The bottom line is this: You do not have to gain weight and add body fat in order to get stronger!
Not all calories are created equal. Each gram of protein contains four calories, as does a single gram of carbohydrates. The difference is in how your body utilizes those calories. Because a lot of people don’t know this, they end up not getting the results they want because their food choices aren’t complimenting the hard work they put in at the gym.
A huge mistake that I see with a lot of people is that they count calories, but they don’t take careful inspection of where those calories come from. Different foods and nutrients have very different reactions in the body. Carbohydrates and fats’ primary function is to provide our bodies with energy,
When we eat too many carbs, our body has no choice but to store the excess as fat!!
By simply keeping my protein intake at about 30% of my daily calories, and avoiding excess carbohydrate intake, I’ve been able to enhance the recovery from my workouts while keeping off the unwanted extra weight. It certainly doesn’t mean I don’t eat carbs, because I do, but they’re mostly coming from the following:
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Sweet Potatoes
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Oatmeal (not the ones with loaded sugar)
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Whole Grains
As long as you are still eating, you’ll have plenty of energy. Try subbing out some of your carbs with a little extra protein and see if that doesn’t help you to drop a few of those extra unwanted pounds!
Coach Kristen Rhodes is not only a Fitness Performance Coach and Personal Trainer at Straight Blast Gym
