Oatmeal is not just a porridge made from specially processed oatmeal. Oatmeal can be used to prepare a lot of delicious and, most importantly, healthy dishes.

Oatmeal is one of the recognized leaders in providing the body with fiber and complex carbohydrates. Trace elements: cobalt, manganese, iodine, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, chromium, vitamins K, E, A, group B, antioxidants, proteins. This is not a complete list of the chemical composition of the miracle porridge.

Oatmeal ensures the smooth functioning of the stomach and removes accumulated toxins. No wonder they say that beauty is not only about caring for your appearance. This is, first of all, taking care of the health of internal organs.

Semolina in bodybuilding

Everyone has known the taste of this dish since childhood. Adults also do not mind eating semolina, but, unfortunately, not everyone can cook porridge correctly. With buckwheat, everything is much easier. It is poured over with water, put on fire and removed after 30 minutes. Semolina porridge requires constant monitoring during the cooking process. To prevent the milk from escaping, they constantly regulate the fire. In addition, the semolina itself must be constantly stirred. This process scares many, but already for the second or third time everything starts to work out without any problems, and over time it becomes automatic.

The main advantage of semolina is its high protein content. There is not very much protein in the cereal itself, but due to the fact that it is prepared in milk, the finished porridge is enriched with this element. Eating semolina is best for breakfast, which allows you to replenish the lack of carbohydrates in the morning, and also not to worry about excess fat accumulations, since during the day sugar and its derivatives begin to be spent in the form of energy, and not deposited in the fat depot. Therefore, you can safely sweeten the porridge even with jam. If the semolina is unsweetened, it will not be very tasty.

Oatmeal in bodybuilding

Another dish that allows you to diversify your daily diet and take a little break from rice with buckwheat. Some bodybuilders consume oatmeal along with buckwheat and rice. 100 g of this cereal accounts for about 12 g of protein. Along with protein, oatmeal is rich in vegetable fiber, which suppresses appetite. It is recommended to use it on diets and during the drying period.

Oatmeal can be used to make not only ordinary porridge, but also many other dishes. Cookies are very tasty. They are much healthier than various commercial sweets. In addition, a variety of protein shakes are prepared on the basis of cereals.

Making the cookies

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add the vanillin. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients – oatmeal, raisins, cinnamon, and sweetener. It is recommended to grind the oatmeal slightly, but not to a flour state. You can use a blender or crush them in a mortar. It is advisable to pre-steam the raisins with boiling water and then dry them on a napkin.

Next, you need to combine the contents of two containers, add 3 tablespoons of milk and mix thoroughly. If the mixture is too thick, add another scoop of milk. Then they spread the cookies on a baking sheet covered with parchment. This can be done with a tablespoon or with your hands. Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

Barley porridge

Not very popular with bodybuilders, as few people can cook a truly delicious dish. If you choose the right recipe, then it will become one of your favorites. Barley contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin B, which is part of cereals, is involved in protein synthesis and the process of blood formation, which is an undoubted plus for those who are engaged in bodybuilding. Barley stimulates the production of collagen, a substance that supports healthy bone tissue.

Fitness cereals pros and cons Miscellaneous

With enviable consistency, the central channels include advertisements in their broadcasting, which broadcast various fitness cereals. Judging by the loud slogans, the effect after their use is visible on the figure in just two weeks. But is it really so?

Fitness cereal diet

If you look at the composition indicated on the back of the cereal box, you will inevitably be disappointed: carbohydrates (including sugar) , preservatives, flavor enhancers.

Obviously, these are not the components I would like to see on the packaging of a “healthy treat”.

And you cannot call cheap fitness flakes for weight loss, in contrast to this, you should remember that the same oatmeal or corn porridge, whose cost is an order of magnitude lower, and the result is identical.

However, it is recommended to use a diet based on the use of complex cereals “Fitness in 14 days.”

It can be present as follows:

1. Breakfast: 8 tbsp. tablespoons of cereal poured in skim milk, a fruit of your choice, a cup of coffee or green tea.
2. Second breakfast (lunch): two non-nutritive fruits, kefir / yogurt, a cup of tea.
3. Lunch: vegetable salad, broth with a piece of meat or fish, a cup of coffee.
4. Afternoon snack: fruit of your choice, cottage cheese / yogurt, grain bread, a cup of tea.
5. Dinner: 8 tbsp. tablespoons of cereal with skim milk, a cup of coffee or green tea.

