RIO Fitness Chicago® Exercise & Nutrition Blog

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Recently a question came in to us about a 500cal diet to "lose weight." Eating under 1000cal/day is dangerous & can turn your metabolism off. **You don't have to do crazy diets that are temporary fixes, don't truly work, and often lead to gaining weight back plus some!!** Follow the RIO Fitness Ten Nutrition Commandments to start seeing healthy, long lasting results:

1) You have to burn more cal than you're consuming. Ask a health & fitness professional to calculate your daily calorie limit and start staying within it.

2) Eat every 2.5-3hrs = 4-6 SMALL meals/snacks per day to keep your metabolism (rate at which you burn cal) fast. Eating 1-2/day slows your metabolism = body fat gain.

3) Avoid bad trans/saturated fat foods, because they lead to artery clogging, cellulite, and keeping your body fat cells full. Eat healthy unsaturated fat foods (ex: fish/nuts/flax) that help to burn body fat.

4) Eat high glycemic carbs (ex: bread/pasta/rice/oat) ONLY after you exercise, because they digest quickly. Eating them all day long = body fat gain because they're not burned quick enough. Eat low glycemic carbs (ex: fruits/veggies) the rest of the day because they digest slowly.

5) Eat lean protein foods (ex: chicken/turkey/fish/nuts) that are not high in saturated fat. Consume a whey isolate protein (ex: ISOPURE) that is low cal/carbs after every time you exercise (weights & cardio). This will build lean muscle which help you burn more cal all day long.

6) Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol increases levels of body fat production hormone cortisol and lowers body fat burning hormone testosterone.

7) Limit sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium carries water which will make you look & feel bloated, and can lead to high blood pressure. Eat high potassium foods to lower sodium levels.

8) Drink 80-120oz of water everyday. Prevents overeating, reduces soreness after exercise, and keeps your skin looking healthy.

9) Limit sugar consumption because excess sugar is turned into body fat. Avoid "sugar free" foods/drinks because artificial sweeteners are not properly metabolized by the body and are turned into body fat.

10) Get rest every night! Lack of sleep increases levels of body fat production hormones and decreases growth hormones that help us recover from day/exercise.