So, you’re looking to drop unwanted body fat, huh?
Hmmmm, maybe all the conflicting advice out there about diet and fat loss these days is confusing you!
- You have to eat clean foods to get lean
- I’m not sure what clean food is
- If you under-eat, your body will go into starvation mode and hold on to weight and body fat
- No, it won’t
- You have to eat low carb if you want to get in shape
- No, you don’t
- You have to eat 5-6 meals a day to stoke your metabolism
- No, you don’t
- Breakfast is bad, you need to do intermittent fasting to get lean
- No, it isn’t and no, you don’t… but also, maybe?
Well, at least it’s 2019 and, thanks to the Google machine, we can quickly pull up all kinds of diets that might be a good fit…
- Keto
- Vegan
- Paleo
- Whole30
- DASH
- Weight Watchers
- Mediterranean
- IIFYM
- Carnivore
- South Beach
- Flexitarian
- Nordic
- Volumetrics
Okay, but where do we even begin?
Just pick one and go to town?
Many folks do. With very mixed success. And almost never for long-term improvements in health and body composition.
(and let’s not even talk about the energy crash and cravings that arise from all that dieting)
(or the struggle of trying to stay on track and still be social and enjoy life)
And yet, weight loss is a $72,000,000,000+ industry (that’s BILLION—with a B) and everyone seems as confused as ever…
But what if it could be simpler than having to pick a restrictive diet and sacrifice enjoying your life?
Hint: It is.
Let’s talk about it.
Okay, 15 minute video (but worth the watch!!), so let’s recap:
- Calories in VS Calories out matters most
- But we shouldn’t just haphazardly cut them
- Keep it simple and start with the BSP NOVA Pocket Portion Guide
- Aim for mostly whole foods, but by all means, eat foods you enjoy
- Don’t over-complicate it
- Be honest with yourself about consistency… we don’t need to be perfect, but calories in vs calories out matters, so careful with how indulgent our cheat meals/days are
- Watch your calorie containing beverages, they add up!
- Following the pocket portion guide consistently and not seeing the results you’d like? Or, want to have a solid goal to aim for with calories?
- Get your body composition tested (we would love to help with that, and can easily do so)
- Determine your TDEE (here’s a simple calculator: https://legionathletics.com/tdee-calculator/)
- Create a calorie deficit (75% of total daily energy expenditure is a solid start)
- i.e., if your TDEE was 2,052 calories, your goal would be to consume ~1,540 calories a day
- Consume enough protein to preserve lean muscle (40% of total calories from protein)
- Consume enough carbs to support recovery and keep energy up (35-40% of total calories from carbs)
- Get the rest of your calories from healthy fats (20-25% of total calories from fats)
- You don’t need to diligently track for life (who wants to do that?), but the awareness helps many people to realize they’re overeating in general and typically not getting enough protein
- Track results regularly and adjust accordingly… as you drop weight/body fat, your energy needs change!
Questions?
Want to schedule a body composition test and get an accurate calorie goal?
Call the gym at 703-444-0662 and ask for Chris, or email chris@beyondstrengthperformance.com
Until next week!
