When it comes to your nutritional intake to lose fat and build muscle, there are some important facts to consider when it comes to your protein, carbohydrate, and fat consumption.

Protein: Protein is a essential building block to build muscle. Therefore your diet should consist of a high protein intake. Working out and lifting weights breaks down your muscle fibers. Its when your muscles rest and repair themselves is when they build. Protein is required to facilitate repairs of muscle fibers, thus stimulating muscle growth.

If you train at a very high intensity, you should consume about 1 gram of protein for every pound you weigh. So if you way 200 pounds you would take in 200 grams of protein. At a more moderate level of training you should do around .7 or .8 grams for every pound you way. If you are a hard gainer or are just trying to build substantial muscle mass and gain a significant amount weight, you can consume up to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight, but I don’t recommend going over that.Your protein consumption should be spread out through your entire day. In order to fully utilize the bodies potential to stimulate muscle growth, it is vital you consume protein immediately after a workout. You have about a 45 minute time frame after a workout where it is essential to consume at least 25 grams of protein.Your meals should be around 25 to 50 grams of protein. Eating a high protein snack about an hour before bed time is beneficial by helping your muscles grow as the rest. Your protein source should come from,

• chicken
• fish
• nuts
• skim milk
• soy milk
• egg whites
• fat free yogurt
• lean meats
• Whey protein

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Carbohydrates: fuel muscles and the central nervous system during physical activities. Complex carbohydrates are important for energy.

Your daily nutritional intake of carbohydrates should be around 50 to 70 percent. It is very important to know what carbs you are consuming, especially when it comes to dieting for muscle tone. Carbohydrates are a vital element for stimulating muscle growth. In order for your muscles to endure any kind of intense workout, you must fuel your muscles with the right kind of carbohydrates so your muscles can perform optimally. By not consuming carbohydrates your body will start to feed off muscle fibers for an alternate source of energy. This will lead to substantial muscle loss.

Your carb intake should be mostly during the first half of the day. You should also consume healthy carbs no less than an hour before your workout and as soon as possible right after your workout.Its good to eat some complex carbohydrates after your workout. Something high in potassium that will increase recovery time and help regulate water balance in the body, which is important for keeping your muscles that are dehydrated from cramping after a strenuous workout.

Try not to eat to much carbohydrates towards the end of the day. Since you will be inactive while you sleep, you will not burn off the carbs and they will be stored as fat.

Here are some good complex carbs to include in your diet:

• Whole wheat pasta
• whole wheat bread
• sweat potatoes
• brown rice
• vegetables
• cereal
• nuts and seeds
• oats
• grains
• apples
• oranges
• yams

Your carbohydrate intake should consist of high quality complex and simple carbs that consist of minerals and vitamins. Fruits and vegetables are great for fat loss to help you develop muscle tone and are vital to achieving optimal health.

Sugar-based carbohydrates will decrease your energy levels and will make you fat. These processed carbs consist of sweets, candy, soda, etc… Do your best to avoid these unhealthy foods. Your blood sugar levels are regulated by carbohydrates. It’s important to keep sugar levels steady to maintain a constant flow of energy. When you experience a sugar rush by eating lots of junk food like candy or soda, your sugar levels spike for a short period, followed by a sudden drop. This leaves you tired making you feel like you need a nap.Your body responds to unusual high sugar levels by taking sugar out of the blood to feed the cells. This causes your blood sugar levels to bottom out which is the reason of the sudden drop of energy you feel after a sugar rush.This does not occur with complex carbs which sustain your blood sugar levels and provide prolonged energy.

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Fats: Your fat intake is a essential part of your diet, regardless of what popular opinion may say. But it’s important to differentiate what kind of fats you need. Fats are stored away as energy. This secondary source of energy is best used with aerobic training, such as running long distances. For anaerobic training such as plyometrics, sprinting, or weight lifting, fat is not a sufficient source of energy.

Fat contains 9 calories per gram while carbohydrates and protein contain 4 calories per gram. Due to fat having more calories per gram than protein and carbohydrates, eating to much fat can lead to increase weight gain. You should keep your fat intake at 10% of your daily nutritional value.

Saturated and unsaturated are the two primary forms of fat. Unsaturated fats are classified as either menstruated or polysaturated. These fats are necessary as they help you digest and utilize vitamins, such as A, D, E, and K. Without fat your body cannot absorb the essential benefits of these vitamins. These fats are good for keeping your hair and skin healthy. There also good for helping lower cholesterol. Saturated fats are best to be avoided as they clog arteries and can raise your cholesterol. Stay away from foods that have a saturated fat content more than 5% of your daily value, if you’re serious about getting lean. Be sure to always bake your meats and avoid fried and grease foods

I hope you gained good value from reading this report. You also might want to check out some in depth reviews I give on some excellent muscle building and fat loss programs. Click the link below to check them out. muscle building programs

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