Every athlete desire a lasting career characterized by excellent performances in every competition. While some young athletes indulge in illegal drugs that would somewhat mar their highly cherished-career in the long run, experienced sports nutritionists, through intensive research, have discovered some performance-enhancing sport nutrition supplements that can help improve your athletic performance and keep you healthy and safe.

To begin with, let’s get the meaning and some other necessary information about sport nutrition supplements that can work correctly for your body.

What are Sports Nutrition Supplements?

Sport nutrition supplements include a wide variety of drinks, pills, and powders specially created to improve athletic performance and fill some vacant spaces of the inadequate diet of athletes who exercise or workout more frequently.

Sport nutrition supplements are groups into categories such as protein supplements, sports drinks, and performance enhancers. Please be aware that it is necessary to visit your doctor before taking any supplements or medication.

Things you need to know about sport nutrition supplements

• Supplements cannot help neutralize the effect of an unhealthy diet, but you have to take them in some crucial times when necessary. Supplements can help during special training, illness, or in some critical medical conditions such as pregnancy, anemia, and more.
• While many sport nutrition supplements have trusted evidence behind them, most do not have strong evidence backing them up for frequent use.
• Not all supplements can work perfectly for every athlete; you need to visit your doctor or an expert sports nutritionist to help you select which supplement would best fit your body system and provide the best result.
• Unlike medication, do not use supplements to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure diseases of any kind, whether at a minor or severe level.
• Also, note that most food and drug administration agencies of several countries do not check for some sports supplements’ safety and effectiveness before getting to the market. Hence, don’t take any of them without a proper prescription from a medical practitioner.

Do you need to take supplements?

Both male and female, young and old, athletes take supplements to step up their performances both in training and on the field. Female athletes mostly take iron-rich supplements, while male athletes mostly go for vitamin E and protein.

In all, sport nutrition supplements contribute immensely to athletic performance. For any athlete to perform at his/her best, nutritionally adequate supplements and appropriate hydration is essential. Typically, athletes engage in energy-demanding activities, some of which last for more than two hours under hot temperatures. After these activities, athletes may have to replenish some lost fluids and electrolytes and take additional carbohydrates for renewed energy.

The supplements’ results may vary for different athletes depending on the nature of the athlete, level and duration of the training, and environmental conditions.

Having known a few essential things about supplements, let’s look at some effective supplements that can help you attain your athletic goals.

7 most effective sport nutrition supplements that aid athletic performance

1. Beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl butyrate (HMB)

This supplement helps repair damaged or stressed skeletal muscle cells to reestablish structure and function. Although some medical practitioners claimed that they have not yet discovered its efficacies, HMB has been liked with quick recovery from exercised based injuries such as a torn rotator cuff or pulled hamstring. HMB also helps repair internal damages caused by intense training sessions.

2. Beet juice

Beet juice is one of the most consumed sport nutrition supplements among athletes. It helps dilates blood vessels, boosts energy production, and also reduces the use of oxygen. The results of beet juice vary depending on the nature and intensity of training. Sports nutritionists claim that athletes who participate in more energy-demanding sports like swimming, running, and cycling might experience less pronounced effects than athletes who take sport for recreational purposes.

3. Caffeine

Caffeine is another essential sports nutrition supplement that helps improve athletic performance. Caffeine is a stimulant that helps block activities of the neuromodulator adenosines and helps reduce pain and perceived exertion. Sports nutritionists support that taking caffeine before your training sessions or the actual competition can improve your performance, especially in enduring sports like running, soccer, and more.

4. Iron

Iron remains one of the most consumed sport nutrition supplements, especially among female athletes. Iron is mostly recommended for its capacity to lower lactate levels, boost uptake of oxygen, and reduce heart rate. However, you must be careful not to take excessive iron supplements. If taken more than 45 mg per day, it may result in serious health issues such as abdominal pain, nausea, gastric upset, constipation, vomiting, fainting, and more.

5. Branched-chain amino acids

The three branched-chain amino acids are isoleucine, leucine, and valine. Unlike other supplements, mitochondria can metabolize these three in skeletal muscle to produce enough energy for exercise. A dosage of 20g per day is ideal for best results with no safety issues.

6. Glutamine

Glutamine is another amino acid that contributes nitrogen to several biochemical reactions in the body. It also plays a major role in metabolism and energy production. Research from expert sports nutritionists shows that glutamine can enhance recovery, strengthen your muscles and reduce soreness when the exercise is over. A dosage of 45g per day is ideal for the best results without health complications. Meanwhile, the dosage should be reduced to about 0.42g for athletes with health issues such as infections, internal diseases, burns, and more.

7. Sodium bicarbonate

This supplement is generally known as baking soda. Sodium bicarbonate is a compound that helps rid your body of hydrogen ions, usually caused by intense muscle activity. As a result, this compound helps in reducing metabolic acidosis and fatigue. Sodium bicarbonate aids athletic performance. A few sports nutritionists have claimed that ‘baking soda’ doesn’t have a long-term effect on the performance of an athlete who engages in high-intensity activities.

Final Words

Above all, supplements are essential elements of sports nutrition that helps athletes perform at their peak form. They supply the body of athletes with essential nutrients that makes them active and ready for action. However, like dietary foods, taking supplements in excess and too frequently can negatively affect the body, which may result in severe health issues including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, irritations, stomach pains, and more.

Injuries can disrupt an athlete’s workout program for a long time and mar performances. This is why many athletes do all in their best effort to avoid injuries, no matter how small. While some athletes attempt to prevent injuries through deliberate medical attention, sports nutrition also offers several ways to prevent injuries using a nutritional approach.

Sports nutrition can help reduce your risk of developing injuries no matter the sports categories you participate in. Here are some sport nutritional guidelines that can help you stay out of injuries for a long time.

1. Eat plenty of carbohydrates and protein every day

Sport nutrition experts recommend that eating foods that are highly rich in carbohydrates and protein can help reduce your risk of developing exercise-related injuries.

Carbohydrates serve as natural fuel for everyday exercising. When there’s a low dietary intake of carbohydrates in your body, the body would have to break down muscle protein and convert it to fuel supplies required for daily exercise. Hence, low carbohydrates in the body can reduce your strength and may damage your muscle tissues, resulting in poor athletic performance.

Protein is as well an essential nutrient in sports nutrition. It is essential for muscle growth, repair, and maintenance. Muscle protein breaks down whenever you engage your body in strength and endurance training. So, there’s a high need for you to eat high-quality dietary protein foods to help you repair any muscle damaged in the course of constant exercising. Studies showed that protein makes athletes more active in their daily athletic activities. Another study proved that amount of protein you eat (whether high or low) plays a very important role in your muscle growth and repair.

To maximize your chance of being free from injuries, eat a sufficient amount of carbohydrates and protein every day.

2. Eat essential fats

Excess fat is indeed dangerous to the body, yet that does not mean you will have to completely avoid eating fats. Sports nutrition supports including heart-healthy fats in your daily meals to prevent athletic injuries. Healthy fats supply the body with essential fatty acids like omega 3 acids that the body cannot naturally produce.

Fatty acids are good sources of energy, even more than carbohydrates. They help in building and repairing cell membranes and are very good for the heart. Fatty acids lubricate the joints and tissues, and they help reduce inflammation in the body.

If you want to prevent athletic injuries, shun any sports nutrition guide that excludes dietary fats in your daily training diet. A few good sources of heart-healthy fats include cold-water fishes such as salmon, sardines and mackerel, walnuts, and ground flaxseed.

3. Stay hydrated

Staying hydrated is an essential part of sports nutrition, especially when it comes to preventing injuries using a nutritional approach. When your joints are dehydrated, they are more vulnerable to tears and injuries at the moment. Dehydration puts your body at higher risks of injuries. It adds heavy stress to the body causing increased internal temperature, sweat rate, heart rate, fatigue, including loss of physical and mental balance.

To prevent dehydration, drink plenty of water before, during, and after training sessions. Aside from training sessions, make sure you drink a lot of water throughout, even on days you are not engaged in physical activities.

Adequate fluid intake helps greatly in preventing athletic injuries. Meanwhile, not only water can keep your body hydrated; you can take fruit juice, skimmed milk, and smoothies to improve your fluids intake.

4. Take sufficient calcium and vitamin D

Vitamins and calcium are essential nutrients and key elements in sports nutrition. They play innumerable roles in an athlete’s body, including helping you reduce the risk of developing athletic injuries.

Vitamins help in shoring up your bones, healing your wounds, and boost your immune system to prevent you from developing health-threatening ailments. Vitamins also help convert food into energy supplying you with enough strength during your training sessions. Vitamins also help repair cellular damages in the body to aid quick recovery from accidental injuries.

Every athlete needs a sufficient amount of calcium to maintain stronger bones, helping you bring out your best performances both in and off training sessions. Calcium is an important element of any practical sports nutrition plan. As an athlete, your body needs calcium for the effective functioning of muscles and nerves.

Studies showed that athletes that take diets that are high in calcium and vitamin D tend to have a higher bone mineral density (BMD). Those that consume low calcium and vitamin D tend to have a higher risk of stress fractures.

Good calcium and vitamin D sources to include in your daily meals include dairy products such as milk and cheese and fortified foods such as fruit juice.

5. Use antioxidants

Sports nutrition promotes adequate use of antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E. Naturally, vitamins C and E protect the body’s cells from damage preventing your body from injury.

Vitamin C repairs the tissues in the body and also helps in the formation of collagen. Collagen is the most plentiful protein in the body, mostly present in the skin, muscles, bones, and tendons. It also provides flexibility and strength ligaments and provides structure.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient that helps protect organs and tissues from damage caused by free radicals.

The combination of Vitamin C and E help minimizes damage and help with recovery from workouts and training sessions. Good sources of these tissues repairing vitamins include citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, peppers, and tomatoes. You can also get vitamin E in almond butter, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and avocado.

In Conclusion

Generally, a basic nutritional approach is essential for preventing athletic injuries. Eating a wide variety of food highly rich in essential nutrients helps supports your bones, muscles, joints, tendons and helps solve any connectives issues that may arise unexpectedly. Higher consumption of whole grain, green vegetables, fresh raw fruit and fruit juice, low-fat dietary products, heart-healthy fats can help you reduce the risk for athletic injuries. Above all, staying hydrated makes the whole work perfect.

Healthy foods fuel athletes’ bodies to keep them at the optimum performance. Thanks to several sport nutrition experts in every part of the world, sports wouldn’t have been this interesting without their deliberate efforts to refine sports nutrition for athletes to perform their best.

Sports nutrition promotes endurance, strength, and lasting career amongst athletes in different sport categories. It helps athletes get the best out of their workouts and improve their athletic capabilities.

If you are an athlete, eating healthy foods should be your top priority to maximize your fitness efforts. Whenever you engage in exercises and training, your body releases energy, which means you have lost some essential nutrients when the training ends. To stay active and fit for the next training session, you would have to replenish those lost nutrients with the right foods that can nourish your body to the fullest.

Here some of the best foods recommended by sport nutrition experts to help you optimize your athletic performance both in training and on the field.

1. Oatmeal

Sport nutrition experts often recommend oatmeal as a good source of energy, carbs, and fiber that helps athletes to feel full for a long time. Oatmeal is a hundred percent whole grain, and it helps athletes reduce the risk of developing heart disease.

As much as oatmeal can boost athletes’ performance, it is also a delicious way of gaining moderate weight for stamina and physical and mental balance. Based on sport nutrition experts’ recommendations, steel-cut oats boost athletic performance than instant oats. Instant oats contain a higher portion of glycemic index, which can cause athlete’s insulin levels to spike, resulting in storing up carbs as fat.

