for additive effects - your primary fitness goals will be mostly achieved via diet and exercise. Still, with that in mind, there are three supplements that are frequently cited for general health and building muscle:

• Omega-3 Supplement such as Fish Oil (note that flax/chia seeds are not sufficient)
• Vitamin D
• Creatine

Trim the Fat!

Why Do Americans Have Such A Hard Time Keeping The Fat Off?

We all know that obesity in America is a growing crisis. We've all been plagued with persistent media attention on the epidemic our nation is facing. Those fad diets, those supplements, those articles on how to lose fat and keep it off that you read in misleading magazines. It's all getting old. It's time to examine this problem that this country is facing, as it seems as if those struggling to overcome obesity or simply lose a few pounds for vanity purposes are simply misinformed when it comes down to losing and keeping the fat off. Put down that magazine article, and listen up! 

1.Fad Diets

Most of America has taken part in some sort of fad diet in hopes of shedding those unwanted pounds of fat in the quickest amount of time. A fad diet is basically a weight loss program that promises breathtaking results. Despite what you may hear about these fad diets, the truth of the matter is that these diets are not very healthy for your body, and don't provide the dieter with long-term success. One of the main reasons these fad diets are so popular are because there is a plethora of them that actaully do work, but for a short time. How can these crazy fad diets work for the short-term, but fail in providing the dieter with long-term success? Easy. When most dieters begin implementing these "rules" that many fad diets have such as food separation techniques, eliminating an important macro-nutrient (such as carbohydrates), or sticking solely to a liquid-based diet regimen, these dieters are ultimately eating fewer calories than they normally would. Also, with most of these diets, the dieter gives up his or her favorite foods and begins to become more aware of the foods they eat. This is the main reason why these fad diets work in the short-term, and conclusively, the dieter ultimately cannot remain on a program that restricts their food choices and calls for the dieter to monotonously eat the same foods again and again. Obviously, these dieters return to their old ways of eating eventually, and end up putting on the pounds they lost in the short-term with these fad diets. In some cases, the dieter ends up putting on EVEN MORE weight. 

2.Living the Sedentary Lifestyle

What do most Americans do after a long day at work, chauffeuring Susie to soccer practice, and taking little Tommy to his guitar lessons do? That's right. They often sit in front of the television and pound down some junk food. Let's face it, most Americans live sedentary lifestyles, and take part in little or no physical activity.It only takes 30-45 minutes to exercise. Whether that form of exercise is a light stroll in the neighborhood, a jog in the local park, a run on the treadmill, or a weight-training session at the gym, it simply does not matter as long as you get moving! Exercise and a sound nutrition program are vital to achieving your dream physique. Now put down that TV remote, and get moving!

3.Fast Food and The Truth About Trans Fat

You are what you eat. We've all heard this phrase millions of times, but somehow, Americans faced with weight issues don't acknowledge this little phrase. If Americans only knew just how fast food was prepared, and just how many calories and fat it contains, they'd be surprised. A burger and fries from your favorite fast food joint will cost you anywhere in the neighborhood of 600-950 calories! What about those awful trans fats? First, let's define what a trans fat is. It is an unsaturated fatty acid molecule that contains a trans double bond between carb atoms. Fast food is loaded with trans fat! Diets that contain high amounts of trans fat have been linked to coronary heart disease and even athersclerosis. Trans fat is not only found in those favorite fried foods at the local fast food joint, but also in baked goods, fried goods, snack foods, and other foods which have been processed. So why do many Americans eat fast food and food items with trans fat? Simple. Americans live busy lives, and will chow down on fast food and conveniently packaged goods just because of the fact that these food choices are quick and easy. A much better option instead of gorging on these unhealthy food choices would be to simply prepare your own meals. Therefore, you know just what you're eating!

4.Poor Eating Habits

One of the most obvious examples of these poor eating habits is the collapse of structured mealtimes and snacks. Why is this so? Americans live busy lives. In many homes, families don't even share dinner together at the table, and snacking is prevalent with no limits. Then you have those Americans who skip breakfast for whatever reason. They pile down the calories at lunch to compensate for not eating breakfast. Guess what? The more food the body has to digest at one time, the more food it stores as fat.There is only so much the body can digest and process in one sitting. Eating much smaller meals more periodically throughout the course of the day increases the body's thermal effect, which ultimately results in an increase in metabolism! Another poor eating habit among Americans is eating too fast. Those who eat fast tend to consume more food because they don't give their brain an oppurtunity to signal to the body that it is satiated. Chewing often and more slowly can easily avoid this poor habit. Another big problem is some Americans looking to get rid of that spare tire try to hard to constantly eat a healthy diet. They simply try too hard. Eating healthy is great, so don't get me wrong, but eating too healthy can be a bad habit for those looking to shed a few pounds. Don't try too hard, and follow a nutrition regimen that you're comfortable with.


