The benefits of protien vs.carbohydrates

Now, I am definatly not one to condone a "high protien diet" to acheive weight loss. Mostly because those diets usually involve high amounts of fat. But, there is a important element to be noted, protien will maintain energy level in the body for up to 4 hours, whereas carbohydrates (fruit, whole grain bread etc.) will only elevate the energy level for about 1-2 hours. So, what would make the better snack? Where can you get the most "bang for you buck" calorie-wise? Carbohydrates, such as fruit, are generally mostly water, and thus you can consume much more to reach, lets say 400 calories, than you could with protien. So, you would think that consuming more volumne would mean you would maintain energy for a long period of time. Not so. Fruit cycles through the digestion in about 4 hours, so it leaves the stomach in about 1-2, leaving you hungry again.:)
Protien on the other hand, takes about 6-10 hours to cycle through the digestion, and so you can know that it leaves the stomach in about 4 hours. It is denser, and not water logged and thus is a more fuel effecient food. But the down side is that you could only have a handful of almonds, equally 400 calories, as opposed to 4 apples, totally 400 calories.
Personally, I try to balance the two. Before I work out I will have a banana or, some carbohydrate saturated fruit, and then post workout I will have a small handful of almonds, or a soy mik, to maintain my energy leve and avoid hunger and thus over eating.
As in all things, balance is key, but with these two nutrient groups, knowing WHEN to eat them is just as important as what you eat.

ask the virtual trainer

Weight loss is simple math really. Companies like to make it seem to complicated so they can generate more money, but in reality it is very simple. The less calories you take in, the more you put out, the less you will weigh. Sometimes the goal is just to maintain, to stay the same weight....accounting for slowing of metabolism as we age, and general life changes.
So what if you need to fit into that little black dress in 4 weeks? How can you safely loose 5 pounds? If you think about it in math terms, it is easy. Say you burn about 1,900 calories per day, you don't exercise. If you are consuming 2,200 calories per day you will not loose weight obviously. So, in order to change that we would need to keep track of daily intake of calories, see how much we are taking in and then make changes. Also, by adding 30 minutes of walking per day and or other forms of exercise we could increase the metabolism to burn more calories.
By substituting different foods for healthies version we can shave off up to 1,000 calories safely each day. Instead of eating or drinking these items, try there slim twin for weigh loss results.

Tall vanilla latte sub. tall sugar free non-fat latte= 200 calories saved
handful of Cheezits sub small apple= 300 calories saved
2 pieces of pizza sub Lean Cuisine personal pizza=600 calories saved
blueberry muffin sub. 2 pieces of whole wheat bread w/ honey= 250 calories saved
strawberry margarita sub. glass of rosy white wine= 450 calories saved

Well, you get the idea....by writing down what you eat in the day and seeing where you can make changes, you can save alot of calories and thus loose weight.And by beginning to exercise you can loose even more and begin to take care of your body.

But sometimes we need help, it is dis-heartening to do everything yourself, and it is hard to be honest with ourselves sometimes.:) That is why I am here. To help you reach your goals, to answer your questions. Do you wonder what to substitute to create a healthier diet? Do you need to know what to do to lose those last 5 pounds? Just post your blog and I will answer your questions and help you reach your goals

http://virtualfitness.googlepages.com/