PREFACE
If you go online, you can find endless amounts of health and fitness
information within minutes. There are so many different perspectives out
there, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and confused.
Each professional claims they have the best diet, or the best training
program. And the truth is, there is no best path to take. It is ridiculous when
people claim they know the best path, the majority of those people are just
trying to sell you something.
If you look in the title for this program, you will see it says: “The best nutrition
advice you’ll ever hear”. As I previously mentioned, there is no universal best
diet or training plan.
However, there is a best piece of advice that applies to all aspects of health
and fitness. Do what works best for your body.
You may be thinking that you already know what’s best for your body. I’ll
guarantee there is much more for you to learn about yourself, and I will help
you do that.
Health and fitness are the most important things in my life. Through years of
experience and learning, I have completely changed my life around. I want to
help you do the same, by helping you to navigate through all the false
information out here and approach your health from a more basic
standpoint that will get you results.
Each person is so different, with different conditions. The following
information is meant for everyone and helps you craft your individualized,
perfect routine.
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Elimination Diet
What is a diet?
Many people have misconceptions about this term. A diet is what you eat. It
shouldn’t carry any negative connotations; it is simply what you eat
habitually.
I believe your diet is the most vital part of your health. The first step in
developing the proper diet is to find what foods are optimal for your body.
The best way to do that is through an elimination diet.
What is an elimination diet?
This is a short term process, lasting 4-6 weeks, that involves eliminating
highly inflammatory foods from your diet to reveal food sensitivities and
intolerances.
The elimination process serves as a reset for your body. During the 4-6
weeks, your body will be able to discard its defense system against these
inflammatory foods.
Why is this so important?
Some people have eaten inflammatory foods their whole life without
realizing it because our bodies are always adapting.
Inflammatory foods are foods that trigger your body’s immune response and
lead to reactions such as: chronic pain, bloating, headaches/migraines, acne,
insomnia, low energy levels, and many more health issues (I will discuss
more later).
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When it comes to nutrition, your body uses and does the best it can with the
foods you are constantly giving it. This means, your body may be so used to
junk and processed foods, that you will not even notice intolerances and
their mal-effects until you eliminate them and see the difference for yourself.
(This takes at least 4-6 weeks for the effects to become apparent)
This was the hardest part for me, since I did have some food addictions. It
felt like my body and taste buds were begging for cookies at all times of the
day. I'm not going to lie, it was a bit challenging at first, but I knew the end
result would be worth it.
I was tired of my same old, miserable self and was willing to commit to
making a change. I cared enough about myself to stick through this process…
and I am so thankful I did.
How do I start?
There are a few different types of elimination you can try:
1. Specific - eliminating one food or food group to determine individual
sensitivity. This is great for those who have already done an elimination
diet in order to fine-tune their diet as time goes on.
2. Partial - eliminating a few different foods to determine individual
sensitivity. This is a great first step in the right direction for those who
may be hesitant or overwhelmed by this whole process.
3. Complete - eliminating all inflammatory foods to maximize results and
learn as much as possible about your body's needs. This is great for
those with moderate or severe health issues resulting from poor diet,
and those looking to commit to a better version of themselves.
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Elimination Phase
During the elimination phase, you should only be consuming unprocessed,
high quality, and organic foods (if possible). The stricter you are during this
process, the more accurate the results will be.
If your food comes in a bag or box… chances are, it is processed and you
should avoid it.
Of course, if you have any known food allergies, you should already be
avoiding them. As long as you are medically cleared, follow the following
guidelines for the foods you should remove and the foods you should eat.
(I will attach this image as a separate document so you can print it or
reference it when needed)
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As I mentioned, the more comprehensive the better - I recommend doing a
complete elimination because it is most effective in finding the optimal foods
for your body.
I say this because some intolerances can be random and unexpected. For
example, some people can have reactions to certain types of fruit like
pineapple, while other fruits like berries are totally fine.
The whole point is to give yourself the most accurate information to be able
to function at your highest possible level.
