I get it, I’m a unique case. I actually enjoy weighing my food. I love the puzzle of trying to mix and match certain foods to meet macro numbers. I feel accomplished when my numbers at the end of the day are as close as possible to the ones on my spreadsheet (yes, I have a spreadsheet) – one day I actually hit all the numbers exact and you couldn’t tell me I wasn’t a genius.
BUT! Most people aren’t like that – and that’s a good thing. I love teaching the concept of Wellness, you’re general physical wellbeing accomplished through balance. What I describe above, that’s not as balanced as I pretend it is (but again, I enjoy it and it doesn’t ruin any aspect of my life so it’s okay in the long run).
So with that in mind, here are a couple of easy things to incorporate to create some general nutrition guidelines:
Focus More On Quality Than Quantity
“But didn’t you say it’s calories in vs calories out?” Yeah, I did. And that’s true, but for general guidance, this is a nice rule to follow to achieve that goal. If you focused on only eating high quality nutritious foods, you generally end up feeling more satiated and eating less crap calories overall. If you can become obese on chicken breast, nuts, berries, leafy greens, etc, then I’ll give you all the money I get from training and quit.
Eat 3 or 4 Small/Medium Meals A Day & Don’t Snack
A nice general rule to follow is to keep the “metabolic flame,” stoked and constant throughout the day. There’s a time and place for fasting, but this isn’t it. Simply eat 3 or 4 meals throughout the day so that there’s no sudden drop in energy levels or spike in hunger making you suddenly want to binge.
Limit Alcohol To One Night A Week
This cuts down on extra BS calories that your body can’t use (alcohol is its own macronutrient and has 7 cal per gram). And for the love of all things holy please don’t drink it the night before a workout. The dehydration cuts back on performance and it’s just silly.
Get Your Micronutrients
Do this by eating more vegetables (best option) or using a nice multivitamin (a backup). Think of these both as insurance options for health. Eating more veg is the high-quality insurance with a Coat of Arms for a logo that doesn’t need a silly commercial for business because rich and smart people use it. A multivitamin is The General car insurance. Both work but which would be better?
Don’t Drink Your Calories
- If you want soda, drink diet. If you want coffee, don’t put in the BS. You get the idea.
Eat Off A Smaller Plate
Don’t have to count the calories if the plate is smaller. A simple thing to do.
DON’T OVERTHINK IT
It’s easy for me to say, I know, but don’t overthink it. Even the dumbest of us knows how to eat food. Don’t overthink it. More protein. More veg. More water. Less processed. More movement. Done.