If you look closely, this diet is definitely not from the category of strict, and the food intake itself turns out to be very balanced. Any healthy person can easily hold out on it, with the exception of only those people whose work involves high physical activity (for example, an athlete or a builder).

In the summer, adhering to these rules will not be difficult, and the body will feel noticeable ease. After evaluating the main advantages, it is worth considering: will the desired effect be achieved in two weeks?

The pros and cons of using fitness cereals

According to experts, people will say goodbye to extra pounds first of all, obese. Holders of normal weight will be able to lose no more than 2 kilograms. The thing is that the calorie content that fitness flakes have is not at all low. They contain both sugar and various carbohydrates, which calls into question the effectiveness of their use.

Now about the price. If we compare the cost of fitness cereals and ordinary cereals, then it is easy to notice that the former are almost twice as expensive. At the same time, it will take 20-30 minutes to cook porridge from ordinary cereals, and the cereals will be ready in 5 minutes. Undoubtedly, this fact is a huge plus when hurrying to get to work in the morning.

A healthy and hearty breakfast contributes to a great start to a working day! And thanks to the variety of flavors, every day you can start with a new flavor. Your children will also not remain indifferent to Nestlé cereals.

Whether to use fitness cereals for weight loss or not is a purely individual decision

But it is important to know that there is much healthier and more varied food: muesli, oatmeal, buckwheat porridge, which contain much more vitamins and have a lower calorie content

For those who want to lose weight, buckwheat is recommended. Add nuts, dried fruits, bran to your breakfast, and it will become even tastier and healthier

In nutrition, it is important to maintain a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for the full development of the body and keeping it in good physical shape

The post Slimming cookies 5 delicious fitness oatmeal cookie recipes first appeared on antiseizurepharm.com.

The high protein content affects the organs and performance of our body, and this effect can be both positive and and negative nature.
Benefits

• With rapid weight loss, muscles do not disappear anywhere, giving the figure an attractive relief;
• a protein diet contains a sufficient proportion of nutrients and substances for the body did not feel their lack;
• a protein diet shows a high result;
• a wide variety of products;
• a protein day is ideal for combining with high physical activity, without negative actions, including on the mental state;
• the condition of the skin, teeth, nails and hair is improved.

Harm

• The risk increases development of cardiovascular diseases;
• for women, a protein day may be fraught with impaired reproductive system;
• a high concentration of protein puts a heavy load on the liver and kidneys;
• digestive problems may occur due to a lack of fiber;
• the necessary balance of BJU is disrupted, which badly affects the intestinal microflora;
• animal protein raises cholesterol levels.

White Protein Day

There is“ White Protein Day ”, a pure protein day to overcome stagnant weight and continue to lose those extra pounds.

“White protein day” is a fairly simple change on a typical protein day, where instead of the permitted foods, you eat foods that are very high in protein, such as low-fat dairy products, white fish, chicken, turkey and eggs protein along with your usual serving of oat bran.

You do not eat the rest of the foods and increase the time of your daily physical activity from 20-30 minutes to 60.

Protein fasting days will help activate metabolic processes.

If you are a protein the product chosen is meat, then the body will receive enough protein and iron. Cheese and curd fasting days will provide the body with calcium. Kefir will reduce the severity of allergic manifestations and activate digestion.

But with all the advantages, protein fasting days, and even more meat, are contraindicated for people with problems of the cardiovascular system and liver and kidney diseases.

The result will not be long in coming, especially if you combine diet with exercise, so it is ideal not only for women, but also for men. On this page of the site you will read about the experience, personal impressions and feelings of those who “sit” on a protein diet, you will find reviews about it. Consider several recipes for different protein dishes, the preparation of which does not take much time and money. A list of protein foods will help you correctly adjust your diet. A well-designed diet determines half of the success. They are therefore called proteins (from the Greek “protos” – the first), because they are the basis of the structure of every organ, every cell. Why should some of the protein in the daily diet be provided as animal protein? Meat is a source of animal proteins necessary for building cells, but it cannot be called an absolutely healthy product. Calorie table of staple meat foods. Most protein blends and ready-made shakes burn fat, and as a result – and extra pounds. The essence of this method of nutrition consists in changing the amount of proteins and carbohydrates consumed.