5. Why do most Americans have a weight problem? What would you tell all overweight Americans if you had five minutes on national television on the subject of getting in shape and staying in shape? What are they doing wrong?

Most Americans have a weight problem due to a number of contributing factors. The sedentary lifestyle most live,the frequency of eating fast foods and trans fat, the lack of exercise,the poor eating habits,the lack of motivation,it all correlates to the weight problems many Americans face. If I had just five minutes on national television to address the issue of getting in shape and staying in shape, I would advise overweight Americans to take a step back and really analyze just what they're doing about their problem. I would tell them to examine their nutrition programs along with the amount of physical activity they perform daily. Secondly, I would advise them to simply follow the basics and neglect the thought about following a fad diet. A simple nutrition plan that is based around having an energy deficit by restricting calories and performing cardiovascular activity will overrule any fad diet. Getting fit and in shape is one thing, but what about maintaining that figure that has resulted in hard work in the long-term? Simple. Continute following a healthy eating plan, but do not restrict calories so severely. Instead, perform more cardiovascular activity and eat at matience caloric levels to encourage an atmosphere that will not cause you to lose any weight or gain weight. I would also tell overweight Americans the old phrase, "Rome wasn't built in a day." There are no shortcuts. Breathtaking results require hard work, dedication, and constant devotion. I would suggest that all overweight Americans apply this principle to their plans to accomplish what they are working for! With a little bit of hard work, determination, and persistence, anything is possible!

Getting Huge 101

Guys all want to get big and shredded. Girls all want to get leaned and toned. But how do we start?

Defining Your Goals

Most beginners to the fitness world have one of three goals - they want to stop being fat, they want to stop being skinny, or they want to "tone up". All of these goals are achieved the same way - by losing fat and building muscle. The only difference between these three goals is the degree to which each applies. Improving the way you look is 80% about diet. To lose fat, gain muscle, or "tone up", you have to eat correctly. This should be your first priority and your only priority for a period of time. Getting your diet in check is that important.

A quick note about the term "toning". Toning is just a matter of losing fat and building muscle. Fat does not "turn into" muscle - fat is lost, and muscle is gained. Additionally, losing 3lbs of fat is done in exactly the same way as losing 30lbs of fat. Building 3lbs of muscle is done in exactly the same way as building 30lbs of muscle. It's just a matter of degrees. So for those looking to "tone" - be aware that you actually have two goals: to lose a small amount of fat and gain a small amount of muscle.

Fixing your Diet

"Fixing your diet" means being conscious of what you eat, and how much you eat. The best way to do this is to track your calories for a few weeks - using a calorie tracking application or pen and paper. After you get a handle on what you are eating, it's time to figure out how much you should be eating. To do this, we need to figure out your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE (see here or here), and adjust it based on whether or not your goal is to gain muscle or lose fat. If you wish to gain muscle, eat over your TDEE. If you want to lose fat, eat under your TDEE. The more you go over or under (within reason), the faster you will see results. It is, however, a better idea to remain conservative and stay within 500 calories above or below.

Remember: it took you a long time to get in the state you're in; it will take a long time to get out of it. Don't rush it.

In terms of what foods you should and should not eat, calories matter more than specific foods.

Adding Exercise

Once the diet is in check, and you can eat properly, it's time to add exercise into the mix. What type of exercise you choose depends on your goals and what you like to do with your free time. The most important thing is that you find something that you either like doing, or really want to do. You don't need to choose a certain type of exercise because it's what you feel you're supposed to do. There are many choices. If you find something boring, then try something else!

As a beginner, the most important thing you can do is leverage someone else's knowledge to learn how to exercise properly. To do this, use a plan that a professional has created for beginners, not one you created yourself. You wouldn't work on your own car, why try to work on your own body in the same manner?

