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Maraming mga diet programs ang nasa market ngayon.

Sa sobrang dami nila, baka nalilito ka na rin sa kung alin sa mga ito ang pinaka effective.

Alin kaya sa mga diets na ito ang nababagay sa atin,? 🤔 Tara, check natin to! 👇

1. Low or Very Low Calorie Diets

Calories are a measure of energy in food.

Knowing the calorie content of food can help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight by knowing how a particular food fits into your daily energy needs. In order to lose weight, you must consume less energy than you use.

Low calorie diets typically range from 800-1500 cals/day and very low calorie diets (VLCD) are usually classified as under 800 cals/day.

Some commercial programs are accompanied by supplements and injections which are said to speed up weight loss.

Examples: HCG Diet, Dr. Bernstein, Medically Supervised Weight Loss

Pros:

Medical assistance and supervision for personalized attention and care.

Rapid weight loss.

Support for weight loss maintenance.

Cons:

May feel hungry often.

Risk of constipation, dizziness, fatigue and nutrient deficiencies.

High chance of weight re-gain.

VLCD’s are affiliated with gallstones.

Supplements/injections may contain ingredient combos in doses that have not been adequately studied for efficacy.

Expensive.

2. Commercial Diet Product-Based Programs

Based on your weight, you’re recommended a diet, exercise, & behavior modification program to help you lose about 1lb/wk.

Products such as pills, supplements, shakes, pre-packaged and pre-portioned meals are sold as the basis of your diet regime, and may be delivered to your door.

Weekly classes & individual or group counselling is often offered and lifestyle management, motivation & nutritional info is sometimes provided.

Examples: Jenny Craig, Medifast, Slim Fast, Nutri System, Herbal Magic

Pros:

Convenient, fast and easy.

Takes the guess work out of healthy eating.

No specific food groups or foods are off limits – they even offer dessert!

Cons:

Expensive.

Can become reliant on products.

Lack of overall nutrition education/basic healthy eating skills.

May be difficult to adjust eating outside of program in social settings.

Herbal supplements may increase risk of drug interactions and renal problems & lack evidence to suggest efficacy.

3. Fasting

Fasting is a dietary pattern that reduces the amount you eat for short periods of time.

Some plans suggest alternating between normally (unmoderated) eating days and fasting days each week, with fasting usually described at around 1/4 of your normal intake.

Other fasting regimes suggest zero consumption for 14-16 hours a day, and eating unmoderated for the remaining 8-10.

In either case, the idea is to reduce overall weekly caloric intake to induce weight loss.

Examples: LeanGains, Fat Loss Forever, Eat Stop Eat, Warrior Diet, 5:2 Meal Plan, Alternate Day, Intermittent Fasting

Pros:

Some may find it easy to only need to “diet” for a few days/ week.

May help improve blood pressure, cholesterol, & insulin.

Fat may be more readily burned after glucose stores are used up during fasting.

Cons:

Potential for dehydration on fast days.

Significant hunger.

Fasting may increase stress, sleep disruption, headaches, & fatigue.

Lack of overall nutrition education and healthy relationship with food.

May have difficulty maintaining in social situations.

Lacks long-term evidence of efficacy.

4. Cleanses, Detoxes, & Juicing

The alleged reason for cleansing is to boost energy and immunity, allow your digestive system to “rest” and to stimulate weight loss.

May include herbal or medicinal supplements, laxatives, strict restrictive diet, large intakes of water, juice, or fiber for the duration of the plan.

Examples: Master Cleanse, WildRose Detox, Juju Cleanse, David Kirsch, Colon Cleaning, Candida Cleanse, Cleon Eating

Pros:

Automatically eliminates unhealthy behaviors like drinking alcohol, smoking, or eating processed high fat foods.

May be a way to get more fruits, vegetables and water.

Cons:

Hunger.

Risk of dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, low blood sugar, low blood pressure, headaches, and fatigue.

Potential interactions with medications.

Doesn’t address long term healthy eating strategies.

Juicing is associated with increased risk of Diabetes.

Difficult to maintain in social situations.

Lacks long-term evidence of efficacy.

