I saw this on another site I'm on, and thought it would be great for here:


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>By now...most of you know that to live, you gotta eat. To grow you gotta eat. To lose weight, you gotta eat as well... Pretty much for the most part, you can eat whatever you want....most of the times, however the way to do it and stay healthy... DO IT IN MODERATION...

example: you can eat the healthiest foods available, but if you sit there for 9 hours straight eating it, if you dont throw up first or fall asleep, those extra calories will be turned into fat... not matter how fast your metabolism. how much you eat is a PART of how much you gain of lose when working out.

most of you have heard about 3500 calories is equivalent to a pounds worth of fat.... so if you deduct 500 calories (preferably through exercise as opposed starving yourself) PER DAY.. by 7 days ( a week)...BAM you;ve prob lost close to, or over, or exactly 1 pound of fat.


So what choices in food do I have?

You have the choice:

1) Fresh Meats, Carbs and Veggies (fibrous carbs) which are prob your better choices if you want a healthy setup...

or

2) you can try the lesser desired processed foods and or fast foods...


Advantages of the real whole foods (1) are:

-cleaner
-most times you know what you are eating
-cheaper overall
-can be done up in a variety of ways... you have SOOO many options on how to prepare it.
-Nutrients are more readily available

<span style="color:red">Cons</span> of whole foods, while there are some, there are not as many as choice 2. some revolve around:

-whatever you buy meat wise, try and get enough for 3 days worth, if you have more that will last past 3 days, freeze it till used.
-veggies are sorta the same way, but I wouldnt reccomend freezing some things. some veggies come frozen, but others upon thawing out can get sloppy.



Now on the processed foods

Advantages of processed and fast foods are:

-quick and easy to get. in 3 minutes or so, you can have a mcdonalds burger, or make a ham sammich with processed meats.
-ok to use on the run
-while loaded with fat, the taste is thought to be better than some things....SOMETIMES...

<span style="color:red">Cons</span> to that are:

-usually high in fat, especially saturated fat, with the exception of the new low fat menus and subway selections
-processed meats are usually filled with filler... not really getting all the nutrients you should get per weight vs the real thing
-Price....nuff said. a meal at mcdonalds costs about 3-5$ for most avg people. (for the same price, some could have bought enough whole foods raw and unprepped from the grocery store to cook in bulk and last em 2-3 days depending on how much you eat a day... you;ve just spent it on one meal however)
-usually made to be eaten soon, not really storage friendly.


Examples of what to eat...

For Protein

Fish: Salmon, Tuna, Cod
Eggs and whites
Chicken
Lean pork
Cottage cheese
Milk
Whey protein
Lean Red Meat
Yogurt
Turkey
Deer
Ostrich
Cheese
Lobster
Shrimp
Most all seafoods
MRP's (meal replacement powders)


For Carbs

Vegetables (fibrous carb except corn)
Mixed beans (legumes, can also be used for protein requirements)
Low-GI fruits
Oatmeal
Oat bran
Lower Sugar cereals
Mixed-grain bread
Wheat bread
Small to Moderate amounts of protein-enriched pasta (doesnt have to be outrageously protein packed)
Grits
Popcorn

Healthy Fats

Flax oil
EPA/DHA
Olive oil
Mixed nuts (no peanuts)
Fish oil
Sesame seeds and oil
Corn Oil
Soy Bean Oil
Sunflower Oil
Safflower Oil
Walnuts
Pumpkin Seeds
Flax Seeds
Hemp Seed Oil

Now if you want a scale/look up of how much of this or that (fat,carb, protein, saturated or unsaturated, fiber, etc etc etc) is in most of the foods you'll prob eat, visit this link.

<span style="color:#000000">http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/nutrient.htm</span>

if you want the specific info from a restaurant or chain place like taco bell or subway, visit their respective websites.


