It's OK to Feel PHAT

I'm so late on this week's blog.....

Last weekend I went to a nutrition seminar hosted by one of the top CG trainers. It was two hours well spent, in my opinion. I learned so much and really enjoyed all the information. I've been trying to get this nutrition thing on track so that my workouts are not in vain. I thought I would write about some of the take-aways that I received from this talk.

1. It's all about the macros....Protein, Carbs, and Fat: We need a balance of all these nutrients to lose weight, maintain weight, and gain lean muscle. The protein helps build our lean muscle. The carbs give us the energy we need. The healthy fats help us burn fat (imagine that!). You've got to find the right balance of these nutrients that fits your specifically. There's a website you can go to that will do this for you: whataremymacros.com
2. Drink LOTS of water: Yeah....I'm so bad at this. I don't really drink much else, but it's the amount I get in each day that is the problem. You're basically supposed to drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day. For me, that's over a gallon a day. I can do pretty good when I'm at home because I can really focus on it, and going to the bathroom all day really isn't an issue. At work, now that's a different story. I'm so busy most of the time that I forget to eat my snacks. Forget take a drink. I'm lucky if I get in one cup of water while I'm at work. Not to mention that it would be really inconvenient to have to go to the restroom every 30 minutes. Tiff would get really annoyed at me.....
3. You're probably not eating enough: Say what!? Yeah, if you're working out you need more food. Did you know your body burns 200-400 calories just while you sleep? That's crazy! You should eat a good source of protein before going to bed. I've been drinking a double protein shake before bed. That's about 70 grams of protein right before bed to feed and repair my muscles. You can find out how many calories you need when you go to find out your macro count.
4. It's all about the protein: Like, for real! This was shocking news: you need 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Y'all!!!! For me, that's an obscene amount of protein. I usually fall about 60 grams short each day. Some good advice I received was to take my actual weight and my goal weight and find the middle ground. I need to make that my target protein goal for now.
5. How do I get all that protein in? I'm still trying to figure it all out. I'll be consulting my trainer when we start our one-on-one sessions this upcoming week. I've been trying to incorporate more eggs in my diet. I also eat chicken and fish, the occasional beef, nuts, peanut butter, and protein shakes. My Shakeology has about 16 grams of protein per serving. I've been supplementing with ISO 100 protein powder (a lot of CG peeps love this stuff). We've tried the strawberry so far and like it. I just got some vanilla in, so we will be experimenting with that flavor. I'd love to try the birthday cake flavor.....When asked what the best protein drink is: one that is low in sugar and the one you like to drink. If you don't like it, you won't drink it. Also, the fewer ingredients the better. You don't want a lot of fillers because then you're not getting as much protein as you think. I also enjoy 1-2 Quest bars a day. They taste like a candy bar and packed with protein.
6. Preparation is key: I've been doing meal prepping for a while, so this isn't a new concept for me. I just like how it was mentioned in this talk as being very practical and helpful when you want to stay on track. It just takes the guess work out of everything.
7. Finally.....have FUN!!! Everything in moderation. If you just can't live without that soda each day, fine. Just log it in your "My Fitness Pal" and it will factor into your macros somewhere. You shouldn't feel guilty when you have that cheat meal. Go ahead and enjoy it. Get the notion that you're "fat" out of your head. Instead, be PHAT (pretty hot and tempting). I think I can do that. 

I've been tracking my food this past week. I fail at reaching my protein count and way over exceed my carb count. It's a work in progress. Next up for me, setting some short and long term personal goals for myself. I took a week off from working out this week since it was recovery week and I tend to get lazy....I'm back at it next week with a new round of camp and some one-on-one training sessions. It's my time!!!!