Nutrition

GPS is stupid. No one knows how to use a compass anymore. 

And that’s a bad thing. Come the zombie apocalypse, the GPS satellites will go down eventually, and your phone will no longer be able to tell you how to get to Atlanta.

More importantly, you’re missing an important lesson on how to think about making progress towards your goals.

Warning: I’m going to teach you a bit about how to use a compass and a map. So you may learn something. You’ve been warned.

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Imagine that you’ve got someplace you want to go, maybe another town that’s 20 miles away, over some hills and through a forest. There aren’t roads to take you directly there, so you’ll need to travel over the hills and through the forest. That’s important – you can’t see your destination.

Your first step is to figure out where you are. 

You take out your map, and you look for some landmarks (streets, mountain peaks, water) to help you determine where you are on your map. You match what you see when you look around to what the map tells you that you should see.

Now you know where you are.

Next, you need to figure out which way you’re facing, and orient your map to your orientation. 

You choose a couple of close landmarks, and use them to orient your map. You could use the sun’s position in the sky, especially if you know the time of day. You could also use a road if one’s visible nearby.

Now your map’s facing the same way you are.

And now, you need to determine which compass direction you need to travel. 

Find your destination on the map, and put your compass down on your map pointing from your current location to your destination, and note the compass orientation of your destination. Let’s say you need to head northeast at 45 degrees.

Now you know which way to travel, and you can put your map away for a little while.

It’s time to start walking – but which way do you go?

Use your compass to find 45 degrees (northeast) from your current location. You COULD walk while staring down at your compass…and then trip over a tree root.

Or, you could use your compass to find a visible waypoint that’s at about 45 degrees (northeast) from your current position. “There’s a tree over there at about 45 degrees – let’s walk towards that tree!” Ideally, you pick something that’s far enough away that you can walk for a while before you get there, because once you do you’ll take your compass out and check your bearings again.

As you walk, you’ll occasionally take out your compass and map to check that you’re still on course.

At times you’ll have to veer off course (“Don’t run into that ox!” “Let’s find a narrower place to cross this stream.”), so you’ll need to use your map and compass to get yourself pointed back at your objective.

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Let’s bring this analogy back to your fitness journey. Imagine you’re aiming to lose fat…

You start with a consultation with your nutrition coach who takes measurements and initial photos, and you review a one-week food log.

This is “figure out where you are now,” and serves as the first piece of your journey.

With your coach, you’ll outline your goals. 

This is deciding where you’re headed, so you can make a path to get there from where you are.

Next, you’ve got to set a course. 

Now your coach is essential. You can define your starting point and goal on your own, but the course to get there is where your coach earns their money. In most cases, one of a few strategies will be essential to making progress:

1. Increase food quality
2. Increase volume of leafy/colorful vegetables
3. Increase volume of protein
4. Increase water consumption
5. Increase movement across the day

Which one should you start with? Ask your coach.

And then you’ve got to start walking. 

F%ck your destination.

You’ve got a direction (“Go towards that tree!” “Eat protein at every meal!” “Drink powdered greens every morning!”), and that’s all that matters.

Let’s repeat that: once you’ve set your goal, your destination, it doesn’t matter anymore. You’ve got to approach your work on a daily basis, and commit to the daily work to move you towards your goals. 

Don’t worry about the town you’re walking towards. Just look at the next tree. And when you get to that tree, be sure you’re on the right course, and adjust your heading as necessary.

If you’re on the path of fat loss, strength gains, or performance improvements, you have to remember: to be an optimally healthy human, you’ve got to act like an optimally healthy human. It’s not enough to just lose weight, or lift heavy, or crush at your sport of choice. You must consider how your goals impact your life, and how your life impacts your work towards your goals.

With the goal of improving your health, your life, and your performance, consider a three-legged stool:

The three legs are movement, nutrition, and stress management. To make this stuff work, you’ve got to consider all three.

We started with the first leg, movement, added the second leg, nutrition, and now we’re moving onto the third leg, stress management.

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Some days, I feel like all I have to offer into the world is bad news.

“Weight loss is primarily a game of consistency; no days off, lots of patience, no quick fixes, and ideally, no pizza.”

“You’re going to die. All you can do is make the most of the time you’ve got.”

“You can’t out-train a bad diet.”

“What worked for your friend, spouse, or favorite Instagram personality most likely won’t work for you.”

“There are no quick fixes, to anything.”

Damn, I’m an asshole, aren’t I? Nothing but negativity.

So why don’t I throw one more out, the one that’ll really screw with your head:

The more you stress about weight loss or strength gains or performance improvements, the slower they’ll come, even to the point of zero progress.

Seriously, that’s some crap, right?