Rules of conduct

In order for protein weight loss to give results immediately, certain recommendations should be followed:

• only use foods from the permitted list;
  • include acceptable carbohydrates and fats at a specific time when they are not stored in extra pounds;
  • eat every day at exactly the same time;
  • protein portions should not more than 150 g, but you need to eat often;
  • have snacks as often as possible;
  • observe the drinking regime (at least 1.5 liters of still water daily);
  • try to keep the amount of salt in your meals to a minimum;
  • supplement your protein day with physical activity;
  • try to include more plant protein in your diet than animal protein.

Protein days can be spent no more than once a year. Only in this case they pass without harm to health. The maximum duration is 2 weeks. A short-term diet usually lasts 3-4 days, it also leads to weight loss in a minimum period.

You should pay atention to the correct way out of protein weight loss in order to consolidate the result and not create a stressful situation for the body. Familiar food should be introduced gradually – first add healthy carbohydrates (cereals, pasta, whole grain bread) to the diet, then vegetables and fruits, and lastly add fermented milk products. You also need to adhere to fractional meals and drink more water.

After a breakdown, you don’t need to despair, but you can return to the diet menu, taking into account all the recommendations.

How to burn fat right

To achieve the maximum effect, it is necessary to correctly calculate the carbohydrate and protein loads. Fortunately, nutritionists did it for us, it remains to fulfill their recommendations: 2 days of protein, 1 day of carbohydrates, 1 day of mixed meals. According to this scheme, a protein-carbohydrate diet for weight loss works one hundred percent, fat goes away gradually and irrevocably. Two days of protein is just enough to “scare” the body of the lack of carbohydrates. In one carbohydrate day and one mixed organism, it manages to “rejoice and calm down” in order to move to the accumulation of carbohydrates that are deficient due to protein days and burn fat specifically.

You don’t need to count calories and carbohydrates – eat as much as you want. But protein should enter the body intensively, about 2 grams per 1 kg of body weight. You can drink mineral and filtered water, juices, tea and even coffee (in moderation), only soda and alcohol are excluded.

Contraindications

Protein days full of amino acids and protein are not always beneficial. They contribute to weight loss in the event that there are no listed contraindications:

• protein nutrition significantly reduces the level of calcium in the body, which can be critical for the elderly;
• high protein content food negatively affects people suffering from kidney and liver diseases;
• those who have serious stomach and intestinal problems should not be on such a diet.

Pros of Protein Products

• Installed that people who consume a lot of protein foods metabolize much faster than those who prefer carbohydrates.
• There is no feeling of hunger, since protein is absorbed more slowly than fats and carbohydrates.
• Maintains normal blood sugar levels. This means that a person does not experience sudden outbursts of hunger. Diseases related to the endocrine system, such as diabetes, are excluded.
• Cost of protein products. Of course, veal and beef are not the cheapest options. But cottage cheese, kefir and eggs are quite inexpensive.

At the end of the article, we can say that protein fasting days not only contribute to weight loss, but also saturate the body with useful microelements, without which its vital activity is impossible.

What can you eat?

Products for cooking with protein weight loss should be taken from the recommended list:

• lean meat: beef, rabbit, veal;
• lean poultry: chicken, turkey;
• lean fish: pink salmon, chum salmon, cod, hake, pollock, blue whiting, pike, flounder;
• seafood: squid , shrimp, mussels, octopus;
• vegetables: except for potatoes, beets;
• mostly sour fruits: kiwi, orange, lemon, grapefruit, apples, pineapples;
• mushrooms;
• legumes: beans, lentils, chickpeas, soybeans;
• low-fat dairy products: sour cream, kefir, fermented baked milk, milk, cottage cheese, bifidoc, cheese, yogurt – they should also be free of sugar and foreign additives ;
• eggs;
• unsweetened teas (green, black, herbal), coffee, still water.

