Nutrition for Newbies: Our Top Five Ways to Crack the Code (Part 1 of 2)

I get it. You want amazing, expedited fat loss, ideally with simple tasks, less thought, and lots of making change happen with ease…

We all want that!

Although, in most fat loss adventures, something happens along the way. We forget that the PRINCIPLES of fat loss (and really health in general) are extremely simple when you really sit there and read them out...it is the action of making it happen that can be most difficult.

It’s easy to cloud our minds with complex protocols and in-depth training techniques, but hammering down the absolute basics of nutrition, and doing them in a savagely consistent manner is of tip top priority to help in hitting the goals that help you to feel comfortable in during those summertime adventures.

So, what follows is the important stuff, or as I like to call them, the shit you can do to create the MOST AMOUNT OF POSSIBLE CHANGE IN THE SIMPLEST WAY IMAGINE-ABLE.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

Cook ya damn food.

If there is one action step I think can have the most profound impact on your body composition, it just may be this one.

Now, ultimately, if this just doesn’t feel right in your heart and you have nil desire to cook, that’s fine, but the harsh reality is that trying to hit your goals while eating out with regularity is difficult to do for myriad of reasons. For example, it is difficult to know true calorie amounts of the dishes you order and the temptation to order above and beyond a typical meal you would make for yourself is real.

By eating the majority of your meals from home, you are helping keep the calories in check, building a consistency of food choices, and actually helping out the bank account as well...should you care to do so.

A few key points that may help you dominate this one:

• If you are planning on crushing the world of working out for 5-7 hours per week, but claim that you don’t have the time to plan, prep, or cook your food...then your best bet is actually downshifting your exercise, and putting more of a focus on the nutrition...because this is where the majority of fat loss occurs.

• Is food itself your spirit animal? Do you live for trying new and exciting dishes? Well, then it may behoove you to dive into the world of cooking, learning how to make dishes that both taste and look good, without breaking the calorie bank. Because if food is life for you, then eating the same foods over and over is going to lead to burn out real quick.

• Do both of these ideas still sound terrible? Then looking into food prep service companies in your area may actually be the best of both worlds. For a little extra investment per meal, you will save the time and stress of grocery shopping, preparing, and cooking.

Eat your protein, bro.

When I do an individual nutrition consult and start asking questions on everything from current nutritional habits, to amount of sleep, to “what is your favorite knock-knock joke?” the one area I find that we can make an initial change is always protein intake.

Want to crush your fat loss goals? Protein is paramount for a bunch reasons (if you are in a caloric deficit, it is goal numero uno):

• You are strength training. Strength training uses the muscles quite frequently. Muscles need protein to both recover and become stronger. <<<If you decide to go down the difficult path of hard training, low-calorie intake, and little to no protein…you are asking for large amounts of fat AND muscle loss. While it’s common to see some loss in lean muscle mass when going into larger and larger calorie deficits, we should attempt to maintain as much as possible.

• You know that feeling when you go to the all you can eat Olive Garden soup and salad night and you eat so much dang food that you sit there for a minute after, unsure if you could eat a bit more, or even get up?

  No, just me?

  Well, now envision having a nice solid serving of protein (usually 1-2 palms of protein is a solid start), along with a plate of veggies and a nice tall glass of water and realizing you are pretty full. Then, you randomly decide to total up the calorie intake from your meal...and realize it’s not that high!

^This is called satiation. Protein fills you up. And with that means less desire to crush chips and cookies.

Feel ready to take some action now? Check back for part 2 where we provide your next action steps for health and fitness domination.