THE SECRETS OF A SUCCESIVE DIET

 

It’s a topic I haven’t gone into great detail on. That is until now!!

It seems people are always on a diet. They chop and change from one to another, nitpicking this and complaining about that.

Most people’s definition of the word is synonymous with starvation, cabbage soup with carrots and a whole bunch of other garbage perpetuated by nutrition “gurus.”

Diet is in essence is just what you shove down your throat daily, whether it’s twinkies and cake or chicken and rice.

While the former is all junk, the latter is more nutritious. Diet, at the end of the day is relative and comes down to personal preference and matter of opinion.

It goes by many names i.e “eating plan” or “nutrition.” “Diet” just sounds simple.

In this article, I’m going to first address some of the typical, nonsensical advice that’s floating around.

As you’re probably aware, if you’ve been into training and fitness for any length of time you’ll most likely have heard all the classic codes and conventions. (The internet is full of it).

1) Eat 5-6 small meals a day. It stokes your metabolism

Eating 5-6 small meals a day is a personal choice.

Can you lose fat, get ripped and build muscle doing it?

Absolutely.

To its credit, it can work. It gets you into the discipline of eating “healthier” and managing portions.  People have built better bodies following this method. (If it didn’t work it wouldn’t receive so much attention).

However, in a fast paced society like the one we’re all accustomed to, for a lot of people it just isn’t practical. You probably have tons of other things that you’d rather take care of, then to cook, eat and clean six times a day.

When you add up all the time that goes into that, unless you don’t have any other hobbies or interests, it hardly leaves time for you to do anything else.

As for the metabolism-stoking thing, that’s pretty much been debunked. It doesn’t matter whether you eat 3000 calories over 6 meals or 2-3. The results are going to be the same either way. You’re not going to lose more fat with one approach over the other, in an equal caloric and macro nutrient scenario.

The other problem with this approach is that it can create and lead to unnecessary psychological stress. Planning, preparing and watching the clock so you can tuck into your next meal.

The real issue here is, what’s practical, sustainable and suitable to you and your lifestyle.

If you can do it and find it enjoyable, satisfying and it fits your lifestyle. You know what to do.

That saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is applicable in this instance.

2) You need 1.0 -2.5 grams of protein per pound (lb) of body weight

The simple reality is you could get by with about 0.8 and in some cases 0.6 grams of protein per lb.

I generally do stick with 1 gram, just as a rule. I’ve been doing it so long and I’m so darn used to it. I don’t see it changing anytime soon.

Some days I get less, some days more. I don’t really care about all the niggly details.

Could I get by on less and still build muscle?

Yep.

Do you need protein powder to build muscle?

No, it’s not an essential requirement. You can still build muscle without it. Half of them taste like crap, and are full of all kinds of nasty things. They can still help however, sort of like an icing on the cake, type thing.

You’ll hear some recommendations of 2.5 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight or 1.5 grams per lb of bodyweight. While that quantity of protein most likely won’t hurt you physically, it certainly might hurt your wallet.

If you can afford it and you’re seeing results, keep doing what you’re doing.

In truth, there’s a limit to the amount of muscle your body will be able to put on naturally. Constantly shoveling more protein down the ol’ pie hole isn’t going to work forever.

If it were that simple, we’d see a lot more freakishly muscular individuals roaming the streets like an army of hulks. (That’d be a sight).

3) You need to avoid carbs and fats if you want to get lean

This is nonsense. Seriously. Ditching the carbs can cause you to lose some fat, (more water weight though), but it’s not a sensible long-term solution.

When you cut carbs very low, (I’m talking below 100g daily) you’ll find your strength and energy take a plunge. Your muscles will most likely look flat due to glycogen (Carb energy stored in muscles and the liver) depletion.

If that didn’t hit the spot, to top it off, your sex drive will plummet, you’ll screw with your natural testosterone levels and you’ll just be a damn pain in the ass to be around.

I personally like carb cycling. For example, I’ve done three days low carb and on the fourth high carb. Currently, I eat lower carb during the day and eat the majority of my carbs at night. Both approaches work well for me and I like them. You’ve got to find what works for you and stick to it.

You’re probably well aware of the importance of fats, particularly unsaturated, poly-unsaturated and even good old saturated fats.

Should you go around consuming a whole jar of peanut butter everyday?

NO.

But you can and should still eat your egg yolks, fat from meats etc. Don’t sweat over the natural fats that come from real, whole, natural foods.

Fats are important in natural testosterone production, joint health and cushioning and even the health of your hair and skin.

Not to mention fats add to the satiety of foods, meaning you’ll be fuller for longer and less prone to excessive food binges, which can really lay on the lbs.

I’d say that makes them pretty damn important.

I’m not going to get into all the health talk on carbs and fats because that’d make for a whole article itself.

So is it worth eliminating them from your diet in the long run?

You be the judge.

This is just barely scratching the surface. There’s tons of useless guidelines and impractical advice out there concerning nutrition.

The solution for most people is simple. Start focusing on eating more natural, whole foods.

If you’re into fitness, you just take it a step further. Do a bit of math and calculate the amount of carbs, protein and fats you need, add some veggies into the mix and presto.

HUNGER AND RESOLVE