weight loss / nutrition question ?

Question
Hello Tim, how are you, I am trying to lose weight, and get myself into shape, I have two question to ask.

1. for a person who is trying to lose weight, how many grams of sugar & crabs should I allow myself to have in a day to lose weight ?

2. when going to the gym, what should I do first strength training then cardio, or do cardio first then strength training ?
thank you Tim

Answer
Hey Chris, thanks for writing in.
The answer to your first question is hard because everyone is different. There are actual formulas to calculate a basis of how many grams of carbs, protein and fat you should eat.
I'll try though to give you some type of answer. Keep in mind that sugar is a carb. If you are trying to lose weight you want to reduce sugar as much as possible. Sugar in all forms leads lead to weight gain. Your best bet is to get your carbs from complex sources. Whole wheat breads and pasta, brown rice, vegetables, and fruit.
Now here is the trick, how is your tolerance to carbs? Myself, I have a bad carb tolerance. This means I have to be very careful what I eat, especially when it comes to starch like bread and pasta, even in their whole wheat versions. Try being Italian and being sensitive to bread and pasta.
Vegetables are always the optimal choice, very low in calories and very high in fiber.
Try to reserve your starchy carbs for breakfast and lunch. As your activity level for the day winds down so should your starch intake.
Check out my site at www.bestfitnessnow.com and read the Nutrition 101 article and some of the other carb articles.

On to your next question. This is actually a great question. When you go to the gym do resistance/strength exercises first then follow it with cardio. Why?
Two great reasons. What takes more work, lifting weights or running? Lifting of course, so you want to do this first when your energy is up. Reserve your best effort for the weights.
The second benefit is that doing cardio afterward helps you lose weight. There are several sources the body uses for energy, fat is usually last. However if you burn through those other sources first then your body only has fat left. Sounds good, right?

I hope this was of some help. Feel free to ask follow ups and like I said my site is also full of nutrition and training information.

Good luck in your fitness goals.

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