One of the most common questions I receive daily is about my diet, what I eat, how often I eat, when I eat and the list goes on.
First, I want to say this. Dieting to me isn't about eating a certain way for x amount of weeks. My diet is a lifestyle that I have adapted to. It is how I live my life based on the goals I have set.
Is there a text book way to diet? No!
Can someone else follow my nutrition plan directly? No!
Can someone get an idea from my food choices to set a meal plan for themselves? Absolutely!
I think a lot of people believe there is a simple plan to follow and BOOM, you're where you want to be. In reality setting up a nutrition plan is a test phase in the beginning; trying to figure out what works for you food wise, the timing that works best for you and understanding as you go what your body responds to best.
The toughest aspect when it comes to changing you're nutrition plan is the mental aspect. Mentally you have to be prepared that things will not be easy what so ever! This is when the motivation or reason you decided to start this journey needs to overcome this obstacle.
Currently I have two very close friends, we will call them Slim and Fred.
Slim has always been very skinny, but he has a difficult time with energy, why, because he doesn't eat. He is the guy who thinks if he eats he will put on too much weight and will be out of his comfort zone. In reality he eats maybe 2-3 times a day, meal one consists usually of two donuts, maybe a sandwich for lunch and by 7pm a very small meal that he never finishes because he says he is full. You are probably wondering where he gets any energy from, well he has on average 3-4 iced coffees a day loaded with cream and sugar. He also doesn't drink any other fluids throughout the day and if he snacks its on chips. His exercise is very minimal, because he has no energy.
Fred, is a little different. He is over 6 feet, about 205 lbs and visits the gym frequently. His main goal currently is to cut up a little, but he has been having issues doing this because of his poor diet and lack of sleep due to working 2 separate manual labor jobs at 80 hours per week. He eats very sporadic, usually consumes some sort of breakfast, bagel sandwich, lunch maybe, a sandwich, nilla wafers when he gets home, protein after the gym, a few coffees a day with cream and sugar, and usually a decent dinner while consuming about 100oz a day of water.
Slim and Fred both had a goal, they both wanted to eat better, which I was more then willing to help. I put together a meal plan for them, spoke with them at great length about what they needed to do and explained to them how mentally tough it was going to be to start. They told me that they both could do it and wanted to do it. So we put the plan in place and off they went for their trial run.
I checked in with them day 1, both were doing much better, after all it was day 1 right! Well, after I was finished with Basketball I decided to check in again, what I found is temptation was too much and one was having a corona and eating oreos, while the other was eating crackers!
This is what I mean about the mental game, it is so incredibly important to have this under control. Without having the mindset and the motivation to accomplish a goal, it falters.
Trust me, I have issues all the time. I like to eat, my friends know this well. I could sit there and eat food all day, not just normal food but desserts, boy I can be awful. Pizza, who doesn't like pizza, ok well one person I know doesn't like cheese on their pizza, that's an entire different story though, back to my point. There is a lot of temptation that I deal with daily, but I have control, why, because I have a goal.
Most people think I am just not normal and live in a world that they couldn't and wouldn't want to live in. In some aspects this is very true, I have goals when it comes to fitness that others do not want or care for, I get that! But many people out there are not happy with the way they look and feel but ignore this with excuses.
I for one do not want you to be like me, what I want is for you to be you. If you have a goal large or small, then take baby steps to go get it. But before you go off and start following a program because Joey from down the street told you how he lost X amount of pounds, remember you aren't Joey, you are you.
Dieting is and will always be based on you and how much you put into it, no one can do anything for you. You have to listen to your body, be accountable, be determined and realize it will always be you against you.
I think when it comes down to any goal, your support staff is vital, why because you are going to have shitty days. Tombstone days as my friend Andy Frisella speaks about, days where you just don't want to get up, trust me we all have them.
I just want you to know, that dieting or changing your lifestyle will not be easy, but I will tell you if you stick to it, it becomes contagious! The second you notice a change, it mentally puts your game to the next level wanting more, while expanding your goals. There is nothing wrong with this, its the power of self determination, one of the greatest attributes we can portray.
Remember you can do anything you set your mind to and I am here to be your support in any way that I can be!