Protein and vegetable menu for 7 days

Day of the weekBreakfastLunchDinnerSnacksMondayA glass of natural yogurt with herbsSoup with vegetables and veal + sandwich with cheese and tomatoesBoiled beef, cucumber and Chinese cabbage salad2 boiled eggs, 2 fresh cucumbersTuesdayRye bread sandwich with cottage cheese, fresh cucumber and basilCelery soup with chicken breast + boiled vegetablesCottage cheese with sour cream and herbsFresh cabbage and carrot salad, pieces of boiled in dykesWednesdaySandwich with cottage cheese, chicken fillet and fresh cucumberRabbit stewed in sour cream and vegetable stewSalad with fish, cucumbers and tomatoesSalad with fresh cabbage and carrots, chicken brothThursdayPiece of turkey, cucumberPollock cutlets and fresh carrot and cabbage saladGrilled vegetables, baked breastKefir , curd mousse with herbsFridayA glass of kefir and a sandwich with cheese and tomatoFish soup, salad with shrimps, arugula, tomatoesBaked zucchini, boiled turkeyFresh cucumber, 3 boiled eggsSaturdayBoiled egg and freshly squeezed vegetable juiceChicken breast with mushrooms and cheeseSteamed veal and sauerkraut saladFresh cabbage and carrot salad, pieces of boiled beefSundayHerb OmeletFish SoupGrilled Turkey, Eggplant StewCurd mousse, spinach

Results

The effect of protein days is manifested primarily in immediate weight loss. A distinctive feature is that the relief of the muscles is preserved, they are outlined due to the reduction of fat mass. The combination of a protein diet with exercise gives an even more impressive result.

How much excess weight goes away?

According to the reviews of those who lose weight, a strict diet based on protein alone contributes to rapid weight loss – up to 9 kg per month. More gentle options also give a positive result – up to 5 kg per month.

The post What to eat for breakfast? Carbohydrates vs. proteins and fats first appeared on antiseizurepharm.com.

It’s funny how my ideas about the ideal figure were very different then, 13 years ago. The reference point for me was the photos that I saw on the Internet and on the covers of magazines. I wanted to look emaciated. I wanted to be petite and fragile. I wanted to be “less”.

My first visit to the gym was so unproductive that you can’t imagine it on purpose. The “intense” workout consisted of an abdominal exercise, a couple of crunches and … you never know … sleeping on a gymnastic mat. Yes, yes, I fell asleep on the mat about 15 minutes after crossing the threshold of the gym for the first time in my life.

Despite the discouraging first experience, I started going to the gym all the time, and this has been going on for 13 years. Since then, I’ve done countless strength training sessions. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with strength training and the sensations it gave me. Very soon I became a passionate, convinced and devoted fan of sports that strengthens the body and strengthens the spirit.

Today, I want to share with you 13 important lessons I learned on the path to a stronger, more attractive and more confident version of myself.

Lesson 1. Girls, you will never be like guys

No matter how hard you work out in the gym, you will never – I repeat, never – look like guys. There is simply too little testosterone in the female body to build muscle mass to the point where you start to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Women who pose for cameras with huge muscles use steroids.

You can achieve stunning changes in your physique and figure without dangerous drugs. To do this, it is enough to adhere to a healthy diet and lift weights – real weights. Don’t be afraid to go beyond the colored 2kg dumbbells and grab some real iron. You will not turn into a mountain of muscles, but you will definitely become stronger and slimmer.

Lesson 2. Strength training is much healthier for your figure than cardio

Body aesthetics depends on two components: muscles and their visualization. During strength training, we build muscle mass and shape the contours of the figure. Reducing the percentage of body fat helps us to polish these contours. To create attractive forms, you must do strength exercises. In other words, in order to manifest forms, you must first create them! When it comes to cardio, it’s good for your heart and health, but doesn’t affect your muscles in any way.

Lesson 3. Train all major muscle groups

What happens when a person decides to change their body and improve their health? In most cases, he begins to focus on the parts of the body that he cares about the most. Women are usually obsessed with the lower body and abdomen. Guys focus on biceps and pectoral muscles.

Muscles must be developed evenly and proportionally. This approach prevents injury, improves appearance, develops strength, and increases calorie expenditure. You must train all major muscle groups – both those that you see in the mirror and the muscles that are not visible in the mirror.

Focus on basic exercises that use large muscle mass – squats, deadlifts, overhead barbell or dumbbell presses, deadlifts. Then add supportive isolation exercises that target smaller muscle groups. These include bending the legs in the simulator, extending the triceps, extending the arms to the sides to the rear deltas.

Lesson 4. Local fat burning is a myth!

Emergency message: there is no such thing as local fat burning, that is, no exercise can cause fat burning in any specific area. The areas where subcutaneous fat predominantly accumulate are determined by your genetics, not by your training. Proper nutrition combined with intense strength training is what creates an aesthetically pleasing figure.

