What are Carbohydrates?

What are Carbohydrates?

With today’s high macromolecule - low macromolecule diets, individuals are usually asking queries like, what are carbohydrates. What is the recommended carbohydrate intake per day?
All carbohydrates are made of the same three compounds: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
The name “carbohydrate” comes from its chemical makeup. “Carbo-“ means carbon; “hydrate” means water. Carbohydrates can be consumed in the simple (ie. white bread) or the complex form (ie. whole grains) to produce energy.

Simple carbs have a simple design. 

Simple carbohydrates are the sugars that occur naturally in foods, along with the sugars that we add to foods. They are called "simple" because they have a very simple chemical structure that is easily broken down by the digestive system. Simple carbs tend to get into your bloodstream very quickly to give you energy. 

Here is a list of some simple carbohydrate foods:

* Table sugar 

* Honey 

* Molasses 

* Syrups 

* Soft Drinks

* Fruit Juice 

* Candy

Interesting Fact: Although white flour is technically a "starch," and not sugar, refinement causes it to become more like a simple sugar since it is easily broken down into glucose in your body. This means that when you eat white bread and other products made from white flour, it is more like eating sugar than starch. 

Complex carbs are more complicated 

Complex carbohydrates are the starches and fibers. Starches are stored by the plants that we eat, and so, come almost exclusively from plant foods. Fibers make up the structures of plants and are classified as soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Both types of fiber are essential to a healthy eating lifestyle. Complex carbs have a more complicated chemical structure and are more difficult for your body to digest. Some, such as fibers, are not digested at all. 

Here is a list of some foods with complex carbohydrates:

* Vegetables 

* Whole Fruits 

* Whole Grains 

* Beans 

* Lentils 

* Split peas

Glycemic Index 

You may have heard of called the Glycemic Index. This is a way of measuring how fast the sugar from carbohydrates will be absorbed into your bloodstream. This issue may be important with regard to weight loss and control of Type II Diabetes, because of its effect on insulin, the hormone produced by your pancreas that allows the glucose to enter the cells and provide energy. Generally, the simpler the carbohydrate, the more swiftly it is broken down and shows up as glucose in your blood.

Are carbohydrates bad for you? 

Carbohydrates have gotten a bad reputation in recent years, but, it is safe to say that without them, you will not feel well. It is important for you to know that you can be healthy (and maintain a desirable weight) eating carbohydrates. In fact, you need them for energy, and they also contain many of the other nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber that your body needs. 

Carbohydrate foods are the plant foods that you eat. There are healthy carbs, such as 

Foods from whole grains

* Bread 

* Rolls 

* Pasta 

* Cereal 

* Bagels 

* Rice

Fruits: 

* Apples 

* Oranges 

* Pears 

* Bananas 

* Grapes 

* Berries 

* Peaches 

* Watermelon 

* Pineapple 

* Kiwi 

* Grapefruit

Vegetables: 

* Lettuce 

* Broccoli 

* Carrots 

* Potatoes 

* Peas 

* Corn 

* Onions 

* Beans 

* Spinach 

* Squash 

And there are less healthy (some would say unhealthy) choices, such as 

* French fries 

* Doughnuts 

* Chips 

* Pies 

* Cakes

* Cookies 

* Things made out of all white flour. 

It is important that you choose most of your foods from the first list rather than from the second. 

In addition to being poor carb foods, the foods in the second list are generally loaded with fat, particularly saturated fat and trans-fats, which have been implicated as bad actors in the rise of heart disease and cancer.

Starchy vs. Non-starchy Vegetables 

Within the vegetable group, there is a difference between those with a significant amount of carbohydrates and those with not much carbs at all. 

Starchy vegetables: Carrots, Potatoes, Winter Squash, Corn, Peas, and Sweet Potatoes 

Less-starchy vegetables: Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Green Beans, Peppers, and Summer Squash 

Although both of these groups offer healthy nutrition, if you are trying to lose weight, choose vegetables from the less starchy group more often than from the starchy group.

Protein, too 

Certain plant foods that are mostly carbohydrate foods, will also supply a significant amount of protein. 

Lentils, Split peas, Kidney beans, Pinto beans, Black beans, Soybeans, Garbanzo beans, Navy beans, Peanuts, Peanut Butter, Rice, Wheat, Barley, Oats, Peas 

When you eat these foods, you are getting the advantages of both a good source of carbohydrates as well as a significant source of protein. Many of them have the added advantage of being high in fiber. 

Animal foods with carbs 

Dairy products are one category of animal products that supply significant carbohydrate. Lactose is milk sugar and is found in milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream. There also is some carbohydrate found in the liver, but it is not considered a significant source. 

What is a serving of carbohydrate? 

The serving size for carbohydrates varies according to type. For the Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group, a serving would be 1 slice of bread, ½ cup cooked pasta, rice or cereal, 1 small roll, biscuit or muffin, ½ bagel or bun or 3 small crackers. 

For vegetables, a serving would be ½ cup cooked or raw or 1 cup leafy greens and for fruits, a serving would be 1 medium for most fruits, 1 melon slice, ½ grapefruit or ½ c. berries or canned fruit. A serving of vegetable or fruit juice is ¾ cup.

What is a Calorie?

What is a Calorie?

Calories are a measurement of energy that the body receives from foods and beverages. This energy is what fuels the body, and enables it to function properly. Most people know that in order to lose weight, calorie intake must be reduced and monitored. Some people find an effective weight management tool to be a calorie-controlled diet. So what is a calorie-controlled diet anyway?

A calorie-controlled diet is, simply put, a diet in which calories are counted. The recommended average calorie intake for women is about two thousand calories per day. The recommended average calorie intake for men is about two thousand five hundred calories per day. These guidelines are basic averages and may vary depending on specific dietary needs, and/or activity level. A good rule of thumb to determine how many calories you should be consuming per day is to use one of the calorie multiplier methods. For a daily maintenance diet, multiply your body weight in pounds by fifteen calories (lbs. x 15). For a fat loss diet, multiply your body weight in pounds by twelve calories (lbs. x 12). This is a very easy, efficient way to get a good idea of your daily caloric requirements. Another helpful tip for fat loss is: for every one pound of fat you wish to lose per week, you must reduce your caloric intake by three thousand five hundred calories per week (or five hundred calories per day).

The calorie-controlled diet can help you gain a much more realistic view of how many calories you really consume each day. Recent studies have shown that people underestimate the number of daily calories consumed by as much as one thousand when they do not keep track of their diet. To be as honest as possible on the controlled diet, keep track (or keep a log) of everything you eat in a day. At the end of the day, add up the total number of calories and write it down in a journal. When seven days have elapsed, add the total calories for the week, and divide that number by seven. That is your average daily calorie intake. 