Testing Phase
After the initial 4-6 weeks, you can then begin to scientifically reintroduce the
eliminated foods one at a time to see how your body reacts to them.
The key is ONE AT A TIME.
For example, when reintroducing dairy products, don’t eat cheese and yogurt
on the same day. You want to notice the reaction (if any) to each individual
type of food.
Make sure to also wait at least 48 hours in between testing each food. This is
because some foods may not cause a reaction until hours or even days later.
Spacing them out will help keep all your observations accurate and allow
your body to reset.
As you start testing, pay close attention to and note your body’s reactions.
How are your energy levels?
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Are you experiencing any issues such as: migraines, acne, insomnia, low
mood, brain fog, bowel changes, bloating, fatigue, joint pain, respiratory
issues, etc.
Do you notice any health issues or diseases improving?
Will this food be helping me or hurting me overall?
Is this a food I will keep in my diet going forward?
I recommend keeping some sort of log for this where you answer these
questions along with:
-
when you eat
what you eat
how you feel afterwards.
As you experiment, you will notice that certain foods do not react well to
your body. Those are foods you should consider removing from your diet
long term.
This will expose extreme intolerances like migraines or acne, but it also
exposes less severe intolerances like feeling sluggish or having low energy.
Keep an eye out for those subtle differences.
Being able to find the foods that provide value is beneficial to you as well.
For example, in my experience, I found that grain fed beef did not react well
with my body. I get painful, throbbing headaches when I eat low quality
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meats. I stick to grass fed beef and avoid any meat at restaurants because
they are most likely low quality.
Try it out and you will be amazed at what you discover.
Don’t cheat yourself
The whole point of the elimination diet is to remove foods from your diet so
your body has a chance to reset.
If you end up cheating or getting off track within that 4-6 week window, your
results won't be accurate. In that case, you should restart your 4-6 weeks.
If this happens to you, do not get discouraged. Remind yourself why you are
doing this.
It is not supposed to be a punishment. You are actively trying to better your
health and life by finding the optimal foods for your body.
Set yourself up for success:
1. Throw away the processed foods and anything you should not be
eating. Not having them in your house to begin with, will prevent any
temptations.
2. Prepare your mind. This is not what you will be eating forever. Take it
one step at a time and keep a positive attitude. Be aware that you have
likely been eating foods that are causing issues, and you are making
the effort to change that.
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3. Prepare your food. Plan your meals ahead of time and be ready to cook
every meal. Know exactly what you will get at the grocery store and
avoid everything else.
4. Don't put yourself in situations that are likely to get you off track. If you
know you will be tempted while going out with family or friends, don't
go. Give yourself the best opportunity to get the most out of this
process.
5. Invest in quality foods. Try to get organic and the highest quality foods
that you can.
Read the labels and read the ingredients. Just because it's advertised as
organic, doesn't mean it is grass-fed or good for you.
(You can always shop online as well - there are many sites that deliver
quality meats and such.)
I understand for most people, this is an extreme change from what you are
doing currently.
You may not be willing to give up pizza or cookies. But those are probably
part of the reason you haven’t reached your goals yet.
You must want to make a change and fully commit to finding your highest
self through this process. When done properly, the elimination diet will truly
change your life. Your sacrifices will be well worth it in the end.
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Other Types of Diets
Okay, so you’ve done your elimination diet. Now what?
After the elimination process is complete, you are significantly more aware of
how each type of food reacts to your body. At this time, you may want to
continue eating as you have been, which is totally fine.
You can also pursue a particular nutrition lifestyle of your choice if that’s
important to you. There are many different options out there, but I will give
examples of a few popular ones.
●
●
●
●
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Paleo
Carnivore
Vegetarian
Vegan
Keto
When pursuing a diet such as these, it is important to still only eat high
quality foods and remember what foods work best for you.
These diets are not made for everyone. Just because one person says it
works for them, doesn’t mean it will work for you as well. Give your body
time to adapt to it, then judge whether or not it is the best option for you.
