FAQ | F I T T

Diet and Nutrition

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I too young/old to start a diet and exercise program?

No matter your age, it is never too late to start. However, the type of exercise program may vary with different age groups. For example, younger children should be getting their exercise by playing outside or running around. Older kids in their teens can begin to branch out into weightlifting depending on their goals. But generally, younger children don't require resistance training since their bodies are undergoing integral growth.

What food group should I stay away from?

There is a large misconception in the fitness world that fats and or carbs are the enemy. The truth is both of these are integral to a well-balanced diet so don't go cutting these out. Foods that are dense in calories, heavily processed, or have lots of trans fats (fast food) are foods you will most likely want to stay away from,

How many calories do I need to eat in a day?

It varies from person to person depending on several factors like Genetics, height, weight, and body type. You can get a general idea of how many calories you need to maintain your weight by tracking your calories for 2-3 weeks and find your maintenance calories (how many you need to consume to stay the same weight). Or you could use a website like the one I have linked below,

Button

How do I start?

Purchasing a fitness book like The Fitness Mindset will set you up for a great start by providing you a lot of helpful info. Making small incremental changes to your diet will allow you to make a smooth transition to a healthier lifestyle. And just doing some online research into your area of need will help put you in the right direction (make sure to use information that is backed by studies). " I advise you to use yourself as a guinea pig. Take your "case" and analyze it as if you were a client sitting there waiting to be helped. Design your own program and then implement it and see what kind of results you get." -Gina Lombardi.

Will I have to change my diet completely?

Is it okay to have cheat day/meals?

It depends on what your diet looks like currently but you most likely won't have to make huge dramatic changes. There are plenty of healthy alternatives to usually unhealthy foods. It will also depend on what your fitness goals are, whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, etc.

It is totally fine to have a cheat day or cheat meals every once in a while. If you're going out with friends or family you don't want to not be able to eat anything tasty. You want to be able to sustain and keep this diet for a long period of time so treating yourself is important. Just don't get too carried away.

What do I need to eat in order to build muscle?

What should I eat to lose weight?

As far as nutrition, to build muscle mass you will need to increase your protein intake, roughly 0.8-1.0 grams per lb of bodyweight. Eating a small surplus of calories (100-200 over your maintenance) is also helpful and getting enough rest time between workouts is extremely important. There is a lot that goes into muscle building so if you are interested I would check out the following YouTubers: Jeremy Either, Jeff Nipard, and Greg Doucette.

You can really eat about anything as long as you are in a deficit of calories: What I mean by this is that as long as you are below your daily maintenance calories (300-500 calories below is a healthy amount) you can eat just about anything and lose weight. Do I suggest this? No, eating junk food while staying in a deficit will cause you to lose weight but you'll start to feel like a sack of poop. Eating whole foods, drinking plenty of water, and getting in your vitamins are all important to staying healthy whilst losing weight.

Basics of Nutrition

Diet can mean many things to many people: It can mean restricting the amount of food you eat, eating a certain way for an event, or even gaining weight. In my opinion, diet and nutrition are equally important to exercise, they go hand in hand. There is so much to learn when it comes to nutrition so I'll break it down to the bare essential information: What is a calorie? A kilocalorie (or a calorie) is a unit of energy. Humans require energy to function and we get this energy by consuming food/calories. The number of calories in an item of food is the amount of potential energy that is within that item of food.

The number of calories you need to eat in a day can vary greatly from person to person. If you eat more calories than you burn in a day then you will gain weight. On the contrary, if you eat fewer calories than you burn you will lose weight. This is as simple as it gets, though other factors do matter. You can create a deficit of calories (eating below your maintenance) by utilizing cardio to burn calories, eating fewer calories, or both. Macronutrients are also extremely important.

Macros can be broken down into three primary macronutrients: Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats. Per gram of protein, there are four calories, same with carbohydrates, but in a gram of fat, there are nine calories. All of these macronutrients are integral to a nutritious diet, they should not be neglected with the exception if they are heavily processed. Proteins, Carbs, and Fats all help to keep you healthy. There is so much information about nutrition and I don't want to bore you with all this information I'm throwing at you. If you are interested or want a deeper understanding of nutrition, I would recommend The Fitness Mindset by Brian Keane or Deadline Fitness by Gina Lombardi. My mentor, Gina Lombardi, recommended the following books: The Essentials of Strength and Conditioning and Fit Kids for Life: A Parents' Guide to Optimal Nutrition & Training for Young Athletes.

Chase's Tips for a healthy diet:

Drink lots of water! Drinking enough water is crucial to proper function in our bodies and it helps us flush out unwanted waste.
Eat foods that are high in protein. Eating foods that are higher in protein will help you stay satiated for longer, which is useful during weight loss. It will also allow you to put on muscle much faster. The best proteins to eat are fish (such as salmon), chicken, and nuts.
Consume enough fruits and vegetables! Fruits and vegetables hold a lot of vitamins and minerals in them and eating them on a regular basis have numerous benefits to the human body. Choose a variety of colors!
Stop eating if you're full! I know this sounds obvious but many people struggle with this. When I was younger I would feel pressured to finish the entirety of my food, and if I didn't that was some sort of crime. If you are full, there is no need to keep eating, and you can rest easy knowing you can save it for later.
Stay active. When people get bored they often wander the kitchen looking for something to eat. Don't eat just because it is something to do. Staying active, whether it's going out with friends or taking a walk will keep you from eating just for the sake of eating.