Aside from being more aware of how many calories you are consuming each day, there are several other advantages of a calorie-controlled diet. This diet does not limit your food and does not keep you from eating your favorites. All calories are counted, and as long as you do not exceed your daily allotted calories, most foods can be consumed with moderation. Calorie controlled diets are also quite easy to begin and do not interfere with daily life. Finally, a calorie-controlled diet helps you maintain a healthy eating program for life. The diet encourages people to make smart food choices which optimizes energy and promotes overall health and well being

How Are Calories Related to Weight Control?
If our energy intake (that is, the calorie content of the food we eat) exceeds our energy expenditure (that is, the calories we burn while at rest and while moving), our
body stores the excess energy as body fat. Result?
We gain weight.

How Many Calories Equals One Pound of Body Fat?

Dietitians typically reckon that 3500 calories are adequate one pound of body fat.
Therefore, in order to reduce weight (eg.1 pound per week), each day we need to consume 500 fewer calories than we burn.
During a 7-day amount, our calorie deficit will amount to 3500 calories.
However, it's not essential to achieve these calorie savings exclusively by eating less.
We can conjointly increase our calorie expenditure by exercise additional.
We might eat 250 fewer calories per day and burn an additional 250 calories in aerobics.

What is a Calorie-Controlled Diet?
A calorie-controlled diet is no more than an eating plan with calculated calorie content.
A very-low-calorie diet (or very-low-energy diet, VLED) typically contains about 800 calories per day.
It is typically a mix of real food and meal replacement shakes or bars and is commonly used under medical supervision by very overweight or obese dieters, with nutritional supplements.

A low-calorie feeding arranges, typically used as a weight loss diet, typically contains 1200-1600 calories.
Low-calorie meal recipes, (eg.Weight Watchers "Smart Ones" or Lean Cuisine) generally average concerning four hundred calories.

High-calorie diets, used by athletes and sportspeople who burn very large amounts of energy, may contain up to 10,000 calories.

How Many Calories will we get to Eat every Day?

Our daily calorie needs to rely upon a variety of things, including our: gender, age, weight, and level of activity.
Very approximate ballpark calorie wants for average-sized adults, aged 30, with a sedentary lifestyle, would be 2400 calories (men) or 1800 calories (women).
Daily calorie wants for kids and teenagers vary from 1200 to 2000 calories.

What Are Sensible Ways To Reduce Calories In Our Diet?

As a rough guide, the first step to reducing calories is to avoid calorie-dense foods that are high in fat or sugar. 

Why avoid these foods? Because these type of foods are overly available. And they are too easily eaten. For example, after the main meal, we are not typically hungry, yet it's easy to demolish a large helping of rich ice cream, or a creamy dessert. By comparison, it's much more difficult to eat 4-5 large apples. In addition, fat contains more than twice the calories (9 per gram) than carbs or protein (4 per gram), while too much sugar may raise blood-glucose levels too fast and leave you hungry within a couple of hours. Another way to make healthy calorie savings (and still feel full) is to choose high fiber foods, such as vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains. Foods rich in fiber (soluble or insoluble) take longer to digest and give us a sense of satiety.

Are All Calories Equal?

Although scientifically speaking all calories are equal in energy terms, most dietitians and nutritionists advise us to make calorie savings by choosing nutrient-dense foods (meaning food with a high nutritional content) in preference to empty-calorie foods (meaning food which contains calories but little or no nutrition). Nutritious foods include lean meat, fish, low-fat dairy foods, eggs, beans, whole grains and of course plenty of fruit and veggies. Empty calorie foods include regular sodas, candy, sweets, cakes, and cookies. Paradoxically, some high-calorie foods (eg. oily fish) should be preferred to lower-calorie options, because of their omega-3 fat content, which is believed to assist metabolic function rather than lead to weight gain.

What Exercise is Best For Calorie-Burning

In general, aerobic exercise (sustained exercise of the large muscles) such as brisk walking, swimming, jogging, running, and treadmill workouts tend to burn the most calories. However, resistance training (eg. weight training) is essential to build muscle and raise your basic metabolic rate. This is because muscle requires more calories to sustain than fat. So the more muscle we have, the more food we can eat before we gain weight.

WHAT ARE MINERALS?

WHAT ARE MINERALS?

As necessary as vitamins ar, they'll do nothing for you while not minerals.
Vitamins can't be assimilated while not the help of minerals.
Although the body will manufacture a couple of vitamins, it cannot manufacture one mineral.
All tissue and internal fluids contain varied quantities of minerals.
Minerals are constituents of the bones, teeth, soft tissue, muscle, blood, and nerve cells.
They are very important to overall mental and physical well-being.

HOW THEY WORK: Minerals act as catalysts for several biological reactions inside the body, including, muscle response, the transmission of messages through the nervous system, and the utilization of nutrients in food.

Just like vitamins, minerals facilitate your body to grow, develop, and stay healthy.
The body uses minerals to perform many various functions — from building robust bones to transmittal nerve impulses.
Some minerals are even wont to build hormones or maintain a standard heartbeat.

Macro and Trace
Whereas vitamins are organic substances (made by plants or animals), minerals are inorganic components that return from the soil and water and are absorbed by plants or consumed by animals.
Your body desires larger amounts of some minerals, like metallic element, to grow and keep healthy.
Other minerals like atomic number 24, copper, iodine, iron, selenium, and metallic element are referred to as trace minerals as a result of you simply would like terribly tiny amounts of them daily.

The two varieties of minerals are macrominerals and trace minerals.
Macro means that "large" in Greek (and your body desires larger amounts of macrominerals than trace minerals).
The macromineral cluster is created from a metallic element, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur.

A trace of one thing implies that there's solely a bit of it.
So even supposing your body desires trace minerals, it desires simply a small little bit of everyone.
Scientists are not even certain what quantity of those minerals you wish daily.
Trace minerals includes iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.

Summary Table

The following table (in alphabetical order within categories) includes basic information about some of the major minerals used by the human body.

Advice Notes: Always research the contraindications & side-effects of supplements. The above revision information is intended for therapists qualified in Diet and Nutrition. Unqualified persons are advised to seek professional guidance in the use of supplements. Minerals can do more harm than good if taken in excessive amounts and may be useless unless in combination with other minerals.

WHAT ARE VITAMINS?

WHAT ARE VITAMINS?

Vitamins are organic compounds that are required in tiny quantities to sustain life.
We get vitamins from food, as a result of the material body either doesn't turn out enough of them or none in the slightest degree. An organic compound contains carbon.
When Associate in Nursing organism (living thing) cannot turn out enough of Associate in Nursing organic compound that it desires in little amounts, and needs to get onto from food, it's known as a vitamin.

