Ask A Nutritionist: Your Most Popular Questions
Our team of nutritionists are dedicated to helping clients with their nutritional and dietary questions. They are on hand to run you through any questions you may have and to help shape your plan so it is perfectly suited to you.
We have pulled together some of the most recent questions we received from our “Ask A Nutritionist” segment over on our Instagram to help you get one step closer to smashing your goals.
Ask A Nutritionist
Q. How can I loose fat and build muscle at the same time?
A. It is tricky to facilitate muscle growth and fat loss at the same time, as one requires a calorie surplus and the other a deficit. There are instances whereby it has been shown to be possible, but this is typically in those who are very new to resistance training, just as long as the deficit is not too great and protein intake is high enough.
Q. Is it okay to have heavy meals like chicken or quinoa for breakfast before working out?
A. It is completely down to personal preference and what works for you and the training you are doing. We wouldn’t usually recommend eating a very large meal too close to a workout, especially if it involves something like running or jumping, as you are very likely to feel uncomfortable and perhaps even nauseous. If you’re feeling peckish pre-workout, you may be best off to grab a light snack e.g a banana or if you have a meal, try to leave around an hour or so before starting!
Q. Is low carb worth it in the short term?
A. If your goal is weight loss, you could see faster results with a low-carb intake. The main reason for this is that your body holds less water when you eat fewer carbohydrates. However, it doesn’t mean you’re losing more fat mass. Research has shown that people with the same calorie intake but a different macro distribution can achieve the same results in the long term (more than 6 weeks). Controlling your calorie intake and being consistent is of greater importance, so we advise you to choose a diet/lifestyle you can sustain in the long term.
Q. How much water should I drink?
A. Around 2 litres per day but this can vary from person to person. More should be considered on training days or during warmer weather when sweat rates are higher. If you feel as though you are not drinking enough, try tracking your water intake via an app, or set reminders on your phone to remind you to have a glass of water at regular intervals throughout the day.
Q. Is detoxing a good way to lose weight?
A. We would not recommend a detox diet. There is no evidence to support the claims that any diet can effectively ‘detox’ our body. Our body has natural (and very clever!) mechanisms in place for detoxing itself, whereby our major organs such as the liver, kidneys, gut, skin and lungs all play an essential role. In addition to this, Fresh Fitness Food advocates gradual progress towards a clients’ goals, by creating sustainable lifestyle and behavioural changes. Detox diets can often be referred to as a ‘quick fix’, which we do not advocate.
Q. What are some metabolism and fat-boosting foods I can eat for weight loss?
A. There is little scientific evidence that certain foods would speed up your metabolism. When it comes to weight loss, eating less calories (energy) than you are using, rather than eating specific foods that are thought to have special properties, will be more important. Being more active can also help to speed up your metabolism as it helps with maintaining/building muscle mass. Muscle cells require more energy to maintain than fat cells, so when you have more muscle mass, you tend to have a faster metabolism.
Make sure to follow us on Instagram for an opportunity to ask a nutritionist your question.
The Fresh Fitness Food Nutritionists.
Fresh Fitness Food provides personalised meal plans delivered straight to your door, ensuring not only that you have the nutrients you need to manage your stress levels, but also that you have the time usually spent shopping, cooking and washing up, to engage in your favourite stress-reducing activity. To discuss which nutrition plan is right for you, book a call with our in-house nutrition team here.
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