Female Specific Program

FEMALE SPECIFIC DIET PROGRAM

Introduction
Most diets are written and designed with the male perspective in mind. There are few diets available that are targeted directly at the female training population, who probably out number the men anyway. Maybe this is why so many women end up following miseducated and generally inaccurate and sometimes even extreme diets that are either ineffective or down right dangerous. With this in mind the female training population are requiring a standard athletic diet that suits their needs a little more specifically - something applicable in the real world and highly effective.

This particular diet program will work exceptionally well for high intensity athletes, women exposed to high stress situations, and women just starting out to change their body shape. What women want is a nutritional strategy that helps them build firm lean muscle tissue and tone, whilst burning off excess unwanted bodyfat and fatty tissue.

The Program
Daily diet to consist of around 1600 calories for women, more may be required depending on speed of metabolism and activity level. You really should be looking at the nutrition calculator to work out your dietary requirements.

This particular diet is not an extremist diet and takes certain elements actually from the contest prep diet elsewhere on this web site. Cardiovascular training is a big key to making your physique goals achievable so do not underestimate of neglect this factor.

During the day your macronutrient breakdown should be as follows:-

% Breakdown approx as follows
50-55% Carbohydrates
25-30% Protein
10-20% Fats

As you can see this diet plan does not eleminate any of the major macronutrients or shun any of the macro nutrients. Each macro nutrient is given its dues as being useful to you in all of its unique ways. Eating a healthy balanced diet in this manner will assist you in all of your athletic fitness sports goals.

Have 4 meals per day from the choices above spaced evenly throughout the day; say every 4 hours e.g.- meal 1 at 8.00am meal 2 at 12.00, meal 3 at 16.00 and meal 4 at 20.00. Also have 1 or 2 meals of what you fancy in any given week, but this treat meal is to replace a meal not in addition to your daily meals.

Each meal consists of approx 300-400 calories.

Nutritional Breakdown per meal approx,
15-25g Protein,
30-40g Complex Carbohydrates,
5-15g Fats

These are the typical portion sizes for meals. If you want to follow the insulin potentiating plan, as outlined within the insulin index section of the website, then you should eat a higher a lower carbohydrate content and a higher fat intake overall in the general breakdown of meals, yet separate these macronutrients so that your earlier meals consist of carbs and protein and no fat, while your later evening meals consist of protein and fats only.

You should chose typical meals from the following list:-

Breakfast choose from
1. 3 toast (Granary/brown) with low sugar jam (spread lightly) with 1 scoop Protein
2. 45g oats in water with a small banana or apple & 1 scoop Protein
3. 2 shredded wheat with 1 small Banana & 1 scoop Protein
4. 45g Special K with a small banana or apple & 1 scoop Protein
(Always blend the Protein with water and use this to replace milk to go with cereal or as a drink.)

Various meals which to choose from will provide approximately the ideal amounts required.
1. 70g(uncooked weight) of chicken or turkey & 150g cooked baked potato or 50g Brown rice & green veg
2. 150-200g cottage cheese with 2-3 pieces brown bread or 150g cooked baked potato and veg.
3. 1 scoop Protein with 1 small Banana & 2 pots of 125g (250g total) yoghurt which have been fortified with Pro Biotics (available in all supermarkets), have this meal only once in any given day.
4. 130g (uncooked weight) of any type of White Fish & 150g cooked baked spud or 50g brown rice & veg
5. 100g (uncooked weight) Lean Steak with 150g baked spud & veg. Have this meal 2-3 times in any given week and no more.
6. ½ Sachet of Meal Replacement. couple of pieces of fruit.
7. Tin of pilchards, sardines or mackerel on 3 pieces of toast (brown wholemeal preferably)
8. Protein and Carb drink (4 scoops in water)
9. 1 sachet meal replacement and a couple pieces of fruit (women only)

Have 1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, with each meal. These are good fats required to maintain a healthy balanced nutritional profile. You can add a little tomato ketchup to your foods to flavour them, or soy sauce or something similar but try to keep them low in calories and fat in particular.

Remember your overall calorie consumption is what contributes to putting on body fat. One major problem is that people try and eat too much in one meal, which the body will not waste, it will take what it requires but any excess will be stored as energy/fuel (body fat) for later use. Also people who eat only one or two meals a day do not lose weight after a short period as their metabolism will adapt to the small amount being consumed and slow down. This is why the above has been broken down into small meals and spaced evenly throughout the day, so your body can utilise the amount consumed at any given meal and keep your metabolism from slowing down.

Do not be fooled by this LOW FAT RUBBISH, fat does not make you fat its eating too much calories. Calories are units of energy whether it's from Protein-4 cals per gram, Carbohydrates-4 cals per gram, fats-9 cals per gram and alcohol-7 cals per gram.

Post Workout Nutrition
After a workout session (whether aerobics or weights) have one serving (80g) of Protein and carbohydrate mixture, remember this is a meal. This product has been specifically designed to promote recovery after exercise/training work outs. These are generally classed as protein and carb mixes or even weight gainers - but you will not be using them for the purpose of gaining weight, rather replacing lost nutrients from intense exercise.

Enhance Results With Supplements
To further enhance fat loss the use of Sida Cordifoloia can be used. Also recommend using Glutamine this enhances your intestinal health, use 1 teaspoon 1st thing in morning prior to aerobics and 1 teaspoon in-between one of your other meals. Avoid if possible taking it with a meal, as this may impair L-Glutamine absorption. Mix the glutamine in a small amount of water and drink.

A Note On Soya Protein
Soya Protein Isolate and contains an interesting element called phytoestrogens. Now these are naturally occuring plant estrogens that are much the same as natural human produced estrogen hormone within the body. This is not the place to go too in depth about the hormones of the body, other than to say that estrogen is the hormone responsible for causing water retention, bloating, mood swings, irritability and of course the famous fat storage! Of course, hormones work by a mechanism like a lock and key. If you imagine your body filled with huge quantities of receptor sites (key holes) and the chemical messengers that are your hormones (keys). Hormones bind to the receptor site and deliver their chemical message to instruct the cells of your body to do something in particular. As we have discussed above what esrtrogen does, you have all of this estrogen binding to the receptor and creating a plethora of nasty side effects against your intentions to get lean. Now, when you are ingesting natural phytoestrogens, these estrogens are much weaker than your bodies own estrogen so the message they deliver to your body still exhibits the functional usage of estrogen, with a lower nasty side effect ratio. This is because the plant chemical binds to the natural receptor site with greater affinity. Once that receptor site has been engaged and used it cannot have your own natural bodies estrogen binding to the receptor. This is good news for women and can be a god send for regulating the estrogen hormone and lower the bad side effects of this hormone.

This is also mounting evidence that suggests that soya protein isolate may help to boost thyroid hormone levels or may at least help maintain them during periods of calorie restricted dieting. When you typically start to siet, your body responds by fighting back and lowering thryoid output - the hormone that controls body temperature and calories burning, making it much harder to lose weight. There is evidence to suggest that soya protein isolate has enough of the correct phytochemicals which may aid the natural production of thyroid hormones.

A Word On Aerobics
Aerobics first thing in the morning before breakfast on a treadmill fast pace walking or stationary bike for 20-30 minutes, for 5-7 days a week. If it is not possible to do aerobics first thing in morning then when you can but this must be done, for overall health benefits, burn body fat and to keep your metabolic rate fired up. (Note for those who do aerobics with weight training, always do aerobics after weight training session and not before!)
If your weight stops dropping and you want to lose more then increase your aerobic sessions either by doing 2 sessions a day or increase the length of session e.g. say from 30mins -45mins.