2. Pasta

While many sport nutrition guides despise carbs as bad nutrients for athletes, carbs are not entirely bad. Indeed, they are essential in every athlete’s diet. When your body burns protein and fats, it would first have to convert them into carbs before supplying the right nutrients to the body, creating added stress. Eating foods that can supply direct carbs to the body is better to nourish the body without making it work harder.

Pasta contains fiber, but you don’t have to take it in excess before stepping on the field to compete to avoid gastrointestinal stress. Sports nutritionists recommend that whole grain pasta is better than white pasta because the former contains less sugar and can also aid better athletic performance.

3. Berries

Berries are very good for optimal athletic performance. Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries are delicious berries that are highly rich in antioxidants. Meanwhile, antioxidants are an essential element of sports nutrition and help replenish lost nutrients after several physical activities.

Barker berries are also great for the best athletic performance. They contain phytochemicals and some other preventive elements that prevent oxidative stress, which occurs in an athlete’s body during and after strenuous activities.

Berries also help preserve your muscle strength as you grow older, so they serve long term purposes.

4. Nuts

Nuts are good sources of protein and healthy fats. Sports nutritionists refer to nuts as one of the most essentials in athletes’ diet. Eating your nuts with carb will help put your blood sugar on a moderate level and will also sustain the carb for a long period, instead of burning them off immediately you eat.

Another very impor6tant reason sports nutritionists advise athletes to eat nuts often is that nuts digest easily and don’t upset the stomach. It is wrong for athletes to eat foods that will make them heavy for a long time, so nuts become a favorite.

Aside from the quick and easy digestion advantage, eating nuts will supply your body with fiber and antioxidants such as vitamin E. These antioxidants found in nuts strengthens the bone, which is required for optimal athletic performance.

5. Banana

Generally, fruits are important sports nutrition elements that help athletes deliver their best performance. Bananas are good sources of natural electrolytes that make them important for replenishing lost nutrients after workouts or training sessions. Bananas have a very low-calorie content but very high in potassium. That makes them a better post-workout snack.

Eating at least one banana every day is good for every athlete. It helps regulate fluid intake. You might have learned that athletes need to drink as much water as possible to stay hydrated; this is why you need to add bananas to your daily meal to help control your hydration.

6. Salmon

This oily fish is a mainstay in the diet of every athlete who cares for an excellent performance. Salmon is packed with protein, which helps build and repair muscle and omega 3 fatty acids that help minimize the inflammation that may occur due to frequent athletic activities.

Sports nutritionists proved that salmon naturally cleanses the artery, which makes the fish a healthy and delicious way of preventing heart diseases, which can affect athlete’s performance both in training on the field.

Meanwhile, eating salmon does not have to be boring. You can get dynamic with the oily fish and prepare it with your salads, burgers, or pasta. Getting creative with salmon will not only make you get an eight-ounce serving per week but also give you a greater taste to enjoy.

7. Cherries

Cherries are known for their high antioxidant concentration, which helps you prevent muscle pain after the daily workout or training sessions. Cherries help reduce inflammation, which causes pains in many joints in the body.

Aside from eating fresh cherries, drinking cherry juice is another enjoyable way to reduce muscle damages, which may occur duri8ng exercises.

In Conclusion

Eating healthy foods is the best way to keep your performance at the highest level. Ask many successful athletes around you; they will tell you that poor eating habits will cost you those prestigious medals and hurt your career. Eating foods highly rich in vitamins, protein, and fibers has numerous benefits on your health, performance, and career.

Whether you participate in sport for recreational or competition purposes, you need to take sports nutrition more seriously to get the right nutrients to fuel your body for continual high-intensity activities.

If you are an athlete or a sports enthusiast, there’s a very good chance you may have some questions on sports nutrition that need answering. Most of these questions tend to revolve around nutrition and dieting. Most athletes constantly seek to know the best foods that will help them perform optimally.

In this article, we will be providing answers to some of the most common questions asked by athletes or people looking to know more about sports nutrition.

How much do I need to eat?

You may find it shocking to know that most people burn about 1400-1800 calories just to stay alive and perform basic life activities daily. Even with that, athletes tend to require additional calories to assist the energy they expend while training.

This can span from a few hundred to a few thousand depending on the intensity and duration of the training. As an athlete, you need to eat a lot to support your health in general and promote efficiency during training.

I can’t eat during training what should I do?

You should understand that the gastric system is sensitive, especially if you are competing in a sport that jostles the stomach, such as hurdling, running, or maybe you are experiencing competition nerves.

However, to alleviate your situation, you can start by eating small bites of food or taking sips of drink an hour before your training. You can also work your way up to be able to take small bites during training until you have the ability to tolerate the full amount of food you need.

It is also advisable that you take additional nutrition to replenish Your body.

Do I really need to have a recovery infusion?

When it comes to sports nutrition, this question can be answered with a yes or a no. For athletes who are looking to tackle two-a-day workout or high-intensity training, consuming a combination of carbohydrates and protein within 30 minutes is crucial to replenish the body rapidly. This makes your body ready for the high demand you place on it during training sessions.

For athletes who engage in shorter workout sessions with roughly 24 hours between sessions, rapidly replenishing the body isn’t essential as long as they consume a high-quality diet.

Should I eat before a morning workout?

If it happens that you are heading out on a very hard or long training session, then yes, you need to be full of energy. Plus, it is advisable that you top up energy stores after a night fast. If your training is short or not a key performance session, you can likely complete your session without extra fuel.

Note that when working out on an empty stomach, you might not feel quite energized as usual. However, if at any point you feel faint or dizzy, endeavor to stop and eat something.

Is one diet better than others?

You should understand that sports nutrition varies as regards athletes. The best diet is the one that works well for you. Plus, in sports nutrition, diet can mean several things. For most athletes, diet is seen as a form of eating that is balanced and largely unprocessed. It also includes a large variety of foods.

Do I need a supplement?

In sports nutrition, most of your nutrients should come from a high-quality natural diet. However, athletes tend to need more of these supportive compounds than others. It can also be hard to obtain all from a good diet, hence the need for supplements.

If you happen to be restricting calories or following a diet that excludes some group of foods, you are likely to miss out on something. But a daily vitamin can assist in supplementing your need. You can find many supplements on the market that can be used in a strategic and mindful way to enhance your body performance.

Most of these supplements tend to contain caffeine, B12, collagen, protein, iron, and the likes.

How do I eat to get abs?

As someone who is enthusiastic about sports nutrition, you should understand that your body is made in the kitchen and not the gym.

Yes, training will definitely make you faster and stronger, but your eating habits will make you leaner and fitter. So, to get the body you need, you want to consider your food goals and cut down on necessary junk, and focus on eating better, not less.

I always lose energy at the end of workout sessions; what can I do?

If you find yourself panting or bailing out at the end of workout sessions, it’s a huge sign that you lack the energy stores to complete your training sessions. In this regard, you should start fueling your workout sessions often and early and aim for 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour.

Do I really need to eat carbohydrates?

Of course, carbohydrate is the macronutrient that fuels your body with enough energy at high intensity. Asides from being the best fuel for workout sessions and performances, carbs tend to supply nutrients and fiber that keep your body regular and healthy.

If you train for more hours in a week, you definitely need carbohydrates each day. You should save the simple carbs for intense workout sessions and the complex carbohydrates for mealtimes.

What should I start doing for optimal performance?

In sports nutrition, you need to treat your diet like your training sessions. Endeavor to set eating goals alongside your workout goals. Also, you need to track your food intake just as you track your reps, speed, power, and mileage. At every interval, keep training yourself to improve your eating habits just as you train your muscles to work harder.

If you are looking to perform optimally, you can’t treat your training and eating like separate things. Understand that they work together to help you achieve your body goals. If you find all these to be quite difficult, you can reach out to a sports nutritionist for assistance.

Final thoughts

With these questions answered, you should have a profound understanding of sports nutrition. Ensure you stick to the advice discussed in this article.

When it comes to sports nutrition, athletes tend to have complex and complicated dietary needs. In this regard, working with a professional sports nutritionist means everything. In this article, we’ll be discussing a list of tips for sports nutrition. In this list, you will find out that the application is about details, and details strongly matter.

Understand that these tips don’t replace the education and the need for a sports nutritionist. You shouldn’t skip over the principles and foundations of adhering to good sports nutrition. Having said this, let us delve into the article properly.

Yes, we dedicated this article to talk about the sports nutrition tips to rebuild and recover.

This article will be of tremendous assistance to sports nutritionists and coaches looking to sieve through the vague information out there.

Without wasting much time, here are 10 convenient dietary nuggets about sports nutrition for sports enthusiasts or athletes.

Begin with a complete assessment

You see, as a sports nutritionist or coach, you should first learn to understand the eating culture of an athlete. In this same vein, you should ensure that the athlete has a good screening process. This should be done before you move on to other goals and other assessments. Before you have athletes fill out forms, talk about training and food and record the details.

When you screen athletes, you are looking for who educated them, what they like, and why they are working with you. In sports nutrition, screening isn’t meant to search for eating disorders. If you skip this step and start with all the guidelines and fueling strategies, you’ll be building on quicksand.

Address body composition professionally

Leanness is quite essential in sports nutrition as it allows for good health and optimal performance. Plus, you should endeavor to know how lean an athlete is and how they achieved it.

Measuring the leanness of an athlete is very necessary. When you skip the body composition testing, you move the problem out of your hands to the athlete or people who are not qualified to handle it properly. If you are looking to make a difference, build a solid framework to help athletes perform well.

Eating rhythm and nutrient timing

In sports nutrition, regardless of whether an athlete is recreational or elite, the eating rhythm is crucial. As similar to nutrient timing, rhythm connects how food is consumed biochemically with an analytical perspective. A simple example of nutrient timing can be seen in how you consume caffeine. The clock matters when you take it and how long you want it to last. Conversely, while we know that nutrient timing is important, it is still sensible to consume recovery carbohydrates and protein for practical reasons.

On the plus side, non-refrigerated foods are advisable. Finally, when sports nutritionists and coaches know an athlete’s sleep rhythm and schedule, they tend to work smarter with them.

Cheap snacks and meals

When it comes to sports nutrition, a restrictive diet is dangerous. Normally, after a strict diet is in place, an athlete tends to become hyper-conscious about what not to eat. And they don’t tend to enjoy what they are eating. In the long run, most strict diets fail and backfire, resulting in either overreaction eating or overspending.

Cheat meals are a way to escape overreaction eating. However, if proper care is not taken, this can also be a bad option. The smart way to handle the desire for cheat snacks is to allocate a part of an athlete’s calorie allowance to these foods. Snack and small meals can provide enough excitement and enjoyment in their right proportion.

However, given that it is sports nutrition we are dealing with here, coaches and sports nutritionist should be wary, so cheap snacks and males don’t become an athlete’s ritual.

The challenges of athletes fasting

Some athletes tend to skip meals or go on extended fast periods to burn fat or lose weight. However, most of them don’t typically succeed because, like any diet, fasts are hard to maintain. This isn’t the same with other athletes, given that they skip breakfast and have light lunch without many consequences.

As regards sports nutrition, coaches and dietitians should understand that eating patterns are very individual and require thorough evaluation. Just because an athlete succeeds with a meal plan doesn’t mean other athletes will. As a sports nutritionist, you should understand that fasting works. You should also have the cognitive ability to understand how to administer fasting to different athletes as regards their eating habits.

Hypertrophy and Calorie strategy

Most sports nutrition mistakes don’t concern protein; they deal more with getting nutrient-rich calories rather than empty ones. Athletes are required to increase calories if they want to grow more. When dealing with your athlete, think more about the resources needed to build muscle.

You won’t only need to fuel the body to function normally, but you will also need extra fuel for workouts to prepare your athlete for competition and additional energy to lift weights.

You may find it surprising to know that protein-calorie intake poses a problematic issue in the US because athletes understand weight in terms of pounds and not kilograms.

