The Ultimate Workout/Diet Matchmaker

The secret to a successful diet plan is becoming aware of what nutrients and substances your body actually needs and figuring out the dosage and the distribution plan. Whatever diet you’re planning on starting, the first thing you need to cover is that it should contain enough carbohydrates, protein and fat (yes, fat). Now this might appear easy, but making a schedule for daily food intake takes a bit more getting used to.

Integrating Your Diet into Your Exercise Plan

Depending on what your day’s exercise goal is, there are three categories you should assign your focus on:

1.   Endurance

2.   Strength

3.   Weight loss

Endurance

If your workout goal is endurance (at a specific day) you should be aiming at 2,500 calories, covered by 60 to 90 minutes of workout. So, the best thing you can accompany your exercise plan with in this type of workout is to make sure that your fridge is fully stocked with oatmeal, apples and a bunch of other tasty fruits and veggies you can blend together and get a low-fat energy boost that smoothies provide. Hummus wrap with yogurt can be a great idea for lunch, but if you’re not a fan, you can always opt for the good old chicken stir-fry that anyone can make. 

Here’s an example template plan for endurance exercise day:

·         Breakfast – Overnight oatmeal with half a cup of rolled oats and a latte with ½ cup of low-fat mil

·         Mid-morning snack – an apple or a banana

·         Lunch – Here you can go for the hummus wrap and enjoy it thoroughly (these things are real tasty)

·         Mid-afternoon snack – [place smoothie here]

·         Dinner – Chicken stir-fry is a great ending to a busy day

Strength

Here, you should aim for 2,100 calories combined with an hour’s of daily workout. Good ideas for strength training days come in forms of spinach and mushroom scrambles, almond and peach combos, black bean burritos, some more hummus, this time with sliced cucumbers, frozen mango and Greek yogurt and the like. If you’re lacking in energy at any point, feel free to take some Gold Standard Whey, to keep you on your track - it is the strength training, after all.

·         Breakfast – Spinach and mushroom scramble with an egg is a great, mild way to start your day.

·         Mid-morning snack – This is where the divine almond/peach combo kicks in (fantastic for your skin)

·         Lunch – Burrito is a heavy meal, we know. However, black bean burrito bowl with lettuce is actually a fantastic source of energy, impeccable for the most difficult of workout days

·         Mid-afternoon snack – Dig into some hummus here with a cup of paper-thin sliced cucumbers

·         Dinner – End your day with 1 cup of shredded kale, accompanied with some fresh olive oil and pepper

Weight Loss

Now the part that everyone’s been waiting for, in all honesty. Skinny benedicts, apple sauces, salmon salads and frozen yogurt should be your goals here. Integrate them nicely into your 1,400 calorie daily goal, and your looking at dropping up to 2 pounds a week.

·         Breakfast – Spinach leaves in addition to the famous English muffin (spice it up with poached eggs and tomato/avocado) makes for a filling meal

·         Mid-morning snack – Nothing but an apple here so it gets you energized and make you feel good about yourself and healthy

·         Lunch – Spinach leaves with salmon and green beans

·         Mid-afternoon snack – a piece of stringed cheese or just go and have fun with some mango

·         Dinner – Some shredded chicken with Caesar dressing for the taste and some tomatoes to keep you full are a great dinner idea

·         Dessert – Here, have a bonus section: make half a cup of frozen yogurt your daily reward for all the hard work you’ve been through