Crunch by Nuffnang: Issue 2

DO EAT ENOUGH PROTEIN
It’s going to be a bit tough to build muscle if you
exclude protein from your diet. This is because
protein helps you to not only build muscle, but
to burn fat as well. How does it do this, exactly?
It does this by making your body work harder; a
ton of calories is burned just to break down this
incredible macronutrient!
If that doesn’t sound like a winner in your book, I
don’t know what does.
DO COOK YOUR OWN MEALS
The reason behind this is simple: you can’t
control what goes into your meals if someone
else prepares it for you. This is especially true if
you’re the type of person to eat out.
While this does not necessarily mean you have
to avoid eating out forever, it can’t be all of your
meals. If you’re not a cook, you can start small.
Pack lunch for a couple of days a week- you’d be
surprised by the difference this can make.
EAT CARBS AFTER YOUR WORKOUT
Forget the bad rep carbs have gotten from the
press. Yes, you’d definitely gain weight if you
eat too much of anything, but carbs have been
treated unfairly in this particular aspect. Fact of
the matter is, natural grain or starchy carbs such
as brown rice and oatmeal are actually important
in building abs- and this is even more so true
when they’re eaten post-workout.
Not convinced? Carbs have the smallest chance
of turning into body fat when you eat them after
working out.
DON’T AVOID HEALTHY FATS
This might sound crazy, but you should
include fats in your diet. And when I say this,
I mean healthy fats. These are mainly from
polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in
food items such as
raw nuts, fish oils and olive oils.
By eating the right amount of lean protein, good
carbs and healthy fats, you’ll soon develop
a metabolism that is able to burn fat more
effectively.
DON’T IGNORE YOUR DIET
As tempting as it might be to take the “easy”
way out by skipping out on meals to lose weight,
this is actually counterproductive. Not only will
you have less energy to perform the necessary
workouts, your body will also be unable to
effectively build the muscles you so desperately
crave.
How can it, when it is deprived of the nutrients it
needs? So pile on that lean protein- you need it.
DON’T PUSH YOURSELF
If you find that your current diet plan isn’t working
out for you, don’t push yourself. It isn’t that easy
to determine exactly how much of anything a
person should consume, which is precisely why
there should be some flexibility in your diet. This
doesn’t mean that you should take this as an
excuse to replace your brown rice with fast food,
it is just that everyone’s body is different.
So if something isn’t working out for you, it might
be wiser to lessen, increase or replace the item
entirely with another healthy alternative.
There you have it! Six easy tips to bear in mind,
and you don’t even have to starve yourself to get
results. Just eat healthy and workout, my friends,
and your efforts will bear fruit.
This special feature is written by
Melissa Kartini Ariffin Ong
11