Recovery is cumulative

In sports nutrition, the real magic exists in the small things that cumulate over time. In this regard, you should look for consistency over time with enough good nutrients. It is better off to be realistic instead of searching for magic supplements and food for post-workout and post-training sessions. Recovery with sports nutrition means making the right choices daily.

While each snack and meal matters, healthy gains tend to occur over the years. Understand that several nutrients have repair and health values. In this regard, you want to avoid eating large quantities of superfoods every day because they can’t be sustained.

Final thoughts

With the sports nutrition tips we just discussed, coaches and sports dietitians should have a more solid grip on how to go about administering diet to their athletes.

There is no gainsaying that an athlete’s performance in fitness coaching cannot be separated from nutrition. More so, there is a growing interest in how nutrition experts can also impact sporting performance through a professional approach. Even for those who are not professional athletes, reading this article already confirms a stern interest in performance coaching and nutrition.

Requirements of Performance Training and Diets

Typically, basic professional training should provide the following benefits

1. Performance training should supply the required energy and nutrients that a performer needs for optimum performance, training, and exercise
2. It should help athletes and performers to achieve the desired body weight, whether through gain or loss, significantly if it influences performance coaching
3. After a workout session, performance training should supply the needed nutrients and a recovery plan to restore the lost energy.
4. Excellent performance coaching should provide sufficient improvement to athletes and performers’ health both in the short and long terms.
5. Each performance coaching session should make room for fluids as part of the diet composition for maximum hydration when in the training session and after the session
6. Diets during performance coaching session must provide for essential food varieties, including vegetables, fruits, cereals, whole grain bread, low- fat dairy products, and lean meat
7. The only diets to be encouraged during performance coaching enhance forming a healthy eating habit, not just a temporary diet. In other words, performance coaching should promote healthy nutrition habits and behaviors, not just a brief adaptation, only to return to the old food later.

What should an athlete take for the best performance coaching session?

When preparing for a performance training session, a typical performer or athlete’s diet should comprise of the following nutritional proportions:

• Carbohydrates or whole grains take up to 55% of the total diet. However, if your physical exercise or workout takes up to 60 to 90 minutes per session, you may have to increase your carbohydrates and whole grain percentage to 65 to 70%.
• Proteins should take between 12 and 15% of the total diet
• The fat contents of the food should be up to 30% of the total diet

Performers should also note that the amount of carbohydrates and protein ratio is mostly dependent on your body weight to avoid obesity. Furthermore, professional dieticians recommend fats from safe sources such as olive oils, nuts, seeds, avocado, and other similar fat-containing elements. On the other hand, athletes should stay away from high content food items such as biscuits, cakes, cheese, fried foods, margarine, chips, cookies, and general pastries.

Significance and benefits of Carbohydrates in Performance Training Diets

Just as we all learned in Elementary School, carbohydrates are energy-giving foods. The process of digesting carbohydrates converts the problematic sugar-containing foods to simpler sugars, usually glucose. However, note that the body does not store sugar as glucose but converts it to glycogen molecules and stores them in the muscle and liver tissues.

Also, the body depends on this glucose primarily for energy supply, and that is why these two storages are essential in discussing diets and performance coaching. Therefore, when athletes consume foods that contain a high percentage of carbohydrates, the exercise glucose that is not put to immediate use is converted to glycogen and stored in these destinations.

More so, the stored energy in the muscle is essential for physical work and daily movements. However, the bulk of energy consumption in the body goes to the brain as the controller of body activities. Also, note that the more carbohydrate an athlete takes in glucose, the more energy is available for use.

However, as important as carbohydrate is to diet, a restriction to carbohydrate can also achieve another performance training exercise. For example, if anyone plans to lose weight safely and effectively, it may include a reduction in carbohydrate intake. By so doing, the body gets the signal to convert the stored glycogen in the muscle and liver back to use glucose, first to the brain and another part of the body. However, this process requires some counsel from experts to avoid the risk of illness and infections.

Performance training for sports and the Glycaemic index

The Glycaemic Index, GI, refers to the number of carbohydrates present in food and drinks and how they can quickly influence the body’s blood sugar level. As the athlete or performer’s age advances, there is an increasing need to focus on the right diets to optimize carbohydrates’ benefits to the body and its management. Therefore, athletes are responsible for the kinds of nutrition and the responsible amount that is safe.

Further research also establishes that the foods that contain low GI ratings are crucial for exercises to sustain the energy level. On the other hand, moderate to high GI foods may be useful during the actual exercise or performance training. Another time to try this category of foods is the early stage of the recovery process. In all, the performance trainer should recommend these diets according to the personal needs of the performer.

Professional coaching experts have the right proportions of recommended diets and food proportions that the performer needs to consume based on predetermined factors. Some of the essential elements that determine the number of carbohydrates include the intensity of the exercise, each exercise session’s duration, and the exercises’ frequency.

For instance, the exercise’s intensity may include light, moderate, endurance, and extreme endurance sessions. The duration may also vary by 30 minutes per day category, 60 minutes per day, 1 to 3 hours per day, and the class above 4 hours per day.

Conclusion

On the final note, the performance coaching regime is closely related to diet and nutrition. However, both the performer and athlete and the trainer should corporate to achieve the desired energy level needed for optimum performance to the best of the athletes’ chances at success. Besides, based on nutrition experts’ recommendations, athletes can use food supplements that contain vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other vital products.

Setting and achieving goals is a tremendous feat in the performance coaching ladder, and it is such a vital part of life. Top performance coaches optimize the opportunity that workouts and exercises provide to all participants. Furthermore, performance coaching also depends mainly on the motivation of the performer.

He has to be robust, inspiring but not pushy on the coach’s part, and be clear with the set goals to achieve. Besides, there must also be a clear layout of reaching the targets and the end result. However, it is not the end result or final outcome that is the biggest deal but the process of reaching those goals. This article will discuss the process of setting goals and achieving them in performance coaching.

What is Goal Setting?

Goal setting is when you identify what you like to achieve through your performance coaching or training. However, part of the goal is to break down the larger goals into smaller objectives and outline the required steps to reach the goal. Moreover, a good plan should also be sufficient to motivate you and supply the mental energy and resilience to push through get it.

Furthermore, setting a goal is the first step in the performance coaching process or fitness or personal development journey. As easy as it sounds, the process may be long and tedious, but you will definitely reach the goal with diligence and perseverance. On the part of the performance coach, if the athlete or trainee fails to achieve the desired potential, it poses a severe threat to wasting the coach’s effort.

Benefits of setting goals

Setting goals are important, so it is equally important to describe some of the benefits that it brings to the table. Some of these benefits are discussed below:

1.     Satisfaction after achieving your goals

There is always this good feeling that comes with achieving your goals. And as a performance coach, you are encouraged when your efforts accomplish the set target. As the team advances towards primary goals and achieve the smaller objectives, the feeling of joy and satisfaction increases.

Documenting goals is also essential for subsequent projects as it can serve as a template to achieve better results. The documentation must be well-detailed to include the endpoint and performance coaching along the way.

2.     Goal setting helps to identify what is important

Another significant benefit of setting a goal is the identification of what is essential and what is not. This process also results in recognition of what is purposeful, valuable, performance-driven, and personally satisfying. Often, we are usually busy with only the simple and easy things, but we then need to more on the not-so-obvious ones.

Therefore, goal setting will allow performance coaching experts to optimize the needed space and time to correctly reflect performance training. The planning here not only focuses on the immediate situation but also to prepare ahead for the future. Therefore, adequate preparation this way ensures judicious use of all resources to achieve the desired goal.

3.     Consider and make the right choices

When you start to set goals, it encourages you to evaluate all the severe conditions and make correct choices towards the best result. Besides, you can enjoy full control and autonomy of where you invest your resources and the time it will take to start getting returns.

4.     Definition of goals

Goal setting forces you to define these goals, which would have otherwise be assumed. Besides, it can provide a prominent structure and a development guide to clearly show where to go and how to get there. Particularly, when all the essential factors have not been met, you need to push further through all the known channels to achieve the goals.

5.     Efforts and persistence

In addition to all the itemized benefits above, setting goals can motivate you to put more effort and persistence into achieving the goals. In other words, while setting clear goals, you need all the actions you can get to accomplish them. On the other hand, when the going gets tough, you will need persistence to get going still. This persistence is the ingredient that will help you scale through challenging obstacles and difficult situations.

Are you SMART?

The real deal with your goal setting and pursuit is the SMART question, which stands for the characteristics of a good goal: SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, RELEVANT, and TIME-BOUND.

S for SPECIFIC

Set goals must be specific, explicit, and target a particular area of achievement as well. Without a clearly stated purpose, it is even quite difficult to tell when you achieve it. In other words, you get a greater chance of accomplishing your goals when you make them specific answer the question of what precisely you want to achieve. Also, why do you want to accomplish this? Or why is this goal important to you? What or who is involved in the process? What are the requirements or disturbances to attain your goal?

M for Measurable

All reasonable goals must be measurable by simple tools. The right way of quantifying your goals also removes the doubt about their worth and value. For instance, how much is achieving this goal worth to you? At what point will you say you have achieved something? What will you have that will give you a sense of accomplishment? Identify the essential components of these steps and work at them, one at a time. A measurable goal may include losing a definite amount of body weight.

A for Attainable

Dream big, as big as you want, but don’t set goals that are not attainable or achievable. That is, weigh up your ideas if all the critical factors or constraints are viable in the specified time. For instance, what is the cost of achieving this goal? In what time can I achieve it? Do I have all it takes to complete it? Besides, consider the available resources at your disposal, weigh your abilities and project some obstacles and how to overcome them.

R for Relevant

You should have the courage to set the relevant goals for you, your personality, and your future. In this way, these goals have better chances of being achieved. Don’t just set goals, but evaluate how it can affect other areas of your life and check if you have the resources to see it through. In this relevance, you will have a better grasp of what your priorities actually are.

T for Time-Bound

In some professional climes, setting goals without putting a time frame on it is simply worse than not setting a plan at all. The time factor defines how long you have to solve the problem or achieve the goal. Also, timing fixes a sense of urgency in the plan by motivating you to push further towards the mark, especially programs that are already in actionable steps and milestones.

Conclusion

As we round off this guide on setting and achieving excellent performance coaching goals, take note of the essential ingredients we discussed. More so, work on each of them and consider the investment to be really worthwhile. Besides, if you follow the guide judiciously, you will find a well-structured system to work with and achieve your goals.

Performance coaching is an integral part of fitness and sports success and is subject to certain important factors. However, this article will focus mainly on the physical training factors essential in achieving the set fitness goals. Part of a performance coach’s duties is to develop workable training programs and schedule that focusses on a type of fitness at once. Also, it depends on the athlete’s ability to perform at the optimum level.

General Ways to Improve your Fitness Performance

There is a level of physical preparedness that comes with performance coaching to a fantastic group of success. These activities come with a gradual set of slightly rigorous activities to improve your performance level. On the other hand, an accurate training schedule should decrease all levels of injury risk.

Therefore, in the two approaches to performance training or coaching, that is health-related and skill-related fitness sessions. However, it really doesn’t matter if the training is for sports, competitions, or other potential activities. For athletes, there should also be a good foundation for building peculiar muscular strength but not without performance coaching.

Besides, it also enhances the cardiovascular endurance towards the relevant skills such as resilience in sports. There are more engaging programs out there to support your general fitness and your preparation for a sporting event or competition. The performance coach must also be ready to evaluate the trainee’s level of development through performance tests. More so, it gives the idea of where to adjust the plan for greater productivity.

Factors that affect efficient performance coaching

There are three primary proven ways to create an efficient performance coaching session, namely:

• The work capacity of the trainee
• The level of preparedness
• Fitness levels for diverse categories

1.     Work Capacity

The trainee’s work capacity refers to the general ability of the body to cope with the schedule to produce efficient output. Also, this may be directly linked with the duration of the training, frequency, and intensity of the training sessions. The work capacity also has a way of influencing the body system’s energy levels towards an overall increase in performance.

