Most everyone wants to know what the deal is with the new diets that have popped up. I tell them all the same thing…the foundation of a good nutrition program has never and will never change. Eating several, small, balanced meals spaced evenly throughout your day are the key to creating a healthy, fat burning metabolism. Most people do not even eat three meals a day. In fact, the national average is just under two meals per day. No wonder so many people look bloted and are fat. That 2 meal a day eating lifestyle is what causes that.

Eating so little signals your body that you are starving. In response the body sets up fat deposits so it has something to eat when you do not. You will notice these deposits growing on your butt, legs, lower back and the back of the arm. The reality is most groups I talk to and work with are "starving themselves FAT".

It is strange, even though many of you have heard it on your favorite talk-show, read it in your favorite magazine and have seen it on every news program you still STARVE your body into making you fat.

Let us look again, in detail, at the concept that experts agree is the correct, healthy way to eat…

Here it is…

EAT SEVERAL, SMALL BALANCED MEALS SPACED EVENLY THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.

Eat several…

The Toneatronic program is based upon six meals per day with a minimum of four. Consistency is the key to effectiveness. You must not miss meals. Eating frequently boosts your metabolism and helps to drop off some of the blubber you have.

…small…

What is small?
I used to recommend a specific way to calculate out your proper caloric intake. The only problem was no one ever stuck to it. It was not practical. A good rule of thumb is to keep food portions to about the size of your fingers. When eating out, I will often advise people to split the meal in half…eat half and save the other one for later. This sounds hard but your body will adjust to the portion size quickly and you will not be hungry. Besides you will be eating again in just a few hours if you are following the program.

… balanced meals…

Almost every meal should consist of three things…Protein, Starchy Carbohydrates and Vegetables/Fruits

Protein:

What Is Protein?
Here is a very quick biology lesson: Amino Acids make up protein. Protein makes up basically everything in your body. In fact, the only thing our body has more of than protein is water. It really is as simple as that. Protein is the building block of our whole body - muscles, tissues, organs, hair, nails, etc. These are all made up of protein. If you do not have enough protein in your body, you CANNOT function properly or build muscle. The body needs to break protein down into amino acids in order to build muscles. So, no matter how much you work out - if you do not have protein - you will not gain muscle mass. Another important point to remember is that every time you work out you are tearing down muscles and then rebuilding them. Protein is necessary to repair and rebuild your muscles.

How much protein do I need?
Experts agree that active people need between 1 and 1.5 times your bodyweight
For Example:
200 lb male = 200-300 grams of protein per day.
140 lb female = 140-210 grams of protein per day.

A good way to evaluate your protein intake is to see how many times you eat meat during a day. The average serving of meat is about 30grams or so (that is a little high but I am figuring in the various other sources you take in such as dairy products, etc.). So, say you eat meat for lunch and dinner (two times per day) you are getting around 60 grams per day. Not Enough! Remember this is assuming you are active. The RDA for sedentary people drops to about one third of your total body weight.

Carbohydrates:

What is a Carbohydrate?
"Carbs" are the preferred energy source for your body. Many of the new "low carb diets" are getting the attention of those trying to lose weight. While they can be somewhat effective in the short term they do not make a lot of sense for the long term. Most of the time people who use a low carb diet strategy end up gaining back all the weight and then some.

2 types of Carbohydrates

Starchy Carbohydrates (pasta, rice, potatoes etc..)

Remember that starchy carbohydrates are extremely dense in calories so you have to be extra careful with your portion sizes.

Fibrous Carbohydrates (Vegetables):

The micro and macronutrients in vegetables are vital to the proper function of your body. Leafy green and non-starchy vegetables are what we call fibrous carbohydrates.

…spaced evenly throughout your day.

From the time you wake up until the time you go to bed at night, eat 4 to 6 meals, which should work out to around 3 to 4 hours between each meal.

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I am going to give you some simple guidelines and tips. It would be a good idea to hang this on the refrigerator and take a look at it when you go to make your meals.

How to Build a Toneatronic Body Meal.


The Toneatronic Basics-Foods You Can Eat

Proteins Starchy Carbohydrates Vegetables
Beef Tenderloin(my favorite) Whole Grain Breads Asparagus
Chicken Breast Sweet Potato/Yam Broccoli
Cod Baked Potato Brussel Sprouts
Egg Whites or Substitutes Barley Cabbage
Halibut Beans Carrots
Lean Ground Beef Corn Cauliflower
Lean Ground Turkey Oatmeal Celery
Lean Ham Lima Beans Cucumber
Lean Pork Cream of Wheat/Rice Green Beans
Low-Fat Cottage Cheese Pasta Lettuce
Salmon Squash Onion
Shrimp Brown Rice Lettuce
Swordfish Wild Rice Spinach
Flank Steak Strawberries Squash
Top Sirloin Steak Peas Sweet Peppers
Tuna Lentils Tomato
Turkey Breast Red Potatoes Zucchini

Foods you need to CUT DOWN or CUT OUT!

Fats

Butter
Mayonnaise
Sour Cream

Margarine
Fried Foods
Salad Dressings

Cooking Sprays
Vegetable Cooking Oils

Fatty Meats

Bacon
Sausage
Hot Dogs

Fatty cuts of Beef
Beef Jerky
Fish Sticks

Sardines
Deli Meats
Dark Chicken Meat

Dark Turkey Meat

High Fat Natural Foods
A lot of times they seem harmless but you can quickly rack up the calories snacking on these.

Avocados Coconuts Olives
Nuts Seeds Granola
Tofu Dried Fruits Peanut Butter

Sugar

The sugar found in soft drinks and candy and fruit is what is called "simple sugars" because they can go straight into your bloodstream where, if not burned for energy, they are easily stored as FAT. Try to cut out the "junk" forms and limit fruit to AM hours.

Fruit
Soft Drinks
Candy

Cookies
Yogurt
Juice

Dairy

It is hard to lose fat if you are consuming a lot of cheese, milk and other dairy products. Did you know that whole milk contains nearly 50% fat calories? You probably think that drinking 2% milk means you're only 2% of the fat of whole milk….wrong!! Your just getting 2% less fat which is still over 40%. What you don't know CAN hurt you (or at least make you a little plump).

Cheese Ice Cream Milk