How To Build Your Own Nutrition Plan (Part 2)

Finding your nutrition formula

Making changes to your nutrition starts with making sure your body is getting what it needs via proper hydration, and high quality protein, vegetables, and fats. Once you’re up to speed on getting the good stuff into your body, the next step is figuring out how much of everything to put on your plate. At Bootique Fitness, we are about helping you figure out a good balance for your body and mind, and for us that means that not everyone is going to have the same ideal meal plan. Experiment and find what’s right for you, but we have some guidelines for where to start.

Know your food groups

The three key areas are protein, carbohydrates, and fats. In the protein category are foods like meat, fish, and vegetable protein like tofu or legumes. Carbohydrates cover sweet things like fruit, as well as starchy foods like potatoes and whole grains. Good fats come from plant sources like nuts, fruit oils, and from fish.

Estimate your baseline

Women come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. Your body type can have a big effect on your nutritional needs. Women who are naturally speedier can eat more carbohydrates than women with a slower metabolism. Counterintuitively, if you have a slower metabolism, you need to increase the proportion of fats in your diet. If you don’t know whether you have a fast or slow metabolism, ask your trainer to assess your needs so you can have a good starting point for your meal plan.

Plan your portions

You should shoot to have one serving of high – quality protein at every meal. How much is a serving of protein? For women, it’s about 4 oz. or the size of the palm of your hand. You should also have 1 serving of vegetables at every meal to boost your intake of minerals and vitamins. Serving size here is about the size of your fist. Carbohydrates and fats will vary slightly based on your metabolism. 1 serving of carbs is about what you can hold in your hand, and for fats, it’s the size of your thumb.

Fast metabolism — 2 servings of carbohydrates, 1/2 serving fat
Intermediate metabolism — 1 serving carbs, 1 serving fat
Slow metabolism — 1/2 serving carbs, 2 servings fat

We think this is a great starting place for navigating a solid nutrition plan. By using serving sizes and getting in the right kind of foods, you won’t have to pay so much attention to calories or other tracking mechanisms, and you can focus on the quality of what you’re eating. Start by trying out these ratios, and see where it takes you. Your needs will change sometimes —
an extra-hard workout, a head cold, a special event — don’t think you have to do the same thing every single day for results. Just be consistent and make adjustments when you need to. And don’t forget to ask your trainers!