2.     Level Preparedness

Body fitness and work capacity can be maintained with activities throughout a period. However, the preparedness is different; it is more like what you put in is what you get. In other words, if you fail to sufficiently prepare for a competition or sporting event, there is a risk of not performing at the optimal level.

There are two official levels of preparedness, they are the slow-changing and fast-changing preparedness. The slow-changing component is more about fitness, while the fast-changing feature is exercise-induced fatigue. In a way, fitness is not a far-fetched concept in performance coaching or training. But the less obvious parts are the duties of coaches and trainers to separate fitness from preparedness.

They also like toe distinguish between various kinds of fitness to separate physical fitness from emotional wellness in some climes. For instance, the other aspects of a trainer’s life may affect his mental preparedness towards achieving fitness or training goals. So, most times, performance coaches who understand how these factors work focus primarily on the general fitness that is all-compassing.

Physical fitness refers to the functional state of slow but gradual body changes in terms of the physiological components related to the body’s motor activity. In the performance coaching session, there must be sufficient movement for enhancing the functional human movements. Although the fitness level may not fluctuate over time until several days, the ability to always call on one’s instant fitness may not be smooth.

In other words, you may not know how fit you really are until circumstances demand putting your fitness to the test. Some of the minor factors that affect the body’s general fitness include the mental state, fatigue, sleepiness, sickness, pregnancy, and other temporary but similar conditions.

3.     Fitness level

Fitness level refers to the trainee or performer’s ability to cope with the demands of a specific task to produce a high level of efficiency. Fitness also carries with it an element of safety during the training and afterward. After the training, it takes another fitness journey of exercises and workouts to get back to full fitness.

There are special requirements to achieve the desired level of fitness that combines well with the trainee’s work capacity. For instance, wellness begins with the energy level and the trainee’s ability to put his specific skills to use in executing a given task under certain conditions. Apart from the energy and vigor, you must add sufficient motivation to achieve your fitness or performance goals.

What does performance training entail?

Performance training or coaching has to do with the process the mind and body undergo in preparation for a particular desired level of fitness or work capacity. It comprises several factors and interdependent processes, especially related to sports, fitness, and general health. Moreover, in terms of sports-related fitness, the following items are an integral part of performance coaching:

1. Physical preparation. Performance training makes sufficient room for physical practice to ensure the functionality of all body parts.
2. Motor skills learning. This aspect refers to the functionality of the body’s moving parts and how efficient they are in the application
3. Psychological preparation. A trainee undergoing performance coaching must pay attention to psychological or mental preparedness. This aspect also has to do with what goes on in your mind towards achieving your dream
4. Physical and psychological restoration. This section refers to the rehabilitation or recovery that follows a session involving the energy use for physical and mental fitness. After depleting such an amount of energy, there must be sufficient plans to restore the next session’s power.
5. The right nutrition. Finally, performance coaching is incomplete without a proper diet to accompany it. When the wrong diet interferes with a performance training schedule, it will be almost impossible to achieve the desired goals. Both factors, fitness, and diet are practically inseparable as they determine the overall well-being.

Conclusion

In conclusion, athletes, trainees, performers, and performance coaching professionals must pay attention to this article’s discussed factor. These factors determine the performance training program’s success and make the input efforts worthwhile at the end of the day. We hope you continually find them very helpful.

Can you imagine that the great Michael Jordan was not even enlisted into his high school varsity basketball team? Neither was Tom Brady a first-round draft pick from college – he was only as good as 199 in the ranking. These two great athletes attributed their success to great management hands that ensured they reach their highest performance level through excellent professional coaching.

In other words, every great athlete has behind him great coaches, just like Usain Bolt has Glen Mills to break the 100-meter record. He builds into the Jamaican strength, agility, proper coordination through comprehensive anatomy and talent identification. Talking of talents, these are all talented but needed to add many other attributes such as dedication, resilience, passion, self-motivation, determination, etc.

The online Master of Sports management stated that high-performance coaching‘s success depends mostly on the athletes’ holistic development, not just a balance of the win-loss record. Clearly, performance coaching must involve an in-depth study and implementation of goal setting and building the necessary confidence and resources to achieve them. Then, what is unique about these high-performance coaches? What do they do, and how do they do it?

What is High-Performance Coaching?

High-performance coaching involves helping sportsmen and women reach their potential by upgrading their value and work in their chosen field and at all levels. Therefore, this process goes beyond just coaching a high performing athlete but bringing the best performance out of the athlete in any way possible. It is about quality mentoring, helpful collaboration, profitable investment of all available resources.

A comprehensive effort in performance coaching may occur, including professional nutritionists, physiotherapists, and specialists in specific areas for optimum results. The long term goal is to achieve all-round optimum results through the available resources. These resources may include gadgets, equipment, environmental factors, and other conditions that may influence the final output quality.

Furthermore, performance coaching starts with inducing the winning mentality that the athlete really wants. However, the coach cannot overlook the essence of the process or the journey rather than the endpoint. It is also vital to equally focus on the employed strategy that gets the best out of the player or the athlete. In the long run, the trainee achieves the desired success.

Attributes of a Great Performance Coach

Several qualities are essential in making a great performance coach that can produce excellent coaching services. These high-performance sports coaches can share essential techniques, create practice schedules, and champion these trainees’ course to outstanding performances.

All these factors help to achieve the overall positive vibe that comes with a sense of accomplishment. Below are some aspects of positive attributes that a performance coach should exhibit:

1.     Motivation

One of the most essential attributes of a great performance coach is the sense of motivation. Performance coaching includes the ability to build passion and understanding as it applies to the specific sport of choice. But none of these attributes is possible without motivation as the key. It is also applicable to all goals, irrespective of longevity or duration. That is, inspiration is needful for short-term, medium-term as well as long-term goals.

2.     Self-confidence

Athletes and performance trainees need a high level of self-confidence to achieve their goals in flying colors. This confidence may also depend on the previous accomplishments while driving tirelessly towards a remarkable feat. This confidence may again come with a shift in mindset unto the positive line of action as taught by the professional trainer. More so, when the going gets really tough in pursuing the athlete’s goal, self-confidence will push him through those times.

3.     Pre-performance workout or exercise

An illustrious performance coach should regulate the full performance journey’s demands, starting with some pre-performance workout session. While preparing for the main workout or performance coaching, the professional trainer may create pre-and post-performance sessions to maintain high spirits and drive towards the goal.

This method also pushes towards achieving better results than the central performance would have done. Some examples of pre-performance strategies may include a breathing guide, meditation, mind-boosting strength, visualization, and other powerful techniques.

4.     Best practice

The best practice is one indispensable attribute of a high-performance coaching system where there is an intense desire for success. This desire for success pushes the trainee or performer to work hard towards achieving great body fitness and adequate preparedness for the actual competition or performance.

Some of these best practices may include a robust code of conduct, comprehensive teaching of athletes on treating other people, and achieving high standards. On the other hand, the process may also involve providing athletes with theoretical studies from historical and latest materials, industry information updates, and studies or research findings.

5.     Mental agility

The physical fitness and health sector comprises a high level of expertise and practical expression of knowledge to achieve impressive performance outputs. It also has many highs and lows with evidence of physical, mental, and psychological strength.

There are also excellent techniques that can impart the overall achievement of the athlete. Mental agility is the mental toughness that each athlete needs to have, especially when the body says otherwise.

Conclusion

Finally, high-performance coaching has a significant impact on the success of athletes and performers. On the one hand, the obstacles that threaten the accomplishment of the set goals can be enormous. At such times, motivation may have to come from without, from the performance coach. However, on the other hand, great performance coaches have a way of getting the best out of their trainees while recording some of the most fascinating feats in history.

All professional coaches need a measure of formal and informal learning materials and experience to achieve incredible feats. However, the fundamental skill may be the human management skills that take a lot of patience, determination, and firmness. Whether you aspire to be a top performance coach or need high-performance coaching, this article can help you do great things and make history!

A man is usually more attractive with a fit and firm body that has no accumulation of fat but is lithe and sinewy. Through progressing ages, this has become the new normal, and the women generally love the person that lifts weights and does bodybuilding routines for a living. Does this now mean that older and geriatric men cannot be fit? This article talks about fitness beyond physical looks and appearance and gives a general overview of physical fitness beyond the physical.

Wholesome Fitness

Men’s fitness covers the concept of health and physical wellness of a man, which includes a balance in food and diet, exercise, physiological and mental wellness. Many go to the gym just because it is a trend that allows them to build muscle mass and achieve body fitness. However, there is more to male fitness than that. It covers the whole facet of the male life from positive reinforcement to better function at work and in daily living. Male fitness involves being mentally, physically, emotionally, and psychologically healthy at all times and the ability to give your best to any activity that you have at hand.

It goes without saying that there is no age limit to male fitness, and though it takes deliberateness to stay fit, it is achievable and doable.

Benefits of Male Fitness

The male fitness trend has many young men scurrying to gyms and spending long hours to gain beautiful abs and shoulder muscles. This is great and commendable but raises the question of other components of male fitness beyond the physical. The fact is that besides muscle mass building, physical fitness has the following components:

• Improves Flexibility: This explains the mechanism through which a muscle or group of muscles can stretch or lengthen or how far a joint can move. Examples of muscles that are common sites for flexibility testing include shoulder and hip joints and muscles.
• Muscular Strength: This is the power to lift your body comfortably without putting much pressure on it. It also entails carrying heavyweights and not straining under the pressure that it may bring due to a slow build of muscle strength over time. With poor muscle strength, the body gives under slight pressure.
• Cardiovascular Health and Endurance: As you get older, the heart begins to pump blood a little slower than usual. However, during exercise, the stress motivated the heart to pump a little faster, and with regular exercise, it is able to maintain the same routine, keeping the male fit and healthy. In order to achieve male fitness, the cardiovascular system, which consists of the heart and blood vessels, plays a vital role. Some exercises that you can indulge in for cardiovascular health include cycling, jogging, swift walking, swimming, and running.
• Muscle Endurance: With regular exercise, your muscles become able to carry loads for prolonged periods. Normally, the muscles are prone to strain after a while of heavy lifting, but with specific physical exercises, they can develop endurance.
• Body Composition: Male fitness plan enhances more tissue mass over fat or adipose tissues, enhancing blood flow and concentration through tissues. This is what causes the body’s litheness, muscle endurance and strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. In most ways, this is the core reason why many men go to gyms to achieve male fitness.

Benefits of Male Fitness

Outside of attracting the women, what other benefits are there in achieving male fitness?

• Physical activity and exercise keeps you alert and agile, effusing you with much energy to go through the length of your day without lag moments.
• It is a natural body healing remedy, as it improves blood flow and heightens body metabolism. This aids to expel toxins and free radicals from the body and causes one to be healthy and fit
• Male fitness builds the bones and prevents calcium resorption that may lead to osteoporosis.
• Male fitness decreases risks of diseases such as heart problems, diabetes type 2, and cholesterol-based illnesses.
• It aids with balance and stability, preventing falls and injuries, and slowing aging in older men
• Exercise and body fitness plans generally give you a positive opinion of yourself; this goes a long way in boosting your self-confidence and brightening your outlook on life and work.
• Weight loss and male fitness also improves your body’s touch with the circadian rhythm and causes you to have a better sleep time. It ensures that you are well-rested and your body maintains elevated functions
• Exercise releases endorphins, which are happy hormones that make you feel better, even when the situations that you are currently dealing with are still present. However, since the brain is the organ that requires the most oxygen and the blood is the carrier of oxygen, exercise causes increased blood flow to the brain and helps you to think clearly and effectively.
• Another benefit of a male fitness plan is that it increases energy levels. This is quite controversial because you expend energy but get stronger. However, exercise causes you to breathe faster, forcing oxygen into your lungs and increasing blood and energy supply in vessels.
• A major reason for skin wrinkling and aging is oxidative stress. The free radicals that move around the body are capable of causing deleterious effects on cells, tissues, and organs. These free radicals arise as products from food synthesis, drugs, and others, and so it is happy news that exercise eliminates free radicals and prolongs your life.

