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Improve your food habits: a better way to eat to lose fat and add muscle

Men's Fitness, August, 2002 by Myatt Murphy

Men are not trained to stay on top of every new diet strategy that comes on the scene. Instead, we tend to plan our meals around our own personal agenda. For example, what you chow down for lunch may be determined by what eateries are near work. Or you may have a fitness goal that supercedes all other concerns. That's when taking whatever nutritional bits and pieces you think you understand and modifying them to suit your lifestyle can get you into trouble.

"Many health-minded dieters still eat unhealthful diets, but it's not always their fault," says Brian Clement, certified nutritionist and director of the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, Fla. "Oftentimes, you stick with a certain eating plan because you believe it's inherently good for you, never realizing that your healthful eating habits may be counterproductive to your nutrition goals."

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Whether you're concerned about what you eat or just worried when your next meal will be, you probably fall within one of the five typical male eating patterns. "Some are obviously bad for you, while others may surprise you by not being as healthful as you think," says Clement. But don't fret. Whichever category of eater you are, we're about to show you how to make the most of your dining habits.

GRAZER

Profile: You snack on minimeals all day long.

Problem: Eating six or seven small meals throughout the day instead of three or four large ones is actually good for you, since grazing can curb binges and limit the release of insulin (a chemical response that tells the body to store excess calories as body fat). However, being thin as a result of dodging large, heavily caloric meals doesn't mean you're healthier for it.

"Some grazers may not always be overweight on the outside, but they're very often unhealthy on the inside," says Aaron Shelley, Ph.D., C.F.T., director of sports performance nutrition at Texas Tech University. "All that perpetual Snacking leaves most grazers relying on more-convenient foods to meet their immediate nutritional needs," he explains. That usually equates to a diet centered on fast food, junk foods and other snack items generally high in saturated fat and devoid of nutritional value.

Furthermore, it doesn't matter how mini your meals are if they add up to a hefty calorie total by the end of the day. "Grazing all the time also creates a false impression of eating less, which could cause you to eat more than you should," says Clement.

Solution: You may be too busy to whip up a full meal, but you can still manage to work more healthful fare into your schedule. "The trick for the grazer is to plan ahead," says Shelley. "Whenever you do find time to prepare a healthful meal, cook twice or three times as much [as you'll eat in one sitting], then store the rest for easy access later." Stocking up on no-effort-to-prepare fruits and vegetables such as grapes, carrots, celery, berries, apples and oranges is another way to get the nutrients your diet is likely lacking.

To prevent an energy drain traceable to digestion, especially before you exercise, "make a point to stop consuming solid foods within an hour beforehand," advises Clement. Finally, try drinking at least 16 ounces of water before you snack; it might satisfy your hunger. "Oftentimes, grazers eat because they think they're hungry, when in reality, they just need to drink something. Thirst triggers the same physical response as hunger, a response that can be effectively satisfied with a low-calorie beverage such as herbal tea or water."

FOOD-RUT GUY

Profile: You eat the same foods, day in and day out.

Problem: Dining on the same meals over and over again, even if everything you're eating is nutritious and good for you, isn't always the perfect plan for maintaining optimal health. "This type of eater usually knows enough about nutrition to eliminate fatty foods and other junk items from his regimen," says Shelley. "That's why he typically fixates on eating certain foods, thinking it's wiser to stay with the best sources of key nutrients."

However, staying bolted to the same meals makes many "rut eaters" less adventurous about trying other healthful foods. "The best way to get all the micronutrients your body needs in order to function at its best is through varying your diet," says Shelley. A diet lacking in variety keeps you from stumbling across whatever vitamins and minerals your regimen may be sorely lacking. "Ninety percent of the general population, including those who think they already eat healthy, suffer from malnutrition," confirms Clement. "If you're a rut eater, each day you stick with your routine eating habits is another day your body misses out on what it really needs."

Solution: Expanding your arsenal of eats to include a broader range of foods is a good starting point. Also, "adding a well-balanced, antioxidant-rich multiple vitamin can help fill in a diet's potential potholes," says Shelley. Even more-stubborn types can try rotating the staples of their diets. "All it takes is slightly varying the diet you already have in place," says Clement. "Sixty percent of malnutrition could be eliminated by simply modifying the foods you already eat."

Improve your food habits: a better way to eat to lose fat and add muscle

Men's Fitness, August, 2002 by Myatt Murphy

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