Fourth Step: Tracking Progress

The fourth step on this journey is tracking progress. A weight scale is one way of tracking progress, it won't always be reliable as our weight fluctuates everyday based on a variety of human functions. It is one tool in tracking progress and we need to consider other options to get a well-rounded idea of how much progress we are making or not making. Taking progress photos are a great way of doing this as well as using a body scanner that measures the amount of water in the body, percentage of body fat, and total muscle mass. Pictured below is an InBody Scanner I use at a local supplement shop that gives me a report on where I'm currently at versus the month before.

Posted: March 17, 2018. 2:01pm.

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Second Step: Macro Calculator

Continuing on in our journey to calculate what our body needs, click the link below to get started on finding your macro nutrient targets. I have decided to choose the "maintenance" calorie option as I'd like to maintain my current body weight. With this in mind, I calculated 2,400 calories that I should consume each day to maintain my size. By using this Macro calculator, my results came out to 270g Carbohydrates, 180g Protein, and 66g Fat per day that I need to eat. How I get to those numbers is up to me, based on the foods I consume. A general rule of thumb is to keep "junk" foods to about 20-30% of your daily caloric intake. In the case of flexible dieting, "junk foods" consist of foods that offer little or no macro nutrient benefit to your body. This is where it gets the name "flexible dieting" because most of the foods you consume each day should be of a higher macro nutrient dense foods and the rest can be up to your choosing. Down bel...

Sixth Step: Macro Cheat Sheet

To get an idea of macro-nutrient foods that can help you reach your targets, here is a cheat sheet. The cheat sheet provides examples of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Now remember, these aren't necessarily "clean foods" per say, but foods that are macro-nutrient dense. These macro-nutrient dense foods will keep you fuller for longer. For example, a poptart won't keep you as full due to the fast digesting carbohydrates (sugars) in it versus oatmeal, rice or potatoes. The overall principle is that you can choose to eat the poptart, as long as it fits into your macro-nutrient targets that we calculated. Keep in mind though, that poptart won't keep you as full for the rest of the day or night and once you hit your targets for the day, you won't be consuming any other food. Included in the diagram below are general food timing suggestions that can help boost your workouts. http://www.truehealthtrifecta.com/macronutrient-cheat-sheet/ Posted: March ...

Who Am I?

Welcome To My Fitness Blog: Lifting and Learning! Who Am I? I am Garrett Carlson, a senior at Boise State University majoring in marketing and this is my first blog. My hobbies related to this blog include working out and eating in a flexible way that helps m e reach my body composition goals. The theme for this blog was chosen because I've developed a passion for being healthy since I was a kid playing sports and throughout high school participating in many physical education classes. I've also been addicted to the science behind working out, specifically for fat loss, muscle hypertrophy, and strength training. You can expect my take on fitness and how I have got to where I am today. Everything from nutrition to workout plans to common myths will be the type of posts floating around this blog . Enjoy!

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