5. Low Carb Diets

These diets restrict intake of carbohydrate-containing food (breads, cereals, starchy veg, fruits, milk products, etc.), while including larger amounts of protein and fat.

Some low-carb diets encourage leaner meats and healthier fats while others permit foods high in saturated fat.

Popular regimes include around 20g of carbs/day or less for 2-3 months and 50g carbs or less/day for ongoing weight loss phase.

Examples: Atkins, Dukans, The Zone, Ketogenic, Paleo, South Beach

Pros:

Relatively fast weight loss.

High rate of satiety.

Focus on high consumption of vegetables.

Low glycemic load.

May help you automatically cut down on alcohol, and high sugar processed foods.

Cons:

Foggy head, fatigue, bad mood and bad breath due to ketosis.

Risk of consuming too much saturated fat (which may increase bad LDL cholesterol).

Lack of fiber from low carb- consumption may cause constipation.

Potential stress on the kidneys.

Potential nutrient deficiencies from lack of carbs.

6. Low Fat & Nutrient Dense Reduced Calorie

Dietary fat provides 9 calories per gram compared to carbohydrates & proteins that both provide 4 calories per gram, so most low fat diets also are reduced calorie.

Some low fat diets suggest anywhere from 15% to less than 10% of caloric intake from fat and focus on very lean proteins (often vegetarian), whole grains and fruits and vegetables.

The idea is to choose foods that are higher in fiber and water content and therefore, contain a higher volume of food for fewer calories.

Some calorie counting programs assign point values to food and activity instead of focusing on specific calories.

Examples: The Pritikin Diet, Volumetrics, Ornish, Weight Watchers

Pros:

No large food groups excluded.

May help lower cholesterol level, blood pressure, cardiovascular risk & stabilize blood sugar.

May help you feel satisfied thanks to fiber and larger portions.

Cons:

Diets may be lacking omega-3 fatty acids & risk deficiency in fat soluble vitamins.

Fat is satiating, so may still feel hungry despite eating voluminous portions of food.

Fat-Free foods may have hidden sugars.

Food with “zero points” still have calories over consumption may slow weight loss.

7. Mindfulness

Mindful eating is more about how you eat than it is about what you eat.

It is about being aware of your hunger and satiety signals, the emotional and physical sensations you experience while eating, and the thoughts and emotions you have around eating and food.

It is also about finding peace with your body and honoring its unique needs, rather than purposefully restricting or feeling guilty about what you eat or what you weigh or look like.

Examples: Intention, Attention, Triggers, Body Cues, Recognition

Pros:

Evidence suggests long-term efficacy.

Healthy eating regime that is manageable for life (long term)

Strengthens personal connection to eating & food.

Prevents overeating and hunger.

Reduces guilt & anxiety about food.

Improves digestion with thorough chewing.

No foods are off limits (even treats are encouraged!)

Cons:

Requires more time at meals.

Shift in eating behavior may be challenging for chronic dieters.

Need distraction-free eating environment.

May not see rapid changes in weight or body shape.

8. Heart Healthy Diet

These diets highlight specific patterns of eating and heart healthy lifestyle choices to achieve healthy weights.

Emphasis is placed on eating an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, eating more whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy, legumes, nuts, and healthy fats including olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids.

Limiting meat, processed food and sugar is encouraged.

In general, most suggest eating a variety of foods, limiting saturated fat to less than 7% of total calories, total fat to 25-35% of calories, and dietary cholesterol to less than 200mg per day.

Examples: Mediterranean Diet, TLC Diet, Canada’s Food Guide, Anti-inflammatory Diet, Nordic Diet

Pros:

May help lower cardiovascular risk & cholesterol levels.

High in antioxidants through promotion of high fruit and vegetable intake.

Promotes physical activity.

Reduces processed foods and sodium intake.

Promotes satiety.

Encourages consumption of healthy fats.

Cons:

Emphasis on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish can be expensive.

Some people may not see significant weight loss or may feel overwhelmed by a lack of structure or set of strict rules.

9. Strict Elimination Diets

Elimination diets are typically used when individuals suspect certain foods are causing adverse effects, such as food allergies or intolerance.

