One of the biggest mistakes I see clients make is thinking that they are going to be โperfectโ with their nutrition.
This unfortunately doesn’t happen, and you are always going to feel like you could be doing better with how and what you eat.
With working out you only do it 3-7x per week, but when it comes to nutrition you eat 3-5x per day 7x per week.
Not only do you have more chances to mess this up, but nutrition is also a lot more complicated than just getting your workout in.
Instead, realize its going to take time and the best thing you can do is stay consistent and see what works and what doesn’t work for you.
And be kind to yourself.
In saying that, there are some things that I wish I would’ve done sooner with my nutrition, and I would like to share those with you so you can start to focus on them to improve your nutrition.
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Tracking food is not mandatory, but it certainly helps give you an idea of what’s going on.
I never knew how much I was actually eating or how little of something I was eating (like protein). In today’s world it’s easy to over consume calories with the abundance of calorie dense foods available.
If you are trying to save money it’s a good idea to track your expenses and income to see where you could cut back, your nutrition is no different.
You don’t know what you don’t know.
I find that days when clients don’t track, they tend to opt for more calorie dense foods since in their mind they don’t have to be as accountable.
What happens here is that they consume more of these calorie dense foods, and they feel like they are eating less, but really they are eating way more calories than they normally would
If weight loss is your goal, this can easily cause you to plateau.
Now I make sure one of the first things online clients do is track their food intake to see where they are at.
This is usually in the form of a food log, so they can get a sense of what they have been doing.
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We know that hunger and cravings are going to rise when you lose body fat.
However, I see too many people try to fight this and they end up expending a lot of energy when at the end of the day you need to learn to be ok with a little bit of hunger.
I would always try to fight that feeling, but unfortunately in order to lean out, some sacrifice and hunger is going to be inevitable. It’s ok to be uncomfortable. That is how you grow.
I always tell myself when I’m leaning out that the hunger is me losing body fat, and this seems ot help me work through it much better.
Just like with anything being ok with hunger is a skill that needs to be developed over time.
There are some things you can do to mitigate hunger, but at the end of the day, if you aren’t willing to be a bit uncomfortable, getting the body you desire will be a challenge.
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I have written a few times about what nutrition periodization is and how to do it. Read HERE.
An example of periodizing your nutrition would be something where you diet for fat loss for 8-12, followed by 4-8 weeks of maintaining.
I would just say things like โI’m just leaning outโ, and never really have an end date or a plan (ex: how long I’m going to lean out for, what weight loss I’m going to aim for). This led to a lot of time spinning my wheels.
Not having a clear goal can also lead you astray.
I also find that when we have a specific timeframe to lean out, that clients are much more adherent to the plan because they know it’s only temporary.
Plus spending too much time dieting for fat loss can be tough mentally and physically.
I do think you can overthink things, but if I could go back I would have more specific goals and then plans to get there rather than just saying something like โI’m going to lean outโ
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I get it, lean protein is boring and its much tougher to have ready because most of it requires some sort of cooking.
I would much rather have some carbs or pizza.
But it can reduce hunger, help you recover from training, and build muscle.
When going over food logs for new clients, 9 times out of 10 their protein intake is way too low for the body composition they are going for.
If I don’t track, I will under eat protein. So to combat this I make sure to track and place an emphasis on getting a lean source of protein with each meal.
When it comes to improving your body composition, this is the most important macronutrient.
If you are struggling to get protein in your diet, read this blog HERE.
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Just like with protein, veggies can be boring, actually probably even more boring.
But it can reduce hunger and they help provide essential nutrients that can help you look and feel your best.
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I wasted a lot of time trying to do things on my own.
When instead I could have hired a good coach to educate me and show me how to work nutrition into my life.
For me personally, it helps keep me accountable knowing that I have someone who is going to call me on my crap.
When I talk to most clients, they tell me they knew what they should be doing, but they just couldn’t stick to it until they had a coach.
You can have the best training or nutrition plan, but if you can’t stick to what you are doing, it doesn’t matter. Having a coach helps with both.
If you are looking to skip the years of making these mistakes I made then fill out the link here and lets get to work.