Exercise can roughly be broken down into three categories:

• Strength Training: using your muscles to move an external load. This is how you get stronger and build muscle mass. Popular programs are:
  • Barbell Programs: Starting Strength, Strong Lifts 5x5, Westside for Skinny Bastards, and Greyskull LP are most popular. See /r/weightroom for more info.
  • Bodyweight Programs: Overcoming Gravity, You Are Your Own Gym, and Convict Conditioning are some popular programs. See /r/bodyweightfitness for more info.
  • General Aesthetics: AWorkoutRoutine has many sample programs. See /r/bodybuilding for more info.
• Aerobic Conditioning: training your cardiovascular system to pump blood, and thus oxygen, throughout your body better. This is how you improve cardiovascular health and general endurance. Popular conditioning includes:
  • Running: Couch to 5K is a popular beginning running program. See /r/running for more info.
  • Swimming: Zero to 1 Mile is like Couch to 5K for swimming. See /r/swimming for more info.
  • High Intensity Interval Training: See this 8-Week HIIT program or Introduction to Tabata for examples
  • Circuit Training: See examples like The Magic 50 and No Excuses, both by Ross Enamait. You can find more in Never Gymless.
  • Jumping rope is also very good. See Punk Rope for ideas and details
• Activity: anything else that simply gets you up and moving. There are many examples, such as:

If you still need help selecting an exercise program, try the program picker website. It has collected all the standard information we have in this FAQ, reduced the number of questions to a bare minimum, and recommends the best program for you to meet your fitness goals.

Source has been redirected from Reddit.com 

Do you even lift? Common Misconceptions Addressed V.1

You're in your second working set. You load up the squat rack and suddenly, the local trainer says, "hey, I saw you doing your sets. you should really think about just going down 45 degrees, to make it easier on your knees." Before you can respond, he takes off some weight and starts to show you the movement..."What the hell is this guy doing," you think to yourself...He has a definite dosage of BROSCIENCE.

Broscience as defined by Urban Dictionary: Word of mouth knowledge passed off as fact, generally spouted most by amateur trainers. They usually have no idea what is happening to their bodies and then share that same cluelessness with others who make the false assumption that their experience. But before we even head there, let's examine some common misconceptions that you may have heard before.

Myth: My metabolism is higher/lower/different than other people

No it's not. Excluding rare and serious metabolic conditions, which should be diagnosed by a doctor, people's metabolisms tend to be within 200-300 calories of each other. This is almost negligible when you consider daily calorie consumption.

Myth: Doing high reps of lighter weights will help me get toned

Firstly, being "toned" is not a valid concept. Muscle tone is the amount of tension a muscle maintains when it's at rest. What most people mean when they say "toned" is certain level of muscular definition. Being "toned" is simply a matter of having enough muscle mass and low enough body fat.

Additionally, working high repetitions of exercises at low weights will increase muscularendurance more than anything else. If your goal is strength, you should be working high weight for low repetitions. If you goal is size and definition, you should be working medium weights for medium repetitions. See What do different repetition ranges mean?.

Myth: Ab exercises can make you lose stomach fat

You can't target where you lose fat. This is called "spot reduction" and it doesn't exist. Your genes are responsible for where your body stores fat, and it's the same thing for losing fat. It's pretty much a "first on, last off" type situation, so if the first place get fat is your belly it's probably going to be the last place to lose it. Do the things mentioned above to lower your overall body-fat percentage and your belly fat will start to go away.

Myth: Eating too little puts you in Starvation Mode

Starvation mode is a myth that was popularized due to the Minnesota Starvation Experiment in which subjects were given 50% of their daily calorie intake for months. The result? Well, they lost weight until they had almost no weight left to lose and their bodies simply could not get the calories ANYWHERE. Concisely put: starvation mode happens when you are, quite literally, wasting away. Not when you have a simple caloric deficit. Your body will make up for it with fat stores. That's what they're for. Do not worry about starvation mode.

Myth: Women will get bulky if they lift heavy things

While some things are different for women than they are for men (where your body tends to store fat, how quickly you'll lose body fat, how quickly you'll add muscle, etc.) pretty much everything in this FAQ applies equally to women and men. How to lose body fat, how to add muscle, how to get fit, how to "tone up"...the principles are same for both women and men.

Some women are averse to heavy weights because they don't want to "bulk up" or "look like a dude". However, most women will never get as bulky as guys because they lack sufficient testosterone. The female professional athletes you see with "toned" arms are more indicative of what is possible without drugs.

Myth: Lifting weights is going to make me huge like a bodybuilder

Putting on muscle is not easy. It takes years of dedicated work. It is insulting to the people who do this on purpose to think you could get to the same level accidentally. Unless you're specifically training to "be huge" you're not going to accidentally get huge. And even if you find yourself getting bigger than you'd like, you can always stop working out to reverse these effects.

Myth: Lifting weights makes you inflexible

The ACSM finds that full range strength training improves flexibility. Additionally, topweightlifters, gymnasts, bodybuilders, and more regularly demonstrate advanced levels of flexibility while being exceedingly strong.

Strength training does not create inflexibility if done properly - an imbalanced program and lifting through abbreviated ranges of motion causes inflexibility.

Source redirected from Reddit.com