Suspected foods are removed from the diet entirely for a period of time and reintroduced and evaluated on how the body responds.

Some diets that eliminate certain food groups do so for philosophical or lifestyle reasons, and not necessarily for evidence-based health concerns.

Examples: Vegan, Low-Foodmap Diet, Raw Food Diet, Macrobiotic, Blood Type Diet, Gluten-Free Diet

Pros:

May experience relief with food intolerances or allergies.

Strict rules are easy to follow and can quickly eliminate a wide variety of processed, high calorie foods and drinks.

Cons:

Rigid rules are very hard to follow long term.

Specialty products can be very expensive.

If whole food groups eliminated, there is a potential for nutritional deficiencies.

Very difficult to maintain in social situations.

Strict rules may contribute to disordered eating patterns.

Lacks long-term evidence of efficacy for weight-loss.

When choosing a lifestyle or diet… Look for one that:

-Promotes weight maintenance or gradual loss (1-2 lb/wk), if desired.

-Emphasizes long-term, manageable lifestyle changes.

-Encourages pleasurable (not extreme) exercise.

-Does not exclude food groups.

-Does not claim certain foods are “bad”

-Doesn’t require you to buy expensive products or sign long-term contracts.

-Promotes weight loss aids or supplements that are supported by research.

-Encourages you to love your body and food!

SPEAK TO A REGISTERED DIETITIAN OR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL FOR PERSONALIZED CARE AND INFORMATION.

***

Sana’y makatulong ang mga impormasyong narito upang ma-assess mo ang weight loss diet na para sa’yo, mumsh! 😊 #cheerstoahealthierandfitteryou

(Photo and info from Google Images; Contact Abbey from www.abbeyskitchen.com for references)

Nabanggit na natin sa isang post and different and popular ways kung paano tayo makakapag bawas ng timbang. Isa na nga doon ay ang Commercial Diet Product based programs.

Sa post na ito, check natin ang mga benefits at paano gawin ang Primal Blueprint, na isa sa mga program na commercially available.

Optional na bilhin, pero ang mga tips ay applicable sa ating lahat.

Lahat tayo gustong maging healthy, fit, and sexy forever. Pero parang ang hirap ma-achieve, ‘di po ba? Nasa lifestyle lang naman yan eh. Kaya naman narito ang ilang points/ways para sa lasting weight loss and overall health and well being. 👇👏🙌

Everybody wants to know how to make real, permanent, and healthy weight loss. The solution lies with simple lifestyle changes that are easy to do, and easy to stick with. Here are Eight Ways to Boost Your Metabolism, Lose Weight, and Improve your Overall Health and Well Being.

1. Think Addition, Not Subtraction

Add things a few of your favorite fruits into your lunch bag.

2. Forget About Exercising

Forget about making a specific “work out” time, instead increase your physical activity in fun ways.

3. Avoid Sugar

Sugar, especially white granulated sugar, make your body store fat.

4. Don’t Skip Out On Breakfast.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not eating breakfast slows the metabolism.

5. Lighten the Load

Instead of denying yourself the foods you love, find ways to “lighten them up” a bit.

6. Water, Water, Water

You cannot expect to lose weight without proper hydration. Also downing a glass of water before you eat is a great way to eat less.

7. Reduce Stress

Lowering stress & anxiety helps lower your blood pressure, improves the immune system.

8. Healthy Supplementation

While there are no magic pills, there are supplements such a Real Dose.

***

Lifestyle change lang naman ang susi sa pagiging fit and healthy permanently. Yakang yaka naman ‘di ba, bessy? Aja! Fighting! 👊💪

(Photo and info from Google Images; Presented by MD Weight Loss and Cosmetics)

Narinig nyo na ba ang tungkol sa Carb Cycling? Ano nga ba ito at paano ito nakatutulong sa paglo-lose ng fat at pagbi-build ng muscle? 🤔 Well, alamin yan dito! 👇😉

HOW TO USE CARB CYCLING TO LOSE FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE

I don’t know about you, but I like simple.