I want to stress the importance of listening to your body. If you get a
headache or skin rash, that is your body telling you that something isn't right.
Your body is always talking to you. It is your job to listen to what it says.
For example: you may be very passionate about animals/ the environment
and therefore want to be vegan.
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That is great if it works well for your body. However, many people have
severe health issues because of the vegan lifestyle. If your body needs meat
to function properly, you need to eat meat. Do not sacrifice your health for a
fad diet.
Upon finishing my elimination diet I felt like a new woman. There was a
substantial difference between the person and the person I have become.
Because of this, I continued to eat along the same lines as I was doing in the
elimination stage. Occasionally, I will introduce some other foods, but I prefer
eating only unprocessed, high quality foods.
Food Quality > Calories in
and calories out
Focusing on the quality of your food is the most important aspect of your
health and nutrition.
Many people swear by the “if it fits your macros” (IIFYM) way of eating. This
means you can eat whatever you want as long as it stays within the calories
and macros you calculated.
People use IIFYM to justify eating junk and processed foods. What they don’t
realize is how negatively they can affect you. Do you want low energy?
Unnecessary weight? A clouded brain? Then dig in and carry that junk and
processed food around with you in your brain and body. (The elimination
diet really drives this point home.)
Processed foods today are nutrient void and packed with all kinds of fillers
and chemicals. They provide little to no value to your body and will mess up
your gut.
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Think about it: when you eat something like donuts, they provide no real
satisfaction for your body. Yes, they may taste good, but you will be hungry
shortly after.
In the past, I would eat a whole box of cookies, but still be hungry for more.
After eating low quality food for a while, your body’s signals get messed up as
well. This means you don’t feel full right away and are more likely to overeat.
Ever eat a large meal, and 10-20 minutes later you feel like you’re going to
burst? That means you ate too much, but your body doesn't realize it until
later.
Overall, the IIFYM diet will be difficult to maintain long term. You will
constantly feel hungry or end up overeating, since you didn’t get the proper
nutrients to begin with.
On the other hand, high quality foods have tons of micronutrients that help
to keep you satisfied. (Micronutrients are essential vitamins and nutrients
that keep your body working properly).
You will feel full faster due to proper body signals, and you will stay full for a
longer period. This means you are less likely to overeat and gain weight,
since your body is satisfied and gets the nutrients it needs.
As I mentioned previously, avoiding low quality, processed food also can cure
MANY health issues and autoimmune disorders. Conditions such as:
migraines, acne, joint pain, skin rashes (psoriasis, eczema), type two
diabetes, arthritis, depression, anxiety, thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis,
multiple sclerosis, and many more.
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It is vital that you put real, quality foods into your body. The things you eat
become a part of your body as you break down and absorb nutrients. I heard
a great metaphor that really drives that point home...
If you have a car that takes regular fuel, when you go to fill it up with gas, you
wouldn’t use diesel or supreme. You use regular because you know that is
what your car needs to run properly. Same goes for food.
This is your Strongest
Foot Forward
I talk so highly of eating real, whole foods for a reason. I have had firsthand
experience that transformed my life.
I don’t particularly enjoy sharing my story. It’s not easy to talk about it, but I
do it without a question because I realized how powerful it is. I want nothing
more than to help others feel as great as I do today.
So here it is…
I have suffered from anxiety and depression for most of my life. For those of
you who don’t know, mental illnesses are debilitating to say the least.
I remember first noticing it in my early days of high school. I had no energy
and no will to live. I pushed everyone away from me. Each day was a
challenge just to get through, most of my time was spent in bed, unable to
get up.
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During my senior year, I took a turn for the worse after a traumatic life
experience. I left school early almost every day because it was too much for
me to be there.
That year was rock bottom for me. I did some things I’m not proud of and
believed I wouldn’t live long enough to be where I am today.
Flashforward to earlier in 2019. My anxiety had completely taken over. I
lacked confidence and hated everything about myself. I relied on others to
make me happy and keep me functioning.
