ShapeFit.com

[ups1984]

Here is the first of many ‘HOW TO’ posts that will help you create you own diet and exercise plans to achieve your fitness goals. It is very important for each and every one of us to know – how to go about creating our own diet plans. Following is a guide that shows you what steps to take.

Calculate your BMR: BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the amount of calories used to keep you alive. There are a number of operations taking place within our bodies and we need energy/calories to keep them going. You can calculate you BMR using any online BMR/RMR calculator or use the following formulas.

English BMR Formula
Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in year)

Metric BMR Formula
Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kilos) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age in years)
Men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kilos) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age in years)

Add activity level: Apart from the involuntary operations happening in your body, you need energy for the voluntary actions as well. You need energy to walk, talk, run – basically do anything. You can take this into account by adding an activity level. Research has shown that the following factors can be used for accurate results. The final result is called TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)

Activity Multiplier
Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
Extr. active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e. marathon, contest etc.)

Calculate your average daily intake: Take a couple of days and note down what you are eating. Use the internet to get the calorie count.

Make first diet plan: The first diet plan should help you get back to your BMR level. E.g. If your BMR is 1800, take 1800 calories (first diet plan) for 1 – 2 weeks. This means that your body will be at equilibrium. Not gaining, nor losing.

Make second plan: This should create a calorie deficit. E.g. if your TDEE is 2000 cals, you should go down to 1500 or 1700 calories, but make sure you take above 2000 cals once a week; Preferably the weekend.

Follow these steps and you should be good to go.

Rules: There are some other rules that need to be considered. These are related to the timing of calories and the type of calories you are taking in. (take most of your carbs from fruits as they are rich in minerals and vitamins as well).

Breakfast - Low GI carbohydrates Fiber Slow Protein Unsaturated fats
Snack - Protein Unsaturated fats Low or no carbohydrates
Lunch - Protein Unsaturated fats Low GI carbohydrates Fiber
Snack - Protein Unsaturated fats Low or no carbohydrates
Snack 2 (or post workout) - Protein
Supper - Slow Protein Unsaturated fats Low or no carbohydrates

Things you need to avoid:
Saturated fats
Trans-fats
Processed grain
Process sugar

The above method will help you increase your metabolism, regulate your hormones and get healthy.
__________________
Usman P. Siddiqui - Certified Personal Trainer and Sports Nutritionist

[Boss Man]

Sorry but I respectfully disagree about Breakfast. High GI Carbs should be a priority as Blood sugar is low. Unless the person is Diabetic, but then they should have their own regime for Carb types / monitoring. Glycemic Load of Low GI is often quite poor, unless you eat massive amounts of them, and then you could feel too full or too bloated.

I wouldn't advocate no Carbs for a meal anyway, I'd say have some Carbs anyway, and you haven't got anything in there to indicate what is okay with a Dinner.

Also don't take most of your Carbs from Fruits. The Fruit Sugars are quick digesting, and some of the Fructose converts to Fat in the Liver. Plus Fruit doesn't combine in the Stomach too well with other foods, except for Tomato. I've even heard of some people advocating no Fruit at all, but I don't agree with that.

Also the Fruit Acids can cause Tooth enamel arosion, and in the case of Citrus and Whole-grain possibly cause Hyperacidity, as supposedly some of the Enzymes responsible for digestion both types, compete.

Vitamisn and minerals are just as abundant in Fiberous, Grain and Leguminous Carbs. The only thing with Fruit is, some Fruits contain Lycopene, which other Carb sources don't, but then people can get that from Tomatos, (Yellow and Orange have a better type), and possibly things like Pink Grapefruit, or Pink Guava, at Breakfast, making sure they give the Fruit some time to digest first, to avoid combination issues.

The only benefit to having a lot of Fruit, is if someone is Glucose intolerant, as Fructose is supposed to be a very good alternative.

Also it's not strictly true to say avoid Saturates. Your body needs some Saturates, but just not too many, and the GDA for Saturates is actually 20g per day, 20 or less is considered acceptable.

There is also evidence to suggest that Unsaturates can sometimes be found in Cancer cells, and don't forget, when people used to live centuries ago, they only ate Animal Fats, and Dairy Fats, which are saturates, but being more active, not binging on Alcohol, and not eating tonnes of crap, their bodies responded better.

Saturates get a bad rap, because of people who think McDonalds is a second home, so many people don't realise the truth, that Saturates aren't the enemy in small daily doses, and 20g is 180 calories, out of an approximate 50-60g GDA for total Fats.

Although yes some unsaturates have many benefits, so they should be considered of high importance to people than Saturates, not least as Nitrogen in saturates converts to Uric Acid, and can contribute in the long-term to Gout, (Uric Acid buildup around Joints), as well as the usual Cardiac risk etc etc..

So sorry, I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but I must politely disagree with some of what you said.