And here’s a simple fact for you: You don’t need to do anything particularly special or fancy to build the body of your dreams.

At least 80% of the game is just understanding and applying a relatively small number of physiological principles related to diet and exercise.

And I’d go as far as saying that the majority of what’s left is just patience and persistence.

You don’t need convoluted training programs or diets. You need fundamentals.

That said, once you have the fundamentals firmly in place, you can look to gain slight edges.

This is where things like supplementation, fasted training, periodization, and carb cycling come into play.

And in this infographic, we’re going to look at what carb cycling is and how to do it right.

WHAT IS CARB CYCLING?

Carb cycling is a method of dieting that involves planned increases and decreases in carbohydrate intake (and generally in caloric intake as well).

THE 3 TYPES:

There are many different carb cycling protocols, but most have you alternate between at least two of three types of days:

High-Carb Days: 2-2.5 grams of carbs per pound of body weight.

Low-Carb Days: 0.5 grams of carbs per pound of body weight.

No-Carb Days: < 30 grams of carbs per day.

à The reason for this is no-carb days (with fewer than 30 grams of carbs) have few practical benefits but make compliance significantly harder.

In this infographic, however, you’re going to learn how to follow a simple carb cycling protocol that has just two types of days—the High-Carb Day and Low-Carb Day.

HOW TO USE CARB CYCLING TO LOSE FAT

# of Days

3:1

When you’re carb cycling to lose fat, you want to have three low-carb days followed by one high-carb day.

Day Placement

Where you place your high-carb day doesn’t matter much because it moves around week to week.

Calorie Intake

Here’s how you want to set up your calories:

High-Carb Days: A 10% caloric deficit (90% of total daily energy expenditure)

Low-Carb Days: A 25% caloric deficit (75% of total daily energy expenditure)

Macro Intake

Remember to plan and track macros if you want guaranteed results.

High-Carb Days: 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, 50% of your calories from carbs, get the rest of your calories from fat (“use” the calories left after calculating protein and carb intakes.)

Low-Carb Days: 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, 20% of your calories from carbs, get the rest of your calories from fat (“use” the calories left after calculating protein and carb intakes.)

Example

Here’s a high-carb day and a low-carb for a 190-pound man:

High-Carb Days: 2700 calories, 190 grams of protein, 335 grams of carb, and 65 grams of fat.

Low-Carb Days: 2300 calories, 190 grams of protein, 110 grams of carb, and 115 grams of fat.

HOW TO USE CARB CYCLING TO BUILD MUSCLE

# of Days

3:2

To maximize muscle growth while carb cycling, every block of five days should consist of three low-carb days and two high-carb days.

Day Placement

Your low- and high-carb days don’t have to be lined up in a row. Some people like to follow three back-to-back low-carb days with two high-carb days.

or

Others like to stagger them based on how they’re feeling in the gym, doing let’s say one high-carb day, one low-carb day, one high-carb day, and two low-carb days.

Try to schedule most of your high-carb days to fall on days that you’re lifting weights and most of your low-carb days on days that you’re not.

Calorie Intake

Here’s how you want to set up your calories:

If Bulking: A 10% caloric surplus (110% of your total daily match your total daily energy expenditure).

If Maintaining: Caloric intake should match your total daily energy expenditure.

Macro Intake

Remember to plan and track macros if you want guaranteed results.

High-Carb Days: 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, 50% of your calories from carbs, get the rest of your calories from fat (“use” the calories left after calculating protein and carb intakes.)

Low-Carb Days: 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, 25% of your calories from carbs, get the rest of your calories from fat (“use” the calories left after calculating protein and carb intakes.)

Example

Here’s a high-carb day and a low-carb for a 190-pound man:

High-Carb Days: 3000 calories, 190 grams of protein, 375 grams of carb, and 80 grams of fat.

Low-Carb Days: 3000 calories, 190 grams of protein, 190 grams of carb, and 165 grams of fat.