Age Range for Male Fitness

The trend is presently for young men to go to the gym in order to stay fit, but there is no restriction to male fitness. All men can keep fit, and it is best to start early. It is also important to know that no part of your life is an exemption to fitness, and all male fitness plans should cover the diet, exercise type, duration of exercise, venue, and time. Your plan can be unique to you, merging your everyday routine with your fitness plan to get the best out of it.

When to Start

A plan always takes deliberateness in order to come to bear. Therefore, the time to start on your male fitness time is now! Partner with us at Allyangels for male fitness coaching and top-notch tips to enhance your living.

When it comes to weight loss, almost everyone is a genius with an idea or two on how to achieve it. Many male fitness gurus like to push their weight loss agenda like it’s a glorious battle. They advertise and tell stories of men who weighed 789 pounds and lost 600 pounds in 3 months by just following heir well laid out plan. It sells, and it gets many people to sign up for these weird programs.

Then there are other people on social media who say just running every morning for two weeks will help with fat loss and that you have to cut out all your food now and eat like a vegan if you want it to work. They tout their “no pain, no gain” agenda, and for many of them, it’s a pseudo-moralistic stage show that makes them look like heroes in the eyes of their followers.  

Unfortunately, that’s not how it has to be. You don’t have to starve yourself till you are half dead for your fat loss goals to come to pass. In this article, we will go through some real tips for weight loss that will help you achieve the body you so desire:

1. Set an achievable goal for your body

A lot of people have said this so much that it now sounds cliché, but no one can downplay the importance of goal setting in a fat loss journey. Set an achievable goal and try to work every day to attain that goal. Also, weigh yourself on a scale every day, as seeing your progress can motivate you to do more. However, remember that the number on a scale should not define you or have an effect on how you see yourself. Male fitness gurus won’t tell you this, but real progress in losing weight takes time, and there are sometimes you won’t see any change. It doesn’t mean you aren’t working hard or that your goals are unattainable.

2. Cut down on processed and junk food

Many people who struggle with their weight have issues with addiction to junk and processed food. If you are trying to lose weight, you have to be willing to cut down on your processed food and junk food intake. What you eat has a serious impact on your weight loss goals, so you should endeavor as much as you can to limit the number of unhealthy foods you take in. Instead, start getting used to snacking on fruits and healthy snacks and taking them along with you everywhere you go so that you don’t feel hungry and take some more processed food.

3. Don’t skip meals

Some fake male fitness programs will suggest that you skip some meals so that you cut weight faster – don’t do it. Cutting down meals will only make you hungry, which could increase the chances of you snacking on unhealthy and processed foods. What you want to do is eat light and eat early. Ensure you eat your breakfast, as studies have shown that there is a correlation between eating breakfast and successful weight loss.

4. Try to remain active

In addition to the exercises you will be doing, try to stay active at all times. Meet with people and have fun. Don’t confine yourself to your couch and watch TV all day; it’s not good for your fat loss goals. Try as much as you can to stay awake throughout the day and sleep well at night. Keep your mind focused on your job and try to be as active in it as you can.

5. Lift weights

In the world of male fitness, when weight loss is mentioned, almost immediately, people rush to advise on how you should run more often or do some other cardio. Now, cardio is great for you if you want to lose weight and stay fit – everyone who wants good heart health should do cardio. However, it is not all that is required. Performing exercises that require you to lift weights is also very important for the body. Exercises like deadlifts can help you burn far more calories than cardio. The focus should be on building muscle and burning calories. 

6. Sleep well and drink fluids

Sleeping well at night can help you stay active during the day, which is what you need if you want to cut down lots of calories. The best way to do this is to have a dedicated time for sleeping and stick to it no matter what. Also, it should go without saying but avoid late-night meals. It’s hurtful to your fat loss goals.

Also, it is important that you take the right fluids as much as you can. Drinking lots of water is good for any male fitness program you wish to engage in, especially weight loss. Drink a lot of water as much as humanly possible.

7. Be patient, and don’t be discouraged

Keeping your mind mentally sound is also important for weight loss. As we stated earlier, weight loss takes time, so you want to enjoy the process. Don’t be in a hurry to take weird supplements that promise to eradicate belly fat in two weeks. It doesn’t work that way. The right diet, plus the right exercise, will give you success in your weight loss endeavor.

Also, if you find yourself indulging in old habits, try to jump out of it as quickly as you can and return to the right path. Don’t feel like one mistake will ruin your total plan. It won’t.

Conclusion

It may seem unorthodox, but one thing you will not find in many male fitness weight loss programs is that you should laugh a lot. Good laughter does two things: One, it keeps you active and in the right frame of mind, and two, it works on your body and burns a lot of calories. So when next you are having the meet with your friends, remember to hold nothing back and laugh as though your health depends on it, because it might.

Finally, patience and consistency are two very important virtues if you are to succeed in any fat loss goal you set for yourself.  

Male fitness does not start and end in the gym. Eating the right foods can help you get the right amount of calories and nutrients you need to go about your daily exercise routines and guarantee weight loss and general well being in the process.

Picking out the best foods for male fitness is not as simple as avoiding fatty foods and consuming vegetables. It goes beyond that. In order to guarantee fat loss, optimum nutrition, and better results when you work out, you will need to eat the right kind of foods at the right times of the day.

In this article, I will be sharing a few of these food options and meal plans with you to help you inculcate them in your workout routines for better overall results.

1. Whole Grain and Milk

Breakfasts are very important to boosting male fitness, especially on those days when you want to work out. It is arguably the most important meal of the day because it starts you off the right way, providing energy and nutrition to go about the rest of the day.

Adding milk to your grains, such as oatmeal or other cereals high in fiber, helps to build the calcium and boost the energy required in the gym. Oats are naturally rich in carbohydrates, and a good mix of milk with oats in your breakfast every morning before hitting the gym not only improves your fitness and enhances performance it also helps in weight loss.

You can as well spice things up; adding dairy milk in your breakfast routine, no matter what you’re eating, can help improve energy levels when you go to work out.

2. Sweet Potatoes

Potatoes are a good carbohydrate source for enhancing energy and performance in male fitness. They provide iron, fiber, and vitamin C for the body and keep the sugar levels consistent. The more nutritious carbohydrates you eat, the better your performances are when working out because they provide the body with high energy levels to keep you going at it for longer. This, in return, enhances fat loss in men who work out to shed weight.

Sweet potatoes provide just the required nutrients to achieve all that and more. They are high in potassium and help the body fight off sprains or other muscle cramps during workouts.

3. Bananas

Bananas are rich in nutrients, and they are sources of natural energy when you need to work out. The body digests them easily and converts them to the energy that you need when working out. They play a major role in improving male fitness levels because they provide higher energy levels than other fruits and are great for refueling before, during, and after workouts. Bananas increase the release of dopamine, the feel-good hormone in the body, making exercises and workouts seem easier and less tiring.

Rich in potassium, fiber, and magnesium, bananas can also help with muscle tears or cramps.

You can enjoy your bananas with other high nutrient foods and fruits like having a fruit salad or smoothies to get the most out of it.

4. Blueberries

These are great sources of fiber, and they are good for consumption before, during, and after a workout. You can take blueberries as a juice or eat the fruits as they are; however you choose to, it enhances male fitness and improves performance during work out sessions.

Blueberries are loaded with high levels of antioxidants and are low in calories, which makes them a good nutrition source for weight loss minded people.

They also contain glycogen that keeps our bodies fuelled with energy when we work. You cannot go wrong with blueberries, they are juicy, and a great source of nutrients, water, and vitamins for the body, and they keep you hydrated.

5. Vegetables

Vegetables are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, natural fiber, and other nutrients that your body needs to function properly. They are very low on calories and fat and helps in fat loss. You should endeavor to have vegetables present in every meal you take. They boost male fitness, providing energy to do your workouts.

You can explore different kinds and colors of vegetables as they are all good for the body. Tomatoes, for instance, packed with vitamin C and other rich nutrients, have been linked with natural weight loss hormones in the body, such as leptin, which regulates metabolic rates and appetite in the body.

Other vegetables like spinach are rich in hemoglobin, a source of iron needed to enhance energy levels and stamina in the body.

6. Almonds

Almonds are rich in natural sugar, nutrients, and vitamins that replenish energy when you need it. You should throw some in your bag whenever you’re going to the gym. Male fitness levels are at their peak when almonds become a part of the work out sessions. They are packed with healthy fats that not only keep the brain and bones strong and active but also improve weight loss.

7. Water

Yes, water. As regular and simple as it may sound, water is one of the most important sources of energy, endurance, and improved male fitness levels. Water is even more effective in fat loss than any other liquid. It is 100% calorie-free, helps you burn fats, and may also suppress the appetite if taken before a meal. Drinking more water than soda is the fastest way to cut down on weight and improve performance in the gym.

It is advised that you take water before and after workouts. It regulates the body temperature, keeps you hydrated, and strengthens the joints and muscles.

The importance of water hinges on the fact that if you are not hydrated, you cannot perform at optimum levels. So, always have your water handy.

Conclusion

Stamina and fitness go hand in hand. To ensure optimum male fitness and high performance in the gym, you should inculcate these nutritional tips in your meal routine if you presently do not. Other foods and nutritious options to enhance male fitness, like fish, nuts, eggs, honey, beets, etc., are all required to achieve optimal performances and results in the gym.

These foods also generally ensure a healthier body and prevent numerous diseases and health complications.

If you want to eat foods that will boost your gym routines and also improve weight loss, these are some of the options you should start filling your plates and fridges with.

In the world of male fitness and weight loss, supplements and pills have not had the best reputation. Many people see them as scammy, and there are many fat loss pills and supplements that deserve that bad reputation. Most of these pills offer you the best for doing absolutely nothing, guarantee a slim and well-built body but fail to deliver on their promises. For some, a string of unwanted side effects come with them.

The truth is, supplements aren’t supposed to be that bad. There are certain good supplements that contain a good amount of vitamins and minerals. When these supplements are taken and combined with a good diet and exercise, they provide the best benefits to your body without any side effects, unlike the other so-called pills and supplements that could be detrimental to your health.

In this article, we won’t be discussing those ones. We will be focusing on the weight loss supplements and pills that have proven to be useful and safe to people who wish to achieve the goal of losing some pounds, especially men. We will be explaining why these supplements and pills are helpful, what they contain and how you should take them.  

1. Whey Protein

The words “Whey Protein” are as common as exercise and diet in the male fitness world. There is almost nobody who is interested in weight loss, muscle growth, and male fitness in general who isn’t knowledgeable on how whey protein helps in muscle growth. Apart from helping gym junkies build ripped muscles, studies have shown that whey protein can help people lose up to 10 pounds of body fat.

Whey protein shakes are also superior to similar protein shakes. For example, people who take whey protein shakes tend to lose more weight than people who take other protein shakes, such as soy protein shakes.

How does it do it? When for one, it helps you suppress your appetite a lot. This means that you eat less and feel satisfied, so you don’t have to fill your belly with unnecessary calories and fat. Also, whey protein, when combines with exercise, help you replace fat in your body with muscles, and muscles have a higher metabolism than fat, meaning food does not get stores up in your body as before. For these and many other reasons, whey protein is one of the best supplements for men if you are interested in fat loss.

2. Green Tea

Green tea is another supplement that gets a bad reputation because many people don’t understand it. However, green tea is very helpful in fat loss and deserves more popularity in the male fitness arena. Green tea may be described as one of the healthiest beverages on the planet as it is filled with lots of antioxidants and plant compounds. One of the important parts of green tea is caffeine, which is a very popular stimulant. Caffeine helps in fat burning and can stimulate better performance in exercise, meaning more weight loss.

