Ready to crush some fat loss nutrition myths?

I get extreme nutrition questions all the time. In fact, just yesterday I was asked about whether it was bad to eat carbohydrates and protein at the same time. I can’t stand that type of obsessive- compulsive thinking. There’s no reason to be worried about that kind of tiny detail.

So here are two nutrition myths I crushed while down in California hanging out with friends and celebrating my buddy Bedros Keuilian’s birthday down over the weekend. (By the way, by ignoring these myths, I ate amazing meals and still didn’t gain any fat!)

Myth #1) You can’t eat late at night

I blew that one out of the water on the first night I arrived. My flight from Toronto to Orange County was at 6pm Thursday. I ate before I went to the airport, and then aside from a few almonds on the plane, I didn’t eat until I arrived at 8pm California time.

So that’s 5 hours past my normal dinner time.

But “nutrition experts” are going to tell me I can’t eat now?

They are going to send me to bed without any supper?

Who do they think they are, some kind of evil villain from a Mother Goose nursery rhyme?

Some type of wicked step-mother nutrition witch, or something?

Well, I’ll have my dinner whenever I want, thank you very much. And if that means eating at 9pm, then that’s when I’ll eat.

The bottom line: It’s not WHEN you eat, it’s HOW MUCH you eat.

By the way, just to horrify these so-called nutrition experts even more, I even ordered a pizza when I ate at 9pm last Thursday. Then again, I ate dinner with Mr. Cheat Diet, Joel Marion…

Myth #2) You must use protein shakes if you want to lose fat/gain muscle

Survey says, “Wrong!”

There has never been a scientific study showing that you’ll build muscle or burn fat better if you eat more than 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.

That translates to LESS than one gram of protein per pound of body weight.

So yes, it’s fine to round up to one gram per pound, BUT that ONLY works if you are relatively lean.

If you are more than 20% fat, you do NOT need anywhere near one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.

Let’s say you’re a 175 pound guy or a 145 pound woman with 20% fat.

At most, you’ll need one gram per pound of LEAN body mass (that’s your total weight minus your fat weight).

So our man would need 140 grams of protein and our female would need 115 grams of protein per day.

That is SO EASY to get through REAL FOOD that you don’t need to suck down the “swill” that nutrition stores sell you (aka – protein powder).

Just check out how much protein you get from REAL food:

* One cup of any dairy product = 8-10 grams of protein
* One ounce of meat = 7-10 grams of protein
* One ounce of fish = 6 grams of protein
* One egg = 7 grams of protein
* One cup of kidney beans or black beans = 15 grams of protein
* One tbspn peanut butter = 4 grams of protein
* One slice of bread = 5 grams of protein (!)

So you see, you don’t need bad-tasting powders when you can eat real, delicious foods for all your protein needs.

Instead, keep your nutrition SIMPLE. Focus on whole, natural foods and limit high-calorie, high-sugar foods to just a couple of treats per week. Combine that with your favorite Turbulence Training workouts and you’ll lose fat fast.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

The following fat loss nutrition info is an interview with Craig Ballantyne, owner of Turbulence Training Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines – which is part of the  TT package -  and nutrition expert Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D who wrote the report.  Below Chris  answers some tough fat loss nutrition questions.

So first, Dr. Mohr’s credentials…

Dr. Chris Mohr is a consultant to a number of media outlets and
corporations including the Discovery Health Channel, Clif Bar, Fit Fuel, and Labrada Nutrition. He has authored or co-authored several textbooks and has written nearly 500 articles.

Dr. Mohr has bachelors and masters degrees in Nutrition, from Penn State University and the University of Massachusetts, respectively. He received his PhD in exercise physiology from the University of Pittsburgh and is also a registered dietitian.

Through his company, Mohr Results, Dr. Mohr offers consultations, provides corporate seminars, and will soon be providing nutrition services for trainers.

Now, before we get to the interview with Dr. Mohr, I have something to admit:

Nutrition is more important than training.

There, I said it. In fact, I’ve admitted it all along. It doesn’t
matter how good the Turbulence Training workouts are, you won’t get maximum results without the right nutrition.

And that’s why I’ve gone to Dr. Mohr to get his advanced fat loss tips.

CB: For fat loss, what kind of shake is best after weights? Do we
need high-carb, sugar shakes?

CM:
I still think this is an important meal to get some carbohydrates
in to fuel you for your next workouts, since carbohydrate intake is likely low throughout the remainder of the day.

Even during a fat loss phase, I recommend folks get at least a 1:1 ratio of carbs:protein.

CB: But what about sugar specifically? If a client is 35, 5’10″, and 21% body fat, does he need sugar in his post-workout drink?