The anxiety came with headaches, stomach pain, and no sleep, which
affected all my daily activities. I started taking antidepressants and sleeping
pills… but those also come with their side effects. I began to depend on
medication and thought that I might be on them forever, and that scared me
more than anything else. I knew that it was time to make a change.
I decided I needed to get back control of my life, so I did the elimination diet
and stopped eating processed foods. A consistent gym routine was also
beneficial because it elevated my mood and helped me feel more confident
in myself.
It was not easy to commit to turning my life around, but I was tired of being
miserable and knew this wasn’t how I was supposed to live. I wanted to feel
normal and full of life again.
After a few months of clean eating, the difference was night and day. I still
remember my first feeling of true, overall happiness. That was something I
haven't felt in YEARS. I had forgotten what it's like to feel HAPPY. It may seem
small to you, but getting to feel that again was extremely powerful.
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At that time, I began to transition off my meds and didn’t notice any decrease
in my mood.
Since then, things have been going better than ever. I am sleeping great,
have high energy, and a clear mind.
Eating real foods truly has the ability to cure mental illnesses. If I heard that
years ago, I don't think I would have believed it. It has been a little over a
year since then, and I haven’t looked back.
There have been periods when I strayed off of my diet for a bit. In those
times, I noticed a direct negative correlation between the foods I eat and my
mental health.
Times like that can be a good reminder as to why you live the way you do. I
hate feeling so down, and I immediately go back to my diet.
Another great example of this is my mom’s story…
She was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2004. This is an
autoimmune condition of the thyroid gland that is measurable and
detectable with a blood test.
Her doctor's immediate course of action was to put her on thyroid
medication. (The medication releases thyroid hormone into the body so that
the actual thyroid gland becomes more dormant).
After being on meds for many years, she decided this wasn't a way to live.
While doing research, she found a guide from someone else who had put
their Hashimoto’s into remission through a specific diet plan.
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The diet plan was simple. She had to eliminate gluten 100% from her diet.
She began that immediately, and has now been gluten-free for over three
years.
Since then, she has not taken any medication, and she doesn't experience
any of the symptoms of somebody with this disease. Her blood tests reveal
her thyroid function is perfectly normal.
Going further, my mom has started to eliminate more processed,
inflammatory foods. She has begun to lose some extra fat, and tells me, “This
is the best I’ve ever felt!”
She is very confident that her disease is in remission due to her diligence
with her diet plan.
What you eat can have a massive impact on your overall health. Most
illnesses and health issues can be cured by a change in diet. It has the power
to transform your life, just like it has for me and my mom.
Supplements:
glutamine, BCAAS, pre-workout,
fat burners, protein powder,
SARMS, etc.
When I started my fitness journey, I fell into the trap of protein shakes and
supplements as many others do. Supplements are marketed as healthy, and
appealing since so many people want an easy fix.
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That was when I got a job at a supplement store. I think that experience gave
me the perspective I have today.
For starters, most bodybuilding style products aren’t regulated. This means,
you have no idea what is in the product. Your pre-workout may have twice
the amount of stimulant advertised, or none at all.
I saw this firsthand at my old job. They would advertise one thing, knowing
full well it wasn’t in the product they were selling.
Supplements are also very pricey. People trying to sell you products may
seem like they care about your health and goals, but they really care more
about your money.
From my experience, they make a commission on sales, and tell you what
you want to hear to make money.
That job truly opened my eyes to what goes on in the supplement industry.
Since then, I have had no desire to use any supplements, and I’ve built
muscle and a nice physique.
I think supplements are appealing to most people because they want a quick
fix.
Hate to break it to you, but there is no such thing as a quick fix when it
comes to health and fitness. You need to be willing to put in the work and
stay consistent with it long term.
You should have your training, nutrition, sleep, hydration, and recovery
LOCKED DOWN before even considering taking supplements like these.
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Getting results takes time and dedication. If all you care about is jumping to
the end result without any work, what does that say about yourself?
Worrying about what supplements to take when you aren’t even consistent
with training and nutrition, is the fundamental wrong way to approach your
health.