Sometimes the compound could be victual for an individual's however not for a few different animals.
For example, {vitamin c|vitamin C|ascorbic acid|water-soluble victuals|antioxidant} (ascorbic acid) could be a vitamin for humans however not for dogs, as a result of dogs will turn out (synthesize) enough for his or her own desires, whereas humans cannot.

There are currently 13 recognized vitamins. 

• Vitamin A 

Chemical names (vitaminer) - retinol, retinal, and four carotenoids (including beta carotene). Fat-soluble. Deficiency may cause night-blindness and keratomalacia (an eye disorder that results in a dry cornea) Good sources - liver, cod liver oil, carrot, broccoli, sweet potato, butter, kale, spinach, pumpkin, collard greens, some cheeses, egg, apricot, cantaloupe melon, milk.

• Vitamin B1. 

Chemical name (vitaminer) - thiamine Water soluble. Deficiency may cause beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoffsyndrome Good sources - yeast, pork, cereal grains, sunflower seeds, brown rice, whole grain rye, asparagus, kale, cauliflower, potatoes, oranges, liver, and eggs. 

• Vitamin B2. 

Chemical name (vitaminer) - riboflavin Water soluble.
Deficiency could cause ariboflavinosis sensible sources - asparagus, bananas, persimmons, okra, chard, farmer's cheese, milk, yogurt, meat, eggs, fish, and inexperienced beans.

• Vitamin B3. 

Chemical names (vitaminer) - niacin, niacinamide Water soluble. Deficiency may cause pellagra Good sources - liver, heart, kidney, chicken, beef, fish (tuna, salmon), milk, eggs, avocados, dates, tomatoes, leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus, nuts, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, and brewer's yeast. 

• Vitamin B5. 

Chemical name (vitaminer) - pantothenic acid Water soluble.
Deficiency might cause symptom smart sources - meats, whole grains (milling might take away it), broccoli, avocados, secretion, fish ovaries.

• Vitamin B6.

Chemical names (vitaminer) - adermin, B, pyridoxamine Water soluble.
Deficiency might cause anemia, peripheral pathology smart sources - meats, bananas, whole grains, vegetables, and nuts.
When milk is dried it loses regarding half its B6. Freezing and canning can also reduce content.

• Vitamin B7. 

Chemical name (vitaminer) - biotin Water soluble.
Deficiency could cause eczema, rubor sensible sources - fixings, liver, some vegetables.

• Vitamin B9. 

Chemical names (vitaminer) - folic acid, folinic acid
Water-soluble.
Deficiency could cause physiological condition deficiency joined to birth defects sensible sources - ivy-covered vegetables, legumes, liver, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, some fortified grain merchandise, helianthus seeds. Several fruits have moderate amounts, as does beer.

• Vitamin B12.
Chemical names (vitaminer) - vitamin B complex, hydroxycobalamin, methylcobalamin Water soluble. Deficiency may cause megaloblastic anemia Good sources - fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and dairy products.
Some fortified cereals and soy product, as well as fortified nutritional yeast.

• Vitamin C. 

Chemical names (vitaminer) - ascorbic acid Water soluble.
Deficiency might cause pernicious anemia smart sources - fruit and vegetables.
The Kakadu plum and therefore the camu camu fruit have the best antioxidant contents of all foods. The liver also has vitamin C.

 

• Vitamin D. 

Chemical names (vitaminer) - ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol Fat-soluble.
Deficiency might cause rachitis, malacia smart sources - made within the skin once exposure to ultraviolet B lightweight from the sun or artificial sources.
Found in fatty fish, eggs, beef liver, and mushrooms.

• Vitamin E.

 Chemical names (vitaminer) - tocopherols, tocotrienols Fat soluble. Deficiency is uncommon.
May cause gentle anemia in newborns smart sources - edible fruit, almonds, avocado, eggs, milk, nuts, leafy green vegetables, unheated vegetable oils, wheat germ, and whole grains.

• Vitamin K. 

Chemical names (vitaminer) - phylloquinone, menaquinones Fat soluble.
Deficiency might cause hemorrhage predisposition smart sources - leafy inexperienced vegetables, avocado, kiwi fruit. Parsley contains a lot of vitamin K.

Fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins

There are fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins.
Fat-soluble vitamins are held on within the fat tissues of our bodies, likewise because of the liver.
Fat-soluble vitamins are easier to store than soluble ones and might keep within the body as reserves for days, a number of them for months.
Water-soluble vitamins don't get hold on within the body for long - they presently get expelled through body waste.
Water-soluble vitamins got to get replaced additional usually than fat-soluble ones.
Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble.
Vitamins C and every one the B vitamins are soluble.
Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed through the enteric tract with the assistance of fats (lipids).

What is Metabolism?

What is Metabolism?

Many people claim that they cannot lose weight because they have a slow metabolism and are constantly looking for ways to boost their metabolism. A lot of these people do not truly understand the term metabolism. According to Wikipedia:

“Metabolism is a set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms in order to maintain life”

Metabolism allows our bodies to utilize the food and some other resources that are needed to maintain the functions of the body, to repair the damage, get rid of toxins, and heal the injury. It is really an essential process in living organisms, particularly in humans. Without this process, we would die.
In humans the food we eat fuels these chemical reactions. So when people refer to a fast or slow metabolism they are generally referring to the average amount of calories their body burns in a day.
Food is the most important instrument that will help you either lose/gain weight, considering that metabolism needs the energy from what you eat. Chemical reactions take place within the body's cells that convert fuel from the consumed food, ultimately into energy to do everyday functions like thinking, growth, household/work activities and so on. Without metabolism, cells wouldn't be kept healthy and functioning.
Enzymes break down proteins from food present in the digestive system. These are then converted into amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, and sugar. These are then absorbed into the blood, namely amino and fatty acids, making their way into the cells. Other enzymes then actively control the chemical reactions thus metabolizing the compounds that are the result of the process.

Metabolism Kinds 
There are two kinds of metabolism, namely catabolism, and anabolism.

Catabolism
Also known as destructive metabolism, catabolism produces energy to make the cells active. Carbohydrates and fats are broken down to produce energy. This energy is then released to provide fuel for anabolism (read below). This, in turn, increases the temperature within the body, making muscles contract in being able to make body parts move. Complex chemical units are converted into the simple matter - like waste through the skin, lungs, and kidneys.

