I would have to say without a doubt that the most common question that I receive from clients and fellow gym members who are in need of assistance with their diets is “What should I eat?”. Without hesitation most people in my situation who generally have a good grasp on nutrition might start listing off foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean cuts of meat, eggs, nuts, whole grains, etc. However whenever I’m asked this question I cannot provide a clear cut answer. To me, a person’s diet and nutrition is extremely personal. I don’t believe in recommending the same foods for different people. The answer to their question depends on so many contributing factors such as the individual’s training goals, genetics, current eating habits, training frequency, lifestyle and the list goes on. So I guess rather then ask “What should I eat?” the better question in my opinion is to ask “How should I eat?”
We’ve all heard the expression – “No two people are the same”. Well this is true (unless perhaps you are twins). So if no two people are the same then why on earth are so many people following the exact same diet plans? I’ve worked in the fitness industry for over 15 years. I’ve seen many fad diets come and go. First there was the Atkins Diet, then the South Beach Diet came along, then there was the Paleo Diet, then the Atkins Diet came back, hell, I even remember at one point there was a Cookie Diet! And yes, I am serious. Anyways what made so many of these diets popular is that they worked. Well sorta…. You see one thing that most people who have never done these types of diets don’t realize is that none of these so-called “Miracle Weight-Loss Plans” are actually realistic. What I mean is that you cannot follow these types of eating patterns your entire life therefore these types of diets are unattainable. Worst of all most of these diets go to such extreme measures to try and eliminate certain macronutrients such as carbohydrates for example which will not only increase your risk of metabolic damage but will also slow your metabolism down so much that once you return to your old eating habits (which 99% of people usually do after following an extreme diet) you will put back on all the weight you lost while following the diet plan and sometimes even a few pounds more!
Okay so back to my question – How should you eat? Well honestly you can eat however you want to eat. Who am I to tell you what you should do. With that said though, if you’re goal is to either lose weight, build solid lean muscle or a combination of the two I do have a few recommendations in which I have listed below as to what you may wish to consider before designing your new and improved diet plan.
Got Genetics?
I’m just going to come out and say it. How an individual responds to a training program and diet plan will be greatly based on his or her genetics. Yes it takes hard work and discipline to get results however some people might have to push harder then others to achieve those very same results. Unfortunately life isn’t fair. You can’t choose your parents or your DNA code. You have to work with what you’re given. So if as a child you were a little bit on the chubby side and have always struggled with your weight throughout adulthood then there is a very good chance that you might just have a slow metabolism. If you were skinny and have always struggled to gain weight well then you my friend have a fast metabolism. Both have their pros and cons. Trust me I’ve worked with people on both ends of this spectrum. People who struggle to put on weight usually also struggle to put on muscle for example while people who find it difficult to lose body fat generally are very strong and have no issues adding muscle onto their frames. The trick here is to learn how your body operates and then fuel it properly so that you can work with your genetics rather then against them. This will have to be done through a trial and error process as you will have to find what works best for you. This does not mean that if you have to lose weight for example though that you simply just eat less. This might work for a few weeks but eventually your weight loss will stall or you will get so fed up from starving yourself that you will give up, binge and rebound hard. Accept your genetics and don’t waste time trying to change them. If you are patient, persistent and willing to not just go online and print out a generic diet plan that is followed by the masses, you will find a formula that works specifically for you.
Living the Life
What does your lifestyle look like? Do you have an active job or a sedentary job. Surely someone who spends most of his or her day on their feet doing physical labour is going to burn more calories then someone who sits and works at a desk all day. Therefore their caloric intake levels are going to be quite different. How about your social life? Are you someone who goes out to restaurants and/or bars regularly? You’re not going to want to give up your friends just so that you can look good with your shirt off. When designing your diet plan you will need to provide a little bit of wiggle room or what I like to call “banking your calories” for the days that you know you will be going out or better yet, plan ahead and scope out the menu for the restaurant that you’ll be going to so that you know exactly what and how you are going to order your meal before you even sit down.
Dirty Dieter?
Are you a dirty dieter? What does your current diet plan look like? Are you a sugar addict? Do you like to consume the bulk of your calories at the beginning of the day or towards the end before you go to sleep? Do you skip breakfast? It’s important that you sit down and reevaluate your eating habits before you try to change them. Remember, we all have certain foods that we like. Many of us tend to associate food with social events and comfort. This is not a bad thing. It’s important that you understand your eating habits and if you feel that they need to change then I recommend that you do so slowly. Small changes will lead to big changes. If you start off too strict with your new lifestyle you are most likely setting yourself up for failure in the long term.
What’s Your Why?
Why are you changing your diet? Do you need to lose weight? Do you want to build muscle? Do you just want to be overall more healthy and fit? Whatever your goal may be it’s important that you make this goal clear and focus on it. If you’re goal is to add on 10lbs of muscle within the next year then do your homework. First off, you need to figure out if this goal is realistic. If you believe that it is then how are you going to achieve it? The answer is not opening up some muscle and fitness magazine and following the exact same diet plan of the featured 280lbs bodybuilder or famous celebrity. You are most likely not 280lbs of ripped solid muscle. I’m going to assume you are not taking copious amounts of anabolic steroids and/or fat burners. And finally, my guess would be that you have a regular job and do not have time to spend 4-6 hours in the gym a day training 6-7 days a week. So put the magazine down and walk away slowly!!!!
Research!, Research!, Research!
Finally, if you really want to change your eating habits and switch up your diet plan you are going to need to do some research. And by research I do not mean asking your buddy who just competed in some local bodybuilding show how to get “shredded”. I mean some good old fashion, sit down, open a book, read a few articles from some reputable authors and research! Learn about the different macronutrients, learn about portion control, learn when and how much of each type of macro and nutrients you should consume for your body type and training frequency to achieve your fitness goals. If you have no interest in learning your body and finding out what works for you then enlist in the help of a professional. I myself work with numerous clients across North America and assist them with both their diet plans and training programs on a regular basis. If something isn’t working, we switch it up. If we are on track, we leave things the same. Sometimes it takes a second set of eyes to help you think outside of the box.
As all of my own clients already know, I don’t diet. For the most part I eat fairly clean. There is the odd occasion where I will binge on some junk food every so often however this is rare. Losing body fat while maintaining and even building muscle is extremely difficult to do. However through all of my years of competing in fitness shows where the number one goal is to showcase your physique to the best of your ability I believe that I have found a formula that works for me. This did not happen overnight nor has it remained the exact same over the years. As my body gets older, it changes, therefore I have to change my thinking with it. The same diet plan I used 5 years ago that worked for me doesn’t work for me anymore. By understanding how my body operates and having a good grasp on nutrition I’m able to make the changes necessary with ease.
As I said in my last blog – If you want the results, you are going to have to put in the work. But not only that, you’re going to have to put in the time and effort to getting this work done. I think that everyone has the potential to achieve the body of their dreams. Unfortunately I don’t think everyone has the required strong and disciplined mentality to go through this difficult and at times, painful process to achieving these ideal body images that they have in their heads.
So are you ready to change your physique? Change your lifestyle? Change your mindset? Or are just going to give in to short term gratification at the risk of losing long term satisfaction?
Yours in Good Health,
Nick Cosgrove