***

Ngayong alam na natin kung ano ang Carb Cycling, nagustuhan nyo ba ito? Sa tingin nyo ba ito na ang nababagay at nararapat na diet para sa inyo? Ano’ng masasabi ninyo? 🤔 Comment your opinions, ideas, and suggestions below! 👇

(Photo and info from Google Images; Legion legionathletics.com)

Ganito mag build ng muscle at mag lose ng fat all at the same time, besh! 💪👙😍 Kaya alamin na dito kung paano ‘yun magagawa’t mangyayari! 👇

HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE AND LOSE FAT AT THE SAME TIME

Nothing drives more people into gyms and GNCs than the desire to build muscle and lose fat at the same time, or “body recomposition,” as it’s also known.

It sounds so simple that it must be possible, right?

People always talk about “shifting fat” into muscle with the right exercises, diet, and supplements, don’t they?

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to gain muscle while burning fat, no?

Well, I have good news and bad news.

The good: yes, it’s possible to build muscle and lose fat simultaneously.

The bad: it’s only possible under certain (unalterable) conditions.

The ugly: the majority of advice on how to actually do it is way off the mark.

Yes, those “gurus” that swear their overpriced PDFs, pills, and powders contain the real secrets to making “lean gains” are almost always lying.

And in this infographic, we’re going to get to the bottom of it.

We’re going to dive into how the body actually builds muscle and loses fat and then look at what it really takes to do both at the same time.

THE SIMPLE SCIENCE OF MUSCLE GROWTH

EVERY DAY, 2 VITAL CHEMICAL PROCESSES OCCUR IN YOUR MUSCLES:

Protein Degradation

This refers to the breakdown of muscle proteins into their smaller components, peptides and amino acids.

Protein Synthesis

This refers to the creation of new muscle proteins from these smaller molecules.

FOR MUSCLES TO GROW LARGER OVER TIME, MUSCLE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS RATES MUST EXCEED PROTEIN DEGRADATION RATES.

That is, your body must create more muscle proteins than it loses. Every day that it does this, your muscles grow a little larger.

THE BEST WAY TO CAUSE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS RATES TO OUTPACE DEGRADATION RATES IS TRAINING YOUR MUSCLES.

Resistance training damages muscle cells, which tells the body it needs to ramp up protein synthesis rates to repair the tissues.

It doesn’t just repair them to their previous state, though. It wants to adapt to better deal with the stimulus-the training-and so it adds new muscle cells, increasing the muscles’ size and strength.

THIS IS WHY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF MUSCLE GROWTH.

This is why, as a natural weightlifter, you must get stronger if you want to get bigger.

THE SIMPLE SCIENCE OF FAT LOSS

LOSING FAT IS MUCH SIMPLER THAN YOU’VE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE.

You don’t have to obsess over “eating clean.”

You don’t have to avoid carbs or any other food, really.

You don’t have to eat a certain number of meals per day or follow a rigid schedule.

You don’t have to try to influence your hormones.

If you want to escape all the bad weight loss advice out there like this, you need to understand one simple thing – Energy Balance.

UNDERSTANDING ENERGY BALANCE – ENERGY CONSUMED & ENERGY BURNT

This refers to the relationship between the amount of energy you give your body through eating food and the amount of energy it expends through cellular and physical activity.

The absolute immutable truth about meaningful weight loss…as demonstrated by thousands of controlled weight loss trials conducted over the last 100 years…is this:

YOU MUST BURN MORE ENERGY THAN YOU CONSUME.

It doesn’t matter how many “unclean” foods you eat or when you eat them or anything else.

Your metabolism runs on the first law of thermodynamics, which means fat (energy) stores can’t be increased without a surplus of energy, and can’t be decreased without the restriction of energy.

In other words, if you eat more energy (calories) than you burn, you’re going to gain weight. And if you eat less, you’re going to lose weight.

WHEN TALKING BODY RECOMPOSITION, THOUGH, THE GOAL ISN’T TO LOSE WEIGHT. IT’S TO LOSE FAT AND NOT MUSCLE.

And when that’s the goal, certain types of calories are more important than others.

The most important calories of all are those that come from protein, because research shows that when restricting calories, a high-protein diet is more effective at reducing body fat, helps preserve muscle, and increases satiety.