Yes, supplements can help you reach your goals when combined with proper
habits. However, they are NOT necessary to get results.
That being said, there are a couple supplements that do have some value if
you are interested. The first being creatine. This is a very well studied and
safe supplement that has been proven to aid in muscle building and has
many other health benefits. Make sure to get creatine monohydrate when
looking to buy some.
Aside from that I would recommend a whey protein powder if you struggle
getting protein.
Side note: as a general rule, I recommend hitting roughly .8-1 grams of
protein per pound of bodyweight. This goes for if you are trying to lose
weight or gain muscle.
Ideally you want to shoot to get all your protein from real food sources. But
the protein powder can help if you're ever in a pinch.
Aside from any vitamins and dietary supplements you need, these are the
only two I think are worthwhile. But again, these are not necessary by any
means.
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Counting Macros and
Intuitive Eating
I’ve been hearing a lot of debate about counting macros versus intuitive
eating.
For starters, I am not a fan of the term “intuitive eating”. You either track
macros or you don’t. People use “intuitive eating” as a way to justify eating
whatever they want. It is the incorrect way to look at it in my opinion.
I understand that counting and measuring everything you eat is not
appealing to some people, and that is fine.
Regardless of your preference, you should have experience tracking calories
and macros before you decide to stop and eat intuitively. This gives you the
awareness and knowledge of the content of foods you are consuming. (There
are several calorie counting apps out there. I personally use My Fitness Pal).
Intuitive eating does not work without this knowledge and experience.
You can’t tell someone who’s addicted to food and overweight to intuitively
eat. They will go to McDonalds and stuff their face with thousands of calories
and garbage because that’s what is intuitive to them.
Intuitive eating only works when you have done an elimination diet and have
experience with the caloric and nutritional values of food. Once you know
what works best for your body and what you need to reach your goals,
counting your macros becomes less necessary.
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Staying on Track
The easiest way for me to stay on track is by meal prepping. I make meals for
four days at a time and take them EVERYWHERE with me.
It takes me a total of two to four hours a week to cook. I keep my meals quick
and easy so it’s not a chore. It is more efficient than cooking and cleaning
everyday, and saves you more money than going out to eat.
I would recommend that everyone meal preps. You never have to worry
about what you’re going to eat, or how you will stay on track because you
already have food made and ready to go.
You can cook a whole week at a time and freeze it or do a few days at a time.
Whatever works best for your schedule. Throw on some music or a good
podcast and spend a few hours cooking.
I have found that people tend to struggle with staying on track when going
out to dinner or out and about.
This is no longer an issue when you have your meals already prepared. Either
eat your food before you go to dinner, after dinner, or just don’t eat while
you are there. You don’t have to eat just because you are at a restaurant,
there’s nothing wrong with going out just to socialize.
Same goes for going out anywhere. Going to work all day? Bring your food.
Going out with friends? Bring your food. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve
brought my meal prep to parties or to someone’s house I was going to.
It is also important to touch on going out drinking. That is a time that many
people really fall off their plans.
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For starters, most drinks are mixed with soda or some sort of sugary crap.
Alcohol is already empty calories, then once you combine it with a mixer it's
even worse.
Scenario:
You’ve been out drinking all night. Your friends stop and get fast food on the
way home since that’s all that is open. You’re drunk and hungry, so you order
something.
That gets added to how ever many drinks you’ve had (and the calories will
stack up fast). Since you aren’t used to eating junk food, you feel sick and
aren’t able to sleep well that night.
The next morning, you’re still exhausted and hungover. You don’t go to the
gym the next day because you feel like crap. And since you’re so tired, you
crave sugar and more junk food.
Going out one night may affect you for days and weeks after the fact.
Yes, this is a more extreme example, but it does happen. One night of poor
decisions can mess you up more than you may think.
I’m not saying this so you never go out and enjoy yourself, but so you are
more aware of the decisions you make. It can be as easy as just sticking to
water and leaving a bit early to get some sleep.
