Step away from the carbs: Rewind

Yes, it is true that too many carbs will add up to too many inches around the mid-section, but no one
needs to live without carbs. Over the years we have been trained to think that carbs are stacked and
stored in our bodies to keep us energized. This is true, but we can turn to a program which will not
completely neglect and abandon carbs. It is possible to keep “good” percentages of carbs in our diets
and still achieve our weight loss and bodybuilding goals.

It is possible to carefully review the carbs in our foods to determine what the percentage of carbs comes
out to in the foods that we prefer to eat. You can keep carbs in your diet to balance your total caloric
intake, and realize that it is possible to eat a diet that is 50% or less made up of carbs.

If you want to add supplements to your diet, you can accomplish your goals by using supplements such
as protein powders. A good protein source for bodybuilders is to use protein powder. Whey is often
used in a bodybuilding diet since the materials are naturally consistent and predigested. It is absorbed
quickly after eating and can be easily mixed with water for use in the morning or afternoon training
sessions.

The whey protein is known to resemble an amino acid profile which mimics human muscle tissue.
But some people have the experience that the whey protein passes too quickly through the body to
be absorbed fully. The two ways whey protein is processed are that it comes as whey concentrate
and whey isolate. The whey concentrate allows the athlete to absorb the protein very quickly. Whey
isolate is more expensive but they work as well as the less expensive brands. The protein powders on
the market which are made up of combined protein sources are also popular. These formulas typically
can include whey, soya isolate, wheat, egg white, pea protein (for vegan bodybuilders) or casein.
These formulas can be taken with low-fat milk before going to bed. These formulas are essential to
bodybuilders since it would actually be unhealthy to eat the required amount of protein in a diet of
otherwise healthy foods. It is possible to raise the metabolic rate and burn fat. When a person digests
food after a meal, there are calories burned in the process. The body has to break down food and the
best way is the most efficient way, and this does burn a significant amount of calories.

People who are committed to burning the most calories also eat smaller meals during the day. The body
will break down meals whenever they are eaten. If small meals are eaten during the day, the body will
respond by working hard to break down the meal as efficiently as possible. Remember, breakfast is
still the most important meal of the day, and not to be skipped, even when weight training. In fact the
metabolic rate is fastest in the morning, so eating a breakfast is actually the best bet to getting on track.

It is also important to eat a meal after a strenuous workout. This need not be a heavy laden meal, but a
pick-me-up healthy snack instead would be sufficient. If an athlete or bodybuilder skips breakfast, it may
result in the unintended loss of body tissue and subsequent decrease in metabolism (the exact opposite
result intended when working out, trying to lose weight or bodybuilding). Some research has shown that
the rate of protein synthesis can increase to double after exercising and can remain elevated even one day after exercising.

So breakfast is still the most important meal of the day. You’ve heard this advice all of your life. You’ve
seen the commercials for breakfast foods – all sugar or all fat – and we know by now what we should
and should not be eating to be considered on a healthy diet. But did you realize that eating after a
workout may be as important as the first meal of the day. One best kept secret is that if you can eat
small meals each day, it is a better tool for weight loss and bodybuilding. If you normally eat three meals
daily (breakfast, lunch and dinner) consider adding two small meals in between to get more food in. the
snacks added will trade of to actually prompt your body to process food faster and more efficiently. The
food skipped at breakfast is hard to “make up” during the day. So by adding a snack you’ll be eating five
square meals a day instead. These extra snacks will help prevent the process of the loss of muscle and
drop in basic metabolism. Anytime you successfully raise the metabolic rate of your body you will have
the opportunity to burn fat on a daily basis. By digesting meals your body will be burning calories, so
every time your body breaks down food, your metabolism will be ramping up to get to work daily.

Bodybuilders can take probiotics to aid in the digesting process. Probiotics are live bacteria strains that
live in the digestive tract and help to break down foods. The formula is manufactured to include live
strains of bacteria which can be found in yogurt, pill form, and powders. These bacteria are normally
found in our digestive systems, but they are eradicated and wiped out because of the processed foods,
pollution and antibiotics that people take in their daily lives. When a bodybuilder ingests the bacteria, it
works to improve digestion and may serve to boost the immune system. This works to help our bodies
fight disease. Many bodybuilders do not know about using probiotics, but all bodybuilders should
consider using this supplement for their diets.

It is also important to not forget that post workout meals need to contain double the usual amount of
carbs and proteins. Of course, most people who work out would not want to eat right after a workout,
but it is actually the best time to take a meal or snack. If a person is eating five meals a day, and is
eating upwards of 2,500 or 3,000 calories, the meal after the workout should be around 500 or more
up to 1,000 with the other meals averaging 500 calories. If a person eats too light before the workout,
it may send the glycemic index into a tailspin. If eating high-glycemic carbs before training sounds like a
good idea, understand it is possibly the worst thing you could do. If you eat a meal high in the glycemic
index and then note your energy, it will be the case that the body’s insulin response will cancel out any
energy increase you may experience. Better said, you will begin to deplete your energy stores, stop any
breakdown of fats that your body has stored and mess up a “good thing.” Stick to the lower glycemic
index foods and find out how your exercise performance and routine will benefit from this advice.

Carbohydrates should be watched like a hawk. By this we mean that carbohydrates do not typically
jump off the plate and rush into our bodies without us having made some choice to have eaten them.
We know that basically carbs do their best to break themselves down into our blood streams. All
foods have a basic glycemic index rating, this measures the rate of how quickly carbs will enter into
the bloodstream. Once there, carbs will be converted into energy or will be stored later as glycogen
(preserved energy).

The glycemic-index rating can be measured below. Foods can be measured against the rating
of other foods such as that of white bread, which weighs in at a score of 100. Foods which are
considered “healthy” but which have a glycemic-index higher than 100 (or are even close to 100) are:
baked potatoes, doughnuts, cereals such as cornflakes or Rice Krispies, bagels, instant rice, Nutri-grain
bars, macaroni and cheese and raisins.

Foods that are moderate on the glycemic index rating are ice cream, orange juice, chocolate, bananas,
spaghetti, popcorn, white and brown rice, cheese pizza, and oat bran. We don’t want to cause confusion
but some pastas are considered low on the glycemic-index rating. To clarify, the pastas which are noted
as low on the glycemic-index rating. Pastas considered low in this ranking are: fettucine, vermincelli,
white spaghetti, macaroni, linguine, as well as these fruits – apples, peaches, oranges, grapes and
grapefruits.

When we eat high glycemic-index rated foods, the foods break down and push quickly into our blood
streams, which leads to raising our blood sugar levels. This increases insulin which works to lower our
energy levels but quick! It can also grab fatty acid which will be stored in our fat cells for use later on if
our bodies need it.

Something else that bodybuilders may need is to utilize weight gain formulas. Some weight gain
powders are available in the market, but it is necessary to determine which ones are the best ones for
use when training. There are some high calorie weight gain formulas which are high in carbohydrates
and fats. There are other formulas which are lower in these components and are used in times of less
severe weight training. If the formulas have over 600 calories in a measured unit, and are less than 100
grams of protein in a serving, they may be acceptable in a bodybuilder diet. These weight gain formulas
can be mixed with water or low fat milk. These options may not work out for all of the bodybuilders
who use them. If there are people who are new to bodybuilding, it may help to help that person put
on weight quickly. Some bodybuilders use this strategy in the off seasons as well when they want to
add more calories. It is important to remember that these weight gain formulas are not meant to be a substitute for real food. These supplements are meant to be supplemental and not meant to take the place for real food and nutrients that the bodybuilder needs to sustain a healthy diet.