Nutrition: If It Works, It Works

This week’s blog comes to us from Coach Jason, who has always been very interested and knowledgeable on the topic of nutrition, and has recently started to dive even deeper.  Jason opens a conversation around nutrition today with this simple message:  If It Works, It Works!

If you watch enough TV or scroll through your news feed long enough, you’ll inevitably see a fad diet or some new age discovery on how you should start eating.  While intermittent fasting, Atkins, the Zone, carnivore diet, RP, Pineapple Only Diet (it’s a real thing), etc. can all make you lose weight if you go into a calorie deficit, they might not suit your lifestyle.  Basically, if it looks difficult going in, it’s probably not sustainable.  How you eat should fit with how you live.  If you like to follow strict guidelines so you know exactly how much carbs, protein and fat you’re consuming, then weighing and measuring your food might work best for you.  If that strikes you as too time consuming and burdensome, then failure is inevitable.  Your diet shouldn’t feel like “a diet”.  Your diet should simply be how you eat.

In order for your diet to be sustainable in the long term, it shouldn’t stress you out.  As a matter of fact, the stress you feel about food you consume can actually change the way your body processes it.  It’s important to remember that there are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods – only varying degrees of nutritional content – and we encourage you to try and find a balance. Fitting in foods you love in reasonable quantities while adhering to any sort of diet plan is so important because restriction only breeds obsession. You might find that you’re much more successful in the long run if you’re 80% compliant while fitting in your favorite foods than trying to be 100% perfect all the time.

Making small adjustments (like keeping tempting foods out of the house or swapping out processed foods for whole foods) are how real dietary changes should take place.  Maybe you start by just making sure to have a fruit or vegetable with every meal?  Maybe you establish a daily protein goal for yourself and just try to hit that? (We recommend 0.7 to 1.0 grams per pound of body weight)  The point is, if steak is one of your favorite foods, then becoming a vegetarian probably isn’t the best idea.  If you need help with making some minor changes, please ask a coach.  That’s why we’re here.

– Jason