Eating Right for Dummies (Basic Version)

*Consult a physician before beginning ANY diet or exercise program.

Basic (easy), Sweet (important), and Short (relative to the topic):
     Everyone seems to want to know what the "secret" is to losing weight.  Well, there is no secret.  There is hard work, dedication, and science... that's it (and genetics but that's not for here).  The bottom line is that there is no way to outwork a shitty diet if you want to perform at you maximum capacity.  What should this diet consist of?  DO NOT follow "fad diets."  There is a reason that they are called FADS, they come and go with little science.  What you need to know is that there are three kinds of macronutrients that compose every calorie you will ever eat.

Protein - provide recovery and structural roles in your body
Carbohydrates - provide structural roles as well as an immediate energy source
Fat - provide lubrication for joints and are comprised of stored energy

But how many calories?  You can eat the same amount of calories you eat every day and still loose weight if you learn to manipulate the raios of these macronutrients.
     Think about this for a moment.  If carbohydrates provide quick energy would it be better to eat them at the beginning of the day or before bed?  In the morning.  This is because you have all day to process the energy you are consuming.  As for fats, believe it or not you NEED them, just like you NEED carbs and protein.  Fats should be limited and the ones you eat should come from nuts and fish (omega 3, 6, 9 fatty acids) not from potato chips and fries etc...  The time-or-day is the similar for fats and carbs because they are both energy sources.  You do not need to "store" any energy if you are about to go to bed.  Meat should be kept lean.  For example, chicken (baked or grilled), fish (not fried), and (lean or extra lean) red meat.  Things like beacon, sausage, and hot dogs are TERRIBLE options.  Back to carbs for a minute, it is better to eat whole grains (pasta and bread) as well as fruits and vegetables (the more green the better, then orange).  The bad is candy, pop, or anything with lots of sugar.
     How many of these things do I need to eat?  If you want the easy version keep reading, if  you want the complete, check out the "Sweet" version.  Portion control is very important whether you are trying to lose fat or gain muscle.  Generally speaking a serving of vegetables is about the size of your open hand, complex carbs, your closed fist, and protein, the size of your palm.  For a more exact measurement look at the nutritional information of the object your eating, invest in a kitchen scale and proceed accordingly.  Remember the food pyramid from when you were a kid? (Link) This is a pretty good, but VERY general guide to follow.
     The servings listed on the pyramid should be spread throughout 5-7 SMALL meals per day that are about 3 hours apart.  The largest meal should be at the beginning of the day and the smallest should be the last.  Keep in mind that the times you need the most energy are 1) in the morning 2) before you exercise 3) after you exercise.  You need the most protein 1) in the morning 2) after your workout 3) in the evening.  With the aforementioned exceptions in effect, carbs, protein, and fat should be fairly evenly distributed throughout the day.

The "Long and Complex" version will be posted here in the near future.  Thanks for reading.

Recent Conditioning Workouts

#1
100 mountain climbers
100 heavy jump rope jumps
10 clap push ups
30 sec (reg) jump rope sprint
10 burpees
10 ball slams
30 sec jump rope sprint

#2
20 squats, lunges, jump lunges, jump squats burpees
8 x 20 sec continuous punches on heavy bag (10 sec rest)

#3
*for time
80 mountain climbers
8 burpees
8 jumping lunges
6 x 20 yrd shuttle sprint
15 med ball slams
80  mountain climbers
8 jump squats

#4
30 sec jump rope sprint
8 jump squats
30 sec shadow box
8 clap push up
8 ball slams
50 mountain climbers
30 sec jump rope sprint
8 burpees
30 sec shadow box

#5
a-50 med ball slams
b-50 air squats
c- 30 sec rest
repeat 11 times (12 rounds total)

#6
jump rope 2 min
5 balls slams, 5 push up x 2 min
3 round, NO REST

#7
10 med ball slams
10 narrow push ups
10 overhead squats w/ med ball
30 lateral jumps over med ball
10 rounds @ 1 min rest

#8
50 push ups
50 pull ups
air squat (body weight = number of reps)
crunches (1/2 BW = NOR)
burpees (1/2 BW = NOR)