THE SIMPLE SCIENCE OF BODY RECOMPOSITION

The major determining factors are training state and experience. There are many physiological reasons for this, but here’s what it boils down to:

IF YOU’RE NEW TO WEIGHTLIFTING OR ARE GETTING STARTED AGAIN NEWLY

You shouldn’t have any trouble building muscle and losing fat simultaneously.

IF YOU HAVE AT LEAST 6 TO 8 MONTHS OF WEIGHTLIFTING UNDER YOUR BELT AND AREN’T COMING OFF A LONG BREAK

You probably can’t recomp. The exception to the second point is the person that has been lifting weights for some time but has never emphasized heavy compound weightlifting. It’s very likely that he or she will experience a surge of “newbie gains” in the beginning that can include building muscle while in a caloric deficit.

HERE’S HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY RECOMP YOUR BODY RECOMPOSITION IN 5 SIMPLE STEPS:

Step 1: Maintain a Moderate Caloric Deficit

You must be in a caloric deficit to lose fat but you don’t want to eat so little that you lose a lot of muscle.

Instead, you want to eat about 75% of the calories you burn every day, which allows you to lose fat rapidly while preserving muscle.

Step 2: Emphasize Heavy Compound Weightlifting

When you’re in a calorie deficit, you want emphasize heavy compound weightlifting in your workouts. And especially if you want to build muscle while you lose fat.

You should be squatting, deadlifting, military and bench pressing every week, and you should be doing most of your work with 75 to 85% of your 1RM (4-to-10 rep range).

Step 3: If You’re Going to Do Cardio, Do HIIT

You don’t have to do cardio to get lean, but sometimes you just need to burn more energy every week to keep the fat loss going.

When that time comes, don’t bother with the typical routine of 1 to 2 hours of low-intensity cardio 5 to 7 days per week.

Instead, do 1 to 2 hours of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) per week.

Step 4: Get Enough Sleep

A week of reduced sleep is enough to reduce testosterone, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) levels, which all play important roles in building and maintaining lean mass and burning fat.

Sleep needs are variable but the National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get 7 to 9 hours per night to avoid the repercussions of sleep deprivation.

Step 5: Take the Right Supplements

You don’t need supplements to succeed in your body recomposition efforts but the right ones can really help. Specifically, you’re looking to achieve three things with your supplementation:

1. You want to maintain training intensity, which helps you maintain muscle and strength.

2. You want to improve your body’s ability to preserve and build muscle and strength.

3. You want to lose fat as quickly as possible, which minimizes the amount of time you need to spend in a calorie deficit.

And there are a handful of safe, natural supplements that can deliver on each of those targets:

RECHARGE is a post-workout recovery supplement that contains three ingredients that help you in your body recomposition efforts: creatine monohydrate, L-carnitine L-tartrate, and corosolic acid.

PHOENIX is a caffeine-free fat burner that helps you burn fat by increasing metabolic speed, amplifying the power of fat-burning chemicals produced by your body, and by increasing the feeling of fullness from food.

PULSE is a pre-workout drink that contains clinically effective dosages of 7 ingredients that are 100% scientifically proven to enhance energy levels, increase focus, and improve workout performance.

***

So tara! Let’a recompose our bodies! Let’s gain muscle while burning fat! We can do this! 👊

(Photo and info from Google Images; Legion legionathletics.com)

Bessy! Lahat ng gusto mong malaman tungkol sa calories ay nandito na! Check this out! 👇

Calories are how we measure the energy that our body uses for fuel. They power our bodies’ vital processes (like breathing, pumping blood, and even sleeping). This means we’re constantly burning calories (yes, even when sleeping).

Calories Measure Food Energy

The amount of calories in our food reflect the amount of energy that food provides our bodies. Calories come from macronutrients, a.k.a. carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

THIS IS HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN 1 GRAM OF EACH MACRONUTRIENT:

Carbohydrate: 4 cal/g

Protein: 4 cal/g

Fat: 9 cal/g

Alcohol provides 7 calories per gram, but it is not considered a macronutrient because we don’t need it for survival.

How Healthy Adults Should Consume Calories

Protein: 10-25%

Carbohydrates: 45-65%

Fats: 20-35%

Carbs

Why we need them: Carbs are the body’s main source of fuel and are easily used by the body for energy.

How they’re used: Carbs break down into glucose, which is used for energy. They’re also stored in muscles and liver for later use and are important for the central nervous system, kidneys, brain, muscles, and intestinal health.

Where to find them: Grains, fruits, milk, and yogurt.

Protein

Why we need them: Protein is essential for growth, tissue repair, immune function, preserving lean muscle, and producing essential hormones and enzymes.

How they’re used: The body uses protein for energy when carbs aren’t available.

Where to find them: Meat, poultry, fish, cheese, milk, nuts, and legumes.

Fats

Why we need them: Fats are essential in cell, nerve tissue, and hormone production. Fats are also essential for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, K, and carotenoids.

How they’re used: Fats are the most concentrated source of energy. If fats consumed aren’t burned as energy or used to build body tissues, they’re stored in the body’s fat cells for later use.

Where to find them: Unsaturated fats such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, fatty fish (like salmon), and canola oil.

Not All Calories are Created Equal

In terms of the energy they deliver, all calories are equal. However, the body uses each macronutrient differently. The right amount of calories from each source is very important to ensure the body can function properly.

Every person requires a different amount of calories per day.

How to Determine Your Daily Calorie Intake

STEP 1: Find Your Basic Metabolic Rate

Women: 655 + (4.35 x weight (lbs.)) + (4.7 x height (in.)) – (4.7 x age (yrs.))

Men: 66 + (6.23 x weight (lbs.)) + (12.7 x height (in.)) – (6.8 x age (yrs.))

STEP 2: Determine Your Activity Level

Sedentary (Little to no exercise): 1.2

Lightly Active (Light Exercise (1-3 days/week)): 1.375

Moderately Active (Moderate Exercise (3-5 days/week)): 1.55

Very Active (Hard Exercise (6-7days/week)): 1.725

Extra Active (Very Hard Exercise and Physical Job 7 days/week): 1.9

STEP 3: BMR x Activity Level = Calorie Intake

Number of calories one should consume daily to maintain current weight.

What about losing or gaining weight?

When choosing what to eat and drink, it’s important to get the right mix—enough nutrients, but not too many calories.

To maintain weight, calories in (what you consume) must equal calories out (what you burn on a daily basis through normal body functions and daily activity /exercise).

When you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight. When you consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight. The general rule is consuming +/- 3,500 calories per week is equal to 1 lb. of body fat gained or lost.

Weight Control Comes Down To How Much Energy Your Body Uses

If we take in more energy than we use, the rest gets stored as fat. If we burn more energy than we consume, our body relies on energy stores (like fat) to make up the deficit. Basically, it’s all about balance.

Stay on Track!

Tracking calorie intake (and exercise habits) is a great way to determine whether your diet is properly balanced for your needs.

Keeping a handwritten journal or using web and mobile apps to track calorie intake and activity levels can help. Here are some of our favorites: MyFitnessPal, MyPlate Calorie Tracker, and Lose It!

***

Bessy! Ngayon alam mo na ang mga importanteng bagay tungkol sa calories. So let’s start getting fit and healthy na!

(Photo and info from Google Images; Greatist; Created by Lemonly)

Malalaking braso ba ‘kamo, bes? Oh eto! Ultimate arms workout para sa’yo! 💪❤️

THE 10 BEST ARM EXERCISES FOR BIG GUNS

If you’re a guy, there’s a really good chance that you got into weightlifting to build big arms and a big chest.

And if you’re a girl, toned, defined arms were probably high on your list as well (behind a bubble butt and killer legs, of course).

And I understand.

Nothing inspires flattering looks and comments from strangers faster than muscular arms, and a physique just isn’t complete without it.

Well, in this guide, we’re going to talk all about what it takes to build biceps, triceps, and forearms that make eyeballs pop.