Green tea also has very powerful antioxidants called catechins, which can boost metabolism. These catechins do this by breaking down fat-burning hormones in the body, like the hormone norepinephrine. This helps in promoting fat breakdown.

Green tea should be taken depending on your general metabolism, but a few cups a day is sufficient to give you the results you desire.

3. Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids may not be as popular as other supplements and pills in the male fitness world, but it aids with weight loss far more effectively than many other supplements. They are a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and they are made up of three principal omega-3 acids, namely: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Omega-3s can help you reduce your hunger and appetite so that you don’t have to eat as much as you normally would. Also, they boost the effects of exercise, especially exercise specifically targeted to help you burn fat. They also increase metabolism so that your body can easily digest the food you put into it. That way, your body doesn’t store up fats and calories in your body.

Omega-3s should be taken with caution, and taking this supplement with a solid fat-burning diet and exercise routine can really expedite progress.

4. Vitamin D

Everyone, including kids, know vitamin D to be the vitamin that comes from the sun and is healthy and helpful for healthy bones and teeth. However, the sunshine vitamin does more than just that. Vitamin D deficiency has a direct relation to obesity, as many studies have shown. Vitamin D is also a powerful nutrient that helps receptors all over the body to perform properly. These receptors help tell your body system when you’re hungry and whether to store or burn fat in the body. The deficiency of vitamin D in the body can lead to reduced function of these receptors. It doesn’t matter how committed you are to your weight loss goal or male fitness program. You are always better off with a tank filled with vitamin D.

5. Chromium

Chromium is a trace mineral that helps with the proper metabolism of macronutrients in the body. It also reduces appetite and reduces sugar cravings so that you don’t have to eat as many of that unhealthy sweet enemy. Also, with chromium, your body can turn protein into muscle and sugar into energy, two forms that are helpful in your weight loss endeavor.

Conclusion

You don’t have to take everything that comes in fancy containers disguised as supplements for you to be successful in your weight loss journey. Also, for other male fitness endeavors like gaining muscle, you should be careful of the types of supplements you take in. You don’t want to struggle with the side effects of fake supplements simply because you wanted to get ripped.

Also, remember that supplements by themselves don’t do all the work. You must eat right and exercise properly if you wish to have a chance at succeeding in your fat loss journey.

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Everyone on a past, present, or future weight loss journey knows that running is an essential part of intense, fat-burning cardio workouts. But as with any new habit, whether it’s meditating every day or just drinking more water, learning to develop a love for running takes time.

It’s very uncommon for things to feel breezy and effortless the first time you lace your sneakers up. There are many factors that come into play, from your goals to the temperature or the route you’re running.

But still, there’s absolutely no denying that you have to embrace running as part of your usual routine because of its countless benefits – from easing anxiety, to burning fat, increasing energy, and helping you manage your weight.

When compared to walking, running offers a much better calorie-burn in a shorter amount of time, giving you more bang for your buck for when you’re looking for a quick workout.

So how do you pick up the pace from your leisurely walk (or even walking workout)… and turn it into a high-intensity, calorie-burning jog?

Let’s learn how with these 5 battle-tested tips for transitioning from walking to running workout routines:

#1 RUNNING FOR WEIGHT LOSS HAPPENS BY STARTING OUT SLOW

If you’re a beginner runner, never put pressure on yourself to just walk out the front door and instantly bang out a 5K.

Instead, start slowly by keeping up with your walking habit and gradually introduce a few short jogging intervals into your regular walking routine. In fact, walking for 1 minute then running for 30 seconds can be an amazing place to start since this challenges your body, boosts your heart rate significantly, and helps you build the endurance you require to run longer and longer distances.

And if you feel like 30 seconds of jogging is too much, go ahead and start with 15. It doesn’t matter where you start, what matters is where you’re getting to, so continue to increase the duration of your running intervals (and at the same time, decrease your walking intervals) as your fitness and energy levels start improving.

#2 CHOOSE THE CORRECT GEAR FOR THE TASK

Choosing the right sneaker for your runs is a challenging endeavor… and sneakers for running are way different than sneakers for walking. Some sneakers are great for walking, but then provide absolutely poor support when it comes to higher-intensity forms of physical activity such as running.

What you should do is go to the athletic shoe store and consult someone from the staff – the majority of people there are educated on the differences between types of shoes for athletic performance. They can advise you best on whether you can just keep using what you already have or if you need some totally new running shoe.

The same actually goes for the layers – always make sure you’re choosing sweat-wicking material so you’re keeping your feet dry and safe during your runs (this also helps you pick up your speed with ease and comfort.)

#3 FOCUS ON YOUR CADENCE

Make an account of the number of steps you take every minute – luckily dozens of apps on your phone can already do that for you. There are extensive studies linking cadence and injury, and they have concluded that more cadence can lead to a lower stress load on the knee and hip joints (which prevents the majority of the most common running injury.)

But you also have to remember to walk and run in a way that feels natural and comfortable. If you have a lower cadence, this means you’re likely over-striding, which can lead to injuries related to heavier heel striking. Ideally, experts suggest you should keep your cadence anywhere in the 150-180 steps per minute range.

Remember: a faster cadence doesn’t really require more effort, just a shorter stride length. Most people can instantly become quicker when they start paying attention to this.

#4 INCORPORATE SOME STRENGTH TRAINING TO BOOST WEIGHT LOSS!

Whether you realize it or not, picking up the pace while running means increasing the load and stress on your muscles and joints. Without a proper strength training routine, this can make you prone to imbalances. Take care of your muscles and joints by adding in regular strength training sessions to your regime (at least 2 a week) and focus on targeting the posterior chain or backside of your body. If you’re looking for a great place to start, think squats and deadlifts.

#5 FINALLY, SET A SMART RUNNING GOAL FOR YOUR WEIGHT LOSS

Smart goals, as we all know, stand for goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based.

All of these are crucial elements of successful weight loss. Having a goal not only boosts your motivation for the times you’re trying to push yourself, but it also helps you learn what will happen if you *don’t* achieve the things you set out to achieve.

For example, setting a goal of running 3-5 miles your first 1-2 weeks into transitioning from walking is a great place to start. It gives you a tangible, SMART goal that you can use to stick to your new training plan.

And when you start consistently reaching the distance – and you will – you can build on top of that goal based on how your body responded to the stimulus you’re putting it through.

While the experts’ general rule of thumb is to increase your distance by about 10 percent compared to the previous week, remember that progress doesn’t look the same for any two people and what truly matters is creating a SMART goal that’s genuinely enjoyable and sustainable for you.

Weight loss does not come easy. It takes self-discipline, determination and sometimes may have to say no to happy hours to get that slimmer body.

If it takes so much, why do people complain of being overweight and keep looking for the best weight loss solutions everywhere? Well, there are several little-known health benefits associated with weight loss that can change your life for the better.

Here are 20 of the life-changing benefits of weight loss.

1. Sound sleep

Although sleeping for more extended hours has much to do in the weight loss process, losing weight will further result in having better longer sleep. Research unveiled that people with slimmer bodies tend to sleep longer than those with excess fat.

Losing weight can also help fight sleep apnea and snoring. In this case, losing might mean that you will sleep in peace without disturbing others.

2. Better productivity at work

You have heard this before “slimmer bod, smarter brain.” Slimmer folks tend to works better and smarter than heavier guys. Mostly at work, managers prefer employing slimmer workers, especially when smartness is of higher priority. If you are overweight at the moment, you will be surprised that your boss may treat you better after you shed a few pounds. This is a way weight loss can lead to more money.

3. Increased sexual urge

If you have been overweight before slimming down, you will notice that as you lose more weight, you are more sexually aroused. Weight loss is a crucial antidote to low libido. Carrying excess weight reduces your sexual urge and makes the act less interesting to you.

4. Improved sexual performance

Weight loss has a way of boosting your energy, which increases sexual performance. Research showed that weight loss is associated with better satisfaction in the bedroom. If none of the partners is overweight, it will be more enjoyable as both partners will like to get busy.

5. Food tastes better

A study showed that being overweight affects your taste sensitivity. After losing weight, you will be surprised that your meals will taste better. This might sound strange, but it’s real.

6. Taking Less drug

Having excess weight comes with several health problems, which might be recurrent until you burn those fats away. This means that weight loss can help cure certain ailments naturally, which can reduce your drug intake.

7. Better hormone balance

Hormones play more vital roles than improving sex drive; they help regulate metabolism and affect your muscle strength and more. When you burn out those excess fats in your body, your hormones become steady and more effective.

8. Better mood

Weight loss improves mental fitness. It positively affects our thought patterns and social interactions. Besides, doing regular exercise to lose weight awakens endorphins, generally called feel-good chemicals, which is why you feel high and active after exercising.

9. No more joint pain

During the process of burning away those fats, your joints would have gotten more familiar with the daily wear and tear of working out over time. Simply put, the less your weight, the less work you put on your skeletal frame and joints. Weight loss can help you say goodbye to joint pains.

10. Improved memory

Being overweight can be the reason why you struggle to remember things. According to research, people improve in memory tests after shedding away some pounds. Another study on brain scans also revealed that carrying around extra pounds can prevent the brain from working efficiently. Hence, if you don’t want to lose vital information in your memory, avoid eating high-fat foods. And if you already have excess fat in your body, weight loss is your best option.

11. Stress Relief

Carrying excess weight around can be very stressful. Your weight affects where you sit, how you walk, and some other things you do. Overweight folks have many things to worry about. Their size can be a disadvantage in some instances.

Besides, the weight itself is part of something to worry about. So when you deal with your weight, you deal with your stress.

12. Improved social life

Looking fit attracts many friends naturally. In some parts of the world, people wouldn’t want to make friends with you when you are looking extra-large. Most especially among teenagers, being physically fit is one of the most important criteria that will make others admire you. Besides, when you lose weight, you gain confidence. Weight loss improves social life.

13. Good influence

When your friends who have always seen you being oversized see you looking fit and smart, they will fall in love with it. Your new look might motivate them to also engage in weight loss activities just to make sure they look like you. Most times, people get to do things when someone else has done it, and they love the result.

 

14. Fewer colds

Living a healthy lifestyle strengthens your immune system than sipping oranges or taking vitamin C drugs. weight loss activities such as sleeping eight hours a day, eating protein-rich foods, and working out to squeeze out some sweats will boost your immunity against unnecessary fever and cold.

15. It encourages a healthy eating habit

During your weight loss process, you would have learned a healthy eating habit, which later becomes part of you even after achieving your weight loss goals. Weight loss will make you do away with junk foods, even for a lifetime.

16. Improved self-esteem

Nothing feels good like looking like the figure you desire. You are at the peak of your confidence when the picture you see in the mirror appeal to your senses. After weight loss you will have the confidence to wear any cloth you like, go anywhere you want and all that. If you are a job seeker, looking fit can also help you secure your dream job without stress.

17. Your self-love will increase

It’s not an easy task adhering to weight loss practices on a daily basis. So, after you have gone through the entire process and transform into a new look, you will respect yourself, having accomplished a tangible goal.

18. Easy movement

After weight loss, a few activities such as climbing up and walking down the staircase will no more be a struggle. If you use public transport, commuting will become easier. When some difficulties arise along the way, your body will be able to endure the stress.

19. Suppressed appetite

After you have gone through the entire dieting plan, you will discover that you are as hungry as before you started losing weight. More so, eating healthy foods will naturally make you filled for longer hours, thereby suppressing your hunger.

20. You will live longer

You cannot lose weight without living a healthier lifestyle. And living healthier life will simply lead to living longer. Furthermore, considering all the benefits of weight loss, it is easy to say which one is healthier between being overweight and slimming down.

