It is extremely difficult to compensate for a poor diet through exercise.

But the answer isn’t treating parts of your diet as the devil!

There is NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL MODEL!

DISCLAIMER:
We here at unit 13 are trained strength and conditioning coaches. We are not qualified nutritionists. The information we are presenting here is passed by professional nutritionists. Before consult your Nutritionist or Dietician before changing anything to do with your diet. We encourage that you seek professional advice within this area.

Carbohydrates

Everything in your diet has a place. We always encourage clients to focus on the 80:20 rule. 80% of the time you are getting it “right” and then 20% of the time you are enjoying yourself.

Exercise will help you achieve your goals. However if you're not eating and drinking the correct types and quantities of food, then it can affect the outcome of a training programme.

There is no ‘diet’ that will yield the results.

Its simple. To lose fat, you need to be in a slight calorie deficit. However to do this you need to be doing the basics right and set yourself up with the right SYSTEM. Not a Diet. If that is not working you need to work with a nutritionist to find out WHY.

If you are seeking to get stronger you need to have enough energy and calories to train hard and recover hard (the same goes for losing weight but we will talk about that again.)

To gain muscle mass you need to be in a calorie surplus consistently to do that. However again this comes with the right Macronutrient surplus for you. (Macronutrients are: Carbs, Fats, Protein)

…To achieve any of the above that does not mean cutting down general calories. In fact carbohydrates are needed for all of the above goals.

On our coaching calls we will help you to understand how much of each food you actually need for you and how to find systems to execute the goal on a weekly basis. Hence why we have attached a simple traffic light system below.

What are Carbohydrates and why do we need them?

Carbohydrates provide the main fuel for the creation of energy within the body. Within 1 gram of a carbohydrate there are 4 Calories. However 100 grams of pasta isnt exactly 100 grams of carbs. Read the box to figure out how many grams of actual carbs are in that serving. The rest can be made up of protein and fats and water.

Simple V’s Complex Carbohydrates

Simple Carbs

○ Fast supply of energy (short term)

○ Dense (small amounts gives a lot of energy)*can be high in cals

■ Examples : honey, cakes, jellies, glucose drinks

Complex Carbs

○ Slow release energy (takes the body longer to breakdown)

○ Normally recommended choice of carb

■ Examples : Bread, Pasta, Potatoes, Rice

Dietary Fibre

○ Complex carbs typically have good quality fibre which help to lear out waste products in the digestive tract.

○ Eat more fruit and vegetables especially raw

○ Slows down process of carbs/sugar going into blood = Slow energy release

Remember The Daily Basics:

You also need to:

To drink enough water 1L of water per 25kg bodyweight.
A certain amount of protein and fat in your diet.
To sleep consistently 7-8 hours per night
Manage stress levels
Do the right type of training for your goals (More isn’t necessarily better)

When to eat carbs (The Traffic Light System)

Training Day Example

Our coaches are always asked to share a copy of their eating regime and clients say ‘can I not just copy what you’re eating… 🤦🏼‍♂️

Sadly this will not work. However what we do understand is that clients simply want to get some ideas around what to do and how much.

A starting point if you will.

So…

Here is an example":

THIS IS NOT TO BE COPIED.

The following is for someone who is training 6 days a week and who is also seeking to maintain bodyfat levels and perform with energy on the pitch. For that reason we have decided not to give the actual numbers of the amount of food eaten for main meals. The example is to show the above traffic system in action.

7:00am Pint of warm water with lemon and a pinch of pink salt.

7:05am Coffee

Work or light training.

10:00am MEAL 1: Eggs x2 + 2 egg whites, pudding x2, x1 Turkey rasher, Spinach.

1:30pm MEAL 2: Chicken fillets (as needed), vegetables, carbs (complex) sweet potato.

3:30pm Training

5:00pm MEAL 3: Protein shake (Amount as needed for individual), dates (simple carbs).

7:00pm MEAL 4: Dinner with some more Protein (as needed), veg and complex carb source.

So there you go.

Hopefully that helped.

All the best,

Rob.

🥐Carbohydrates 🍞