THE SIMPLE SCIENCE OF EFFECTIVE ARMS TRAINING

If you want to build big, strong arms, then you want to do two things:

1. Perform heavy compound lifts like the bench press and deadlift.

2. Directly train your arms using heavy, lower-rep training as well as lighter, higher-rep work.

EXERCISE CHOICE IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT PART OF PROPER ARM TRAINING BECAUSE SOME EXERCISES ARE BETTER FOR OVERLOADING THE MUSCLES THAN OTHERS.

For example, the standing barbell curl is an all-around more effective biceps exercise than the cable curl.

ANOTHER ASPECT OF YOUR ARMS TRAINING THAT YOU HAVE TO GET RIGHT IS VOLUME, OR THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REPS YOU DO EACH WEEK.

This is especially important when you’re doing a lot of heavy weightlifting because the general rule is this: The heavier the reps, the fewer you can do each week.

Heavier weights necessitate more recovery, which means you can’t do as many reps every week as with lighter weights without risking overtraining.

When your training emphasizes heavy weights (80 to 85%, of 1RM), optimal volume seems to be about 60 to 70 reps performed every 5 to 7 days.

THEORETICAL REPS: 60-70 every 5-7 days

PRACTICAL REPS: 30-40 every 5-7 days

This should be modified slightly in the case of arms training because the biceps and triceps are heavily involved in your pressing and pulling.

If you’re doing 60 to 70 heavy reps for both back and chest every week (and you should be), you probably want to do a bit less direct work on your bis and tris —something closer to 30 to 40 reps per week for each.

THE 5 BEST BICEPS EXERCISES

Barbell Curl – The barbell curl has been a bodybuilding staple for over a century now for good reason: it’s one of the best all-around biceps builders you can do.

E-Z Bar Biceps Curl – You can switch to the E-Z Bar variant from time to time to give your wrists and elbows a break from the stress placed on them by the barbell curl.

Alternating Dumbbell Curl – Like the barbell curl, this is a time-proven exercise that builds bigger biceps.

Hammer Dumbbell Curl – The hammer curl is particularly useful for building up the biceps brachialis, which is a smaller biceps muscle that helps with peak and bi/tri separation.

Chin-Up – The chin-up is a great “functional” movement that targets the biceps. You can add weight with a dip belt or weighted vest as you get stronger, which ensures you can keep overloading your muscles.

THE 5 BEST TRICEPS EXERCISES

Close-Grip Bench Press – The close-grip bench press is a compound movement that allows you to safely push heavy weight. It also gives a little boost to your chest development.

Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Press – The dumbbell overhead triceps press is a great exercise because it enables you to safely press heavy weight and overload the triceps.

Lying Triceps Press – The lying triceps press involves a motion similar to the overhead dumbbell press and it’s fantastic for developing the triceps.

Dip – There are two types of dips you can do: the bench and upright dip. Both are good for training the triceps and benefit the chest and shoulders as well.

Triceps Pushdown – This is the most common triceps exercise that people do and, surprisingly, it’s quite good. That said, we recommend that you save it for later in your workouts after you’ve done heavier work on the other exercises given in this list.

PROGRESSION IS THE KEY TO MUSCLE GROWTH

The key isn’t just doing the exercises – it’s progressing on them, which means increasing the amount of weight you can move over time.

If you don’t get stronger, you won’t get bigger.

THE ULTIMATE ARMS WORKOUT

A good arms workout trains both the biceps and triceps and, indirectly, the forearms, and focuses on moving heavy weights.

Just like any other muscle group, arms can benefit from higher-rep work, but you have to emphasize heavy weightlifting if you want them to continue to grow over time.

DO THE FOLLOWING ARMS WORKOUT ONCE EVERY 5 – 7 DAYS.

Don’t superset these exercises. Instead, rest 60 seconds in between each set. This will give your muscles enough time to fully recoup their strength so you can give maximum effort each set.

Once you hit the top of your rep range for one set, you move up in weight.

For instance, if you get 6 reps on your first set of barbell curls, you add 5 pounds to each side of the bar for your next set and work with that weight until you can curl it for 6 reps, and so forth.

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Nawa’y makatulong ang mga tips at workouts na ito upang maachieve mo na ang iyong #sexyarmsgoals 💪😉

(Photo and info from Google Images; Legion: legionathletics.com)