Final Words

It’s hard to list all the benefits associated with weight loss. Personal interest, immediate environment, family, and more are a few factors that may determine how much benefits you will enjoy losing weight. One crucial fact about weight loss is that you wouldn’t know how much it benefits until you have tried.  

Having too much weight feels uncomfortable, and it’s unhealthy. It can lead to various severe health problems such as stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. These health reasons make many obsessed people look for ways to achieve weight loss in every nook and corner.

Since obsessed people are desperate to lose weight, many of them have been asked to do all sorts of silly things in the name of weight loss solutions, which doesn’t work in the long run. Most of those crazy things do not even have any evidence backing them.

However, if you are reading this article, your search is over. This piece contains 15 scientifically proven tips on weight loss that will help you look your best in the shortest time possible.

1. Take water before meals

While some people claim that drinking water increases the chance of adding weight, scientists have proven that drinking water before meals dramatically affects your weight loss journey. Studies showed that if you are drinking up to a half-liter of water about one hour before you take your meal, it will help you eat fewer calories, resulting in losing about 44% weight. Do you want to see the magic, try it for only one week and see a huge difference.

2. Drink Coffee

Coffee (mostly black) has been a popular drink recommended in the weight loss industry. The reason is simple. Quality coffee contains antioxidants, which makes the drink a good source of several health solutions.

Based on scientific research, the caffeine in coffee boosts metabolism by 3-11%. It can also increase weight loss by 10-30%. Note that you don’t have to add too many high-calorie ingredients such as sugar to your coffee. That will negate its weight loss capacity.

Coffee is everywhere. You can get it at the nearest grocery store or place an order online. Just make sure you are a quality one.

3. Eat eggs as breakfast

Scientists have always revealed that eating eggs every day has a lot of health benefits. Yes! And that includes weight loss. While some studies said that it’s good to add an egg to your breakfast, others claimed that substituting eggs for breakfast brings the best result.

Eating eggs as your breakfast can help reduce your calorie intake for the next thirty-eight hours and contribute immensely to your weight loss ambition.

Note that it is not only eggs that work for weight loss; other protein sources can also do the magic.

4. Do Irregular fasting

Fasting irregularly has always been a general route to weight loss. It is an eating pattern in which you will have to stop eating for a specific time frame.

Fasting is not a religious act. Scientists proved that it could help you reduce muscle mass loss, which is in line with low-calorie diets. Irregular fasting is very useful for weight loss.

5. Drink green tea

Aside from coffee, green tea is another drink that has numerous health benefits, including weight loss.

Green tea doesn’t contain as much caffeine as coffee; it has a higher concentration of powerful antioxidants called catechins, significantly affecting the weight loss process.

Either you take green tea as a beverage or take Its extract supplement; whichever way, it will help you lose weight.

6. Eat less refined carbs

If you want to lose weight, avoid eating white bread and pasta. The reason is that most of the white bread’s fibrous and nutritious parts have been stripped off In their making process to bring out their real taste.

Scientific studies showed that refined carbs could increase blood sugar leading to cravings, hunger, and overeating.

7. Eat less

Some call it portion control or counting calories. Eating less food can be very useful in achieving weight loss. Meanwhile, using smaller plates can help reduce your regular intake, resulting in consuming fewer calories.

Some scientific studies showed that using smaller plates has more effect on overweight people’s eating habits.

8. Eat healthy foods only

You may have to draw out a food timetable to achieve this but whatever it cost you, make sure you are not tempted to eat unhealthy foods. Sometimes, you might need to keep healthy food around you so that you wouldn’t eat unhealthy food if you get extremely hungry.

Some healthy foods you can easily keep around in case of hunger include baby carrots, hard-boiled eggs, fruits, yogurt, and nuts.

9. Eat spicy foods

Spices help immensely in weight loss. Eating spicy foods will help you stay for long hours without food. Most spicy foods contain capsaicin, a spicy compound that effectively boosts metabolism and reduces your appetite.

10. Exercise regularly

Doing regular exercise is a perfect way to burn calories. It will also improve your physical strength and mental health.

Many people who are overweight are always advised to do much aerobic exercise to lose -weight. It’s also effective for burning belly fat to give you a better and smarter body altogether.

11. Eat more fruits and veggies

Studies showed that people who eat a lot of fruit and vegetables are not likely to overweight. Fruits and vegetables contain a smaller portion of calories but a lot of fibers. This makes them very effective for weight loss. They also have a lot of water, which makes them very filling.

Eating fruits particularly can sustain you for several hours without food. Aside from that, fruits and vegetables are very nutritious. They are very good for your health.

12. Get a sound sleep

Getting sound sleep is as essential as eating healthy foods and exercising. A lot of people don’t place much importance on sleep, but it can really decrease the risk of obesity.

Based on scientific studies, poor sleep can increase the risk of obesity in children by 89% and 55% in adults.

13. Avoid drinking soda and fruit juice.

Everyone already knows that sugar is not healthy but taking sugar in liquid form is more injurious to your health. If you want to lose weight, avoid taking sugary drinks such as soda, coke, and fruit juice.

Scientific studies prove that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages can increase your chance of adding weight by 60%.

14. Eat more protein

Protein works more for weight loss than any other nutrient in the body. Protein boost metabolism by 80 – 100% calories any time we eat it. Eating protein daily is one of the most effective ways of losing weight.                                         

15. Eat slowly

Studies showed that eating more slowly can increase the production of hormones that aids weight loss. You should also consider chewing more thoroughly before swallowing.

Final Thoughts

The above-listed tips are scientifically proven and can help you get the slimmer body you desire. Note that several other weight loss techniques can help you shed some pounds, but only a few have evidence behind them.

Hey Angels and Alphas,

We all know that losing weight and keeping that weight off is a lifelong endeavor. A journey of stacking up one healthy habit on top of another healthy habit.

The most successful transformations, in and outside the fitness world, are built on the small decisions you make throughout every single day – they are almost never the result of an all-in decision toward a new life.

Small habit changes, as it turns out, are the perfect building blocks to lead you to successfully lose weight. Because they’re simple to follow through and easy to implement, they create positive feedback loops that result in higher confidence, more motivation, and leaning into the edges of your progress.

That’s why if you want to jumpstart your weight loss plan, here are 10 quick and easily implementable habits you can leverage…

#1 USE SMALLER PLATES FOR PORTION CONTROL

I know, I know. Using smaller plates seems like a petty way to get yourself to eat less, but a lot of people actually find that it’s a tremendously useful tool for portion control.

Research suggests people tend to eat until they’ve cleared their plate, and if you have a smaller plate that (as a bonus) contains a lot of leafy greens and veggies, you’ll be well on your way to sustainable weight loss.

#2 CUT DOWN ON ADDED SUGARS

Many of us consume far too much sugar on a daily basis. But combating sugar cravings shouldn’t have to be an all-consuming challenge. Simple ways to cut down on added sugars include drinking only water, avoiding sugary or carbonated drinks, putting one less spoon of sugar in your coffee, watching out for salad dressings high in sugar and sodium, and more. Here’s a tip: If you’re making dessert, halve the added sugar and replace it with natural sugar from sources such as applesauce (a filling fiber.)

#3 KEEP YOUR HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS SHOWCASED

This means when you’d naturally put your groceries away, simply reorganize your fridge to support weight loss by stacking fresh fruits and veggies near eye-level in big, clear containers. Throw in a bowl full of fruit at the counter, too. Make your healthy snacks easily accessible and readily available – research shows you’ll be more likely to reach for them when you get hungry.

#4 KEEP A FOOD LOG!

There’s no amount of words to describe how useful logging food is (when you’re losing weight.) You have to track your food intake if you want to know if you’re meeting your daily goals.

That’s why I always recommend step one should be to commit to consistently (and accurately) logging what you eat and drink throughout the day. You’ll not only stay organized and conscious of what you’re eating, but you’ll also start spotting patterns of behavior you didn’t even expect.

#5 SCHEDULE MOVEMENT BREAKS EVERY HOUR

Ever heard of NEAT – nonexercised activity thermogenesis? It’s a measure of the calories you burn during your everyday activities, and using it can help you tip the calorie balance in your favor. Here’s what the experts recommend: set an interval timer for 1 minute every hour. When you get that alarm buzzing, get up and take a brisk walk or do a couple of dozen jumping jacks. This will keep your body going and active even if you’re sitting down for the majority of the time.

#6 FIND WAYS TO SQUEEZE IN MORE STEPS THROUGHOUT THE DAY

Another great way to boost your NEAT to aid your weight loss efforts is to make a habit of taking the stairs. A simple midday jolt of vigor can help you get your mind and body flowing and open you up to creativity and productivity.

When you’re running errands, don’t be afraid to park somewhere that’s not right under the nose of your destination. A few hundred extra steps can add up and help you lose up to a thousand calories in the course of a week. Don’t neglect that opportunity and learn to enjoy taking brisk walks!

#7 START BREATHING DEEPLY TO MANAGE STRESS AND AID WEIGHT LOSS

If you only knew how important stress management is when you want to lose weight, you’d do everything in your power to stay relaxed. Easing stress can definitely help you cut down on overeating and emotional eating, sugar cravings, lack of sleep, and so much more when it comes to weight loss.

And sure, while breathing exercises work differently for various people, just doing a brief meditation or a short stretching routine can help you reduce your body’s natural stress response, eliminate muscle tension, and get yourself in a better, more positive state.

#8 SCOOP OUT YOUR CEREAL TO AVOID CALORIE BOMBS!

Do you pour your cereal straight into the bowl or do you always use a measuring cup? People tend to over-our their cereal because they forget how high in calories it usually becomes. Scoop out your portion carefully so you can keep track of your portion size, especially when it comes to a meal high in carbs and consumed alongside milk and sugar.

#9 USE NUTS STRATEGICALLY FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Nuts are an amazing weight-loss snack. Consuming nuts regularly has been linked to a lower risk of weight gain and obesity by a study down in Harvard School of Public Health. That being said, too much of anything leads to weight gain, so the golden rule is to portion out your nuts in 1-ounce servings.

#10 PUT GREENS IN YOUR PLATE EVERY MEAL

Often the first and most useful tip a gym beginner can get is to eat half a plate of veggies on every meal.

If you focus on adding (fresh) fruits or veggies to every single meal you eat, you’ll pack your body with satiating fiber that supports gut health, improves digestion, and helps you stack up on essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Plus, veggies are very low in energy density, meaning they contain very few calories all while keeping you full and aiding your weight loss efforts.

Hey Angels and Alphas,

If you’re someone who just started their weight loss journey, or someone who is just now going in-depth in the world of sports nutrition, it almost seems like having a healthy lifestyle is very expensive.

After all, you always want to be pushing yourself to perform better, and the convenience of certain supplements or the features of new workout gear can always creep in and stretch our budget out.

That’s why it’s important to start considering what purchases make the greatest impact on your efforts to lose weight?

Today, we’re taking a look at 7 amazing, well-rounded tips anyone can follow to detach themselves from the idea that healthy lifestyles are expensive and instead learn to make smarter choices that aid their weight loss efforts.

#1 EATING AT HOME AND LOSING WEIGHT…

You’d think saving money is the only reason you would choose to skip a night out, but as it turns out, eating more meals at restaurants and sit-downs has been associated with a higher overall body mass index.

You should also think about why you’re making the restaurant and food choices you’re making, and whether the serving sizes or just overall calorie quality at those places can prevent you from reaching your weight-loss goal.

#2 STICKING TO WHOLE FOODS WILL ALSO HELP

If you can look at your weight-loss plan right now and see a bunch of liquids with added sugars, pricey powders and supplements, or daily takeout, you definitely have some work to do.

What you should be seeing are lean proteins, whole grains, plenty of fruits and veggies, and healthy fats. If 80 percent of your eating plan looks like that, you’ll be well on your way to creating the calorie deficit you want (alongside exercise of course) and losing weight consistently and sustainably.

