To supply your body with the nutrients it needs to become healthy and stay healthy.

We need to change the way we think about eating. We eat so much of the time for the wrong reasons!

• I’m bored.
• I don’t have any reason not to.
• I ’m already fat, so who cares.
• I want pleasure.
• It tastes so good.
• It is time to eat.
• It was there.
• I didn’t want to waste it.
• It was convenient.
• It sounded so good.
• It was the only thing I was hungry for.

All these reasons plague us and they are all the wrong reasons to eat. You need to be conscious about eating for the right purpose: to supply your body with the nutrients it needs to become healthy and stay healthy.

Working out is a vital part of becoming healthy and staying healthy. If it is your goal to become strong, lean and healthy, you must be aware of how to feed your body pre-work out and post workout.

Pre-workout eating:
You need to feed your body correctly so that you are not wasting the hour you spend at the gym. If you don’t eat correctly before your workout you will not be able to workout hard enough to get the results you deserve. I consider this meal very vital to anyone who truly wants to rebuild a struggling metabolism. Working out without the right fuel in your body is hard because:

1. It is painful

2. You will have no energy

3. You will not be able to mentally focus

4. You will have no physical or mental stamina

5. You will feel sick

6. You will be weak

7. You will defeat your purpose of building muscle

Post workout eating:
If you don’t eat correctly, after your workout, there can be all kinds of consequences:

• You will not feel good.
• You will not have the energy and nutrients you need to repair your body.
• Your immune system will become depressed, ultimately causing illness.
• You will be lifeless for the rest of your daily activities.
• You will blame your workout for your lack of energy and possibly cause you to miss future workouts. 

Eating for the right purpose is so vital to your success!

Some Basic Diet Information:
Although many of you know the basics it is always good to refresh your memory. There are 3 main nutrient groups that are called Macronutrients. They are Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat.

Carbohydrate:

• Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram.
• There are 2 types: simple (sugars) and complex(nutrient dense).
• They are essential for quick energy.
• They are easily digested.
• They are easily converted into energy or body fat.
• They are everywhere and they are sweet and/or salty and yummy.
• They are addictive and easily overeaten.
• They take up to 2 hours to be digested. 

Protein:

• Proteins have 4 calories per gram (but these calories are not created equal).
• The most popular proteins are animal, milk based or soy based.
• Protein takes extra energy to digest, up to 1 calorie per gram.
• They require a lot of energy to be converted into body fat.
• Protein is essential for muscle maintenance and growth.
• They are the building blocks for your body.
• They can be converted to use for energy.
• They take up to 3 hours to digest. 

Fat:

• Fats have 9 calories per gram.
• Fats are essential for proper brain and body function.
• They are your muscle’s primary source of energy.
• They are easily converted into body fat.
• They take up to 4 hours to be digested.

Diet Ratios:
The Macronutrients are most often referred to in this order: Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat. When you hear someone talk about their diet in ratios they mean what percent carbohydrate / percent protein / percent fat.

Here are some samples of what I mean:
1. The Zone diet’s 40/30/30 ratio, means that 40% of your diet’s calories come from Carbohydrate, 30% of them from Protein and 30% from fat. 
2. The Food pyramid diet consists of roughly a 60/20/20 ratio.
3. Body for Life is a 40/40/20 diet.
4. Atkins is roughly a 10/40/50 diet.
5. South Beach is roughly a 15/45/35 diet.

So what is the BuffMother! Ratio? 30/40/30

30% Carbohydrate - You need just enough carbs to keep your body supplied with the energy it needs to workout, to do your daily chores and to chase kids.

40% Protein - You need protein to build and maintain your muscle mass. If you are going to overeat on one of the macronutrients, let it be protein.

30% Fat - A little extra fat in your diet goes a long way in keeping you satisfied and from feeling deprived.

BuffMother! Diet Basics:
I have tried all the diets listed above. I know how I’ve felt on each one and the diet I have been on over the last 2 years is the BuffMother! Diet. It has been the BEST! It is flexible, satisfying and very effective. I believe I have found the diet keys to being buff 365 days a year! 

Main key points: Protein, Water and Planning

The focus of my diet is simple. Eat enough protein and drink enough water and you will be successful. Oh yeah one last component- planning. I am talking about hunger planning. Don’t eat if you don’t have true hunger pains. The #1 problem with obesity today is that people are eating for every reason, except that they are truly hungry.

Protein, Water and Hunger Planning. It is that simple!

How much Protein?
Eat your goal bodyweight in grams of protein daily. I want to weight 125; therefore I want to eat 125g of protein a day. Each gram of protein has 4 calories, so I should have at least 600 calories a day from protein. And remember that calories from protein require about 1 calorie per gram to digest, so the calories from protein are not created equal!

How much Water?
As much water as you can possibly drink. The more, the better. You will feel better and lose your fat faster if you have a lot of water. Your body is almost all water. The more muscle you have and the more protein you eat, the more water your body needs. In order to flush all the toxins out of your cells there must be a lot of water available. If you need an amount I would say 1 to 2 gallons a day.

How much Hunger Planning?
I only want you to eat when you have true hunger pains. This means you need to tune into your body and let it tell you when it truly needs to eat. There is no magic time limit between meals, however the average is 3 hours. If you feel hunger pains, follow these three steps of hunger planning:

1. Drink an 8 oz. glass of water.
2. Wait 10 min. to see if those pains persist. 
3. If so, simply eat. If not, wait until the pains return and then eat. 

This way you will learn to tune into your physical needs for food vs. the mental need. 

What else do I eat????
A healthy diet is the goal. Don’t ever embark on a diet that you can’t see doing the rest of your life. My philosophy is to constantly strive for improvement in regards to the balance, nutrition and portion size of my diet. 

30% Carbohydrate

That is between 3-4 servings of carbs a day. Plenty for your energy and nutritional needs. Have a carb at breakfast, pre workout and post workout and then one more throughout the day.

30% Fat

I know many of you think that you need to cut almost all the fat out of your diet to lose weight. I think that is a recipe for disaster! You need fat for satiety and sanity. If you have a meal with no fat, you will be hungry again within 2 hours. By adding a little more fat that meal will keep you satisfied for 3-4 hours. A little fat goes a long way! I eat cheese, salad dressings, olives, fatty hamburgers, brats, real pepperoni, rib eye steaks, ribs, etc., and I am leaner now than I was when I ate a diet with 15% fat. You just have to be in control and not overdo the fat. Like tons of cheese, tons of butter, tons of salad dressing. Everything in Moderation!

Lots and Lots of Greens:
Green veggies or lower carb veggies have been a lifesaver for me. They are so low in calories that you can eat until you’re full! Not to mention how great these nutrient packed, earth grown treats make you feel. So eat your greens. At least 2 huge servings a day!

Additional Tips:

Water is considered any non-caffeinated, non-sugared drink.

To speed up weight loss, cut out all treats and omit a serving of carbs.

If you are really hungry, try adding more greens or protein to your diet.