Jon Andersen’s Deep Water Method to lose fat and build muscle needs to be synced up with your diet to achieve its objective. Here are four nutritional principles to help you succeed.
1. Eat More Protein
Stay away from the norm. Eat more protein than what the standards and recommendations say. Protein is mainly the whole reason that will help you maximize your physique changes as you go through this program. First, it plays a great role in muscle growth and repair. It is the building block for muscle and can be used in excess for fuel.
In addition to that, protein takes time to digest which makes the food stays longer in your stomach, thus, reduce your appetite. It is also the key to the release of several satiety hormones, including cholecystokinin, to restrain your hunger.
How Much Protein Do I Need to Consume?
According to a study from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, natural bodybuilding athletes do best by consuming 1.1-1.4 grams per pound of bodyweight. This recommendation is a good starting point.
If you want to be quite aggressive, you can start with 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. And if you want to be more aggressive, you can start with 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.
You should also make sure that the protein portions should be measured cooked, not raw, and do not substitute protein powders for anything. Real food is always better. Make sure to have a complex profile of different proteins in your diet on a daily basis. Consume foods from high-quality, complete proteins like steak, egg whites, chicken thighs, ground beef, and salmon. These proteins help maximize muscle growth and repair.
2. Reduce the Amount of Fat
The amount of protein you consume is fixed throughout the program. Now, your challenge is to adjust the other macronutrients, especially the fat.
A good place to start with fat is to eat about half the amount of protein you consume on a daily basis. The fat intake is subject to how your body deals with digesting fat and using it as a source of fuel efficiently. Therefore, you need to pay attention and make adjustments accordingly. For example, If you want to be aggressive and you’re taking 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight, half of that is a good starting point for fat. Meaning, you must take 1g of fat per pound of body weight.
If you feel like you are gaining weight too quickly, trim back the amount of fat. If you feel like you are losing weight too fast, increase the amount of fat.
Fat is a great source of fuel and essential for the body and mind to be healthy. You need to make sure you supplement good fats into your diet. Fish oil, avocado, nuts, and any grass-fed animal products are great sources of good fat.
3. Eliminate Carbohydrates
Carbs are for the weak. Try to avoid carbohydrates altogether.
The reason why your body weight drops when you lower your carbohydrate intake is that carbs are the primary source of fuel. However, fat is a much more stable source of fuel. Once your body adjusts to lower carbs, you will have more stable blood sugar levels.
Carbohydrates are something to be used only when necessary. Only consume carbohydrates when you want to reload your system after a long day of competing or any sport. There is no need for carbohydrate intake on a daily basis.
There are circumstances where carbohydrates may be necessary. However, instances like recovering from a workout when you have 24 hours to do are not one of them.
If absolutely necessary, carbohydrates should only be consumed after a workout. Making gains is not about what you want to do, it’s about what you should do. If doing what was easy made people big and strong, we would live in a society of big, lean people.
Read this article on Why Do You Need to Eliminate Carbohydrates from your Diet.
4. Drink more Fluids
Getting hungry can send you sprinting to the pantry and look for comfort food. Well, here’s the good news: to keep your appetite in check without consuming unnecessary carbs, drink more water before, during, after, and in-between meals.
When you drink lots of fluids at once, the “stretch receptors” located in your stomach lining will send a satiety signal to your brain and your stomach will expand. By staying hydrated throughout the day, and drinking 1L of water per 50 pounds of body weight, you’re more able to skip that snack you were fantasizing about and stick to your plan.
There is no question that recovery plays a big role in training and making gains. However, people failed to realize that their bodies will adapt to whatever you put in front of it. People use the word, “over-trained” as if it’s a way to break out and rest when they should be headed to the gym.
Be tough, make your own path and achieve your goals. Swim into the Deep Water with no regard for how to get back to the shore.