Anabolism
Also known as constructive metabolism, anabolism caters to storing and building. New cells are then formed and energy is stored for later use. This is then converted to large molecules of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
Now you must have understood what is metabolism and why is it important. There are many reasons that stunt one's ability to lose weight like genetics, problems like hyperthyroidism, type 1 and 2 diabetes and so on. Make a point to check your family history, to gauge whether you have problems that hinder the way your body functions. Consult a doctor now if you're unsure of why multiple diet plans and workouts fail to bear fruit for you.

Foods/Habits That Rev Up Metabolism 
As a kid you may have been pestered day in and day out to drink lots of water. Dietitians say that drinking at least 6 - 8 glasses of water a day can improve not only health, but repair other problems like bad skin (oily/dry/acne prone), hair, increase metabolism, regular bowel movements, cleansing of bodily toxins and so on. Follow this regime, and see a considerable change in body mass and structure.

• Eat fruits and vegetables (because of high fiber content), as these are foods that boost metabolism.

• Walk long distances for at least a total of 30 minutes in a day (jog every now and then to boost metabolism, stick to walking if too tiresome).

• Drink green tea (known to contain a considerable amount of calorie burning properties).

• Increase protein intake like fish, white meat (chicken), cereal (fat free).

• Occasionally eat spicy food (throw in some hot spices to boost your metabolic rate).

• Substitute regular coffee with black coffee (avoid using cream, sugar or milk). 

• Constantly munch on something healthy like nuts (small helpings of peanuts, almonds, groundnuts and cashews - switch to pine nuts, salt free pistachios if you'd like; strictly avoiding wafers/biscuits).

• Make it a habit to opt for the stairs instead of the elevator.

• Avoid starch and sugar carbohydrates like white bread, sugary items, candy, aerated drinks, potatoes (fried/boiled), pasta and so on (try eating these items during the weekends instead of everyday).

• Eat a good breakfast and lunch; go easy on dinner (make sure you eat two hours before you head to bed, to avoid food from sitting overnight in your belly, causing it to bloat).

• Most importantly, avoid starving yourself.

WHAT IS NUTRITION?

WHAT IS NUTRITION?

Nutrition, nourishment, or aliment, is that the offer of materials - food - needed by organisms and cells to remain alive.
In science and human drugs, nutrition is that the science or observe of overwhelming and utilizing foods.
In hospitals, nutrition could talk over with the food needs of patients, together with nutritionary solutions delivered via AN IV (intravenous) or Ig (intragastric) tube.

Nutritional science studies however the body breaks food down (catabolism) and repairs and creates cells and tissue (anabolism) - katabolism and organic process = metabolism.
Nutritional science additionally examines however the body responds to food.
In different words, "nutritional science investigates the metabolic and physiological responses of the body to diet".

As biological science, organic chemistry and biological science advance, nutrition have become additional targeted on the steps of organic chemistry sequences through that substance within United States of America and different living organisms area unit reworked from one form to another - metabolism and metabolic pathways.

Nutrition additionally focuses on however diseases, conditions and issues may be prevented or lessened with a healthy diet.

Nutrition additionally involves distinctive however sure diseases, conditions or issues could also be caused by dietary factors, like poor diet (malnutrition), food allergies, metabolic diseases, etc.

WHAT IS A DIET?

WHAT IS A DIET? 

Like several words within the English, the word diet is usually used interchangeably once individuals are pertaining to utterly various things.
In easy terms... your diet is what you eat.
What foods you eat and the way abundant of them you eat.
By definition, "diet" refers to what an individual fare or drinks throughout the course of each day.
However... the word is additionally ordinarily used once pertaining to controlled ingestion arrange specifically for the aim of losing weight.
This is once you ordinarily hear words like: “I’m on a diet” “I didn’t follow my diet” “I’m going off my diet” etc.
When it's utilized in this manner, the word diet is viewed nearly a similar as an alternative four-letter word.
But the lowest line is that something you eat is your diet.
If you dine in quantities that are overlarge, you'll absorb too several calories and can gain weight.
However, if you eat what’s thought of “the correct quantity of calories” for you, however you get them from only 1food cluster, you will lack essential nutrients which may cause
health problems.
A diet that limits parts to terribly little sizes, or that excludes sure foods; entirely to push weight loss might not be effective over the long run.
You are probably to miss sure foods and notice it troublesome to follow this for a protracted time.
Instead, it's thought of higher to bit by bit amendment the categories and amounts of food you eat and maintain these changes for the remainder of your life.
The ideal diet is one that takes into consideration your likes and dislikes and includes a good style of foods with enough calories and nutrients permanently health.
How much you eat and what you eat play a significant role in what proportion you weigh.
A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve health.
It is important for lowering many chronic health risks, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, etc.
A healthy diet involves intense applicable quantities of all essential nutrients Associate in Nursingd an adequate amount of water.
Nutrients can be obtained from many different foods.
A healthy diet has to have a balance of macronutrients (fats, proteins, and carbohydrates), calories to support energy needs, and micronutrients to meet the needs for human nutrition without inducing
toxicity or excessive weight gain from intense excessive amounts.
But that is the question that eludes everyone. What is a healthy diet?
And even though we hear these terms on a daily basis, what is nutrition? What are the calories? What is fat? What are carbohydrates? Etc.
It is these most basic and fundamental things that we all hear about frequently.
But few folks really perceive what they're and what role everyone plays in your overall diet.
Once you learn these basics, it will affect the choices that you make on a daily basis.
And that can considerably improve yours have the ability to achieve your weight loss goals.

Recommended Recipes (Part: Quick & Easy Snacks)

Recommended Recipes (Part: Quick & Easy Snacks)

Recommended Recipes (Part: Side Dishes & Desserts)

Recommended Recipes (Part: Side Dishes & Desserts)

Recommended Recipes (Part: Lunch & Dinner)

 Recommended Recipes (Part: Lunch & Dinner)

Recommended Recipes (Part: Breakfast)

 Recommended Recipes (Part: Breakfast)

The Dieting Principles and What they Mean

 The Dieting Principles and What they Mean 

Almost every successful endeavor has been based on principles. Whether that endeavor is as big as designing a car or as relatively less impressive as gaining 5lbs of muscle mass over the course of several months. A properly-functioning car must be based on the principles of internal combustion or electricity, structural design, and computer control, among many others. A diet, similarly, must be based on principles that govern body composition, such as calorie balance, macronutrient intake, and nutrient timing.

Just as with designing a car that gets you from one place to another, all of the principles of dieting can be ranked from the most important and fundamental all the way down to the least. For example, the most important component of the car is the engine. Without it, the car doesn't go anywhere no matter what other features are included. Now, the frame and wheels come in at a close second, and the control systems right behind, but after that, the details are much less important. Even a car with only a steering wheel and pedals (no seats or displays) can get you from point A to point B, even though seats and windscreens highly enhance performance and comfort.

