**A FEW HEALTHY DIETING TIPS**Avoid skipping meals. Skipping meals can “trick” your body into slowing down its metabolism in an attempt to conserve calories where limited fuel is available. Studies indicate that consuming several small meals can contribute to greater weight loss by keeping your metabolism humming along. It works more continuously and efficiently than if you are eating the three traditional meals per day. Start with four meals and gradually increase to six. A protein shake, like one of our delicious Amplify® Smoothies, is a great way to add a small meal to your daily diet.
Consume protein. Think of protein as your body’s fuel. It’s been proven that protein aids in the repair of muscle tissue after exercise and it also supports stable blood sugar levels. Aim to include about 4 to 5 ounces of protein with each meal. Some suggestions on how to add protein to your diet include combining nuts or peanut butter with some fruit as a healthy snack, adding protein powder to your morning oatmeal or enjoying a mid-afternoon protein shake. We recommend Amplify® Smoothies as a source of daily protein and they’re ideal for supporting healthy energy levels throughout the day.
Dedicate time for eating. Overeating is more likely to occur when attention is focused on a task other than eating. Try to make it a point to avoid activities such as work, reading or watching television while you eat. Also, take your time when eating. Studies confirm people who eat slower tend to eat less and weigh less. Lastly, be mindful of your caloric intake throughout the day and plan accordingly for your evening meal. Avoid eating larger meals and/or unhealthy foods later in the evening, but if you must eat late make a healthy decision on what you do eat and how many calories you do consume for that meal.
Drink plenty of water. Water does not directly assist in burning fat but it is essential for several bodily functions including temperature regulation, food dissolution, nutrient delivery and toxin excretion. Water increases weight loss success because it fills the stomach allowing for a feeling of fullness and less room for food, equating to less calories consumed and greater weight loss. It’s recommended that your daily fluid intake be about 64 ounces, or about 8-10 glasses per day.
Increase your fiber intake. Studies show that consuming fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are relatively low in calories and high in nutrients absorb water to create “bulk”, helping with satiation (feeling of fullness) and weight loss. Fiber helps to promote “regularity”, controls blood sugar fluctuations and even binds and transports natural toxins out of the body. Daily fiber intake should be at least 20-35 grams. Individuals who find it difficult to obtain sufficient fiber on a regular basis or desire more fiber than is typically possible on a very low carbohydrate diet may find a fiber supplement to be an effective solution.
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Back to school diet tips:
• Cook food 3 days at a time. Cooking your meats will help you to maintain a healthier diet when you can just grab it out of the fridge and then microwave some rice and/or vegetables.
• Eat 4-6 small meals consisting of:
Males
6-8 oz of lean protein
20g-30g of carbs, rice, oatmeal, sweet potatoes
1 serving of greens
Females
4 oz of meat
10g carbs
1 serving of greens
Weight training:
• If you are trying to gain muscle mass, you need to increase your caloric intake as well as protein, carbs, and fat. A good number to shoot for is at least 2 grams of protein, 3 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. Lifting should consist of low reps, heavy weight and longer rest periods.
• If you are wanting to lean out, shoot for 1-5 grams of protein and 1 g carbs. Weight training should be high intensity, high reps, short rest periods and lower weight.
1) Avoid sipping through a straw or chewing gum a couple hours prior to putting on your swimsuit. The air sucked in through a straw or by chewing gum can cause bloating in the stomach and make you appear larger than you actually are. If creatine is your workout favorite, look towards using one that does not hold the water weight and make you bloated. GNC has one made by NDS called Kre-Alklyn that reduces bloating and excess water weight.
2) A great way to stop being tempted by junk food is to not keep it convenient. Clear your cabinets of anything tempting and replace with healthier snacks. GNC has some great tasting meal replacement protein shakes that taste like chocolate milk or can be mixed into your favorite smooothies.
3) If going to the gym is tough for you to do, use summer to your advantage! Pools are a great whole-body workout and playing in the pool can burn a lot of excess calories. Joining a water aerobics class works all major muscles and combined with a fat burner like the Complete 500 or Cellucor's D4, you can burn double the calories!
4) Skip the scales. People who constantly weigh themselves tend to focus on the bad instead of the good progress being made. Measure your weight loss by clothes that are fitting more loosely and your overall energy levels. Stay positive about yourself and if you get into a rut, check out our exclusive 3 N 1 made by NDS nutrition. 3 N 1 helps regulate your stress levels, keep your water levels in check, and assit in regulating your thyroid. You will notice you have more energy and a positive mood lift!
5) If you want to notice significant weight loss, change your diet and speed up your metabolism. The Complete 500 burns an extra 500 calories per packet and gives you energy. Summertime is a great way to be active and burn those extra calories. Fruits and veggies are extra fresh in the summer, take advantage and eat healthier!
