Sports diet for burning fat: menu, rules, tips

Features and rules of diet

When drawing up a nutrition plan, you must understand that a prerequisite for any sports diet for weight loss is saturating the body with useful components. These include natural substances necessary to strengthen muscles and maintain tone. Write down for yourself the key points without which a sports diet cannot be complete:

1. Diet variety. The necessary components can be obtained from various foods. Make a detailed list of healthy foods and eat them one by one, combining them with each other.
2. Proper preparation. Make sure that the fat content of the foods you eat does not exceed the norm. In addition, the content of other components should be within reasonable limits: proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals.
3. Fractional meals. Divide the daily amount of food into 6-7 small portions. Eat them at intervals of 1.5-2 hours.
4. No eating before bed. The last meal is no later than 19:00.
5. Only fresh and natural. Healthy sports nutrition for fat burning excludes processed foods, fast food and other harmful foods.

Diet

First, let's figure out what nutrition should include when strength training for weight loss. Since gym classes require high energy costs, we need to constantly replenish the body's energy needs. This means that you should never exclude carbohydrates from your diet. You just need to select the most useful products in this sense, containing complex types of them. They will be slowly absorbed by the body, supplying it with the necessary substances for a long time.

During exercise, muscles are actively used. They need not only energy, but also building material to form new fibers, which will allow them to perform exercises more intensely, with greater volume and weight. Therefore, the menu should contain sufficient amounts of protein.

Since the exercises are aimed at getting rid of fat, you should consume as little fat as possible. You shouldn’t completely exclude them from your diet, as they are necessary for a number of metabolic processes. But you need to use the “right” vegetable fats and in small quantities.

The issue of meal time is also important. When and in what quantities should you eat during physical activity?

Before training

The first rule of an athlete is to be sure to eat before training, so that during it you have the strength to perform the exercises. However, a full stomach prevents you from exercising, so your last meal should be two hours before going to the gym. It is important that the menu consists of easily digestible foods that the stomach will have time to digest during this time.

It can be:

• porridge with milk or water;
• vegetable salad with a spoon of vegetable oil;
• fruit or fruit salad.

Portions should be small - 300-500 g. If you were unable to eat within the specified period, at least half an hour before the start of classes you can drink low-fat yogurt, eat one large fruit, 100 g of oatmeal or drink a glass of cocoa.

During

Eating during exercise does not involve snacking, as even a small amount of light food will interfere with exercise. But during training, it is important to maintain the body’s water balance. There is an opinion that you should not drink water in the midst of exercise, since the excess volume of fluid in the cardiovascular system puts increased stress on the heart. In fact, it is precisely its deficiency that makes the work of this important organ difficult. An insufficient amount of fluid makes the blood more viscous and thick, which is why the heart muscle has to work harder to maintain the necessary pressure.

Therefore, it is necessary to drink during classes. This should be done every 15-25 minutes. Drink water in small sips, preferably warm or at room temperature. Then it is absorbed faster. It is recommended to use bottled, not boiled liquid.

After classes

Until now, a number of fitness specialists recommend not eating for two hours after training to lose weight. This opinion is justified by the fact that, having spent strength and energy during training, the body will replenish it from its own fat reserves.

There is another opinion that after classes you should definitely eat something, you can even eat fast carbohydrates: chocolate, cake, cookies. They will help replenish the spent and now so necessary reserves of carbohydrates in the body and will not be deposited on the sides.

In fact, it all depends on the body’s usual operating mode. If you have not trained before, and he is used to only storing fat, then after training he will work in the same mode.

When metabolism is high, nothing will be stored in reserve; everything eaten will only be beneficial. But this mode of operation is not static; it can change over time in one direction or the other.

You also need to take into account the time when you had your last snack. We remember that in most cases, those who are on a diet are recommended to eat every four hours.

If you last ate food two hours before exercise, then did exercises for another hour and a half, it is unreasonable to wait another two hours after the end of the workout. Therefore, eat right, do not starve yourself.