With diet design, there are 5 main dieting principles that we can rank from most important to least important. They are, in order:

1.) Calorie Balance
2.) Macronutrient Amounts
3.) Nutrient Timing
4.) Food Composition
5.) Supplements

Calorie balance is the most important principle of any diet and has by far the largest effect on diet outcome. It generally implies that muscle gain is mostly a matter of eating more food, and fat loss is mostly a matter of eating less food, with all other principles adding less and less to the main effect of calories. Macronutrient amounts are in second place as far as the effect on outcome is concerned. Eating the right amounts of protein, carbs, and fats in that order makes an important difference in the quest to getting leaner and more muscular. Nutrient timing comes in at third on the list, but in reality, it’s much less proportionately impactful than the first two principles. It can be an important detail and does make a very meaningful difference to those individuals who compete in strength and physique sports. Food composition comes in at a fourth place and is a very small detail of the dieting process. It’s something to be considered when the top three priorities are in order, and probably not before then; the same applies to supplements. As the name implies, “supplements” are meant to supplement an already effective diet, and are nowhere near powerful enough to overcome errors in calorie balance, macros, or timing. When designing a diet, it is imperative to address the bigger picture first. If you do that, you already have a functional diet, and addressing further details only makes it better. The last thing we'd want to do is invest all our time into the details first, and have a diet that's highly labor-intensive but doesn't actually work very well. When building a car, we want a frame with wheels that are connected to a functioning engine... much later should we concern ourselves with the air conditioning and leather seats.

 So without further ado, let's look at each dieting principle closely and gain an understanding of its impact on diet success. In following our priority list, let's take a look at the equivalent of the engine of dieting: calorie balance.

NEVER QUIT AND NEVER GIVE UP

NEVER QUIT AND NEVER GIVE UP 

In closing, I wanted to write that if you intended to become something great, then become engrossed in it. submerse yourself in the arms of it, and embrace all of the love and pain that will come with realizing whatever dream you may have for your life.

There will be times of agony that make you question if you really want to go on; if you want to continue. Your desire will wane at times, you will wonder if you can take another fall. Remember that falling is not failing. We all fall. We only fail when we no longer desire to stand again. It is then that the desire to quit becomes greater than the desire to overcome, to achieve, to succeed. That is what failure is. 

Failure is not missing a lift, or underperforming when we truly emptied ourselves into something. That is merely falling. And falling is perfectly acceptable. In fact, it is during our fall that we learn so much more about who we are than during our successes. It is during that time that our will and mettle is tested. If we allow it, this will strengthen us, harden us, enable us to be better than we were before the fall.

If we allow it, it can also break us entirely. Ultimately, it is the choice of the fallen to decide those things.

Do I stand, and walk again? Or do I sit here, and embrace being conquered?

Be strong….not conquered.

WHY TESTING WITHIN THE GYM WILL BE YOUR BIGGEST ENEMY

WHY TESTING WITHIN THE  GYM WILL BE YOUR BIGGEST ENEMY

GENERALLY, IT WOULD GO SOMETHING LIKE THIS…. 

 • Train for weeks or months. Make good/great progress. 

 • Feel stronger. 

 • Get the need to test, you know, because I feel stronger.  

 • Make or miss the tested lift. 

 • ???? 

 • Profit? 

There was really no profit. The next week I would test…. again. And the next week I would test. Eventually, I would end up not being able to hit that lift, and I’d wonder why I had gotten “weaker”.

I believe this is often the reason many people suffer from chronic routine changing, i.e. finding a new “routine” every few weeks. People hit a mark they have been working for, and now associate “success” with that particular level of achievement. Their mindset revolved around hitting that mark for so long, that it cemented itself as the manifestation of “success”.

When the inability to hit that “mark” starts happening, they believe it is because what they were doing is no longer a viable option. When in reality, it is the inability to let go of affirmation by way of hitting that mark that is the issue.

“I finally hit 500.” 

“I missed 500 today.” 

“I missed it again.” 

“I wasn’t even close.” 

“What happened? I hit 500 easily that one time.”

What happened? You stopped building. You stopped working. You become enamored with the little goal that you thrived off the affirmation it gave you on a weekly basis to know “hey I’m pretty good, now.”

Now you’re not building anything anymore. You’re not working like you were. You had a goal before this, and you put in the work and effort to help it become a realization. Now you’re just content to live within the realization that you created.

Until you STOP testing on a weekly basis and get back to building something more, you will eventually find yourself in a state of regression. Then you’ll actually have to work just to find yourself back to where you were before. That’s time lost TWICE. Think about it. You’re now in a position where you’re having to work just to get back to where you BEFORE. Why, because you lost sight of “building” while your eyes were constantly focused on testing.

One way to make sure you do not get caught up in this cycle is to NEVER test maxes in the gym. Rep PR’s tend to not have this same negative effect it seems, as most people can move right from hitting X weight for X reps to a new goal. A 1 rep max PR tends to put a lot of people into this cycle of stagnation or regression. Make it a point to NOT test 1 rep maxes in the gym. I’ve never been told of a single reason that makes any sense to me to do a true 1 rep max in a gym. If you’re not competing, you don’t need to do it. If you are competing, save it for the platform. It is really that simple.

THE MENTAL SIDE OF TRAINING (PART 4)

THE MENTAL SIDE OF TRAINING (PART 4)

BENG FULL AND STAYING HUNGRY - EXCERPT FROM LRB 

Every seminar I’ve done and each person I’ve ever talked to regarding coaching all have the same story regarding goals and complacence.

They set goals they desperately want to achieve. And when that happens.......they become very full. Complacency sets in, and the coast. The fire that drove them to reach those goals wanes, and sometimes dies altogether.
Without fail, I see it over and over again.
People feel sensible regarding their accomplishments, and they rest on their laurels.
Now, I believe everybody ought to in truth feel sensible regarding achieving their goals and moving the mountains that may are in their method.

What’s not good is to sink into complacency after that.
I will tell you why.

Without fail, the people that lose that hunger, eventually regress, and then only have their “stories” left to talk about what they USED TO BE.

I trained a lady once for quite a while that lost a major quantity of weight.

More than 100 pounds. When she reached a certain weight, which was still around 20 pounds above where I told her she needed to be, she told me “I feel good at this weight. That’s enough, I think this is fine.” It wasn’t fine.
The reason she didn’t need to push towards that further twenty pounds of weight loss was as a result of she felt it had been too intimidating.

In essence, she pushed out. What she had was good enough. Spare me the ideology about “being happy with where you are, nonsense. That’s exactly how people find themselves quitting or regressing. Which is exactly what happened to her.
Since then she’s gained a major quantity of her weight back and doesn’t train anymore.