Lesson 5. Continuous growth requires progressive overload

The principle of specificity (specific adaptation to external requirements, or the SAID principle) is simple: your body adapts to stressors (in the form of exercise) by developing muscle strength and mass. In order to continue to improve your figure, you must constantly change the requirements for your body. This concept is called “progressive overload”.

One of the ways to solve the problem is to increase the working weight on the barbell, but for overloading you can use other techniques and different combinations of them. You can increase the number of repetitions in the set, expand the range of motion in certain exercises, improve the execution technique, and shorten the rest between sets. All of these techniques give almost unlimited freedom of action to change, monitor and adjust the training program. Make use of all the options and don’t stop challenging yourself.

Lesson 6. Forget dieting – count calories!

I have tried a wide variety of diets – low fat, fat, sugar-free, “specific foods” diets, and so on and so forth. None of them worked. About three years after starting strength training, I decided to dig deeper and figure out what the science says about changing body composition. I hoped to receive answers to the following questions: Why are we getting better? How do we lose weight? Are there foods that cause obesity? Are there foods that burn calories by themselves?

As a result, I realized that when it comes to calorie intake and body weight, there are only three options for the development of events:

1. The energy value of a daily diet corresponds to the number of calories your body burns per day. In this case, your body weight does not change.
2. The calorie content of your daily diet exceeds the number of calories you burn in a day. In such a situation, you gain weight.
3. Every day you get fewer calories than you burn. In this scenario, you lose weight.

Simply put, we gain weight when we have an excess of calories, and not because of the fact that we eat or do not eat any special foods. I’m a big fan of the 80 to 20 ratio, where 80 percent of your diet is nutritious, natural foods and the remaining 20 percent can be obtained from processed foods like convenience foods or sweets.

The good news is, you can still enjoy your favorite treats. You just need to reduce the serving size. Or reduce it very much.

Lesson 7. There are no good and bad products

Have you ever had such thoughts? Cookies are bad, but vegetable salad is good. I was a bad girl because I ate a chocolate cake, but I’ll be good if I eat broccoli or chicken breast.

The mental division of foods into “good” and “bad” is a sign of orthorexia nervosa, an eating disorder that manifests itself “an obsession with eating foods that are considered healthy.” Orthorexia is a beautiful term, but it is physically and emotionally draining, and in the long term, greatly reduces your chances of success.

By labeling products as good or bad, you create negative associations. In fact, all food is neutral, it must be used as fuel for the body and for pleasure! A healthy diet is not all black or all white – it has many shades of gray. Yes, it is rich in nutrients, but if you want to eat well over the long haul, be sure to include foods you enjoy on your menu.

Lesson 8. Be realistic about expectations

You have finally decided to start your fitness journey. You are excited. You are motivated. You think, “I will have my dream figure in 3-6 months!”

All this is good – but do not rush things. Most mortals will need more than three months to get their dream figure. With consistent training and nutrition, you will see noticeable and measurable gains after three months, but the results may be far from the “before and after” changes you often see on social media. (Okay, some gifted individuals will make dramatic changes in just a few months. Others will take a lot longer.)

It takes years to create a beautiful body and gain quality muscle mass. Tune in for the long haul. Prepare for ups and downs, for times when you see a change for the better, and for inevitable stagnation with no results. Progress is never linear. You move forward, then take a step back, stop, and start progressing again. Find a program that works for you, stick to the plan, and the changes you dream of will surely come.

Lesson 9. Consistency and patience are the keys to success

Motivation helps to get started, and habit makes you keep going. It’s not always a rainbow in the sky and the sun is shining, but in any situation it is better to do a mediocre training than not to train at all. Stick to the plan and don’t give up. Consistency will bring you closer to your goals and will help you develop the discipline and hard work needed to keep going no matter what. View every day as an opportunity to grow and develop, and rely on your discipline – not your motivation – to get to the gym. If you miss a workout, don’t berate yourself. Just fix the situation right away!

Lesson 10. Don’t get hung up on the numbers on the scales

For many years I have been attached to the magic number on the scales. The number that made my life much easier, more meaningful and happier. In reality, this figure does not even exist. Your body weight is made up of fat and lean mass (bone, muscle, connective tissue, organs, water). It is a dynamic metric that changes in response to stress, hydration, carbohydrate food, and fiber intake. Weight is influenced by food types, time of day, and even sleep.

