Today, I want to go through how to identify the best way of eating for you right now. I want to help remove the stress, lack of long-term results, and confusion that comes from this “diet culture” and instead create an understanding that will help you build your personal game plan.
First I will start with saying I have no diets, pills, or weird shakes to sell you, so this is purely focused on helping you build the skillset of long-term health. However, if you want help down this path to help improve your relationship with food and body, we can certainly help there.
How do you feel about food?
Do you have a “diet’ you follow?
Nutrition has become this weird battle of what is the one “right” way of eating.
You have to join a set way of eating just to claim you’re being “healthy”…
Yet in this, lies the exact reason the majority of people diet 3-6 times a year and end up ADDING weight.
Lack of awareness around what feeling good actually feels like, leads to just jumping on a style of diet that has quick results (vegetarian, paleo, keto, fasting, etc.) and then thinking this is the ONLY way forward forever.
This is a classic “confirmation bias” effect.
When you are convinced of a certain method, it is human nature to find more things to reinforce this way of life. There we must address this first because until we get past this, we cannot discuss things are a logical level.
We must first be ABLE to stop and consider or even ACKNOWLEDGE that other diets or let’s just say “ways of eating” could be beneficial.
Even if not for you, maybe for others.
Nutrition is a sliding scale. Some people will feel better on higher fat and protein intake, while others will function better on a high carbohydrate intake. One side might be best on a lot of meats and nuts, whereas others on a lot more carbs like quinoa, rice, and potatoes.
The caveat here is that the SAME PERSON will require different styles of intake throughout different seasons and situations like:
Summer vs. winter
Endurance vs. strength training
Age, injury, and lockdowns
“Diet’s work for a season, not a lifetime. We are here to create the skillset that lasts a lifetime”
So what I am trying to say is to build an awareness and value for what you put in your body. The best thing you can do is take the bits that make sense and you feel good on, and throw out the stuff that doesn’t fit, then reassess when it no longer works, it’s a continual evolution.
An example I went over in today’s video in the Body Reset group was how a lot of individuals that got away with a carb-heavy diet when they were younger find it very hard to stay in shape with even HALF the same foods now that they are in their 40s and 50s.
Note: As you get older you tend you require a little more protein and fats to stay lean and strong as there is a stronger signal needed to rebuild muscle tissue and support hormone function.
So, how do I find the right “diet?”
Just as building the “perfect workout”. It all depends on the person I am talking to, their structure, their lifestyle, what training phase they have just been in, etc.
The best diet would be dependent on your lifestyle, stress level, gut intolerances, time of year, body fat, etc.
I have done plenty of LIVE video trainings on this in the Body Reset Facebook group.
But I’m also going to dive into the main concepts I discussed here.
I am not against a keto, or low carb, or even vegetarian diet for the most part.
What I am against is people forcing their approach on others because they think this one approach is going to solve the world’s problems for everyone – coaches especially.
As I mentioned above, you need to learn their circumstances and what is going to be the best move forward for THEM regardless of what works for you.
Therefore, vegetarian might work GREAT for 4-6 weeks for someone who has really struggled with digestive issues or inflammation, but the same can be said for the carnivore diet (only meat) on the other end of the spectrum, it completely depends on what you are intolerant too.
Fasting might be great for someone that needs simplicity in the morning. But if your stress levels are high – this is likely not a smart move and likely shows a lack of structure in your morning you are avoiding.
Keto can be great for obese individuals that need a nudge to become more metabolically flexible because they don’t use fat as fuel well – think fuel tanker with no ability to use all that fuel.
The list goes on and on.
My main point is don’t get stuck on one approach.
Just as one workout program will generally produce diminishing results after 4-6 weeks of following it. A nutritional approach should also be used for a specific goal and should be at least regularly evaluated every 6 months at minimum for it’s alignment with your goal and lifestyle.
What worked for you 5 years or even 6 months ago might not be the best option for you now.
If you feel awesome, your energy is high, your recovery is spot on, your focus at work is great and all is well, then don’t try to fix what’s not broken. But if you don’t feel all of the above, then you need to re-evaluate how you are eating and its effects on your body and well-being.
This is one of the pillars I focus on during the R4 Training where I give you back the control and momentum you lost with your nutrition – to make sure you have a smart, simple and more importantly, effective approach.
Because it is likely not the cookie-cutter diets or plans that 99% of the industry regurgitates that are going to get you over that hump.
Remember there is no 12-week finish line, this is a LIFE optimization and you should feel awesome in your own skin as you grow and challenge yourself along the way, not suffer to the top.
If you haven’t watched the R4 training we’re a dive into this and how it applies to the bigger picture, watch here.