I want you to be confident in your nutrition and where to start. Whether you want to feel as good as possible and be as healthy as possible, or you want to lean out and see some weight loss, or pack on that muscle without layering on the fat, the foundation of good nutrition is very simple.
ACKNOWLEDGE THE OBSTACLES
There is nowhere that we are taught anything substantial about nutrition
The funny little quip that school might be more effective if it taught us how to do our taxes applies here. Why on earth do we get to the age of 18 without any real understanding of how food impacts our body? Plainly speaking, there is no way for you to understand nutrition without you taking the time to explore and learn yourself.
In place of an actual education, we are pretty much taught everything we know through commercials and influencers. Cereal commercials love saying they are a part of a balanced breakfast. So then you feel good about your sugar pops. Don’t. Do you understand how many eggs and eggwhites you’d have to eat to eat enough protein without eating too much fat just to “balance” the cheap carbs in that bowl of sugar? But we didnt know better.
Life is hard and we are exhausted. We naturally and correctly seek Ease & comfort.
This one is important because you have to stop beating yourself up. Especially before you are aware of this. Food is comfort. It is the easiest, least shameful thing that brings us momentary endorphin release. Shoot up some heroin or pick up a hooker, and your friends think differently. But be the craft beer guy or the let’s go out to eat guy and no one bats an eye.
We are wired to seek rest from the chaos of life. And yes, there are very productive and useful ways to do that. But unless we have the habit in place already, we are going to use what we have access to. And food can always be there.
It’s not really your fault if you go into your day just trying to survive, get 6 hours in, realize you need to eat, and DoorDash a quick burger and fries to help get you through the day. What were you going to do, take the time to grill some chicken? The world is burning down around you. There’s no time.
And do not shame yourself for going elbow deep into a box of cookies when life has gone a bit sideways. Your day did not bring you any moments of peace. You rightfully deserve that moment and those cookies are your chance to get back at your day. That’s not your fault. But now that you know, you can take steps to be better prepared.
Doing this alone is a fools errand
There are two common approaches to setting goals:
- Tell everybody really really loudly what you are doing because you are amazing just for stepping off on this journey.
- Keep it to yourself, suffer in silence because it will be glorious when you show up as a brand new person.
Neither is great. The first makes you insufferable because nobody likes a loud mouth so you end up going through it alone anyway, and the second starts with you alone. You are not meant to go alone. Having someone on a similar journey as you helps quite a bit. They understand your struggles and know how much it means when you succeed.
Equally important is not having people close to you living an opposite lifestyle. Having a husband who is still eating junk food will not help you succeed. The only way is a really unhealthy one. If you despise them so much then yes, maybe that will motivate you to stay on track because thank God you are not as gross as them. But if you’ve reached that point, what are you doing.
Your partners and your kids will be well served by better food choices. Our health, our ability to fight off sickness, and our behavior are all impacted by our food choices. Your partner or your kids do not have to be all in on every single food choice you make (although, why not?), but they do have to support you, and y’alls week of eating has to be sustainable.
If you do not have the most supportive network right now, or your work/lifestyle has you on your own more often than not then hiring a coach can help you stay on track. Having the accountability of someone who truly just wants you to succeed allows you to go through your day knowing you have that support, that place to go when things get tough, and that person who is going to remind you that you are amazing so long as you are trying your best.
ASSUMPTIONS
- You want to do this. Too often people ask how they can get started and then immediately start making excuses. This is your choice. If it’s what you want, then set the excuses aside.
- You are cutting down on processed foods where possible. Snacks are not real. Breakfast foods are not real. Food that stores on a shelf is likely not ideal.
- You are cutting back on alcohol. If you want to see an adult throw a tantrum, just point out that alcohol sits on the opposite end of weight loss and body composition goals.
ACTION
1) Download MyFitnessPal from your app store
The free version of MyFitnessPal is also more than enough.
Begin recording each day as you eat. This can be done with a notebook or your notes app. However, apps like MyFitnessPal have built out libraries that include millions of foods with the nutrition information already added in.
Do not rely on recall. At a minimum record everything at the end of your day. But ideally you would record your food as you finish each meal.
The purpose is to increase awareness. “How many times do you eat out each week?” “Once or twice.” Then you actually record your weekly intake and it’s actually 3-5 times per week because, understandably, you’re busy.