6) No matter what, hydrate yourself this summer. As the temperatures rise, the water levels in our bodies are released by sweating. If you notice your lips are chapped or skin feels dry you aren't getting enough water. You should be drinking half your weight in ounces of water per day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds you should be drinking 75 ounces of water daily. Your skin will glow and you will feel fuller when it comes to snacking and meals. Give your body what it craves -- a nice big glass of H2O!
1) Stay hydrated. With the weather warming up it is important to keep your body hydrated. Your muscles will function better and you will have more natural energy. The feeling of hunger is often mistaken for being dehyrdrated. Drink some water instead of reaching for something bad for you.
2) Add in your arms with your workouts. Grab some hand weights to accompany you while you are doing squats or lunges. It will help build those beach worthy arms!
3) For women who want to tone but not build muscle, use smaller weight with longer reps. For example, a 5lb weight is great with 12-15 reps and 2 or 3 sets.
4) If you are having trouble toning those hard to reach areas, use a suppliment such as the Complete 500 to burn those calories and free up with hard to reach fat cells so the area can be toned. Even if you do not have time to workout, the Complete 500 will burn 500 extra calories with each packet (recommended 2 packets a day) plus provide you with crash free, jitter free energy and mood support.
5) To really see the arm definition it is important to burn calories through cardio or fat burning agents and then target the arms with specific workouts. Try to target one area with two different workouts for the best results. For example, if you want toned defined triceps then try resistance band pressdowns, stability ball db tricep extensions, and close grip pushups from the knees. Go 10-15 reps of each back to back then repeat one or two more times.
1) Rest is essential to have more energy and a more productive day. If you are having trouble getting to sleep, cut off all caffeine at least 6 hours before bedtime. Use Dreamweaver by Revolution or Nocturnal by NDS to help put you into a nice easy sleep without the sluggish feel when you wake up.
2) Even if you don't have time to get a full workout in, try to get some walking or movement in. Park a little further from your destination and use that walk time as exercise, take the stairs instead of the elevator and doing household chores can also help. Using NDS's Complete 500 will burn an extra 500 calories per packet which is the equivalent to 30 minutes of walking.
3) February is heart health month and putting fish oil in your diet can help with your overall cardiovascular health. Fish oil is not only good for cardiovascular health, but it also works as an anti-inflammatory. If you are sore from working out, or have arthritis, fish oil is recommended for both the young and old alike.
4) When trying to tone up or lose a few pounds/inches, mixing up your workout by doing 3-5 sets with 20+ reps with lower weights will increase your heart rate and help you burn more calories.
5) NDS Muscle Phix is a good additive to your pre-workout routine to help with endurance. It buffers lactic acid buildup so that your muscles do not fatigue as fast and you can get a longer, more productive workout.
6 Weight Loss Tips from Trainer Robb!
1) Multivitamins are essential to take everyday and have been medically proven to help you feel better overall. They compliment your workouts and improve your quality of life. GNC Vitapaks are a convenient and easy way to get all your daily vitamins in one easy package.
2) Building Lean Muscle: Your body needs a gram and a half of protein for every pound you weigh in order to build lean muscle.
3) If you work out first thing in the morning eat something up to an hour before your workout. Example: oatmeal, fruit, or a protein shake such as one from NDS' Amplify line. If you don't like the taste of the protein, put it in the refrigerator for a little bit prior to consuming, it tastes better cold and use a shaker bottle to make sure the powder gets mixed well
4) A pre-workout supplement such as NDS' Pump Fuel or M5 Cellucor is a good way to kick your workout up a notch. It helps with workout intensity, endurance, energy, mental focus, and strength.
5) Protein shakes after your workout provide repairing to muscle tissue, aids in muscle recovery, and helps with muscle soreness.
6) A post workout supplement such as Bio Rhythms After Glow is a good tasting alternative to drinking a protein shake after your workout.
1) Eat breakfast - it jump starts your metabolism for the day.
2) Don't skip meals - your body tries to hold on to any food it gets and stores it as fat because it thinks it will not get any more nutrients.
3) Carbohydrates = energy. Majority of carbohydrate intake should be with breakfast and lunch. Limit carb intake after 5pm because it won't be as easy to burn them off in your sleep and your body will store it as fat.
4) Protein intake is essential in order to build lean muscle as well as boost your metabolism. Protein shakes are a good way to add more protein to your diet.
5) Set a weight loss goal for a 60 day time period - example: low carb high protein diet, weight loss kit such as the complete 500 to help boost metabolism and break down stored fat, combined with an exercise program*
*our locations have certified personal trainers that can answer questions and help design a weight loss plan to meet your needs.