If you do decide to let loose for a night, you know what you are getting into
and know the consequences. Be aware of the choices you make and hold
yourself accountable.
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People Want You to Fail
Staying on track can be difficult at times when everyone around you doesn’t
care about their own health.
Chances are you will get crap for trying to better yourself. I can’t tell you how
many times I’ve been made fun of and criticized for doing my own thing.
Those who live a healthy lifestyle are a mirror for those who don’t. People see
you making good choices and it exposes what they aren’t doing. They don’t
want to face it, so their defense mechanism is to constantly ridicule you in
hopes of bringing you back down to their level.
This can happen at work, school, and at home. I’ve experienced this ALL THE
TIME at work. My job very often gets catered food, and while everyone else is
stuffing their faces with fast food and processed sugar I eat my meal prep. I
get crap from them every time because they want me to eat junk with them.
“You aren’t going to eat a piece of cake”
“C’mon, you can afford to eat as many cookies as you want”
One time a coworker sat next to me and tried to force me to eat a single
piece of candy for 15 minutes. Put it on my desk, shoved it in my face, saying
“It’s just one piece, why don’t you just eat it?” “What’s the worst thing that’ll
happen?” I probably said no about 20 times, yet he kept pushing.
What kind of person wants bad for someone else?
Why do you think it is so uncomfortable for THEM when YOU make healthy
choices?
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Moments like these are extremely frustrating and unfortunate. However, you
cannot let people like this get to you.
When you are focused on yourself and secure in what you’re doing, what
people say or do won’t affect you. Ignore them and go on your way.
Eventually they’ll see you aren’t stopping and may even seek advice and
follow your lead.
Situations like that happen at home too. Half of my family does not get it and
doesn’t support my lifestyle.
It is best to cut off people that are like this and don’t support you. I know I
can’t cut off my family completely, but I do keep my distance most of the
time.
This goes for friends too. People who bring you down should not be a part of
your life. Period. Find a new circle of people that motivate and support you.
It is vital to have a support system of people that help you to succeed.
Gaining vs. Losing Weight
Depending on your goals, you need to adjust how you eat.
If you are trying to lose weight: You must eat in a caloric deficit. This means
you are expending more energy than you consume (burning more calories
than you eat).
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People always try to make things more complicated than they are. Certain
diets like intermittent fasting, keto or vegan do not cause weight loss. Fat
burners, diet teas, or detoxes do not cause weight loss.
It all comes down to eating in a caloric deficit. It’s that simple.
If you want results, you have to take actions that support the results you
want. If you are looking to lose weight or fat, do the elimination diet, eat less,
and exercise more.
If you are trying to gain weight: you must eat in a caloric surplus. This means
consuming more energy than you expend. I know this is not rocket science
but there are entire multi-billion dollar industries supported by people who
think they weigh too much or too little.
Now you’re probably wondering, “How do you know if you’re eating in a
surplus or deficit?”
First, you will need to calculate your maintenance level. This is the intake
when you neither gain or lose weight, instead you remain at the same
weight.
To do this, find a macro calculator. Here is a link to one I would use:
https://www.calculator.net/macro-calculator.html
It will ask you to enter your information such as age, weight, height, gender,
activity level, and goal (lose, gain, maintain). Enter your information and click
maintain. It will then give you a calculation of how many calories and macros
you should be eating in order to maintain your current weight.
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Every BODY is different. Now that you have a general idea of what you need
to eat to maintain, you want to test it to verify if it is accurate.
Here is how:
Eat the amount calculated for you.
Weigh yourself every morning and record your daily weigh-ins (I use the app
Happy Scale, to do this). Make sure to weigh yourself first thing in the
morning, after you use the bathroom and before you eat or drink.
After a week or so you will notice a trend in your weight. Keep in mind your
weight will always fluctuate a few pounds, so it is important to average your
week of numbers. I like using the app because it automatically calculates the
average and tells me if I am gaining or losing.
The trend you see will either be:
1. An increase in weight over the course of the week.
What this means: Your caloric intake is too high, you are eating in a
surplus.