Within a week, your weight can vary by 2-4 kg due to these variables. Plus, when you start strength training, body weight may even increase as you lose fat and build tight muscles. It’s good! The number on the scale is an imprecise indicator of progress. Measure your progress by how your clothes fit, how you feel, how you look in the mirror.

Lesson 11. You strengthen the body and build character

Just as muscles grow in response to new challenges, we also grow above ourselves. Sometimes life itself feels like strength training to us that we never signed up for. If you’re lucky, strength training will teach you how to harness your will and cope with any challenge.

I fell in love with strength training because it made me more effective in everyday life. Strength training tests your willpower. It tests your patience and dedication during times of success, regression, stagnation, and return to progress. There is something about this that inspires confidence, especially for women.

Lesson 12. Friends and family may not always support you

Even your closest friends and family may not understand your new lifestyle. It’s okay, they don’t have to agree with you. The main thing is that the most important person in your life – you yourself – understands why you do what you do. First and foremost, take care of your health and well-being. Focus on getting stronger, healthier, more successful. The rest will follow.

Lesson 13. Appearance is not everything

Strength training does not guarantee that you will become slim and find happiness in the same moment. Or that there will be more meaning in your life than before. Or that your friends and family will love you more. It does not guarantee that you will enjoy success or become a better person. All your problems and troubles will not disappear into thin air, but you will feel stronger, healthier and, hopefully, more confident. This is great!

Over the years, I have seen many people (mostly women) linking their self-esteem to the number on the scales or the size of their clothes. Remember, all this is the tenth thing. It doesn’t matter how you look on any given day, learn to love yourself for who you are and take good care of yourself. After 13 years of strength training, today I am healthy, energetic and full of energy. I am a confident person, and it is not at all how I look. This applies to you too.

The post What I’ve learned in 13 years of strength training first appeared on antiseizurepharm.com.

Many modern diets allow cheat meals or full loading days during the week. This makes sense, as this approach allows the person to be losing weight to stick to the plan and see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Cheat meal prevents metabolic slowdown. Also, a boot day is helpful if you are invited to an event such as a wedding or birthday.

The question is, what should be a cheat meal, how many cheat meals / refeeds are needed per week, and could a boot day be counterproductive?

What is a cheat meal?

Carbohydrate loading can take two forms: carte blanche (eat whatever you want) or one free meal and the rest of the meals remain on the diet. The choice depends on your current calorie deficit and the specifics of your diet.

Let’s start with a calorie deficit. If someone severely restricts the energy value of the diet (cutting calories by 50% against the background of hard training), a loading day is needed.

Why do you need a boot day

You are dieting, cutting calories, increasing cardio, and so on. Your goal is to systematically reduce weight by 0.5-1 kg per week. After all, you did the calculations and created an energy deficit.

Unfortunately, your body hates you for this. More precisely, it loves you so much that it wants to keep you alive and protect you from starvation. To do this, the body makes adjustments that were beneficial for people who hunted and gatherer, but harmful for an athlete who intends to dry out.

What is the point of these adjustments?

After a couple of days on a diet, metabolism slows down, hunger increases, and more and more muscle mass is sacrificed for energy generation. The human body very effectively adapts to new conditions.

What happens at the hormonal level? The secretion of thyroid hormone T3 is reduced by 30%; the conversion of T4 to T3 in the liver is slowed down. The half-life of cortisol is increased and the synthesis of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) is reduced.

There is so little glycogen in the muscles that growth becomes impossible despite training. You are likely to lose muscle mass. At this point, we need to talk a little about leptin, as it also plays an important role in weight loss. It is a regulatory hormone that suppresses appetite, prevents overeating and prevents weight gain.

When you are on a diet, the opposite happens. With a decrease in caloric intake, the level of leptin decreases and the appetite increases. Losing weight quickly finds itself at a disadvantage: in a matter of days, the metabolism automatically slows down by 30%, and bouts of hunger intensify.

It turns out that during a diet all nightmares of losing weight turn into reality: active breakdown of protein is accompanied by a decrease in the concentration of T3, IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor – one of the strongest anabolic hormones), leptin and testosterone. Why is this a nightmare? Because not only are you not burning fat, but you also look worse than before.

Loss of muscle mass leads to a decrease in muscle volume while maintaining subcutaneous fat; people with this build can be seen on treadmills all over the country. Problems start after a few days on a diet, not a month, and training does not solve them. Very soon, you hit a wall; fat doesn’t burn, instead you’re sacrificing muscle mass.

