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Hello all BTTC Members!
For this week’s fitness newsletter, I wanted to shift gears from a fitness focused emphasis and put the spotlight on 4 simple nutritional changes you can make to help you lose weight, promote muscle retention/growth, and just make your body feel a whole lot better.
#1 – DRINK MORE WATER. This may be one of the easiest things, out of the 4 I share with you today, you can do right out the gate. On average most people fall short of the recommended H20 intake they should be having throughout the day but ideally women should be aiming for 90 ounces of water a day, while for men they should be aiming for 120 ounces a day.
A side note on these intake numbers, you may need to increase them due to your daily activity level. If you’re doing activities that produce sweat, you need to be sure to replenish those fluids your body is excreting (these recommended values can differ based on intensity of your activity but roughly aim for an extra 8 – 12 ounces.)
#2 – Increase Protein Intake. Now don’t get me wrong Fats and Carbohydrates are both important macronutrients everyone should be consuming daily. Protein, or amino acids (the building blocks of protein), play many important roles in our body and are essential to keeping our body running in tip top shape but when it comes to muscle retention and increasing skeletal muscle mass, protein is very important. What I recommend to my clients is to try and consume 1.0 – 1.3 grams per KILOGRAM (kg) of body weight.
Once again, these numbers may need to be adapted based on your daily activity level or how much you work out a week but the 1.0 – 1.3 grams per kg is a safe place to start at. If you have a hard time reaching your daily recommended protein intake the best option, I always recommend, is supplement a protein powder into your dietary needs.
#3 – Increase Fiber Intake. This is another important nutrient most people are insufficient in and don’t consume enough daily. Fiber is not only important for the overall health of our digestive system and helping our bodies lower our cholesterol, but it has shown to lower the risks of heart disease, diabetes, diverticular disease, constipation, through increased bowel movements, and colon cancer.
Many studies have provided a recommended amount that men and women should strive for daily. For men you should consume anywhere between 30 – 38 grams a day and for women they need to consume 21- 26 grams a day.
Ideally you should achieve these numbers through natural dietary sources like, a high fiber and whole grain cereal, legumes/beans, fruits, vegetables, and nuts/seeds. Another secondary option to help you get these fibers numbers is through a fiber supplement powder or pill.
#4 – Reduce Sugar Intake. Now this is a tough one I have always struggled with but is one of the more important things you can do to help you on your weight loss journey. I would never tell someone to cut sugar out completely, unless it was a lifestyle required change, but I tell my clients moderation is key.
When we talk about sugar, I don’t mean the natural sugars you get from fruits because those sugars are good for us to consume but I mean processed sugars. Cutting out or limiting the processed sugar intake (from ice cream, candy, sodas, etc.) will make a difference with your weight loss journey and just making your body feel like it has more energy and alertness.
Incorporating these four changes to your fitness and nutritional regimen will take everything to the next level when it comes to seeing progress in your overall health and fitness journeys.
If you have any questions or want to discuss further with me either find me at the club or speak with Front desk about setting something up with me!
~Connor
Connor Eddy
Fitness Instructor
Personal Trainer
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