Nutritional Guide and Tips for Gym Beginners

What Diet Should I Follow?

Diet is a word I don’t like to use (though I always end up using it), because it sounds strict and not very sustainable. Let’s think differently: how about the way you eat that meets basic nutritional health conditions. So you can erase the idea that diet = strict regimen, and think more like “lifestyle,” meaning your diet is part of your daily habits that are supposed to be healthy, or not?

If I say Paleo diet, Low-Carb,Ketogenic diet, Zone diet, Vegan diet, Intermittent Fasting…, you might think I’m joking… But I’m not. Those names refer to certain eating patterns, each characterized by meeting nutritional bases. Broadly, differences lie in the type and amount of macronutrients, when you eat them, and their source (animal or plant).

There’s no one diet that works 100% for everyone. Interestingly, each person who follows a diet seems to have it work for them… So my advice: get professional help if you’re lost

Losing weight is not losing fat

Often the most common phrase in this topic is: I want to lose weight. But do you know what that really means? If you say lose weight, you don’t care where that “mass” comes from, whether muscle, fat, water, or glycogen. The important thing is the scale number going down… Epic fail! The goal should be different: aim to lose fat and keep muscle.

To lose weight I’ll eat less

By simplicity, the thermodynamics law “applies”… But, you also have to consider hormonal effects, that not all calories are equal, and many other factors. At first, it’s easy to lose a good chunk of “weight,” but calorie restriction has an expiration date… If you want to improve your Body Composition, you have to “play” with two variables: your energy balance and the breakdown of macronutrients.

I want to gain muscle and lose fat

Here’s the deal: doing both at the same time is almost impossible. It’s a calorie thing… If you want to gain weight (muscle volume, which is tough…), you need a calorie surplus, and if you want to lose fat, guess what… reduce calories. It’s so simple it seems not to be. There’s a curious case when someone who’s never really trained starts working out: “noob gains.” Quick body composition changes. But there’s a catch, they don’t last long. Soon you’ll “hit a plateau”…

So if you start from a condition, let’s say, not the best for “gaining muscle,” my advice is to “lower” your fat percentage first…

I have to eat a lot of protein to build muscle

“…The top macronutrient in fitness is protein…”.

They contain the amino acids that are the building blocks your body uses to rebuild and grow muscle tissue… But it’s not true you need huge amounts. Even if you think you need protein to gain muscle, at first you don’t need that much. The protein function is constructive, but proteins also play key roles in essential physiological processes. Your diet should include all macronutrients: carbs and fats too.

I’m going to consume “Fit” products

This is very common. Going for “light” and low-calorie products with a pink label and big promises… You might get disappointed. It’s better to get the product (food) in its natural state (with properties intact), not processed, and sometimes with no added “extra sugar.” One reason is they can fill you up way less (fat naturally in yogurt VS sad low-fat yogurt…).

Try to base your diet on products that have been processed as little as possible…

I’ve been told not to eat Carbs after lunch

And the cutoff is 6 pm. This argument might have some validity when linking circadian rhythms and our food intake. But many also believe it because cutting carbs at dinner helps them lose weight. Makes sense, you’re cutting calories…

In my view, it’s better to have meals similar in calories and macros, no matter the time of day. But for athletes with high demands, it might make sense to concentrate most calories (usually carbs) around training, especially post-workout

I throw away the yolk and eat the white

Among nutritional myths is the “poor” egg. Definitely one of the most controversial. Back when doctors recommended max 2-3 eggs a week, forget it… But cereals and other carbs were “free to eat.” Funny how obesity started becoming “trendy” after those recommendations.

However, you don’t always have to throw away the yolk (where the fat and most nutrients are), it’s all about adjusting to your needs

And I have to cut it out… Go ahead, do it. But know that not in the short term, but over time, keeping fat intake low can be harmful, especially hormonally. Essential fatty acids, as the name says, have valuable roles in the body, like regulating cholesterol, anti-inflammatory action… I recommend not eating less than 20% of total calories from fats.

When talking about cutting fats, focus on trans fats found in processed foods

I’ve been told I can eat whatever I want once a week

Known as a “Cheat Meal,” but what they might not have told you is it depends, especially on your goals… Being on a diet can be torture for many. The solution isn’t to binge occasionally on whatever you want. That’s not justified. Find a way of eating that doesn’t make you feel like you’re dieting.

The excuse is wrong: what you can do are controlled refeed days, but based on healthy foods, not junk