What’s more, you can even prep healthier alternatives of your favorite night-out meals from the comfort of your own home, allowing you to track portions, save up on money and calories, and do it at no expense to taste.

#3 MEAL PREP YOUR SNACKS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

The more you can use meal planning to slim down your grocery list, the better. Cooking your meals in batches will not only help you save money and time in the grand scheme of things, but it will also allow you to stay consistent with your nutritional intake (instead of just blindly guessing about how many nutrients and calories are in each portion.)

And by meal prepping your snacks on the side, you can use snacks strategically to keep your metabolism revved up (and prevent overeating + overspending.)

#4 EAT WHAT’S IN SEASON

Organic produce gets more and more expensive at grocery stores and local farmer’s markets when it’s not in season. When you buy in-season veggies, you’ll find them at the peak of their color and nutritional value… all while paying less because they’re readily available.

If your goal is to lose weight or maintain your current weight, filling up half your plate or bowls with veggies such as cabbage, greens, or asparagus can be an amazing approach – veggies are both satisfying and low in calorie density.

#5 FROZEN OR CANNED PRODUCE HELPS YOU LOSE WEIGHT

Contrary to popular belief, studies suggest that the nutritional values of fresh, canned, and frozen foods are all similar. If you find yourself avoiding letting food go to waste and you want to meal prep more effectively, frozen foods are a must for you.

Frozen veggies and fruits are also an amazing source of fiber. Fiber helps you stay fuller for longer and protect your gut microbiota. Not to mention, it will let you save money! Focus on purchasing frozen bags of fruits for your smoothies, frozen veggies for your curries, and canned items for sauces or sides. They’ll last much longer and they’re just as healthy.

#6 BUDGET-FRIENDLY PROTEINS FOR WEIGHT LOSS… THEY DO EXIST!

Protein is absolutely crucial for any human being, but even more so if they’re trying to achieve a physical goal. Protein is also vital for weight loss since it helps you stay full, and it also helps you reduce the chance that your body breaks down muscle for energy during extended periods of weight loss.

And contrary to popular belief, there are countless pocket-friendly options that are high in protein including canned tunas, beans, ground turkey, eggs, and more. Focus your attention on getting quality protein inside your body and you’ll find your urge for snacks go away, helping you save even more.

#7 HAVING FUN WHILE YOU’RE ON THE MOVE!

Let’s be honest – getting fitter can absolutely be done without gym fees or club memberships. If you’re someone who has the ability to be on the move, you can lose weight by just adjusting your diet a bit and maximizing the moments of physical activity you get throughout the day.

If you want to work out for free, there are countless activities you can participate in – and enjoy very much. Local hiking trails, park workouts, park jogging, dancing, or even running a few errands throughout the day can all become bodyweight workouts and walking exercises that help you burn calories, lose weight, and all of that without you having to pay a dime.

Whether it’s because of its health benefits or for the sake of looking more acceptable, people seem to be so much desperate about weight loss that they are willing anything to achieve it in the shortest time possible. Meanwhile, those acts might be very injurious to your health as there are no scientific shreds of evidence to validate them.

It’s fair to be enticed, having read some weight loss tips from experts who promise some overnight transformation, but instant weight loss can have several adverse effects that might cause severe injuries to your health.

Rapid weight loss is not healthy. So, your best remains to avoid any strategy or ideas that can make you lose weight too quickly. Here are 5 most dangerous things that you should never do for weight loss:

1. Starving or shortage of calories

Intermittent fasting can help in weight loss but staying for days without eating in the name of weight loss can do more damage to your health. Aside from starvation, cutting too many calories from your daily meals can harm your body and lower metabolism.

Of course, reducing the number of calories in your food will help you lose weight, but you should know that as much as you are losing weight, you are losing some precious muscles as well. Restriction from calories can also lead to the accumulation of body fat, which can put you at the expense of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Medical practitioners recommend that it is healthy to eat calories up to 1, 200 per day. Anything amount short of that will only make things go from bad to worse. Eating a very low amount of calories will deprive you of some necessary nutrients you need to be active for the day. Note this very carefully: try to lose weight quickly will add more to your weight in a terrible proportion.

2. Extreme exercising

Exercising is good for productive weight loss, but it becomes a snare when it becomes too much. Be careful of any so-called ‘professional tips’ that talk about exercising for long hours in a day. They might be pushing you in the wrong direction.

Exercising very hard for long hours can be good on television, but it will not help your weight loss ambition in the realities. Excessive exercising can lead to severe wear and tear in the joints expose you to painful injuries, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalance. Exercise can turn to punishment when you are over-ambitious about it.

According to research by the American College of Sports Medicine, doing cardio exercise for about 30 minutes per day for five days a week is ideal for achieving weight loss in the natural time frame. The research also supports strength-training for two or three times a week to energize your muscles.

Thinking that doing more will make it fast will only make it worse.. for best results, do your daily exercise moderately and stick with your regular schedules. It is that simple.

3. Taking legal and illegal weight loss drugs

There a few certified weight loss drugs out there. To be on the safer side, contact a medical practitioner for recommendations and prescriptions before going to the medicine store. Taking weight loss drugs outside professional prescriptions is a wrong step that leads to severe health damage. In some cases, it can even result in death.

There are many health risks associated with drug abuse. Using some drugs that have reasonable health benefits in a wrong way to achieve your weight loss ambition will not only make you lose your weight but can also make you lose your life.

Generally, using illegal for weight loss or any other purpose is harmful to your life, and using legal drugs without proper prescription from a professional medical practitioner is dangerous to your health.

4. Smoking

Smoking can cause a lot of damages to your health. Yet, as general as this fact is, some young adults still consider smoking as a means of dieting. Nicotine can indeed help suppress appetite. But smoking comes with higher risks than whatever benefits it brings.

Smoking is dangerous to every organ in the body. A few health problems associated with smoking include cancer, cardiovascular problems, respiratory problems, and many other diseases. Smoking as a way of diet will only reduce the overall health of the smoker.

Various risks involved in smoking includes addition, anxiety, severe headaches, stroke, and lung, kidney, and heart problems

Aside from the severe health consequences associated with smoking, anytime a smoker decided to refrain from smoking, it will result in adding excess weight might be the initial reason the smoker started smoking.

5. Purging

Purging is extremely dangerous to your health. It leads to an eating disorder and can damage some organs in your body. Unfortunately, it might refuse to bring you the result you expected. This unsafe act includes doing some medically unacceptable things to make yourself vomit, abusing laxatives, and spitting food out after chewing. Purging is mostly among teenagers putting them in critical health conditions.

Research showed that vomiting or abusing laxatives in the name of purging could cause loss of fluid, which may result in dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

It’s pathetic how people are desperate to do crazy things to lose weight. Forget about weight loss; purging does not have any positive effect whatsoever on the body. It can only pose some health problems that can put your life at risk.

Any form of purging is not recommended medically, and it does not in any way connected with weight loss. Eating healthy foods and drinks is a better and safer way to get that slimmer body.

On a final note

The best way to achieving your weight loss goals is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Any other weight loss approach that naturally puts your health at risk will not give you the body you desire. It is always ideal to get a proper prescription from a health practitioner before deciding to go on your weight loss journey.

I know you have heard so many things about the process of weight loss, and you are excited about it. But before you choose the right method or products to buy, here are 5 most dangerous products to avoid in the market

Before we begin the ride, are you aware that the weight loss industry as an entity raked in up to 65 billion USD in 2015? Half of this generated income was from the food and weight loss products alone. What is the implication of this figure?

The implication is that many people will see this industry’s potential and invest in the food and produces. Whereas the end-user may not understand the most profound intent of the weight loss ad poster at the expense of his own health.

Below are the top products in the market that you should avoid for a safer and most effective weight loss process.

1.    Waist trainers

I know you will most likely be surprised at my number one because many people already have them. But this article is not being sentimental. Instead, it focuses more on the expert’s recommendation on using these products and not from a marketer’s perspective.

For instance, if you watch many videos advertising these products, they tell you how it will help burn out your tummy fats. But do you know that that claim has absolutely no scientific basis? More so, it may be safe when you wear them for a few hours, but the longer, the more dangerous.

According to Charlie Seltzer, M.D. http://drseltzerweightloss.com/, wearing these waist trainers for an extended period can disrupt your GI system, impair breathing and even cause acid reflux in the stomach.

2.    Caffeine and its supplements

I have watched caffeine product ads boast of how it can enhance the rate of body metabolism and burn excess body fat. These claims may be valid but are the side effects of excess caffeine in the system really worth it?

Caffeine can indeed reduce your calorie level by up to 100 in one day. But how does it account for some sided effects that come with over-dosage of caffeine or caffeine addiction? Some side effects may include anxiety, increased heart beat rate, and insomnia (inability to sleep).

Apart from natural caffeine, such as through caffeinated drinks, what about caffeine supplements as pills? Some of these drugs can lead to hallucinations, heartbeat fluctuations, vomiting, dizziness, and even diarrhea.

3.    Colon cleanser

Colonic is an uncommon procedure in which a tube is inserted into the rectum to clean it out. Medically, it is not a safe process and can come with hazardous and more costly side effects. So, no one really wants to embark on a journey that endangers a life further.

However, it becomes a matter for discussion after some people claims it can help you lose weight. Clearly, it doesn’t have any permanent effect on your body weight, neither is it a medically recommended process for weight loss.

Instead, it causes dangerous side effects, including bloating, cramping, electrolyte imbalance, liver toxicity, and kidney failure. During the process, the inserted tube may tear the colon’s wall, causing bleeding that can only end with a quick surgery and hospitalization.

4.    Weight loss tea and other extracts

These are also universal products that you get everywhere you mention the concept of weight loss. However, the success stories you hear and the experiences of the people you know are not yet enough proof of safety. Take your time to get some more rationality about how it works.

In other words, it will be a grave error not to consider one’s options or learn about how the tea works before using it. Moreover, the idea of losing weight by drinking some special tea and other similar supplements should make you ask a question at least about the composition of the food.

Similarly, the FDA warns users that these products’ classes can be ineffective and “can cause serious harm.” Medical research has further established that some of these products may contain certain ingredients not listed on the label.

5.    Vitamin B12 injections

The B vitamin already exists in the body and contributes to the synthesis of the red blood corpuscles. On the other hand, it may also be responsible for breaking down blood proteins, which is why some people recommend a shot of it.

Some people even claim that extra vitamin B12 can enhance their ability to cope with work out sessions. However, there is no scientific proof that extra B12 will actually supply your body above what it needs at the point in time. More so, it will not likely influence your weight above normal.\

Medical experts further added that, on the other hand, shots of vitamin B12 can cause other problems to the body. For instance, the excess vitamins are stored in the liver for some time, and the longer it stays, the more the risk of liver toxicity. Therefore vitamin B12 can only be highly beneficial and useful for one with a low vitamin level.

6.    HCG Hormone stimulant

The Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) Hormone is responsible for the maternal recognition of pregnancy by the body, present in the blood or urine. Many times, the presence of this particular hormone tells if the woman is pregnant or not. But how does this affect bodyweight loss?

Some people claimed that taking diets that contains the HCG hormone caused bodyweight loss. But this, not a medically proven fact because ideally, pregnancy may affect the appetite for food, which may result in initial weight loss.

More importantly, FDA warns that HCG diets are illegal and unsafe for use because they can affect the body’s hormonal balance. Besides, they can also unnecessarily stimulate the thyroid gland and ovaries, which may increase the risk of ovarian cancer.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when surfing for the best weight loss products in the market, you now have an idea of those items to ignore. No matter what you might have heard before this time, you know you can trust medical professionals about your health rather than some random gist flying around. More so, the essence of weight loss is to enhance your health and not break it down by causing more health complications. Avoid that!