Weight Loss Nutrition Q'n'A

Q: Do I HAVE to eat 6 small meals per day? How about 4? I'm concerned about the six small meals thing. If I am eating my appropriate caloric intake and following both my dietary restrictions and exercise program, isn't that enough? I'm eating only 2 big meals per day right now.

Answer:

6 meals are better than 4, and for most people, I recommend 8. You will see better results if you eat more meals. Both science and experience support that.

In your case, since you were only eating 2 big meals per day, we will only jump to 6 for now. That will give you amazing results if you can break down your food intake into 6 small meals.

NOTE: Sometimes a "meal" is just a protein shake and some almonds, so don't get overwhelmed thinking you have to cook 6 times per day.

Q: How do I modify a man's nutrition plan for a woman? Do I just do use fewer calories?

Answer:

That is correct. We just do the calculations to get the correct calorie amount for any body weight, and then plan the meals from there. That is relatively accurate for someone that has close to average body fat levels.

I also recommend that every client uses www.fitday.com to track their food intake, so that I can review it and make sure that they are on track. It is easy to see someone's eating mistakes when we look at their daily food intake.

Q: What Protein bar is the healthiest?

Answer:

The one with the least sugar and least amount of "fake carbohydrates". But I'm not a huge fan of protein bars. I'd rather that you have a protein shake + an apple or another fibrous fruit. Or even 1/2 ounce almonds. And ideally, the more real food sources of lean protein that you can eat, the better.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Mens Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com