What to do: Drop the calories down by 100 and try the process over
again until your weight begins to level out.
2. A decrease in the weight over the course of a week.
What this means: Your caloric intake is low and you are eating in a
deficit.
What to do: Up the calories a bit and repeat this process until your
weight levels out.
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3. No overall change in weight throughout the week. HURRAY! This
means you are at your maintenance. You have found out what your
body needs to stay at the same weight. KEEP UP!
Want to CHANGE your weight instead of maintain?
You can adjust the maintenance calories to fit your goals. I would
recommend adding or subtracting by 100 at a time. After a while your body
will adapt to that number and begin to maintain again. That’s when you
adjust it by another 100.
Throughout this process it is important to keep in mind that the scale is a
helpful tool that will aid in your journey. Do not obsess over numbers, and do
not strive to hit a certain number. If you are losing fat and gaining muscle,
you will weigh more. But you will lose inches off your waist and feel great
about yourself.
The numbers are irrelevant, it’s all about how you look and feel.
Nutrition Myths
Bigfoot. Sasquatch. The Lochness Monster. Take a tiny grain of truth and add
a whole lotta drama to get a myth that may have no basis in reality. Your
food is no different. Here are some nutritional myths I've heard over the
years.
Myth: Eat many, small meals throughout the day.
Truth: The amount of meals you eat is going to depend on your goals.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter how many meals you eat. Just be conscious of
how much you are consuming. There is nothing wrong with eating one or two
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large meals a day, or multiple small meals. Do what you prefer and stop
worrying about the small details.
Myth: All calories are created equal.
Truth: All calories are not created equal, as discussed throughout this
program! Unprocessed, whole foods are going to fill you up more, while
providing the proper nutrients with lower calories and then processed foods.
Look at the difference between when you eat real fruits and veggies, as
opposed to when you eat something like cake. They are all sources of carbs.
However, the fruits and veggies provide nutrients that will keep you satisfied
longer. On the other hand, cake is a nutrient deficient food that provides
nothing for your body. You won’t feel full, and chances are you will go in for
another piece or two.
Myth: You have to eat right after a workout.
Truth: You can eat whenever you want, again this comes down to doing what
is best for your body. Some people may want to eat right after a workout,
while others may not be hungry until much later. It is fine either way, things
like this are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
Myth: Don’t eat past 7pm.
Truth: If eating late at night doesn't affect your digestion or sleep, you can
eat at any time you would like. Some people may have issues sleeping when
eating this late, while others do not. The optimal time for when you eat may
also change as you get older or change your physical activity. You need to
find what works best for you. (Are you sensing a theme here?)
Myth: Fasting helps you lose weight. Fasted workouts are better for you.
Truth: Intermittent fasting is a way of eating. I have heard of a lot of people
that love doing intermittent fasting, and that is great for them. Personally, I
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feel sick when working out on an empty stomach, so this is something I don’t
do. But that doesn’t mean I’m getting worse results.
As far as the weight loss goes, it has nothing to do with what sort of diet you
are following (ex. Vegan, intermittent fasting, keto, etc). That comes down to
eating in a caloric deficit.
Intermittent fasting is a way to restrict your eating window. This may result in
you eating less calories, which then leads to weight loss. But working out on
an empty stomach is not going to do that by itself.
So What Now?
What's your plan for meaningful change?
If you want to make real change, you need to try a new tactic.
It’s time to start to help you live your best life, and I hope this information will
help you do just that.
I would love to hear all about your journey and answer any questions you
may have along the way. Don't hesitate to reach out!
Twitter @smithhmackenzie
Instagram @fit_with_mackenzie
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Disclaimer
I am not a doctor or a dietician. The information I provide is based on my personal
experience.
Before starting any new diet and exercise program please check with your doctor and clear
any exercise and/or diet changes with them before beginning. The information you receive
in my programs, services and products do not take the place of professional medical
advice. I do not claim to help cure any condition or disease.
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