Increased awareness alone can lead to progress. We usually are really not trying to eat poorly. We are just overwhelmed and not able to keep an accurate record of what we have been eating. If we were aware we that we were grabbing food on the go or eating in restaurants that often then we would cut down on it and plan our food choices for the times we still had to go out. The same for snacking, drinking, etc.
2) Find a favorite water bottle
Begin using a water bottle or a cup that you know the volume of (how much water it holds). Calculate how many times you have to fill it up in order to meet your goal have 1 ounce of water for every 2 pounds of bodyweight. And then work on getting that water in.
Knowing you need to fill up 5 bottles to hit your goal of 90 ounces also helps you distribute your water evenly. If you get through lunch and you are only 1 full bottle in, the second half of your day is going to be very full of trips to the bathroom. Now you know you need 2 before lunch, 1 at lunch, and then 2 before bed.
3) Every meal starts with a protein
That means a food choice that has more protein than any other macro nutrient.
Lean meat is easy (remember, breakfast meats probably don’t fit your goals). Eggs, especially if you incorporate egg whites are also high protein w/ moderate fat. And greek yogurt has a bit more protein than carbs.
In contrast, other foods that can be a part of a meal but are not starting points would include things like oatmeal and beans. Both absolutely serve as sources of protein, especially beans. However, the carbohydrate load is much much higher. So these should serve as a carb that just so happen to contribute toward our protein goal.
4) Make a plan for your day.
A huge tripping hazard in the path of people who are wanting to make changes to their body is going through the day thinking they will always be in the mood to spontaneously pick ideal food choices for their goal.
Just jotting down a very loose idea of where each meal is going to come from will help keep you on track. And the busier you are, the more important this is. This will help with your grocery list and help protect you from impulsive choices when you do need to eat out. If I know I am going out with coworkers on Thursday then I can have an idea of what I am going to order before I arrive.
5) Dinner must have a vegetable.
This is as much for habit building as it is for the actual nutrients the vegetables provide. There are no magic veggies however leafy greens are always a good choice. Spinach, asparagus, and broccoli are great. But colorful veggies also provide unique nutrients so incorporate as many colors as you can as you get more comfortable. Just don’t stress.
Do what works for you and make sure you are not going overboard smothering the vegetables in fats (butter/oil) in an attempt to hide it being a vegetable. It’s a real downer to eat your vegetables in the name of your goals only to sabotage yourself by adding 400 calories of oil on top. A little butter and oil goes a very long way. And dry seasonings are always welcomed because they are low calorie.
Vegetables are for our health. However, vegetables do serve our body composition goals by filling our bellies with low calorie foods. A spinach salad with chicken fills you up without being 700 calories (again, careful with that dressing).
6) Set a time for your last bite each day.
Scientifically there is no real evidence that not eating after 7pm or 8pm or 9pm directly leads to body composition changes. But setting an end of business time can help mentally. Two things happen:
- – You avoid falling into the trap of mindless eating based on late night cravings. It’s a heart breaker to eat well through the day only to add another 1,000 calories while sitting on the couch before bed.
- – You will be very intentional about eating enough during your day so you are not starving when you climb into bed.
7) Enjoy the process.
Do not create a path that makes you feel like you are sacrificing your happiness every day. You should not be starving. You should not hate every bite of food you take. Bland food is not required. All of these excuses are used by people who are afraid to start.
Yes, if you eat chicken breast and broccoli for every meal you will absolutely see your body change. But what about your mind? Remember, your goal body weight or goal body composition is not actually what will make you happy. You being proud of the life you live in the body you are in is what will make you happy.
Use the steps above to create your own unique journey.
In Conclusion
If you follow the steps above, even if you just start to follow the first few, you will be able to build confidence in your nutrition choices for the rest of your life. Increase awareness of what you are eating, hydrate, and eat a good amount of protein every day. If you do those things, you will be happy with where you end up.
Remember, a specific body weight or body composition will not bring you happiness. But feeling in control of our nutrition will help us increase our confidence in our own body and the life that we live while in it.
If you want to learn more about nutrition or have a nutrition plan tailored to your specific goals, setup a free Nutrition Intro through the link below. This can be done via video chat or in person. I’d love to chat with you.
Let me know if you have any questions.
-Ben
Check out how to burn more calories without working out here.
