At Iron Fit in San Antonio, Texas, we help you get fit faster. Our workouts are designed to build muscle tissue fast and get you in shape. No matter how much muscle tissue you have, excess pounds can hide your progress. If you have to lose weight, the workouts burn tons of calories, but you will get better results if you eat healthy. That doesn’t mean dieting. In fact, dieting can slow your progress. It means eating healthier and focusing on food that will help you stay fuller longer.
You need protein to build muscles and stay fuller.
Not only does increasing the protein in your diet provide the nutrients you need to build muscle tissue, but it also helps you feel full quicker and longer. Studies show that a high fiber diet increases the feeling of fullness and dulls your appetite. One reason may be its effect on your satiety hormones and hunger hormones. Another may be that it takes longer to digest. Studies show that when people increased their protein intake even modestly, they lost weight.
Fiber will fill you up and help you lose weight.
There are two types of fiber and both of them help you feel full, so you eat less. It remains intact in your digestive system and makes you feel fuller. Soluble fiber absorbs water and becomes a gel in your digestive system. It feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut and slows digestion, so you feel fuller longer. Insoluble fiber isn’t digested in the body. It travels through the digestive system filling you up and adding bulk.
Don’t be afraid of fat.
People usually freak out when they hear that increasing the amount of fat in their diet may actually help them lose weight. It’s especially true if they purchase all the fat free products available. Fat keeps you feeling fuller longer because it takes longer to digest in the small intestines and slows your digestive system. It also is necessary for creating hormones that help burn fat. When manufacturers create fat-free foods, they replace the fat with sugar to make the food more palatable and sugar can make you pack on the pounds.
- Foods that contain high amounts of soluble fiber include beans, broccoli, apples and other fresh fruits and vegetables. Foods that contain insoluble fiber include bran from grains, berries, beans, and green peas.
- Avocados, nuts, olives and olive oil, ground flaxseed and fatty fish like salmon are high in healthy fat. They should be part of your diet. As a bonus, dark chocolate also falls into this category to provide a treat as you lose weight.
- A few foods high in protein include eggs, lean meat and poultry, fish, and nuts. Nuts and fatty fish are also good sources of Omega 3, a very healthy fat.
- Toss some beans into your salad, add an egg, and sprinkle it with nuts. Have a snack of Greek yogurt, nuts, berries, and bananas. You’ll be healthier and stay longer fuller.
For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio