Whenever a person plans to go on a diet they envision weight scales, measuring cups, flavorless food, hunger pangs, and even hippies chasing them down with granola. Well, maybe not that last one, but you get the point.
No one ever says, “Yay! I’m going on a diet!” Have you even noticed that the first 3 letters in diet are die? It’s no coincidence. No one wants to go on a diet because they perceive future suffering and misery. Many people think they will have to give up their favorite foods. Many people think they can never eat treats again. Well, in my opinion, many nutritionists and fitness professionals are making nutrition way too complicated.
Is it practical for someone who eats the majority of their meals away from home in the form of fast food, drinks several cokes in a day, and only eats vegetables in the form of fried potatoes to drastically change their eating habits in one day? Would it be realistic (and would it be long lasting) for this person to wake up the next morning and eat all natural foods and drink nothing but water? No! The person may last a couple of days, if even that, before they returned to their old eating habits!
The key is to make small gradual changes that produce long lasting results. Having changes that produce short-term changes only is not enough!
Here are my guidelines for nutrition. No filler, no fluff, and it may not be politically correct, but it’s damn effective.
1) Consume whole, natural foods. These are items that don’t come in a bag or a box, and are usually single ingredient items. Examples: fruits, vegetables, lean meats, raw or dry roasted nuts, seeds, legumes, etc.
2) Do not purchase anything that has these words on the ingredient list: high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated, or colors and numbers (e.g. Yellow5, Blue3, etc).
3) If you consume any grains at all, limit them to post-workout only. Grains are items such as breads, cereals, rice, corn, crackers, tortillas, pasta, etc. By consuming them after a workout, your body uses the carbohydrates in the foods to build muscle and restore muscle glycogen stores. Limiting them to these times (if you eat them at all) helps to prevent potential fat gain.
4) Increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Yes, this is nothing new. Fruits and veggies are loaded with good-for-you nutrients such as phytochemicals, antioxidants, and a host of other things that are necessary for good health. Begin slowly by adding 1 fruit and 1 vegetable to a meal a day. The next week, try to include a fruit and vegetable in 2 meals a day.
5) Consume caloric-free beverages. Drink more water. Period. Caloric-free beverages include water and unsweetened teas and coffees. Here’s a bonus tip: drink a full glass of water immediately before each meal; this will help fill you up quicker if you are trying to lose some extra fat.
6) Be cautious where you get your information. Food corporations who promote their foods as being “figure friendly” and even “healthy” do not have your best intentions in mind. All they want is for you to buy more of their products; not to help you acquire better health, but to get more of your money. General Mills, Kellogg’s, the dairy industry and other food companies don’t give a rip about your health, and they are not qualified to tell you how and what to eat. Keep that in mind the next time you see an advertisement.
7) Make a time to enjoy foods that don’t necessary fit these guidelines. If you plan on restricting your favorite foods for a long period of time, you are just setting yourself up for disaster. The more you tell yourself you can’t have something, the more you want it and the more likely you are to binge on it. Have a meal once or twice a week where you don’t make it conform to the above guidelines. Enjoy these meals guilt-free, and then get back on track.
8) Revolve your eating regime around your life not vice versa. This is another area in which I greatly differ from many experts. Five to 6 small meals a day may be the ideal, but for some people it just isn’t practical. I strongly believe that if you adhere to the principles listed above, the rest is just details for someone looking to lose fat and acquire better health. There are too many important things in life, so don’t spend excess time worrying about your eating habits and exercise regimen.
So now you have some general guidelines, but where do you go from here? As I mentioned earlier, take things slowly. Try to incorporate 1 or 2 principles each day, and go from there. Don’t try to drastically change everything overnight; it’s just not effective.
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