Vegetarians and Vegans (lacto and ovo)...

didnt forget about youse guys and dames..... if you need some suggestions on what to eat, and take vitamin wise to make up for the meats and dairy you keep away from.

heres a short article that will give you some basics <span style="color:#000000">http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/vm7.htm</span>




<span style="color:red">Now heres where common sense plays into what you eat....</span>

Higher Metabolism
If you are smaller, thinner, and have a fast metabolism and have a hard time growing. you're whats refered to as a hard gainer... you get cut easily, but can't pack on a pound. everyone will have pros and cons.

for you, if you wanna gain weight... keep eating 5-6 times a day, but eat more food. if you are eating this much now, and you think thats alot, and you still arent gaining, granted you are working out GOOD.... simple solution...EAT MORE FOOD.

so what if you are eating two sammiches, and a liter of juice... eat more. obviously your body is burning what it has quickly. take advantage of that to get more nutrients in there to workout with. and def up the protein. you have the advantage over most people of being able to eat nearly whatever you want and not get fat... atleast while you are young. eat. lift.


Lower Metabolism
***note this does not neccesarily apply to the females who complain they are fat when you are in reality the avg size that you are supposed to be for your height. women carry more bodyfat naturally, however if you are for example 5'6 and 120-140lbs, it doesnt necessarily mean you are fat. weight is a number ONLY. fat content decides on if you are fat or not. some girls reach only 5'3 and weigh 140lbs but have a decent muscle mass. you're avg collegiate gymnast is a prime example of this.***

For those who have the luxury of gaining mass fast, but loosing fat slowly.

cant really do the same as the higher metabolism or ectomorphs. you are the endomorph. not a bad thing though. to trim up, you simply need to be more active. naturally you will build mass quicker, just keep the fat levels in check.

Do cardio, 30 min 3-5 times weekly. if you can't do some activity for the full 30 min, dont sweat it. start with 10, work your way up weekly.

also to boost metabolism, eat SMALLER meals, but MORE FREQUENTLY throughout the day. and be aware of your portions with smaller meals. wanna boost your metabolism a great deal. shoot for whatever you eat, a serving of protein, veggies and carbs... each the size of your fist. that should be one meal. do that 5-8 times a day by eating every 2.5 - 3 hours.


Normal Metabolism

labelled the mesomorph, you are right in between. simply eat normal, and workout, and for the most part you will be fine. however remember, dont overdo it. try to stick as well with 5-8 meals daily. the older you get, the slower the metabolism goes. its life. we all deal with it.

might as well try and keep the well oiled machine running well oiled.


***NOTES***

with the terms endomorph, ectomorph, and mesomorphs, those are the scientific terms for body types, however as with anything human, not all things are EXACTLY the same for all. for example, some people are a mix between the two.

example, shaquille oneal and barkley, have the thinner than avg bodies and decent endurance to play what was normally an ectomophs sport, but they also have size to em and at times have had to come down off weight. mix of both worlds. there are a few b-ball players that are tall and thin to the avg public, but in their sport are seen as heavy and thick.

each body type has mixes of the level up or below it.



<span style="color:red">Supplements: The Hot Topic as of late</span>


To Start, say the word.... Suh-pleh-ment.... the meaning... "something that completes or makes an addition"
With that being said, supplements should not be used as the MAIN course of your diet... you should try to consume the majority of your diet as FOOD...REAL FOOD... and get supplements when needed.
If you find yourself doing 4 meal replacement shakes and 1 real meal per day... somethings wrong...

and there is no excuse for "i can't eat real food" or "theres nothing to eat when I am ....." If professional wrestlers who live on the road can find real food, and decent food while traveling from hotel to hotel in country to country, then a person who goes home daily should be able to find REAL FOOD and pack some to take with em for throughout the day.
granted some will have to take in 2 or so meals being maybe a protein shake, like after working out, and a protein bar when at work, or something of that sort thats fine... but remember, the more whole foods you get the more nutrients and the better you grow, shed fat, and be to where you wanna get.

Before you run out and buy into every supplement you can afford, GET YOUR DIET IN CHECK!
its like your front lawn... if your front lawn looks ishtty, "supplementing" it with a lawn gnome will make you have a ishtty lawn with a lawn gnome... nothing more.
or if you smell like hell after the gym, you get your hygeine in check...you shower... throwing cologne on will make you smell like sweat, parmesan cheese and ass.
but if you get your lawn in check first, before supplementing it, OR your hygiene, you;ll have a kick ass lawn with a good center piece (your gnome) and you;ll smell clean first and foremost, with some decent cologne to add to the effect.

Also to add to that, get lifting... dietary intake in check, get lifting, that alone with bump your metabolism by itself... most of you will not even NEED fat burners, testosterone products and stuff to start out with.</div>