Do you know the best nutrition tips for your goal? Do you know the best nutrition tips for your goal?
Centr Team
19 Jan 2022
Are you losing steam in the middle of a workout? Been training for months and not seeing the benefits? Unsure if your diet is on point?
We have three words for you: Nutrition is crucial. Whatever your goal, what you eat is just as important as how you train. That’s why we’ve lined up only the most essential nutrition tips to help you get there.
At Centr, we don’t believe in depriving yourself, eliminating whole food groups from your diet, or stressing over what you eat. But it’s undeniable that success comes from knowing what works for your goal and sticking to the plan (most of the time – no diet is perfect).
We know priorities can change. So remember, you can change your goal in your Centr settings at any time.
To get your nutrition and results on track, head to your Centr goal below to find our top tips and go-to recipes.
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Share your Centr nutrition success stories or struggles with us in the community.
If you want to Lose Fat
When you set your goal to Lose Fat, your meal plan is customized to deliver lower calories in order to create a calorie deficit that will promote the loss of body fat. Forget crash diets – losing weight should be a safe, effective and sustainable process.
To get more out of your Centr meal plan and achieve even better results, your Lose Fat Nutrition Guide and Snacking Guidelines are essential reading.
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Fill your freezer with dishes like our Moroccan Vegetable Stew to make it easy for yourself to eat healthy.
Weight loss is a balancing act. But if you follow these tips, you’re far less likely to falter.
1. Be prepared
Think about the times when you’re more likely to cut corners on your nutrition: when you’re busy, when you’re tired, when there’s nothing in the fridge. Sticking to your meal plan and losing weight is easier when you have healthy meals in the right portions ready to go. By being organized, you set yourself up for success. One of the easiest ways to do this is with meal prep: our ultimate guide will help you fill your freezer in less time than you think. Start with some of our favorite recipes that are ideal for batch cooking.
2. Pay attention to the details
You don’t need to eliminate your favorite foods from your diet, but you do need to make conscious choices. You might notice that your Centr recipes include very specific (often small) amounts of ingredients like oil, butters and sauces – that’s because they’re energy-dense. For example, olive oil contains around 100 calories per tablespoon, so an overly generous splash in your stir-fry could easily tip you into a calorie surplus.
So be aware of calorie-dense treats, and include plenty of protein and high-fiber plant foods in your meals to keep you satisfied.
3. Train. Eat. Sleep?
Most of us know from experience that when we’re sleep deprived, we reach for sugary snacks to keep going. Getting enough deep, restful sleep allows your body to regulate the hormones that control appetite. So aim to make a regular sleep pattern a part of your health and fitness routine.
If you want to get healthy, fit & toned
This is for you if your goal is set to: Get Toned, Stay Healthy & Fit, Increase Cardio Endurance or Everyday Strength & Mobility
Fueling your body to get fitter and support an improved muscle mass-to-body fat ratio means getting adequate carbohydrates and calories. Because you need that extra energy if you’re going to bring the heat when you work out with Da Rulk. Get on top of your needs by taking a look at the Healthy, Fit & Toned Nutrition Guide as well as the Snacking Guidelines.
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Complex carbs, like the potatoes in our Honey Mustard Roast Chicken With Broccolini, will fuel your training and results.
These essential tips will help you get the results you’re chasing.
1. Be snack ready
When you set your goal, the mission was to build your fittest body ever. That means you need to be on top of your snack game to optimize your training performance. You should be having up to 3 snacks per day (in addition to the meals in Your Plan) to fuel your goals. Start with 10 of our favorite grab-and-go snacks, because portable snacking will keep you fueled throughout the day, and when you need it most – before and after your workouts.
2. Your meal plan isn’t complex, but your carbs should be
Carbohydrates power your training – skip this element of your meal plan and you could be setting yourself up for failure. Where possible, opt for complex carbohydrates, which are digested more slowly and usually contain more natural fiber to keep you full. What’s a complex carb? Think the quinoa in Dan’s Honey Soy Tofu or the potato with our simply delicious Honey Mustard Roast Chicken.
3. Not so fast
Intrigued by intermittent fasting and wondering if it can get you to your goals, erm, faster?
While it’s possible to build muscle (a key part of getting your fittest body ever) while fasting, it can be tricky. This is because you need enough regular food intake, spaced throughout the day, to support your training goals.
Take it from Advanced Sports Dietitian Lisa Middleton: “Trying to fit all your daily protein into one or two meals isn’t as effective as spacing it out over a longer period. If you train best first thing in the morning, but you don’t eat your first meal until noon, you won’t be feeding yourself for optimal recovery. You could even lose muscle mass.”
If you want to Build Strength or Gain Muscle
To build serious muscle, you need to get serious about nutrition. The Build Muscle meal plan for these goals is designed to match your high-intensity strength training and deliver increased calories via extra snacks. A whole range of factors (such as body composition, age, specific goals) can play into your individual nutritional requirements, so be sure to get the lowdown from our Build Muscle Nutrition Guide, and use our Snacking Guidelines to hit your targets.
If you’re taking on our ultimate muscle-building program Centr Power, or cutting with Power Shred, you’ll also have access to dedicated nutrition guides and a calculator for adjusting your calorie needs.
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Post-gym protein is simple when you can just throw our Sheet-pan Salmon & Broccoli with Ginger, Lime & Peanuts into the oven.
Check out these essential nutrition tips for building muscle.
1. It’s about time
You could attempt to eat one mega-protein meal per day, but spacing your protein out will get you better gains. Ideally, you should be having a post-workout snack or meal (containing at least 20g of protein) within 1-2 hours of training. Your recovery nutrition is critical for muscle protein synthesis. But it’s not just that initial post-workout window where it’s important – your intake of protein over the following 24-72 hours and your TOTAL calorie intake is key when it comes to getting results.
If you’re hitting the gym to lift weights in the afternoon or evening, kickstart your recovery with Sergio’s best post-workout protein dinners. A pre-bed protein snack is also a good idea, to ensure your body has what it needs for overnight muscle repair and growth. So try one of our classic high-protein snacks before you hit the hay.
2. Drink up!
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: smoothies are one of the easiest ways to get those extra calories and protein in when you’re struggling to eat the quantities of food necessary for a bulking diet. We have a whole lot of 5-minute smoothie flavors for you to explore, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, start with a Chris Hemsworth favorite – the Green Super Smoothie.
Remember, whatever your goals and wherever you’re at in your journey – nutrition is just as important as exercise. Stick to your dietitian-approved meal plans, find a routine that works for you and most importantly, enjoy your food!
