“Stop eating when you feel even the slightest bit full.”

I remember a very important teacher in my life telling this exact phrase to an entire classroom full of marching band drum liners. And the person telling us this it was not a physical trainer. Lo and behold, it was actually the percussion section director of our State University marching band.

At the university I went to, the marching band drummers were known for being… let’s just say “larger than life.” 

Our director was trying to tip a lot of us off to the fact that, if you want to do the rest of the band proud, we’d better have the stamina required to wail on drums for a 2-hour set!

Legendary drummer status requires you to be fit!

Being FIT with plenty of lean muscle is an absolute must if you want to be capable drummer.

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In fact, there’s not a lot of physical activity that a little bit of extra lean muscle and reduced fat wouldn’t be helpful for. 

If you’re looking to get fit for drums, sports, or pretty much anything else, check out these diets that can help you lose weight (mostly fat) and gain rock-solid muscle.

Listen to director Patti and don’t overeat!

This tip isn’t really part of any particular diet, but it holds true to any of the other diets on our list: 

Listen to your stomach as you eat. Be absolutely sure to stop when you’re comfortably full.

Consuming food at a gradual pace can help you keep your fat in check because it takes about 20 minutes for your mind to get the message that you are full.

This is why it’s easy to overeat when you eat fast. If you slow down, your mind is more than likely to warn you when you’re about to indulge in extra calories that go right to your gut (or worse).

In some cases, pausing before going with additional servings can keep you from going overboard with the schnacks.

Eat what you like, but keep track of meals

You can much better handle your appetite when you have a predictable, stable meal routine.

While foods such as lean proteins and greens can help your body keep away extra pounds, the way you consume foods may be just as important to limiting unnecessary calorie intake. 

For example, skipping dishes may result in eating way too much the following meal. 

Adding 1 or 2 healthy snacks to your 3 square (and by “square” we mean REASONABLY-portioned) meals can assist curbing a voracious appetite. 

Fruits and veggies are as important as proteins

Ditch the fast food and dig out the fruits as well as veggies! 

Portions of fruits and veggies aren’t just a great idea to aid you slim down – they’ll assist you in really feeling complete as well as keep your heart and the remainder of your body healthy and balanced.

Lots of individuals find it handy to maintain a journal of what they eat as well as when they ate it. They may also include info on how they felt when they were eating.

When you write down what you eat before you eat it, you might just hesitate when you see “Dubble Stuff Oreos” staring at you directly in your face.

Examining the diary later can also help them recognize the feelings they have when they overeat.

Don’t go overboard with unnecessary extremes

It’s never an excellent idea to trade meals for drinks or to surrender a food group in the hope that you’ll lose weight — most of us require a range of foods to obtain the nutrients we require to remain healthy and balanced. 

If you like burgers, for example, you don’t have to give them up entirely. Instead of getting something from Burgerville, try making your own burgers at home with thin, lean patties that have more lean meat and protein than fat compared to other versions of ground beef.

Also, ALWAYS avoid diet pills (even the over-the-counter or organic selections). You might think that diving balls-first into your diet with the help of some Chinese-made elixirs is the move, but you’re more likely to give yourself a heart attack with strange supplements than shave off extra poundage. 

Eat modestly, hit the gym

Part of dieting for weight loss and muscle gain has to do with how you exercise.

Head over to the fitness club three or 4 days weekly, doing simple lower-body or multi-joint strength exercises like the squat or bench press. These exercises require great energy expenditure and also boosts the heart rate (since you’re utilizing numerous muscular tissue zones at once).

Keeping your heart healthy via some exercise may help you avoid craving unhealthy foods that go along with a lazy, sedentary lifestyle. 

You could also try banging away on some drums or starting up a drums exercise class, but that’s for another article. 

The trick is to keep your heart rate between 60 to 85 percent of your maximum. 

(To locate your optimum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. After that, multiply that number by 0.17.) 

Keep this in the back of your mind: results do not occur overnight when it comes to strength training. If you want to have your actions in the gym positively affect your diet in a way that leads to even better results, you’re going to need to hit it somewhat regularly. 

Even 30 minutes every 2 times a week is better than nothing.

The formula: eat modest portions, and get some exercise

If you follow our tips and eat healthy, get enough protein (preferably lean proteins from non-fatty sources like filet mignon), you’re on your way to having a killer diet that can help you gain muscle and lose weight. 

Be sure to tag us on Instagram with any before/after images that show how you’re getting in shape. Play some rockin’ drums in your video for bonus points!