What? So much effort, but I look worse, and I feel terrible in general? Yes, this is one of the reasons most diets fail. But this madness can be ended.

Some are just using pharmacology. They give injections of testosterone, human growth hormone and insulin, combined with oral thyroid hormones to restore hormonal balance. This is not an option for us. We need to find a way to regulate our hormone profile quickly and without illegal drugs.

The refeed helps to solve the problem. To resist the adaptation process, it is necessary to increase the calorie intake and do a load every five to seven days. A refeed is a carefully planned loading day when the calorie intake is 130-150% higher than the energy balance.

An increase in the caloric content of the diet in a short period develops the adaptation reactions by 180 degrees. Increased secretion of testosterone, leptin and IGF-1; the secretion of cortisol is reduced; loss of muscle mass stops, even growth is possible. As a result, the metabolism is accelerated, which creates conditions for further reduction of fat mass.

Cheat meal: principles of correct loading

The calories during a refeed should come primarily from carbohydrates. There should be little protein and very little fat. I recommend 8-9 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight in 24 hours, about 2 grams of protein and very little fat (that is, only fats from food, no fatty foods like vegetable or butter, cheese, oily fish, nuts or beef). It turns out that a person weighing 90 kg per day should eat 800-900 grams of carbohydrates and about 180 grams of protein.

Why eat carbohydrates? Will I get fat from this load?

You will not get fat. At this point, adding carbohydrates to the diet rather than protein or fat offers a number of benefits. Leptin, insulin and blood sugar levels rise, but due to a temporary lack of enzymes, the body cannot store energy in the form of fat.

The body’s primary task is to replenish glycogen stores, and this takes about 24 hours. Next, the deposition of fat begins. Imagine a credit card with an interest-free period of 24 hours. If a person replenishes the balance during this time, he will not start paying for the use of credit funds.

Grace period on credit card provides muscle and liver glycogen; as long as you replenish reserves, the percentage in the form of adipose tissue growth is not accrued. Unfortunately, this interest-free window only opens for 24 hours.

A loading day, or refeed, can be effective if the loser does a heavy workout just after a carb-loading day. This ensures that the glycogen reaches the muscles. Loading day is the perfect time to work on lagging muscle groups, as increased insulin secretion stimulates new growth.

Let me show you how I create a nutrition and training plan for a low fat athlete:

Sample Diet and Workout Program

Monday. Very low carbs, high fat, moderate protein. Workout:

Tuesday. The diet does not change. Workout:

Wednesday. The diet does not change. Workout: 20-30 minutes of medium intensity cardio if needed, no strength training.

Thursday. Training of all muscle groups, loading with carbohydrates begins immediately after training. Workout:

Friday. No training, refeed. Rule number one is 10 grams of carbs for every kilogram of lean body mass (or 5 grams of carbs for every pound of lean body mass) for 24 hours.

Saturday. Normal diet, no calorie deficit. Workout (on this day you can do a hard workout, as there is enough energy):

Sunday. Back to Monday diet, cardio if necessary.

Eating and exercising with a moderate calorie deficit

How to eat and exercise for someone with a moderate calorie deficit? Assuming a 300 calorie deficit, the question is whether you need a full working day in this scenario.

Not urgently needed, but you will still need to change your diet in a couple of weeks.

Changes in hormonal balance in response to diet are similar to those that occur with extreme calorie deficits. The secretion of testosterone decreases and cortisol increases. The metabolism slows down. However, since glycogen stores are not depleted, I recommend only one high-carbohydrate cheat meal to avoid potential fat storage.

Depending on the athlete’s body weight, 200 to 500 grams of carbohydrates are enough to replenish muscle glycogen, increase the secretion of thyroid hormones, as well as the appearance of a general feeling of happiness and harmony with the world.

Changing your calorie intake every few days is a great way to maintain your metabolic rate. A popular scheme is two days on a diet and one day on a carbohydrate load.

Monday. Moderate calorie deficit, 100 to 150 grams of carbohydrates. Workout:

Tuesday. Repeat Monday’s diet. Workout:

Wednesday. You get twice as much carbohydrates, in our example – 200-300 grams. Cut fat in half, no strength training. You can eat a small dessert or a bowl of pasta to replenish your carbohydrate deficit and restore your mental balance.

Thursday. Return to Monday diet, work on weak body parts. Let’s assume this is the back and chest.

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