What should the after-class menu look like?

During this period, it is important for both women and men to saturate the body with proteins for muscle recovery. You can eat less carbohydrates than before training, since usually such loads are no longer planned until the end of the day.

Therefore, a protein to carbohydrate ratio of approximately 2:1 is recommended. There should still be a minimum amount of fat.

A weight loss menu can be made up of the following products:

• lean fish;
• seafood
• egg white;
• chicken breast;
• low-fat cottage cheese (up to 2%);
• porridge;
• legumes;
• salad;
• zucchini;
• onion;
• bell pepper;
• cucumbers;
• tomatoes;
• greenery.

From these products you can prepare quite tasty and varied dishes. However, those who just switch to such a diet when training to lose weight often have a wild feeling of hunger afterward, which is not so easy to satisfy. In such cases, it is permissible to make another snack with a large fruit and a glass of low-fat kefir.

Another important rule in the question of how to eat while training to lose weight is not to eat before bed. The last meal should be at least three hours before going to bed.

Dishes at this time should consist mainly of proteins: low-fat cottage cheese, eggs, lean meat with vegetables. If it’s still a long time before sleep, and the feeling of hunger is overwhelming, you can drink a glass of kefir.

Diet for weight loss and muscle gain

If you go to the gym or are just about to sign up for training, consider proper sports nutrition to lose excess weight and strengthen muscles. When creating a diet for every day, include in your diet foods that contain components necessary for the development of the body:

1. Carbohydrates to provide additional energy. The normal daily volume is calculated from the ratio of 5-10 grams per kilogram of the athlete’s weight.
2. Squirrels. To maintain muscle mass, the body requires proteins, that is, proteins. This component significantly improves the performance of sports activities and also promotes the restoration of damaged tissues. As for energy, it comes from proteins a little - about 13-14%. The normal daily amount of protein for average sports loads is 1 gram per 1 kg of athlete’s body weight. If you exercise intensively, the amount of protein consumed should be at least twice as much. When creating a diet, be extremely careful, since excessive consumption of proteins can lead to fat deposition and dehydration of the body.
3. Fats. This component is the main source of energy. However, you shouldn't lean on it. The maximum allowable amount of fat for a sports diet is 30% of total calories. Excessive consumption will inevitably lead to a slowdown in digestive processes, which will lead to a noticeable deterioration in the general condition.
4. Water. In an hour of intense sports training, the body loses from 1,200 to 2,700 ml of fluid. In addition, a large amount of water comes out in the urine. Compensate for these amounts by drinking plenty of fluids.
5. Vitamins/minerals. These components are necessary for the full functioning of the internal systems and organs of the human body. If you are involved in an intensive sports training program, then the vitamins and minerals you get from regular food will not be enough. To ensure the effectiveness of classes, you will have to take special vitamin and mineral mixtures along with your usual food. Thanks to sports complexes, you can saturate your body with the necessary substances without gaining extra calories.

List of approved products

Each athlete chooses products for burning fat and increasing muscle mass individually, taking into account his gender, weight, age and exercise intensity. The diet will provide the desired effect only if the calories, content of nutrients and portion size are correctly calculated. As a rule, the following products are recommended for athletes to lose weight:

• kefir;
• low-fat milk;
• vegetables;
• fruits;
• cottage cheese;
• lean meat/fish;
• chicken/quail eggs;
• honey;
• nuts;

Pros and cons of sports diets

The main advantage of dietary nutrition combined with physical activity is the development of the habit of eating a lot and often, but in moderate portions. Thanks to a balanced diet, there is no chance of exhaustion of the body.

Positive points:

• quickly getting rid of extra pounds;
• absolute safety for health;
• minimal feeling of hunger;
• excellent mood and a surge of vital energy.

The disadvantages include the need for frequent training, which is quite difficult for beginners, and significant financial costs for natural products with a high protein content. In addition, the weight loss method under consideration is not recommended for women during periods of breastfeeding and childbearing, as well as for persons with chronic pathologies.

Sample diet menu for a week

Your gym trainer will tell you in detail how to burn fat and strengthen muscles. As for the diet, you will have to create it yourself. Below is an example of a proper sports nutrition scheme that is suitable for average physical activity. To get started, take it into service. Subsequently, you will be able to adjust some points of this diet individually for yourself.

Day 1 of the diet:

• Breakfast – one banana.
• Lunch – vegetable hodgepodge, boiled beef.
• Afternoon snack – a couple of apples.
• Dinner – potato side dish with vegetable salad.

Day 2 of the diet:

• Breakfast – a portion of oatmeal.
• Lunch – vegetable stew, chicken meat, dried apricots, black bread, tea/coffee.
• Afternoon snack – oranges, diet yogurt.
• Dinner – baked chicken, broccoli, vegetable salad.

Day 3 of the diet:

• Breakfast - the whites of four chicken eggs, a plate of oatmeal with water.
• Lunch – lean borscht, steamed fish, salad with cabbage and olive oil.
• Afternoon snack – a couple of apples, a banana.
• Dinner - Hercules porridge with water, boiled chicken fillet, vegetable salad.

Day 4 of the diet:

• Breakfast – two glasses of kefir.
• Lunch – vegetable stew, boiled beef, dried apricots, tea.
• Afternoon snack – grapefruit, pear.
• Dinner – buckwheat porridge, baked beef, vegetables.

Day 5 of the diet:

• Breakfast – unsweetened apples.
• Lunch – boiled brown rice, baked chicken breast, sea cabbage, coffee without sugar.
• Afternoon snack – two oranges, one banana.
• Dinner – rice porridge with lamb, salad with cabbage, tea with lemon, bread

Day 6 of the diet:

• Breakfast – kefir 2.5% fat.
• Lunch – carrot and cabbage salad, mashed potatoes, white bread, compote.
• Afternoon snack – fruit juice, apple, diet yogurt.
• Dinner – oatmeal with water, vegetable salad.

Day 7 of the diet:

• Breakfast - an omelet of three chicken eggs, a glass of orange juice.
• Lunch – soup or borscht without meat, salad with pepper and cabbage, dried apricots, unsweetened coffee.
• Afternoon snack – low-fat yogurt, grapefruit.
• Dinner – steamed meat/fish, compote, vegetable salad.

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Video: nutrition program for athletes

The information that you will glean from the videos below will help you understand what a sports diet for cutting should be like for every day. A selection of videos contains recommendations from experienced specialists on effective methods for accelerating muscle growth and rapid weight loss. A strict diet will really help you get rid of extra calories and get your figure in order! Right now you will learn how to develop a nutrition plan for yourself, taking into account all individual factors.

For men

For girls and women

Sports nutrition for burning subcutaneous fat and drying the body

What sports nutrition should I take while cutting?

Questions and tips for a sports diet

Is it possible to lose weight without dieting by playing sports?

You can lose weight, but faster and more noticeable results can be achieved by following a special diet. It allows you to lose fat reserves and form attractive body contours.

How to find out your daily calorie intake when playing sports?

The number of calories directly depends on the characteristics of the body, gender, and age category of the person losing weight. There must be a small calorie deficit to notice a difference in weight - no more than 20% of the minimum acceptable level.

How long can you stick to a sports diet?

The minimum period is 2 weeks. Many women adhere to this diet constantly, taking short breaks.

Is it possible to eat sweets while exercising?

You should avoid eating foods containing sugar. Several times a week (not in the evening) you can indulge in small slices of chocolate, frozen berry juice or a small cake.

Is it possible to create a sports diet yourself?

You can create your own diet. The main thing is to take into account the intensity of training, the number of calories expended and consumed, and the individual characteristics of the body.

How much water should you drink on a sports diet?

Water is the main component of the diet. The minimum amount per day for intense training is 3 liters. It is best to give preference to non-carbonated mineral water.