I know quite a few women like this.
That they lost a major quantity of weight, and then tell people about it, but fail to mention that they haven’t made any progress in quite some time.

I think most of us know a few of these.

“I’ve lost X quantity of weight within the last X months/years.”

“What have you done since then?”

“Well I’ve been stuck for a short time at this weight, but I’m ok here”.

Whatever.

You’ve been stuck as a result of you're content and resting on your fucking laurels.

You’re way too god damned proud of yourself. Notice I say TOO PROUD. Be PROUD of what you have accomplished, but don’t ever let your accomplishments quench your thirst for improvement.
Men often do the same with their lifting.
“I wanted to bench/squat/deadlift/press X amount. And I did that.”
“What have you done since then?
” “Well, I’ve simply been reasonably you recognize.....fuck, yea nothing.”

Fucking whatever.
It is the same issue.
You’ve not affected past your goal in the slightest degree as a result of once you arrived, that fireplace left you. The immense feeling of urgency that drove you for many months has now dissipated and now you’re “full”.
The desire and hunger and want to urge higher is gone. You got your fat contract extension. Your teammates love you. The fans are chanting your name now.
You’re on your way to “has-been-ville”. There have been no PR’s in months and months. Hell, you don’t even know what the fuck you’d like to set a PR in!
There has been no fat loss in months and months. In fact, you think It is perfectly fine to have cheat meals whenever the fuck you want. You have dieted for months and months. You “paid your dues”. You can eat what you want now.

Listen, you’re either regarding convalescing, or you’re not. It is really that simple. You’re either getting better, or getting worse. The truth is, there is no stagnation. I know. I’ve been there. I’ve also watched dudes who said they could do something that they had trained months and months for, FAIL to have the ability to do it because they let their desire wane to the point that they had regressed.

You see, the reality is, time is always passing.
You are either doing things to boost, otherwise you can regress and acquire worse. Inching forward is still inching forward. Small improvements still count. It doesn’t matter if it is a single pound of weight loss in a month.
That’s twelve pounds of fat loss therein year. That’s better than none, or weight gain.

That five pounds you set on your bench is best than zero, or losing strength.

Set specific goals, for a month, three months, six months, a year, 10 fucking years I don’t care.
Do what you have got to try to to to retain that fireplace. To me, there is nothing more annoying than talking to someone who reached a certain “milestone” and brags about it, but then cannot talk about any future goals to get better. I know, I’ve been that person.
I awoke one morning to the conclusion that I hadn’t created any important progress in over a year.
A fucking year of my life gone, in the gym at least 3 days a week or more, with nothing to show for it. I annoyed myself.
If that’s you right now, then wake the fuck up and stop trying to rely on god damn motivational posters and sayings and stop resting on your fucking laurels. I write it all the time, you’re either about getting better, or you’re not.
But the actual fact is, you’re either regarding convalescing, or obtaining worse. There’s really no in-between.

THE MENTAL SIDE OF TRAINING (PART 3)

THE MENTAL SIDE OF TRAINING (PART 3)

THE ENEMY OF PATIENCE – ENTITLEMENT 

A jigsaw puzzle will never put itself together for you, no matter how long you work on it. The pieces will only be put in place by the hand that picks them up, figures out where they are supposed to go, and places them there. Some people put these pieces together faster than others, and some people put them together slower than others. Some people never finish putting together the puzzle at all, and simply resign themselves to being “wishful” or an “I once…” person. ”I once thought about finishing that jigsaw puzzle…. but then it got to be more tedious than I felt like the effort was worth.”

As the saying goes, you can wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up first. Entitlement is quite often the enemy that unstitches our efforts to eventually develop an understanding of patience.

When one finally understands that something will take time, and develops an association with that concept, then being patient becomes accepted. The great thing about understanding patients in one area is that it often transcends into other areas of your life seamlessly. Then you find that the ability to deal with and weather storms, plateaus, and setbacks effectively becomes a part of who you are. You grok patience. You accept it as part of the journey because you eventually understood what it meant. It is not just about a time frame alone, but about doing the right things over and over again in that time frame.

That is the only way that our goals and dreams can manifest themselves into our reality.

A major key facet in understanding patients is to appreciate every step forward, no matter how insignificant it may appear. Inching forward is still better than not moving at all. Learn how to appreciate every small step forward/ After all, you just got a little bit closer to your goal. Even the smallest of goals attained add up to very big things over time.

Think in terms of creating the single best moments that you can. Not the best week, or month, or year. None of those things are promised to us, only the here and no. Focus on the here and the now, patience will eventually be something understood and accepted. You will realize that you’ve traveled very far from where you first started. The “time” associated with that journey will never be a part of the burden.

BELIEF 

“If you stumble about believability, what are you living for? Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?” - Yann Martel

All of us sling the iron because we desperately want to become something more. There’s no getting around that. We desire to become a better/bigger/enhanced version of what we currently are physical. This is in fact, why we do the things we do in and out of the gym. When I was trying to “understand” patience and long periods of stagnation or regression would occur, I would often immerse myself into those pools of despondency I wrote about earlier. Sometimes succumbing to the belief that I would never ever “measure up” to anything I felt was worthy of being called strong or muscular. Often times the worst thing about the present is that it always feels permanent and lasting.

If you take just a moment of proper reflection, you will realize, it never is. The only constant changes.

If you keep applying enough force, eventually the pendulum will swing back in the other direction, and momentum can be seized. If you immerse yourself in all the things you need to do to improve, it will eventually happen. It just may not happen at the rate that keeps a smile on your face. As I noted about patience, it is up to us to make the best of the present in order to inch forward. When you waste that time in the doldrums of disbelief then your gifts go unappreciated, and belief is snuffed out. “I took my bench from 300 to 315. It is not elite, but….”

Always be proud of your accomplishments. You worked for them. Believe in yourself and your ability to get to that next level. If you don’t believe you can, no one else will believe in you. And even if they did, it would not matter. They aren’t the one who has to put in the work. It is up to you to take it upon yourself to instill the unyielding belief that you are a force to be reckoned with. You have to make the decision to stop dwindling in the darkness of self-doubt.

There has to come to a point in your mind, a moment where you undoubtedly believe. You UNDERSTAND, that you can and that you will. All doubt has been eviscerated and replaced with that of determination and unwavering perseverance. Doubt has to be conquered so that belief can begin its reign.

“I hope” is replaced by “I will.”

“I might” is replaced by “I can.”

Since this is for JTS, then their motto is very fitting for understanding this mindset.

“Become unstoppable.”

Without understanding that patience and belief work hand in hand with each other, you might eventually find yourself in those awful places of doubt and despondency. Perhaps you already have at times.

You must understand that the journey you are on is, in fact, a marathon, and not a sprint. Even the most elite of lifters struggle for years, and often decades at a time to climb up to the next rung on the ladder. The first time Andy Bolton stepped foot in a gym he deadlifted 600 pounds. He didn’t pull his 1,000 world record deadlift until 20 years later.

Here are some undeniable facts about every training journey that has endured a significant test of time.

There will be times of struggle. You may go long periods without much to show in the way of progress. You must hold steadfast to the belief that they will pass, and that you will eventually push through them.

There will be times of doubt. You must fight this off with the force of 10,000 Vikings. It is imperative that you find a way to stay positive and hold on to the belief that nothing will stop you from attaining the things you desire most. Every lifter worth his salt that has paid his dues and put in his timeshare similar stories of struggle and doubt. The ones that survive those times long enough will also be able to share with you that the two words written about here, will serve you better than any two other words you will ever need on your journey to becoming what you envision. Patience, and belief.

Understand patience. Accept the process. Believe with an undying will. You will arrive. It will happen.

THE MENTAL SIDE OF TRAINING (PART 2)

THE MENTAL SIDE OF TRAINING (PART 2)

PATIENCE AND BELIEF - MY PUBLISHED ARTICLE FROM JUGGERNAUT STRENGTH SYSTEMS

When I started lifting weights at fourteen years old I could barely bench press the bar. By “the bar” I mean the empty bar. 45 pounds. If I could bench it, it was with some “bro spotting”.

“All you man! You’re owning that bar!”

I was 5’9” and 98 pounds of pure depression and self-loathing. I do not believe my condition in that regard was unique to me as a teenager. Lots of young men struggle with puberty and trying to find balance in the early years of hormonal wreckage. Cracked voices, zit riddled faces, and awkwardness with those of the opposite sex so horrifying that it can only be observed and not described are often the things that make up our youth. These conditions often make for shaky confidence, to put it mildly.

For many males that hoist the iron, their genesis in the weight room started to help overcome these conditions. To combat them by putting on a shield of “armor” and add some confidence and stability to a shaky foundation.

I did not love the weights at first. I hated the soreness. I hated the gym and the effort I was being asked to give by my coach at the time. As my strength increased and my body started to look more like that of a teenage dude instead of a teenage chic, my love for the iron grew. I learned to love the effort. I appreciated the struggle. Boy did I struggle.

It took me almost two years from that point in order to hit a plate on each side. Yes, it took me to damn near two years to bench press 135 pounds. Though progress in my later teenage years was far more substantial than my early years (I never had that “noob gain” phase like most guys do), I was certainly not a natural mutant or freak.

Since those early days, I’ve close grip bench pressed 445 pounds, incline pressed 425 pounds, and doubled 315 pounds in the press behind the neck. It took me more than two decades of struggle to climb to those numbers. Regardless of how they compare to anyone else’s, they are mine, and I’m proud of them. I put in a lot of time and effort to reach them. I do not apologize for not “measuring up” to what someone else can do. The only person I need to measure up to each day and get better than, is the competition I see in the mirror. That guy needs to be better today than he was yesterday. Tomorrow, he needs to be a little bit better than he was today.

Was my attitude always like this? Hell no.

I went through many years of struggling with doubts and self-loathing in regards to my lifting. I did, in fact, compare myself to other lifters I saw that were bigger and stronger than me. I would oftentimes get depressed because I didn’t measure up to this guy, or that guy in that regard. A belief resonated constantly in me that I had been training too long and too hard to have such a modicum of results in return for my efforts. Especially compared to others I knew that either hadn’t been training as long or that I saw weren’t working as hard as I was.

The reason these thoughts plagued me is that I had not come to the realization that I needed to understand the two most important concepts behind success in training.

Patience, and belief.

PATIENCE

The four virtues of self-efficacy are courage, perseverance, persistence, and patience. Of those four, I believe that for the majority of us patience is the hardest to understand and accept. Understanding patience is the first step in accepting it, and the difference between knowing something and understanding something, are two very different things. Knowing is the act of having knowledge.

By definition, knowing is the expertise and skill acquired by an individual through his experiences and education. Understanding, by definition, means a psychological process related to a person, object, situation, or messages which require an individual to think and use concepts to deal with. Understanding involves conceptualization and association.

“I know I have to be patient.”

I may “know” this….but I may not understand it. A lack of understanding means that I may not have any way to associate the time frame that is required for my dreams, goals, aspirations, etc., to come to fruition. It requires you to have an association with it personally somehow, through experience, and a deeper understanding of a process.

Understanding means you have a fundamentally deeper level or grasp of something, than knowledge. You cannot take a class in college to obtain knowledge on how to be patient or understand what patience really is. Conceptually it means something different to everyone.

If I do not understand the process behind reaching my goals I will not come to an understanding of patience. I may whine and cry about how long it is taking, or I may believe that I am in fact doing enough and that my efforts feel as though they are in vain.

“I work hard! It is not happening as fast as it should be! I’m obviously doing something wrong, or I’m not cut out for this.” Even if you are working hard, and doing everything to the maximum of your genetic abilities, it still may take longer than you wish. The body can only move as fast as the physiological motor will allow. The “wanting” or “desire” of your mind cannot change that function. It can certainly fuel your efforts, but the fruits of your labor will always be limited to how fast your body can process all of the variables involved with training, diet, and recovery to make you bigger/ stronger.

“I do everything right. I have sacrificed everything in my life to make this dream become a reality. I deserve to get what I want!” I understand that. The universe does not care about your sacrifices and wishes. There is not a God of Powerlifting/bodybuilding/strongman/athletic-abilities that can acknowledge your sacrificial atonement and bless you with the abilities you desperately desire. The only thing you deserve is what you can earn or take, and retain as your own.

If the fulfillment of your aspirations and goals has not been realized, then the difficulties that are beset upon you, still need to be conquered. To put it plainly, you still have work to do.

You still have more time to put in. Regardless of how you “feel” about it, those conditions still haven’t been met. That means you have NOT come to an understanding and association that more time and/or more effort is required. There’s simply no getting around that concept.

THE MENTAL SIDE OF TRAINING (PART 1)

THE MENTAL SIDE OF TRAINING (PART 1)

The above was a quote that Ed Coan said to me on a Sunday morning in Chicago as we were about to start the Q&A part of a seminar we were involved in.

The previous night a crew of us had trained at the famous Quad’s gym. Pete Rubish and I had done some overhead work but Pete, being the great dead lifter that he is, wanted to do some dead-lifts. I agreed and we decided on 4” deficit pulls, once the other guys we were with were done pulling.

We warmed up, as usual, 135, 22, 5 315, 405. Then got into the heavier stuff. 500 flew up, 550, 585, and 635.

Pete wanted to go to 660 in the final set. I had pulled 655 a few weeks before at the USPF Nationals on a torn groin, but pulling 660 from a deficit like that is significantly harder than from the floor. Brandon Lilly assured me that “635 was fast, Paul. I’m not saying it was a speed set, but it was damn easy looking.” And he was right. It was. I ripped 635 like it was nothing.

Pete got on the platform after hitting some nose torque (ammonia) and pulled the 660 for a grinder. He was then goaded by our crew to pull another with it. He did and it was impressive because Pete’s first rep looked like a max. Pete is famous for grinding out another rep when it looks like he will not get another.

I prepared myself to pull the 660. I paced about like a wild animal, shuffling my feet back and forth, and grunting very slightly under my breath. After a few minutes of this, I hit the small platform, reached down and pulled the slack out of the bar, then dropped my hips and went. It shot off the floor like it was out of a cannon. And then right at my knees, it died. I mean just died.

Ernie Lilliebridge Sr., a man, and a lifter I respect in all ways that you can respect someone told me “you were behind the bar the whole time. It should have gone.” Brandon thought the bar was just slightly in front of me. I personally didn’t know why it died after coming off the floor easily. But Ed did. He told me the next morning after I was whining about missing that lift when I wanted it badly. “You know why you missed it, Paul?” He said to me. “You missed it because you approached it like it was heavy. It was. Every pull before that, you walked up to the bar with confidence and ripped it off the floor. When you got to that last one, you took way too long, and you psyched yourself out of the lift.” I stood there speechless for a bit.

He was right. It had nothing to do with strength. The 660 shot off the floor because the strength was there. You see, I’m weakest off the floor. It should have gone. In the back of my mind, I had convinced myself that the 660 would be hard to get. It was a weight I was not confident in moving and I didn’t. I saw this same thing transpire a few months later at a UPA meet. The lifter walked up to his opening deadlift, set up, and ripped it off the floor. He repeated this action on his second attempt as well. He walked up to it, got set up, and ripped it off the floor.

On his third attempt, he paced back and forth in the exact manner I did at Quads that day. He banged his fist into his head, let out a yell, and approached the bar.

I leaned over to the person sitting next to me and said, “He’ll miss this one.” Sure enough, he did. In fact, he missed it at the same spot I missed my pull at Quads. After the meet, I went up and talked to him and relayed my story at Quads, and he smiled at me and acknowledged that he did indeed “talk himself out” of making that pull. That he wasn’t confident when he walked up to that bar. There’s the keyword, is not it? 

Confidence. Confidence is what helps us elevate our game, our mental approach, our outlook on everything we do.

MANUFACTURING CONFIDENCE 

The reason that a lot of people need to take that time to “psyche up” before an attempt they are not confident in, is because they are trying to manufacture confidence. They are trying to draw up something from within them to overcome the obstacle in front of them. It is fake confidence, it doesn’t happen because genuine confidence manifests itself naturally.

YOU overcome the obstacle and YOU have no worries about it.

There is no “psyching up” to “try”. You simply understand this is something you can do, prepare yourself, and accomplish it. People that spend time psyching up are generally trying to manufacture confidence. What they really end up doing most of the time is listening to the demons inside that talk them out of lifts. The ones that speak from down low and whisper over and over again…..”You’re not ready for this.” It will be heavy. You are not meant for this.

You do your best to fight them off, they are all that you can think about when you walk up to the bar. They are all you can think about when you un-rack it, and it feels just as heavy on your shoulders as you imagined. When you hold it in your hands, and your arms quiver and shake under the tremendous weight, and the whispers get louder. You aren’t concentrating on staying tight, driving with your legs, and pressing with all of the strength your body can muster. You’re really succumbing to the demons of doubt. “It is not there.” You’ve already whispered that to yourself in unison with them. The battle is lost.

There are no magical rituals you can conjure up during these times. Nor should there be.

What should have given you that genuine confidence to make that attempt or lift, is that your training gave you constant feedback and reinforcement, that you were good for it? In other words, your training built your body and your mind. Every time you walk up to the bar, it should be with the same attitude. It doesn’t matter if it is a warm-up or a max attempt. Part of “training” is also training the mental approach that you take with you to the bar. This also goes for taking a lift for granted. I’ve seen plenty of guys struggle or even miss weights they considered “not worthy” because they did not respect it.

Your physical approach and mental approach to your work sets, gym sets, meet attempts, all should all mirror each other. I understand that lying down under an empty bar probably will not require you to get AS focused as you need to be on a maximal attempt. You should still be setting up the same way physically. Lots of guys and gals coast through their warm-ups, then change their technique and approach to the bar altogether once the bar is loaded.

Then, once the bar is nearing or at greatest weight, a totally new approach is taken, as a result of the repetition of approaching the bar hasn’t been strengthened. Every approach to the bar should bring purpose. Why else are you even attempting it?
Make your heat ups count each in terms of active technique, in terms of mental approach, and mental cues. People forget that the whole point of training, is essential PRACTICE for competition.
If you don’t follow such as you vie, then why does one expect success come back competition time?

If your coaching builds confidence week when week, and you’ve been active absolutely, then once it's competition time, you’ll feel ready.
You will not second guess yourself, and you may not got to manufacture confidence so as to fight down the demons of doubt.
You will crush them underneath your feet on your thanks to the platform, wherever you may then conquer, sort of a king United Nations agency is aware of no defeat.
This is why missing attempts in training is such a detriment to successful training cycles.
I harp on this all the time, however the blokes within the “old days” may arrange out long coaching cycles, ne'ermiss a raise, then go into the competition and crush them all day.
I see guys all the time currently perpetually making an attempt to hit a one rep maxes within the athletic facility, typically missing, and curious why they bomb or fail on their thirds at meets.
Training ought to be building confidence the complete time and reinforce the notion that you simply will crush no matter is place before of you.
The mental game in training has been just as important as the physical undertaking of getting stronger.
Settle on a mental approach that works for you on the same basis.
One that you simply will draw upon that has repetition related to triumph, not failure, not one that is different for “X” attempts than you used for “Y” attempts.
Honing your mental approach to the bar may be a huge a part of turning into well rounded, and for setting the stage for success.
Approaching the bar with the arrogance of a champion, is that the place you would like to systematically end up.
This is why it is important that you NOT downplay your accomplishments, or what you are capable of, because YOUR lifting exists in a vacuum. There is not a single other person that picks up the barbell in that world, except you. Treat YOUR WORLD as if you are the strongest mother fucker in it, because you are.