We had a fantastic summer here in BC and I hope you had as much fun as I did. While the weather was great for enjoying the great outdoors it also contributed to me indulging a bit. So to get my nutrition back on track I began a simple nutrition plan after the Labour Day weekend – I gave up alcohol and sugar.
Sounds really simple and it is, but at times it sure isn’t easy! Especially for a guy who really likes Becks beer and mojitos. I also got used to having something sweet after each dinner and taming my sweet tooth has taken some willpower.
But I’m happy to say that its been almost three weeks and I’ve stuck with my nutrition plan. Notice I refer to it as a nutrition plan and not a diet – I’m focusing on what I’m gaining and not what I’m giving up.
I’m basing my plan on the rules of good nutrition put forth by John Berardi in his Precision Nutrition program. The rules are simple:
- Eat every 2-3 hours - no matter what.
- Ingest complete, lean protein each time you eat.
- Ingest vegetables (or fruit) every time you eat.
- If want to eat a carbohydrate that’s not a fruit or a vegetable (this includes things like things rice, pasta, potatoes, quinoa, etc), you can – but you’ll need to save it until after you’ve exercised.
- 30% of your diet must come from fat – saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. No trans fat at all so eliminate any processed food that contains it.
- Ditch the calorie containing drinks (including fruit juice).
- Focus on whole foods. Most of your dietary intake should come from whole foods.
- Have 10% foods. 10% foods are foods that don’t necessarily follow the rules above – but foods you’re still allowed to eat (or drink) 10% of the time.
- Develop food preparation strategies.
- Balance daily food choices with healthy variety.
You can see why I’m not calling this a diet. I can still eat lots of different types of food and I’m really not depriving myself. I’ve just tightened up my eating for 6 weeks to help get my digestion healthy again and to feel good overall.
One thing I’ve noticed is that I’m a lot more clear-headed without any alcohol and I’m not just referring to the times I’d have a drink or two. I mean day-in and day-out. I wasn’t drinking a lot or often but I still notice a difference in my mental clarity.
Another thing is that I’ve leaned out a little bit. Losing weight wasn’t a goal but dropping a little body fat isn’t a bad thing. And the kicker is I wasn’t even trying to lose it!
If you’d like to learn more about healthy eating download Dr. Berardi’s ebook, Strategies for Success. It’s a shortened version of the Precision Nutrition program and its FREE. The book simplifies eating healthy. Read it and implement the strategies. You’ve got nothing to lose…except some body fat ;-)
Stay fit, stay healthy,
Curb Ivanic, CSCS, MS
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