Ok, so what is the best type of diet to be on?
The million dollar question…..
The one that works for you is the simple answer but I thought I would help you a little more..
Firstly though, you are NOT on a diet….you eat to fuel your lifestyle…..diet = restriction…. Lifestyle leaves it a little more open and free for your mind.
Now you know there is a big difference between the latest diet fad and a real nutrition plan or meal planning strategy that is supported by scientific research and proven methods to get results.
As I work with my clients, I get asked a lot of questions about nutrition and meal planning. Many of those questions will revolve around the latest and greatest nutrition theories straight from afternoon talk shows, the well read and peer reviewed tabloid newspaper cut out, the Internet and “expert” friends. The truth about actual nutrition, however, is that it’s fairly simple.
An effective nutrition plan focuses on five things:
- Balance : You’re getting the right amount of the right things and limiting the things that can have a negative effect on your health. Yes removing known toxins, after all knowingly and repeatedly doing this is the definition of insanity itself right!?!
- Calories : This isn’t just reducing calories it’s about making sure you have the right amount of calories throughout the day to keep your system working effectively. I am not big on calorie intake as a way of coaching people when taking them from a BAD place to a HAPPY place….in fact the way I coach nutrition only focuses on calories when we are hitting the last 3-5% of a target body fat % goal.
- Moderation : You don’t take in an excess amount of those things that can have a negative impact on your health but you also don’t cut them out entirely and forever. For a long time I pondered over this one…..is moderation a “weak” word? Or is it helpful? Well, when I look whether someone has been successful or not with their nutritional plan….they will likely have slipped off the imaginary “perfect line” but they will still comment more often than not that they have had moments of moderation on their journey. Sometimes that occasional “treat” is exactly what means they don’t become and all or nothing Yo- Yoer.
- Variety : Not only are you eliminating the monotony of a diet that can be difficult to maintain for the long term, but by including a variety of foods, flavors and textures in your diet you’re ensuring proper nutrition. A key way to make sure you hit the spectrum of vitamins, minerals and macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) is to mix things up. The spice of life and all that!
- Adequacy: Make sure you’re getting all of the essential nutrients you need to maintain health and replace what is lost on a daily or weekly basis. Many short-term diet strategies recommend cutting or drastically reducing entire food groups leaving room for nutritional deficiencies. The fad diet, often leaves the person just a smaller version of the person they were before and actually more toxic than before as their body struggles to excrete toxins due to a lack of minerals (aka magnesium) that aid this process.
The best meal planning will focus on these five guidelines – and it’s a rock-solid foundation. Even if clients stray now and then, just by using this plan as a guide, they will be learning to eat better, and create the behavioral changes they need for the long haul.
Hey and when all things get a little un organised because that happens in the real world too…….
Did it swim, run, grow or fly is a good way of looking at what goes in the mouth next. NOTE…..you are actually in charge of what goes in…..despite what your brain tells you……. Cognitive dissonance a topic of much debate…..one for another blog.
No matter what my clients ask me about nutrition, I will 99% of the time be bringing them back to these basics can help them stay on track and achieve the results they want.
It’s time to that us as coaches guide clients to a more sustainable, science-backed nutrition plan and away from the short-term diets that often lead to unhealthy cycles of rapid weight loss and steady weight gain.
Nutrition, like exercise, takes an ongoing commitment not just for a week or a month but for the long haul. I always think if I can keep it simple, keep them excited, and we will all get the results we want.
Just like my client who came in yesterday…….
Better than that and it actually made the hairs stand up on my arm was when he told me that he had a blood test done last week and his Dr told him to keep doing whatever he was because they wanted to reduce his thyroxin drug by 50% and theres a chance if he carries on this way he will be off them for life!
After all the food we put in is information to our bodies. The food we eat, the way we exercise and the way we think is information that shapes our genes. Nourishing the thyroid to enable it to produce hormones and govern metabolism is having a rapid effect for this guy….and the best thing is….it’s so simple and easy to fit into family life…..his whole family are now benefiting as they eat the meals with him!
Thats why I always say to my clients on their first 6 weeks, you are not looking for the end, this is just the start! If you are looking for the end in this instance the mindset is wrong!
BOOM!
If you want help. Please feel free to ask. My personal email is info@fa-fitness.co.uk.
My Best
Matt 🙂
