The secret to a successful diet, A successful FAT LOSS DIET, is actually pretty simple. The part that really surprises people is that it's actually a combination of what looks too good to be true and what has caused you to fail and regain weight in the past.
Sounds crazy right, well first let’s cover what looks too good to be true...
FLEXIBLE DIETING and IIFYM ("if it fits your macros")
This is too good to be true because it essentially implies that macros are all that matter.
You can eat..
Twinkies.
Beer.
Protein shakes.
And fiber one bars.
On a daily basis and as long as you make sure you are doing the right things in the gym You'll get results -- BUT ONLY if you make it fit your macros.
Unfortunately, to be completely honest... It's true. It’s just not sustainable.
The problem arises later on when your body is deficient in micronutrients, your energy and recovery sucks, you're sleeping like shit, you are having little aches and pains, tendonitis, and you get sick all the time from a weak immune system.
That might seem like a bit of an exaggeration but it’s not, eventually things like that probably would happen from that diet -- even if you were successful at losing weight while following that approach.
Let’s be honest, nobody really eats like that unless they are conducting a study like Professor Mark Haub did with the twinkie diet.
But you get the point -- fill your diet with processed junk and every now and again you eat an apple and have a protein shake. It's not sustainable for health and if it's not promoting health, it's not going to allow sustainability of body composition changes either. The benefit we are going to glean from this type of dieting, is the macros.
The reality is that if you do not properly adhere to the correct energy balance (i.e. calorie intake) for YOU and YOUR body, as well as hit the macros that will steer your body towards YOUR specific goal...You won't get the result or transformation you're after.
So principle #1 is simple. Calories and Macros are what control body composition changes. AND let's not forget that having less body fat significantly improves your health and disease prevention, too. (maybe we should be focusing more on that to prevent the spread of different viruses vs. vaccine after vaccine).
Ok, so there's that...
Next, we have what has caused you to fail and regain weight in the past...
MEAL PLANS (insert weight watchers, diet apps, meal plan templates, etc…)
Everyday I get asked the question, “can’t you just tell me what to eat to lose weight and gain muscle?”
The truth is yes, I can but is it sustainable?
Have you ever done it? Carried around 6 plastic containers with meat, rice, and veggies in it every day...? If you have then you know it works and I don’t necessa
rily mean only meat, rice and veggies but I mean following a restrictive meal plan.
So before we determine why it causes failure long term, let's figure out why it works...
Here are a few key reasons…
Structure.
Preparation.
Lack of variables.
Control.
Higher accuracy.
Easy to adjust.
Routine.
I could probably add more, but you get the point. It works! The question is why doesn't it continue working? What about this causes failure?
Here is a few reasons:
Too much structure.
Preparation limited to controlled circumstances.
Food anxiety when we can't control the food.
Lack of education to adapt.
No variety.
Boredom.
I could probably add more here, too but you get the point, it doesn't’ allow for LIFE to happen.
So how does all this come together?
FLEXIBLE MEAL PLANS
See how easy that was, I literally put them together lol.
But seriously, THIS IS THE KEY.
Meal plans work because it gives you structure, allows you to implement the necessary foods for health while controlling your portions extremely accurately, and it's repeatable -- This makes prepping, tracking, and building a routine around it EASY.
This is the KEY to better results, consistent and predictable results.
However, LIFE requires flexibility in a diet because there are things we cannot control and plenty of times where bringing in your prepped meal is neurotic and completely inappropriate.
Therefore if we don't establish the daily macros BEFORE laying out the meal plan, it won't work consistently. What I mean is you can have a meal plan for most of your week, (most of our M-F schedule is pretty consistent) but there needs to be enough knowledge behind WHY it's working to allow you to step away from that specific plan and be more flexible at times. Usually weekends!
My life is VERY routine, like most people, but on weekends everything changes. Maybe we are going out with friends for pizza and some drinks. It’s a birthday party, it’s a potluck, it’s kids activities…you get my point. It’s life!
I don't get anxious or stressed out because I can't have my meals from my meal plan,
I just track macros, adjust my day, and carry on with life. I know it’s not that simple and yes a strict meal plan might be necessary during a serious dieting phase. But that should only be for a limited amount of time. 6-10 weeks! Yes, just 6-10 weeks.
This could be getting ready for a wedding, your 40th birthday, or simply when you're tired of being overweight and are finally ready for a change!
Those are SERIOUS goals that require SERIOUS actions to create SERIOUS results.
But after you reach that goal and we reverse diet you back up to maintenance...
Should you be on a meal plan?
Maybe, if you like it. But maybe not, because you don't want to.
Which means simply KNOWING you don't NEED to follow a meal plan.
The key is empowering autonomy within you. Giving you the knowledge and ability to stay at maintenance which is where you should live the majority of your life. Let the structure of your life give you the freedom to enjoy life. And that comes from having the education required to understand what is actually causing changes in your body, both internally and externally. Both of which do not come from a “magic” meal plan, they come from all the feedback your body is telling you in your life. What Sam Miller taught me called SHREDS.
Sleep - what is your quality and quantity?
Hunger - when, why, how to control it, etc..
Recovery - from work, play, life!
Energy - how much, lows, highs.
Digestion - bloating, motility, good foods, bad foods, etc..
Stress - physical, mental, emotional
Having said all that, Here's what I hope you leave with today...
There is no right or wrong way to do this. What works best is probably a combination of methods.
So you have to LEARN about what has worked and what hasn't, as well as WHY they have or haven't worked for you! That’s where I can help. Let’s develop a plan that works NOW, with processes and the ability to shift it when necessary -- so that it also works in the future…and most importantly throughout your lifetime.
Hope this helps and as always, if you have ANY questions at all...
Don’t waste another day being stuck (i.e. click here, I'm down to chat).
- Coach Brant (your last nutrition coach)
What it Takes to Get Lean
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