healthier eating

Question
Hi,

I was wondering if I could get some tips on the kinds of foods I should be eating for weight loss.  I have the general jist of what/how much I should be eating, but I am also an avid gym-goer, and I am unsure how much is appropriate to eat since I am working out.  I go to the gym 3-5 times per week, and I usually do 30 minutes of cardio and 1 hour of weight lifting.  I am trying to lose weight and build muscle at the same time and I am unsure how to build my diet around that.  Also, I am notorious for being a veggie-hater unfortunately, any tips how to overcome that or maybe "hide " my veggies into other dishes? One final question: I've heard several opinions on protein powders/shakes post-workout, are they really so bad for you? I only ever drink them after a hard workout.  Thanks in advance.

Answer
Hi Samantha,

First off let me congratulate you on your training. Most people I encounter want to lose weight and tell me they "walk" 30 minutes a few times a week. While that's better than sitting on the couch, its not nearly enough.

Without knowing more its hard for me to tell you how much to eat.
Use these ratios though
1 gram protein per pound of body weight
0.5 grams carbs per pound of body weight (one day a week up this to 1.5 gram per pound)
.5 Grams fat per pound of body weight

Unfortunately you need to eat vegetables. Are there any you can tolerate? Do you like spinach? Spinach ios great because you can cook it down and eat a lot with little effort. If you put a cup of fresh spinach in a pan and simmer it with some olive oil and garlic it will reduce in size at least by 2. That one cup may become 2 fork fulls.
Another option is to blend them into a drink. Stuff like apples, lemons, and pineapples can cut the vegetable taste down.
A great trick vegetable is cauliflower. While it is a brother to broccoli it can be substituted for stuff like rice or potato. Look up recipes on how to use it in these regards.
a final option is to stir fry them. This way they are combined with other stuff so its not just a big vegetable plate.

When you are in the gym do your weights first then cardio. Never do cardio before weights. Try to work each muscle group twice per week.

In regard to protein shakes and powders I'm glad you asked. I actually specialize in supplements. A lot of "experts" and recent "studies" want to tell you protein shakes and powers are dangerous. These studies are often pretty biased and jaded. Ironically some of the same people who say protein is dangerous will support prescription meds that cause all kinds of nasty effects. And look at it this way, who should test the safety and effectiveness of supplemental protein? A medical doctor or scientist, or a specialist in workout and nutrition. No offense to medical doctors but they do not possess the knowledge or training to properly judge supplements effectiveness on it. In the same regard while I'm versed in training and nutrition I'd never try to question a doctor about disease.

Whey protein shakes and powder are safe and very helpful, if not necessary.
Your best option is to go with a recognized brand like Optimum Nutrition. There are others but I'm just using that as an example. If you can afford it, the preferable form of whey is whey isolate. It is 90% protein by volume vs. 60% for concentrates.
and when buying, avoid stuff that makes bold promises like "gain 2 pounds of muscle a week". One major brand in particular does this. They make a decent product but their marketing really discredits them. A good protein will brag about its quality or nutritional values, not super human results.

You should drink 20-25 grams before lifting and 30 grams post workout. You can also add in shakes between meals or a shake with breakfast.  

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