7 Calisthenics Diet Tips to Get You the Body You Want

Guest blog post from Rebecca Smith. Rebecca is editor at Body Weight Training Arena and started calisthenics at age 26 as a means to lose weight and tone her body. After completing her first successful muscle up, the amazing feeling inspired her to train further and become a full-time calisthenics instructor. Rebecca also holds a Management Degree and a Diploma in Nutrition.

If you’re starting a calisthenics workout routine, it is recommended that you also support it with a healthy diet in order to achieve your fitness goals. Even if you perform your workout routines religiously, if you are not fueling your body the right way, then you are just wasting your efforts.

The great thing about bodyweight training is that you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to the exercises that you can incorporate in your workout routine. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced athlete, there are suitable exercises that will challenge you and excite you at the same time. The calisthenics diet is the same. There is a lot of flexibility because there is really no hard-rule on what to eat on a daily basis.

Rather than providing you with a specified food list, the calisthenics diet focuses on healthy food groups that are nutrient dense. While it tells you what types of food to prioritize and avoid, you have the luxury to choose the exact type of food item to eat on a daily basis.

To give you a guideline on how to follow a calisthenics diet in order to get in shape, here are 7 tips to always keep in mind.

1.    Avoid eating junk food

If you cannot eliminate junk foods that are filled with sugar and empty carbs, then this is one reason why it is so hard for you to lose fat. The high salt and sugar content of junk food make it easy for you to eat and overindulge. That’s why it’s so difficult to put down that bag of potato chips or that bucket of ice cream.

If you want a leaner body, then you should give up junk food altogether. When you over eat these items, it will be difficult for you to reach a negative energy balance to lose weight and burn fat.

2.    Incorporate a serving of protein with every meal

Eating lean protein will make you feel fuller for a longer period. This will avoid cravings so you won’t be tempted to consume that tempting candy bar from the vending machine.

Protein does not need to be boring which means you have so many choices aside from steamed chicken breast or protein shakes. You can have different varieties of fish and seafood, tofu, lentils, and dairy.

3.    Fill up on veggies and fruits

Eating fresh vegetables and fruits is a sure-fire way to ensure that your body is getting the needed nutrients to power you up throughout the day. Make sure you eat a balance of colorful veggies and fruits. But avoid going overboard on fruits that are high in sugar content.

4.    Drink enough water

Hydrating your body is very important. When you are well hydrated, you are flushing out the toxins in your body. At the same time, you are also boosting your metabolic rate which can aid weight loss.

Drinking water also adds to the feeling of fullness. Sometimes when you feel that you’re hungry, the reality is your body only needs water instead. So the next time you’re craving for food, try to drink a glass of water first before reaching for that cupcake.

Water is also zero calories. Swapping soft drinks or juices for water can save you a lot of calories in a day.

5.    Reduce your eating window

One technique to eat less and avoid eating unnecessarily is reduce your eating window. This is called Intermittent Fasting. For example , instead of spreading out your meals all throughout the day, limit your eating to just 8 hours in one day and do not consume anything but water during the other 16 hours.

This automatically reduces food consumption because you can only eat in the given window. You also tend to forego grazing and snacking at odd hours. The 16 hour fasting period also helps your body go into a fat-burning mode. Just remember that when you break your fast, go for nutrient-dense food like protein and vegetables, instead of sugar-filled options that may cause your body to go into a sugar rush.

6.    Take time to relax

Believe it or not, this also helps you maintain a healthier diet? How is that possible? When you are stressed, the tendency is to go stress-eating and make bad food choices. To avoid this from happening, you should be pre-empt any signs of stress by finding time for yourself to relax and calm down.

Try to take a walk around the block or maybe take time to do a 10-minute meditation session. You can even have a massage or go for a spa treatment as an alternative to eating your heart out.

7.    Get 8 hours of sleep

When you’re deprived of sleep, you tend to be more hungry and grumpy. This gives you an excuse to eat in an unhealthy way. When you ensure that you’re well-rested, you’ll have more energy to engage in calisthenics exercises and encouraged to eat better.