Its time to begin!
Email:
[email protected]
First, I want to say this. Dieting to me isn't about eating a certain way for x amount of weeks. My diet is a lifestyle that I have adapted to. It is how I live my life based on the goals I have set.
Is there a text book way to diet? No!
Can someone else follow my nutrition plan directly? No!
Can someone get an idea from my food choices to set a meal plan for themselves? Absolutely!
I think a lot of people believe there is a simple plan to follow and BOOM, you're where you want to be. In reality setting up a nutrition plan is a test phase in the beginning; trying to figure out what works for you food wise, the timing that works best for you and understanding as you go what your body responds to best.
The toughest aspect when it comes to changing you're nutrition plan is the mental aspect. Mentally you have to be prepared that things will not be easy what so ever! This is when the motivation or reason you decided to start this journey needs to overcome this obstacle.
Currently I have two very close friends, we will call them Slim and Fred.
Slim has always been very skinny, but he has a difficult time with energy, why, because he doesn't eat. He is the guy who thinks if he eats he will put on too much weight and will be out of his comfort zone. In reality he eats maybe 2-3 times a day, meal one consists usually of two donuts, maybe a sandwich for lunch and by 7pm a very small meal that he never finishes because he says he is full. You are probably wondering where he gets any energy from, well he has on average 3-4 iced coffees a day loaded with cream and sugar. He also doesn't drink any other fluids throughout the day and if he snacks its on chips. His exercise is very minimal, because he has no energy.
Fred, is a little different. He is over 6 feet, about 205 lbs and visits the gym frequently. His main goal currently is to cut up a little, but he has been having issues doing this because of his poor diet and lack of sleep due to working 2 separate manual labor jobs at 80 hours per week. He eats very sporadic, usually consumes some sort of breakfast, bagel sandwich, lunch maybe, a sandwich, nilla wafers when he gets home, protein after the gym, a few coffees a day with cream and sugar, and usually a decent dinner while consuming about 100oz a day of water.
Slim and Fred both had a goal, they both wanted to eat better, which I was more then willing to help. I put together a meal plan for them, spoke with them at great length about what they needed to do and explained to them how mentally tough it was going to be to start. They told me that they both could do it and wanted to do it. So we put the plan in place and off they went for their trial run.
I checked in with them day 1, both were doing much better, after all it was day 1 right! Well, after I was finished with Basketball I decided to check in again, what I found is temptation was too much and one was having a corona and eating oreos, while the other was eating crackers!
This is what I mean about the mental game, it is so incredibly important to have this under control. Without having the mindset and the motivation to accomplish a goal, it falters.
Trust me, I have issues all the time. I like to eat, my friends know this well. I could sit there and eat food all day, not just normal food but desserts, boy I can be awful. Pizza, who doesn't like pizza, ok well one person I know doesn't like cheese on their pizza, that's an entire different story though, back to my point. There is a lot of temptation that I deal with daily, but I have control, why, because I have a goal.
Most people think I am just not normal and live in a world that they couldn't and wouldn't want to live in. In some aspects this is very true, I have goals when it comes to fitness that others do not want or care for, I get that! But many people out there are not happy with the way they look and feel but ignore this with excuses.
I for one do not want you to be like me, what I want is for you to be you. If you have a goal large or small, then take baby steps to go get it. But before you go off and start following a program because Joey from down the street told you how he lost X amount of pounds, remember you aren't Joey, you are you.
Dieting is and will always be based on you and how much you put into it, no one can do anything for you. You have to listen to your body, be accountable, be determined and realize it will always be you against you.
I think when it comes down to any goal, your support staff is vital, why because you are going to have shitty days. Tombstone days as my friend Andy Frisella speaks about, days where you just don't want to get up, trust me we all have them.
I just want you to know, that dieting or changing your lifestyle will not be easy, but I will tell you if you stick to it, it becomes contagious! The second you notice a change, it mentally puts your game to the next level wanting more, while expanding your goals. There is nothing wrong with this, its the power of self determination, one of the greatest attributes we can portray.
Remember you can do anything you set your mind to and I am here to be your support in any way that I can be!
Its time to begin!
Email:
[email protected]
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