Fitness: Simple Nutrition to Get the Body You've Always Wanted

Nutrition is key for a fit lifestyle, especially when it comes creating a great body and having an endless source of energy. It takes a lot of will power and discipline to make the right choices and to eat the right foods.

Well, what I’m about to share with you goes against what most people might believe. In fact, many sources try to convince you that you have to diet, starve yourself, even dehydrate yourself in order to look good. Unless you’re competing in the bodybuilding circuit, this isn’t true.

I’m going to teach you how to get your perfect body without “dieting” or depriving yourself, but there is one catch, and it’s extremely important. You need to forget about counting calories, carbs, protein, and fat.

This is the secret: staying healthy year-round and still being able to put on lean body mass. You will learn a simple, yet very effective approach to eating that will deliver these results. Over the past year, I have been able to put on 20 pounds of muscle while staying at 6% body fat, so I know it can be done!

Eating Made Simple


Eating doesn’t have to be complicated. True, you can manipulate your body with more precision using a more detailed and complex approach, but you can get very similar results without the headache or extra time. What I’m going to teach you is a simple approach to getting lean, staying lean, and still being able to add mass to develop a body that you like—one that allows you to thrive on life!

Portion Control


The most effective—and easiest—aspect to control in nutrition is portions. If you start using portions to gauge your meals, you won’t even have to count calories anymore. In fact, any modifications you make will be adding or subtracting a portion or two. Now which sounds better: Counting calories, protein, carbs, and fat? Or, eating a set number of portions—usually in the 6 to 12 range. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather focus on portions.

So what is a portion? What makes it so simple?


A portion of carbohydrates is the size of your fist.


A portion of Protein is the size of your palm.


A portion of Vegetables is the size of your open hand. That’s it—easy!

What you do with the portions is how you will manipulate your body, but portions are a lot easier to deal with than calories and grams—trust me.

So here’s the prescription (and it’s not more cow bell): Just eat one portion of carbohydrates and one portion of protein six times each day. Then, add a serving of vegetables to AT LEAST three of the daily meals. Yep, it’s that easy!

Six meals might seem like a lot, but consider this: Your metabolism is similar to a fire. If all the firewood is placed on the fire at one time, there’s a huge flame, but the fire burns out relatively quickly. HOWEVER, by continually feeding the fire with smaller amounts of firewood, a large flame is sustained for a prolonged period of time. By eating six meals a day, you continually fuel your metabolism, which does three things:

(1) Provides more energy through the day;


(2) Burns more calories;


(3) Curbs your appetite and eliminates the urge to binge.

Now, if you want to gain weight (in the form of muscle), I suggest adding some carbohydrates. Yeah, I said carbs. Protein has it’s place, but consider this: When you work out, your muscles convert carbohydrates into ATP (energy) to lift the weight. We need carbohydrates for energy in the weight room; they increase performance. Carbs also hydrate the muscles. Ever wonder why they’re called CarboHYDRATEs? By neglecting carbs, you’re going to sacrifice performance and pump.

An Example


Say you wanted to put on muscle mass without gaining any fat. This feat seems impossible, but lets take a look at how simple it actually is.

First, let’s assume you’ve hit a plateau. Let’s also assume you weight 160 pounds—just about average for most people trying to gain weight. You haven’t gained any fat or muscle, but you haven’t lost any either. And here’s an example of your current diet (NOTE: This is a simplified diet and not necessarily suggested meals).

Meal 1

• 2 eggs
  
  
  
• 1 Bowl of Oatmeal
  
  
  
• 1 Apple
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 2

• Cottage Cheese
  
  
  
• 1 Yogurt mixed with 1 cup of walnuts
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 3

• Tuna Salad on Whole Wheat
  
  
  Meal 4 Turkey on Whole Wheat
  
  
  1 Medium Salad
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 5

• Fruit Salad (grapes, cantaloupe, kiwi, watermelon)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 6

• Salmon
  
  
  
• Asparagus
  
  
  
• 1 Sweet Potato
  
  
  

APPROXIMATE CALORIES = 2,750


Carbs – 307g (45%)


Protein – 140g (20%)


Fats – 120g (35%)

Now, let’s say we wanted to put on mass without gaining fat. Well, in the complicated world of calories, a typical suggestion would be to add about 300-500 calories a day. Why? Well, one pound of muscle contains 600 calories and one pound of fat contains 3,500 calories. Increasing calories by 300-500 a day translates into a 2,000-3,500 calories a week—no more than a pound of fat. This provides your body with extra calories to gain weight without putting on fat.

How is this done? We’re just going to add two portions. One portions of carbs, and one portion of protein.

Meal 1

• 2 eggs
  
  
  
• 1 Bowl of Oatmeal
  
  
  
• 1 Apple
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 2

• Cottage Cheese
  
  
  
• 1 Yogurt mixed with 1 cup of walnuts
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 3

• Tuna Salad on Whole Wheat
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 4

• Turkey on Whole Wheat
  
  
  
• 1 Medium Salad
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 5

• Fruit Salad (grapes, cantaloupe, kiwi, watermelon)
  
  
  
• 1 Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 6

• Salmon
  
  
  
• Asparagus
  
  
  
• 1 Sweet Potato
  
  
  

APPROXIMATE CALORIES = 3,050


Carbs – 347g (46%)


Protein – 150g (20%)


Fats – 128g (34%)

Losing Fat


Just as easy as it was to add a couple portions to gain weight, the same principle applies to losing weight (in the form of fat, not muscle). By pulling out just one portion of carbs and protein, you will start losing about one pound a week of body fat.

Meal 1

• 2 eggs
  
  
  
• 1 Bowl of Oatmeal
  
  
  
• 1 Apple
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 2

• Cottage Cheese
  
  
  
• 1 Yogurt mixed with 1 cup of walnuts
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 3

• Tuna Salad on Whole Wheat
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 4

• Turkey on Whole Wheat
  
  
  
• 1 Medium Salad
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 5

• Fruit Salad (grapes, cantaloupe, kiwi, watermelon)
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 6

• Salmon
  
  
  
• Asparagus
  
  
  
• 1 Sweet Potato
  
  
  

APPROXIMATE CALORIES = 2,750


Carbs – 307g (45%)


Protein – 140g (20%)


Fats – 120g (35%)

Meal 1

• 2 eggs
  
  
  
• 1 Bowl of Oatmeal
  
  
  
• 1 Apple
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 2

• Cottage Cheese
  
  
  
• (No Yogurt w/ Nuts)
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 3

• Tuna Salad on Whole Wheat
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 4

• Turkey on Whole Wheat
  
  
  
• 1 Medium Salad
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 5

• Fruit Salad (grapes, cantaloupe, kiwi, watermelon)
  
  
  
  
  
  

Meal 6

• Salmon
  
  
  
• Asparagus
  
  
  
• 1 Sweet Potato
  
  
  

APPROXIMATE CALORIES = 2,000


Carbs – 250g (50%)


Protein – 140g (28%)


Fats –54g (22%)

Using portions is easy, efficient, and effective. Instead of buying into those fad diets, keep a BALANCED eating style.

For a complete nutrition guide, complete with one full week of meals, order your copy of Lifetime Physique: 16 Weeks to A Better Body, A Better Life—A Better You. Go to www.lifetimephysique.com.