A MUST READ Fighting fit meal plan (fighters meal plan)

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Chillin Under SummerLight
FIGHTERS EATING PLAN (still can use it if you wanna eat better and lose mega weight.)
(btw this took me 2 hours to type up so please USE IT TO THE FULLEST!!!!!!)

You ever feel so tired, sore and unmotivated that training and working out is the last thing on your mind? Chances are a big reason you feel this way is because you eat like **** and don’t concentrate on what your putting into your body like most people... but it's ok, I'm here to help you

Eating the right foods before, after and during your training sessions could be the determining factor in how your performance ends up. If you eat a bucket of ice cream for breakfast and then step into the ring to spar, you can expect to throw up all over your opponent (which might actually lead to a TKO) - but if you eat a healthy breakfast, like oatmeal, eggs and blueberries, the benefits of healthy eating like that can actually led to you performing better.

A common question I see on the web is people asking is "what kind of tips on healthy eating are there for people who train twice a day and are always putting maximum stress on their body." I figured I’d help answer that riddle with 10 healthy eating guidelines and tips you should consider listening to:

Healthy Eating Guideline Tip #1

Don't Diet You Fool

A diet implies that your only doing it for a certain amount of time - therefore dieting never works. In order to be a successful athlete in an area, especially MMA, you have to adopt healthy eating habits throughout your life.
Now some diets have good tips on healthy eating, and by all means if some ‘diets’ sounds like your type of meal plan than by all means take whatever you can from it... just when people ask you what you eat, don’t say “I follow this and that diet”, say “I’m a real man and I don’t diet” (of course if your a woman you substitute 'man' with 'woman' in the sentence).

Ultimately what you want to develop is a long, healthy, smart eating style that works for you and pleases your taste buds without sacrificing the nutrition. Everyone is different so you have to experiment with certain foods to see how your body reacts to them and take it from there.

Healthy Eating Guideline Tip #2

Plan Ahead

First off, if you think you can follow these healthy eating guidelines and change your eating habits overnight, your living in a dream world brother. You have to start slow, just like MMA - for instance - if you are new to fighting your not going to jump into the cage in the first month you train because you'll die... same goes with eating healthy, you can’t jump into completely switching your eating habits in a short period of time because you'll die (not really, it's just unrealistic).
The most important concept of beginning to change your habits is planning ahead. If you plan your meals ahead of time that takes away the stress of thinking about what to eat. Personally if I don’t plan my meals ahead of time, I feel rushed into making a decision and usually end up making a poor choice for my meal, like jelly beans and fried chicken.

Also having your refrigerator and pantry stocked with healthy food will help you stay away from any junk food for when you got the munchies from blazing that L. If you don’t have your house stocked with cookies and twinkies, you won’t binge eat and you’ll be forced to make yourself a salad or chow down on some strawberries.

What should you stock your fridge and pantry with?

Typically you want to use the perimeter of the grocery store to pick out the healthiest ingredients and snacks. The outer part of the store usually contains fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, frozen fruits and vegetables, spices and oils.

Also keep in mind that when you bring your food home try to plan ahead by having it meal ready by cutting, dicing or grilling whatever it has to be in order for it to be quick and easy to eat or put into a recipe.

How else do you plan ahead?

Plan your meals on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. What I tend to do is plan my meals every other day and cook enough so I have left overs for when I don’t have enough time to cook. Also cooking your own meals saves a **** load of money, even if you suck at cooking.

Healthy Eating Guideline Tip #3

Start Slow and Gradually Make Changes

If you were listening to me before (like you should’ve) don’t expect to be able to change your eating habits by just reading these healthy eating guidelines and clicking your heels of your ruby slippers together. Just like training, it takes time and dedication to get the full benefits of eating healthy and stay on the right track. Your best bet is to take small steps like eating a vegetable with every meal, or having a fruit for breakfast. If you try to change everything at once you’ll be prone to binge eating all those Reese's Pieces you missed out on.
Here's one of the more important tips on eating healthy - Don’t feel like you have to be perfect in order to eat healthy, if you don’t splurge every once in awhile your going to drive yourself nuts. On the other hand you don’t want be all hormonal and eat crap food all the time when your in a bad mood or not concentrating on what your eating.

Don’t let your small mistakes get to you and make you want to go back to your old eating habits. Persevere and stay determined - remind yourself your doing this for your training and every thing you put into your body is so you can become a better MMA fighter/athlete.

Healthy Eating Guideline Tip #4

Moderate

Moderating your food is often overlooked because people tend to believe they either have to eat healthy all the time, or not at all. This all or nothing attitude can make you stray away from your goals.
Moderation is one of the most important tips on eating healthy because it will help you learn how to split up meals properly and still eat some of the food that you once had a fetish for.

First off you have to split up your meals throughout the day and constantly eat healthy food. If you have 6-8 small meals a day it will help speed up your metabolism, in return helping you lose weight and gain energy. On the other hand if you eat 3 large meals a day your setting up your metabolism to slow down and your body to crash because your overloading your body instead of gradually fueling it.

Try not to completely ban certain foods from eating either.

