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

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."

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."

Merely switching to different brands, versions or varieties of your familiar foods will have an impact. If you habitually buy five cans of tuna fish, make one of them canned salmon. If your staple food is kidney beans, try black beans or lentils for a change. If you invariably order a chicken-based meal when eating out, choose a different ethnic restaurant every time, as each will probably prepare the bird differently.

"Any deviation from the norm, no matter how slight it may seem, can still create a different mixture of nutrients that may be missing from your tried-and-true staple foods," says Clement.

ALL-CARB GUY

Profile: You eat too much pasta, bread and "fat-free" foods.

Problem: There's good reason for the popularity of carbs. "Many high-carbohydrate products are touted as being low- or no-fat foods, which makes them appealing to the weight-conscious," says Clement. "You feel like you're eating healthy, but most people pick the carbohydrates that contain more sugars, such as pastas and breads." As these foods break down, the pancreas has a difficult time processing all that excess sugar, so it ends up storing the surplus as fat. "The all-carb dieters are typically very disciplined about what they eat," says Shelley. "Unfortunately, to minimize fat, they tend to inadvertently eliminate protein from their diets." Consuming only one type of calorie (such as carbohydrates) prohibits you from receiving an even flow of energy throughout the day.

"Fats, proteins and carbohydrates are all broken down at different speeds in your body to create a continual flow of caloric energy," says Clement. Eating nothing but carbohydrates may give you short-term energy, but it will leave you tired and gradually hungrier as the day wears on.

Solution: Adding at least 10 to 12 grams of protein to every major meal will diversify your diet enough to maintain your energy balance from morning till night. "Since the all-carb eater typically avoids fat, picking smarter protein sources such as egg whites, fish, lean beef, chicken breast, turkey breast, skim milk and quality protein powders can maximize the intake of protein while minimizing the intake of fat," says Shelley.

If you're committed to your carbohydrates, limit your consumption of high-sugar versions (breads, crackers and pastas) and include more low-glycemic-index carbs such as vegetables, beans and whole grains. "These take longer to break down," Clement says, "plus they contain more fiber to keep you feeling more satiated between meals."

PROTEIN JUNKIE

Profile: You consume nothing but protein.

Problem: A diet rich in protein and low in carbs sounds like the master plan for building muscle, but this approach is problematic. "Most eaters tend to increase room in their diets for protein-rich meat and dairy products by sacrificing fruits, vegetables or other carbohydrate-dense foods full of essential vitamins," says Clement. To make matters worse, eating fewer carbohydrates leaves most protein junkies more susceptible to bingeing on junk foods high in simple sugars (since maintaining low blood-glucose levels for long periods of time causes your system to crave sugar as an energy enhancer).

"A lack of carbohydrates also depletes muscle-glycogen levels in the body," says Shelley. "Over time, your body begins to catabolize muscle tissue, converting it to glucose for energy."

Eating too much protein may also court health risks, especially if you're getting it from foods high in saturated fat. "High-protein diets tend to increase your risk for coronary heart disease, due to the intake of saturated fats and cholesterol typically found in some protein-rich foods, or in the way they're generally prepared," says Shelley. "There are plenty of low-fat, low-cholesterol protein sources and cooking methods to choose from, but these usually require more sacrifice on your part."

Solution: Fitting carbohydrates into your daily menu can spare your muscles from being eaten up for energy. Shelley recommends a carbs-protein-fat ratio of 3:2:1. This translates into a daily caloric-intake breakdown of 50 percent carbohydrates, 34 percent protein and 16 percent fat. "Drinking juices or eating a piece of fruit with every protein-packed meal is better than nothing," says Clement.

ONE-MEAL-A-DAY DIETER

Profile: You skip breakfast, bypass lunch, then eat a big dinner.

Problem: Generally, the evening face-stuffer falls into the habit of eating once a day, blaming a hectic schedule. But what seems like an effective calorie-cutting method actually messes up your body's internal clock. "The surest way to have your body pack on weight is to eat late at night," says Clement. "Between 11 p.m. and 11 a.m., your body is busy purging itself of calories, diminishing your digestive ability to about 18 percent of its normal effectiveness during the day."

Eating the bulk of your daily calories during this metabolic lull leaves your body little recourse but to store the calories as fat. "What's even worse is that since this type of eater only dines once a day, it's easier for him to rationalize eating pretty much whatever he wants," says Shelley.

Moreover, skipping breakfast and lunch may be interpreted as starvation by your body, causing it to desperately store as fat even more of what you consume at night. "Passing on breakfast also leaves many one-meal eaters more dependent on coffee or other caffeinated beverages to perk them up, since a lack of calories can leave them with less all-day energy," says Clement. Caffeine suppresses the appetite, so turning to coffee jumbles your nutritional signals even further, extinguishing your appetite during the day.

Solution: Adjusting the frequency of your meals is key, but if nothing else, "at least take a multivitamin every morning to supplement what you're lacking," says Clement. However, don't expect this to get you lean and mean. A multivitamin will do zilch to help you shed extra pounds.

Healthful snacking can keep your blood-sugar levels high enough to maintain your energy and prevent your body from inferring it's starving. Keeping a few nonperishables handy, such as pretzels, popcorn or meal-replacement energy bars, can provide you with a nutritious, and convenient, nosh.

Bear in mind that a one-a-day eating habit will likely keep you fat and energy-deficient, and may even lead to a compromised immune system.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group