Where o’ where do I begin?

Keto, intermittent fasting, Adkins, Whole30, Weight Watchers, paleo, the potato diet (I made that last one up) – which should you do? What will make your work in the gym pay off? Which will help your clothes fit better? How do you count your macros? What is a macro?

When it comes to proper nutrition and diets – there is A LOT of information out there. Some if it’s good information and some of it’s bad. Honestly? I think each one of the above diets would work if you take into consideration your experience with diets, personality, your genes, your lifestyle and what your goals are. But that’s a lot to consider upfront and some of those diets are extreme/hard on your body. I just want to give you some guidance on what I would call “common sense” eating. If you start there and after a few months feel like you need a more personalized plan? Great – seek that out! This, however, will give you a great guide to start.

Goals (ok, ok – I know we’ve covered this)

Since you’re following all my blog posts so intently, I’M SURE you remember how to set goals. But in case you’ve slept since then let’s review the basics. And if you’re a beginner with this whole nutrition thing we probably need to start at the basics (see examples below). Following a super strict diet or meal plan if you’ve never done anything like that before is like going zero to 100.

1. Break your goals off into skills

   -ex. “This month I’m going to practice the skill of appetite and hunger awareness.”

2. Break those skills down to daily practices

   -ex. “Week one I’m going to practice eating slowly. Week two I’m going to practice eating until I’m satisfied – not stuffed”

Both of these things are going to keep you on track and ensure you’re not biting off more than you can chew (see what I did there?).

Definitions (a short, but necessary “nerd alert”)

I need to give you some basic food definitions/examples. Then we’ll move onto how to apply it.

Protein: It’s a nutrient essential to building muscle mass that is found in food and works best with our friends below. It’s made up of amino acids strung together – and it’s delicious.

• Beef, chicken, turkey, fish (all kinds), eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese

Fats: They work with proteins (see above) and carbohydrates (see below) as one of the three nutrients that used as energy sources for your body. For a long time, folks thought the best way to lose weight was to avoid fats in our food. Boy am I glad we’ve squashed that myth and can enjoy our guacamole in peace.

• Avocado (obviously), avocado/olive/coconut oils, nuts, natural nut butters, chia and flax seeds

Carbohydrates: These are mainly sugars and starches that the body breaks down into glucose (a simple sugar your body uses to fuel its cells). These are also delicious and it’s important you don’t go overboard here. We want carbs, but our meals shouldn’t totally revolve around them.

• Potatoes (sweet, red, brown – go crazy), pasta, oats, quinoa, whole-grain breads, rice, fruits, chickpeas, beans

Vegetables: do we need a definition here? Grow up, Peter Pan. Eat your broccoli.

Portion Control

Counting calories, counting your macros, not knowing what a macro is – all of those things can seem overwhelming. By using your hand as a portion guide and some intuition (listen to your body) you can skip all that and start building the skills necessary to sustain a healthy-eating lifestyle.

Men eating like this for 3-4 meals are going to be around 2,300-3,000 calories a day. Women eating like this for 3-4 meals are going to be around 1,200-1,500 calories a day.

Here’s where common sense comes into play. Are you really active? Mean are going to need 6-8 plates like this a day. Active women would want to increase this to 4-6. Then you’ll adjust your portions based on:

• Are you larger or small in stature?

• Are you still hungry after meals or feeling too full?

• Do you tend to eat only a couple of times a day or do you eat frequently?

• Are you really active or do you have a desk job?

• Are you trying to gain muscle or lose weight?

If you need to add:

Men: 1 cupped handful of carbs and/or 1 thumb of fat to a few meals each day.

Women: 1/2 cupped handful of carbs and/or 1/2 thumb of fat to a few meals each day.

If you need to remove:

Men: 1 cupped handful of carbs and/or 1 thumb of fat from a few meals each day.

Women: 1/2 cupped handful of carbs and/or 1/2 thumb of fat from a few meals each day.

Got a question? Then send me a message below👇🏻

LET’S GET AFTER IT!