Oreo Cookies.

Now your thinking about Oreo Cookies right? Well try to stop thinking about them now... bet you can’t - yea that’s my problem, Oreos are always on my mind. When I try really hard to forget about my Oreo fetish it sticks in my mind longer and makes me salivate just thinking about dunking that godlike cookie in milk.

What I’m trying to get to is if you tell yourself your not going to eat this certain type of food, your mind is going to subconsciously make you want it even more... and it’ll drive you crazy in the process.

Healthy Eating Guideline Tip #5

How Do You Eat Your Food?

Are you a porker who sits in front of the TV when you eat? Or are you not completely socially awkward where you can actually eat with others?
Well studies have shown that if you eat while watching tv you tend to overeat because your mind is not there. Mindless eating. On the other hand if you eat with others it can benefit you socially and emotionally and allows you to be a model for eating healthy.

Another key to get the full benefits of healthy eating is being patient and taking your time to eat. Most people are doing another activity when their eating, so their mind tends to be at a different place and they can’t concentrate on the food in front of them. Take a step back and enjoy the food for once, savor every bite, chew slowly, enjoy the food that your eating rather than just shoving that whole piece of steak down your throat by lubbing it up with A1 sauce, it won’t work... I’ve tried.

Are you even hungry? Listen to your body and ask yourself if you are actually hungry or if you are just craving a certain food. Having a glass of water is a great way to help figure out if your hungry or just thirsty.

Healthy Eating Guideline Tip #6

Eat Fruits and Vegetables

This tip on healthy eating is pretty obvious but eating fruits and vegetables is commonly overlooked. Being low in calories and dense in nutrition (vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants), fruits and vegetables are vital to increasing energy, helping reduce the risk of various diseases and helping increase your metabolism.
Generally green vegetables are filled with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, vitamins a,c,e and k and they help with strengthening the blood and respiratory systems. Sweet vegetables are great because they help curb your appetite and help reduce the cravings for sweets like cookies and chocolate.

Having a wide variety of fruits is important to eating healthy because they contain fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. There’s a good amount of fruits and vegetables that can help in your recovery as well, due to its nutrient density.

Healthy Eating Guideline Tip #7

Eat The Right Carbs

Make sure in your quest to finding the right food to eat that you don’t overlook the healthy carbs. Most diets hate on carbs but realistically that’s were a vast majority of your energy comes from. If your training to fight or to participate in a sport you NEED carbs, otherwise you’ll pass out by working too hard.
Whole grains are great fiber sources that give you long lasting energy and are rich in antioxidants. Try to include different types of whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat, and barely when your making meals. Stay away from the crap carbohydrates like white flour, white rice, and refined sugar, these carbs digest quickly and can cause a spike in blood sugar levels and energy.

Make sure your eating whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables because they will help you feel full longer and help keep your insulin levels stable.

Healthy Eating Guideline Tip #8

Eat The Right Fats

Eat fat? Oh hell yea. Make sure your eating healthy fats like monounsaturated fats from canola oil, peanut oil and olive oil. Or even try polyunsaturated fats that are found in fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and fish supplements. You can find other polyunsaturated fats in sunflower, soybeans, corn and flaxseed oils.
The fats you want to stay away from are the saturated and trans fats that are found in red meat, whole milk, margarines, crackers, cookies and a lot of other snack foods.

Good sources of fat help nourish your heart, brain and skin which in turn will help in your athletic performance. Fats that contain Omega- 3 fatty acids are important in helping reduce cardiovascular disease while at the same time helping improve your mood.

Healthy Eating Guideline Tip #9

Eat The Right Protein

Protein is the basic building block for your body’s growth and energy. A lack of protein can reduce muscle mass, lower immunity, slow growth and weaken your body’s heart and respiratory system.

Good sources of protein consist of, beans, nuts, soy products, fresh fish, chicken, turkey, eggs or tofu. When you eat meat try to buy organic so it is free of hormones and antibiotics. Try not to overlook the quality of the protein and make the right choices when you go food shopping.

Now protein is important for MMA fighters and athletes of all different kinds, but don’t let that take over your mind - you still have to eat whole grains and vegetables as well.

Healthy Eating Guideline Tip #10

Stay Away From Sugar

Now since I know you have already been following all the other healthy eating guidelines and tips on healthy eating that I’ve given you, you should listen when I say you should be limiting sugar, salt and refined grains.
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying those Oreos in moderation but sugar can cause energy ups and downs, osteoporosis, headaches and depression.

Try to avoid adding additional sugar into recipes that don’t necessarily need it, and avoid sugary energy drinks that are sold pretty much everywhere. Processes foods are also a red flag, made with white flour and white sugar it can cause your energy levels to be erratic and your mood as well.

If you listen to my advice and tips on healthy eating you’ll feel the benefits of healthy eating in no time - if you neglect these healthy eating guidelines, and you neglect what I’m saying and think you can go on training with whatever crap eating habits you had before, then by all means go ahead. Just keep in mind if you want to be serious in any sport, especially MMA, the way you eat is going to make or break you in the end.
 
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