CM:
I do still think simple carbs are important during this recovery
period.

Carbs don’t have to be the enemy—if the rest of your carb intake is mainly veggies, the post workout simple carbs will be a Godsend.

You’ll suck that right up, you’ll feel stronger, and have better
subsequent workouts. You should be training hard enough to be able to lose the fat…it’s not all about the carbs.

I would go 1:1 ratio of carbs:protein…around 30:30 of a
combination of malto/glucose/sucrose or any high GI ingredients with a whey isolate and/or hydrosylate.

CB: Does post-workout nutrition change for interval training?

CM:
I believe it does, because while you’re exercising at a
high-intensity, the amount of glycogen depletion and protein
degradation that’s going on is lower than with a longer duration,
intense weight workout.

It is still an important time for feeding (after exercise), but I
wouldn’t recommend the same high intake of carbs:protein as I would after a tough weight workout.

Like before, go with the 1:1 ratio of carbs:protein – that is, of
course, unless you were just out there doing intervals for an hour (but then you’d basically be superhuman).

CB: What are your thoughts on eating before bed?

CM:
This is a time I like a protein and fat meal, to help slow the
digestion of those nutrients during a time when it’s likely you
will be breaking down some muscle tissue.

I am “ok” with some carbs, but if you do eat them, focus on veggies or something similar and don’t sit down to a Thanksgiving meal and then immediately close your eyes.

CB: Everyone seems to know the general protein rule for gaining muscle (1g per pound bodyweight), but how much protein do we need when trying to lose fat?

CM:
This is suffice for losing fat as well. Maintaining this intake,
with a moderate fat intake as well, will help provide the necessary nutrients since you want to lose as much fat as possible, yet maintain as much lean body mass as possible.

You can’t get around the fact that weight loss does take some
reduction in calorie intake (or very high amount of calorie
expenditure), so focus your intake on lean proteins, healthy fats,
and always think fiber, not carbs.

CB: Give us one of your “secret” advanced fat loss nutrition tips…please!

CM:
Losing fat without the addition of intervals is like riding a bike
through sand – sure it will work, but your progress won’t be nearly as fast.

Replace all simple carbohydrates with their high-fiber
counterparts, and make sure you’re eating at least one vegetable each and every meal.

CB: What do you think of “calorie cycling” diets – where you drop your calories for a couple of days, then bump them up, etc. Is there any research to support this approach?

CM:
To my knowledge it’s all anecdotal.

Theoretically, it seems as if it may work; however, it would be
near impossible to design a well controlled study to test the
theory.

With that said, it’s hard to make specific recommendations because there’s nothing to base it off of.

CB: And let’s finish off with your thoughts on fish oil – dosage,
quality, etc.

CM:
They kick ass—general health, 2-4 g/day. Elevated TG I would go higher, increasing in a stepwise manner, up to 8g or so (not a
blanket statement, but individualized). Always speak with MD first since it does decrease clotting time…contraindicated if on blood thinning medications.

Preliminary research with weight loss shows it’s promising—2-3 studies to my knowledge. I do believe higher quality fish oils are important. Fish oil shouldn’t give you fishy burps or taste fishy at all.

Two favorites are Nordic Naturals and Carlson. Fish oils are
screened very well for mercury and other contaminants, particularly ones like NN and Carlson.

CB: Thanks Chris. This is great. I look forward to adding your nutrition knowledge to my Turbulence Training workouts…I guarantee that this combination will help everyone lose fat and gain muscle.

More nutrition interviews with Dr. Mohr are on the way.

If you have any other questions, just let me know.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne
Author, Turbulence Training

P.S. Big Nutrition Announcement!

The Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women – written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., is ready for you.

Here are just some of the things you’ll learn from Dr. Mohr…

1) How to calculate your calorie needs (p. 6)

2) Calorie recommendations for obese individuals (p.7)

3) The 23 types of sugar (many hidden!) to avoid (p. 9)

4) The 20 whole-grain sources to fuel your fat loss program (p9)

5) Over 60 fruits and vegetables that should be added to your diet (p. 10)

6) The 16 protein sources you should select most often (p. 13)

7) Shocking trans-fat content of 18 common foods – find out which food is the deadliest in terms of fat content (p. 16)

8 ) The 9 Fat Sources you should select most often (p. 17)

9) Dr. Mohr’s 12 Rules for Fat Loss (p. 18)

10) The TT Nutrition Plan for Men (p. 19)

11) The TT Nutrition Plan for Women (p. 23)

12) Bonus Supplement Report: The Truth About Fat Loss Pills (p. 27)

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit “TurbulenceTraining”