5 Reasons You Should Prep Your Meals

by Brently Rousset | fitnessrxformen.com

Failing to eat clean consistently is of the main reasons people fail to reach their goals. Some believe they can outwork a bad diet, but that’s just not possible for most. if you really want to lose those few extra pounds before beach season begins, you need to get your diet in check.

One of the simplest, most effective ways you to do that is to prepare your meals ahead of time. Here are 5 reasons to meal prep and help you get in the shape you want.

#1 Time Management

One of the most common excuses is not having enough time. Not enough time to exercise, not enough time to handle all the tasks throughout your day, not enough time to eat healthy. We’ve all been there. and sometimes the easiest, quickest option becomes a fat-packed, high caloric fast food meal because we don’t have the time.

By preparing your meals for the week and having quality, healthy food options within your grasp, you won’t have to go out of your way to get food, saving yourself both time and some serious calories. Better management of your meals will allow you to better manage your time throughout the day.

#2 Staying on Track

Whether you are trying to lose or gain weight, you should have a plan regarding how much food you should be eating daily or weekly. By having your meals prepared and divided into their specific portions you will be more likely to stay on track with a healthy eating lifestyle.

#3 Save Money

One of the most common misconceptions about buying food is the notion that eating fast food is cheaper than purchasing food from the grocery store and cooking it yourself. If you are still thinking that’s the case, then it’s time to squash that thought.

Preparing your food ahead of time is going to save you both time and money. Let’s use a popular, fast, healthy food option from Chipotle to provide an example of how much money you can save by preparing your own meal.

Chipotle Chicken Bowl

• 1 Cup Rice
• ½ Cup Black Beans
• Double Chicken – 8 oz.
• ¼ Cup Shredded Cheese
• 1 Cup Chopped Lettuce

Price: $9.56

Home Made Chicken Bowl

• 1 Cup Rice = $0.17
• ½ Cup Black Beans = $0.20
• 8 oz. Chicken = $1.50
• ¼ cup Shredded Cheese = $0.37
• 1 Cup Chopped Lettuce = $0.10

Price: $2.34

#4 Portion Control

Preparing your meals allows you be precise in the amount of calories, carbohydrates, fat, and protein you are consuming. Unless you are bringing a pocket food scale with you go when you eat out, unfortunately you won’t really know the different between 1 cup of pasta and 1 ½ cups of pasta just by looking at it. This lack of precision meal after meal could will lead to you eating hundreds of more calories throughout the day and will put you well over your desired amount. Sometimes it’s not all about WHAT you are eating, but HOW MUCH of it you are eating.

#5 Winning the Mental Game

If you want to be the best in anything you do, you need to focus on winning the mental game. If you’re not mentally prepared to get in the gym and lift some heavy weight, you’ve already lost the battle with yourself. By preparing your nutritional intake for the entire week through a couple hours of meal prepping, you are mentally preparing yourself for the week. By conquering the mental aspect of your nutrition plan you can steer your mental focus towards your workouts each day and stand victorious each day, knowing you are winning the mental battle.

Reprinted from fitnessrxformen.com

What Matters More in Spin Class: Speed or Resistance?

Going fast and building muscle are both important facets of indoor cycling—but here's what to do if something has to give.

By Cassie Shortsleeve

It's a common conundrum in indoor cycling: You hit a hard hill and realize you can't maintain your speed. So do you lower your resistance or slow down?

"I always tell people torque (resistance) is completely negotiable and RPMs (speed) is non-negotiable," says Victor Self, a master instructor at Flywheel. "Because we are doing high-intensity interval training, we always ask you to add torque or speed—but if you're not already going the speed we've requested, the interval won't be as effective."

So if you're struggling on a hill, drop the resistance and keep your RPMs where they should be. "This is how the pros do it," says Michele Olson, Ph.D., professor of exercise science at Auburn University Montgomery.

However, you don't want to cut the resistance excessively. The faster you can do a heavier amount of work, the greater your explosive power will be in your core and leg muscles, she says. Turning it up will get you the most bang for your buck, in terms of upping your aerobic andanaerobic power, she says.

Anaerobic training—which consists of shorter, more intense bursts—is important for everyday life (whether you're lifting heavy boxes or jumping over a curb), Olson explains. Aerobic power—which you build through working at moderate intensities for a longer amount of time (think: runs)—helps heart health and increases your ability to use oxygen effectively, she says.

Original research from Dr. Izumi Tabata found that when participants rode at a maximum effort for very short bouts—about 20-second sprints—they increased their aerobic power by about 12 percent and their anaerobic power by about 25, Olson says.

Why is that so important? When you're working both your anaerobic and aerobic systems (something that happens big time when you turn up the resistance), you burn both carbs and fat, speeding up weight loss, Olson says. "The afterburn from this type of exercise can last up to 24 hours and burn an extra 150 calories after heavy sprinting."

In the long run, the more power you put out per class, the more calories you torch, she says.

The bottom line: Master the basics at a lower resistance, then work toward keeping that resistance high to improve your fitness, says Olson.

reprinted from fitnessmagazine.com

6 Signs You're Not Getting Enough Protein

BY FARA ROSENZWEIG

It keeps your energy up and cravings at a minimum and builds muscles while burning fat, but it is often the one nutrient many runners lack in their diet: protein.

How much protein to consume

Protein plays a significant role in a runner’s diet. It helps repair muscles after a rigorous workout. It also builds and maintains muscle mass, which boosts performance. Of course protein intake varies depending on the intensity of your run workouts. Many female athletes are able to consume the recommended protein requirements from their daily diet as long protein intake is 10 to 15 percent of their nutrition plan, according to the Journal of Sport and Exercise. However, regardless of your protein consumption, protein should be managed based on your body weight, not percentage of daily intake.

Dave Scott, six-time IRONMAN champion, works with many athletes to make sure they consume the right balance of nutrients to avoid any issues during a competition. Warning signs that you might not be getting enough include: restless sleep, lack of clear cognitive thought process, loss of muscle tissue, brittle nails, that “laziness” feeling and low libido. Scott suggests women should use the following protein guideline to ensure they consume the right amount:

Light exercise (30 to 60 minutes a day)
take in 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight

Moderate exercise (1 to 2 hours a day)
take in 1.3 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight

Heavy exercise (more than 2 hours)
take in 1.6 to 2.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight


How to consume the right amounts

Regular diet: Include cold water fish, grass-fed beef and chicken into your diet three to five times a week. If you’re a vegetarian, try consuming Nori seaweed or Tempeh.

In every meal: Try to include a piece of protein per meal. You can sprinkle protein powder in your oatmeal, smoothie, coffee or yogurt parfait in the morning. Eat beans or meats at lunch or dinner, and snack on high-protein foods in between meals.

Don’t forget the golden rule: It’s best to have a 2.5-hour window before eating, which means no grazing throughout the day. This sets your key hormones, Ghrelin and Leptin. Also, try to avoid sugary foods—sorry, ice cream lovers—before bed. This negates HGH and testosterone production, which helps regulate hormones, recovery and protein synthesis. You have a much higher risk of muscle loss if you consume too many sweet treats.


Reprinted from WomensRunning.com