Fit, Lean and Happy: 5 Tips from Men's Health Magazine

From the article "Fit, Lean, and Happy" found in Men's Health Magazine, NBC's "Friday Night Lights" Taylor Kitsch provides healthy tips for men (women these tips are user friendly for us too) that can keep you motivated with staying healthy and in shape.


Fit, Lean, and Happy

Taylor Kitsch's five laws of leanness are ironclad. Judge the results for yourself.

Taylor Kitsch has the relaxed look of a man in control. Part of that comes from his starring role in NBC's football drama Friday Night Lights. But most of it comes from being a self-made man. In Hollywood, the land of personal assistants, Kitsch has no need for a nutritionist. Kitsch himself--not some pestering food wonk--is the mastermind behind his ripped eight-pack, thanks to nutritional training at the University of Lethbridge, in Alberta. His simple strategy of "disciplined eating and regular workouts" can help keep you lean, too. Below is his five-point program.


Taylor Kitsch's 5 Laws of Staying Lean

Always Start With Protein

"I begin my meals with a lean protein and then work around that," says Kitsch. It's an easy rule to follow at dinner, when you can simply choose poultry or fish, but what's for breakfast? Kitsch's favorite solution: mixing egg whites into his morning oatmeal (before cooking) to boost the protein content.

Front-Load Your Carbs

"Throughout the day, I like to reduce the number of carbohydrates I eat, since I don't need as much energy at night as in the morning." So eat most of your carbs at breakfast and cut back on the amount at every meal thereafter. For Kitsch, dinner typically consists of meat and vegetables, which have very few carbs. It's a principle supported by science: Researchers have found that your body's ability to metabolize carbs drops as the day goes on, so more end up stored as fat.

Avoid Fast-Digesting Foods

"I stay away from sugar and flour," says Kitsch. That's because products that contain high amounts of these ingredients--such as most breads, pasta, and baked goods--are quickly digested, causing blood sugar to rise dramatically. This stimulates the release of the hormone insulin, which signals your body to stop burning--and start storing--fat. Kitsch notes that when he eats bread, he chooses the flour-free, 100 percent whole-grain kind from Food for Life (foodforlife.com).

Strike a Balance

"There are times when you simply can't get to the gym as much as you'd like," he says. "But as long as you're eating right 85 to 90 percent of the time, you'll be fine. It's not realistic to expect your diet to be perfect, especially when you're busy." For example, let's say you eat five times a day. That's 35 meals a week. Stay disciplined for 30 of those meals and you'll keep your diet--and your midsection--on track.

Monitor More Than Your Abs

"Your mood swings and your whole outlook on life revolve around what you're putting into your body," says Kitsch. The take-home advice: Start paying attention to the way you feel--for instance, by keeping a daily log--and not just the way you look. Chances are, you'll find even better reasons to stick with a healthy diet for the long term.