Starting a new nutrition plan along with a training plan can be too much, too soon for most people. With that said, your diet doesn’t have to be perfect in order to see results. For the next six weeks, make the following areas your primary goals. As you successfully adopt these habits, continue to gradually clean up your diet from there.
1. Eat Protein
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The new workouts will place an increased amount of stress on your body, making your muscles starved for protein. Focus on getting a gram of protein per pound of targeted bodyweight every day, primarily from chicken, fish, red meat, eggs and protein powder. For example, if you weigh 130 pounds, shoot for 130 grams (or more) of protein daily.
2. Drink Water
It’s recommend for women over the age of 19 to drink 2.7 liters of water each day. However, while you’re working out it’s important to be drinking water every 10-20 minutes—you’ll improve your energy, recovery time, and help your body to stay sharp. Remember to match your sweat and urine output with fluid input.
3. Eat Vegetables And Fruit
As an active person, your demand for vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients is even greater because they can help repair muscle, assist with weight loss, and help prevent injury. Aim for 3-5 servings of vegetables and 2-3 servings of fruit every day.
4. Don’t Fear Carbohydrates
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Some trending diets advise a low-carb macronutrient to improve overall health and physique; this is because over consumption of carbohydrates can lead to weight gain and health consequences. But a hard-training individual needs a sufficient amount of glycogen for energy and recovery. As you start a workout program, your body will be changing rapidly, and so will your energy demands. This doesn’t mean to eat as many carbohydrates from any source you want. Rather, focus on eating two grams of carbohydrates per pound of targeted bodyweight. Your carb sources should be a mix of complex and simple carbs, ranging from potatoes, fruits, to whole-wheat bread. Your carb intake can be adjusted to accommodate energy needs and fat loss.
Hers Starter’s Guide Supplements
In addition to making these small dietary changes, use some basic supplements to help meet your nutritional & energy needs now that you’re working out several days a week. Check out The 2016 Hers Starter’s Guide Supplements.