As a kid, as the holidays or a birthday approached, you probably got excited. You told your parents what you wanted as a gift, and you had a sense that you were going to get to open that present on the day. (Maybe you did, maybe you didn’t. If not, I’m sorry, truly. Have you recovered?)

From that experience, you learned an important lesson: ask for something, wish for it, think obsessively about it, and you might get to unwrap that gift.

So when it comes to body transformation, the same idea applies: wish for it, work for it, think obsessively about it, and you’ll get what you want.

Sorry, probably not.

See, the problem is the “obsessively” thinking. When you spend every minute of the day thinking about food, and training, and how you look, obsessively worrying about losing weight or getting stronger, that’s a source of stress. And the body’s response to stress is predictable: stunted digestion and absorption of nutrients (that big salad is worth less when you’re stressed), heart rate and blood pressure go up, and you’re more likely to make bad decisions (chocolate cake? day off from the gym?).

What’d I tell you. I’m an asshole. I just told you that the more you stress out about your goals, the less likely you are to meet them, and the more likely you are to do things that move you in the opposite direction.

“Fuck you, coach.”

Yep, I get it. I feel the same way. And I didn’t believe it other, until I started exploring the topic of “cognitive dietary restraint.”

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Here’s something to remember: your brain doesn’t know the difference between external stress (“I’m going to be eaten by a bear!” “By child’s getting crushed under that car!”) and internal stress (“I’m worried about money!” “I hate the way I look!”). Your brain, and therefore your body, respond exactly the same:

• Increased heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure
• Decreased digestion and nutrient absorption

And when that stress is chronic – thinking about the stressors all the time – your body never gets a break, and it is continually freaking out. That’s a recipe for disaster, and never reaching your goals. And it’s backed by science.

But it’s not just about the stress of trying to meet your goals.

• Do you spend 30 minutes a day in movement of some sort?
• Do you sleep 8 or more hours a night? Do you drink 2-3 liters of water a day?
• Do you have a community of like-minded people around you?
• Do you eat primarily high-quality, unprocessed foods, and a bunch of lean protein each day?

How many “nos” did you collect? Each one represents additional stress in your life, and each one will hold you back from making the fastest possible progress towards your goals.

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Stress management doesn’t mean removing stress.

Stress is a fact of life, and that’s a good thing. Stress makes us stronger, more resilient. When we experience stress, and then – listen up, this is important – you adequately recover from that stress, your body adapts, and you’re better than you were.

Yes, you may be able to remove some stressors – drink more water, eat better food, get more sleep – but some stressors are consitent. You probably have to work. You may have a family. You’ve probably got more to do than you have time for. So this is where I go all Buddhist on you:

Your problem isn’t the problem; your problem is your reaction to the problem. In other words, life is what it is; what matters is how you respond to it. Stressors are a fact of life; how you use that stress, how you respond to it, will determine the impact it has on you.

What can you do? 

Slow down. Spend some quiet time with your thoughts. Turn off all media and get on the floor and move around. Take a yoga class. Meditate (I especially love the Headspace app). Read a book. Make a list of 50 things that you have going for you. Say “thank you” to 10 people each day

If you’re on the path of fat loss, strength gains, or performance improvements, you have to remember: to be an optimally healthy human, you’ve got to act like an optimally healthy human. It’s not enough to just lose weight, or lift heavy, or crush at your sport of choice. You must consider how your goals impact your life, and how your life impacts your work towards your goals.

With the goal of improving your health, your life, and your performance, consider a three-legged stool:

The three legs are movement, nutrition, and stress management. To make this stuff work, you’ve got to consider all three.

We started with the first leg, movement, and now we’re moving onto the second leg, nutrition.

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How do you relate to nutrition? Which of these statements resonate with you? And yes, you can choose more than one.

• Nutrition is easy. I know what to eat.
• Nutrition should be easy. Food is food. Don’t eat too much. But I feel stuck.
• Nutrition makes me hide under the bed. I don’t want to talk about it or think about it. Just give me my ice cream and leave me be.
• I can eat anything I want. I have a fast metabolism/train all the time/a body I’m happy with.
• If I have to change how and what I eat to reach my goals, I guess it’s time to reconsider my goals.
• I eat healthy and clean, high-quality food.
• I’ve tried everything. Keto, fasting, veganism, all-the-meats-ism.

At the end of the day, how is that working for you? Are you seeing the results you want? Making measurable progress towards your goals?

I have a secret to tell you…come close…be warned that it might sound like bad news…if you’re not seeing measurable or describable progress towards your goals, your nutrition isn’t working for you.

This is where the stool analogy comes in; if you’re training hard 3-5 days a week, on a smart program, and you’re not making progress, you’ve got to look at another leg, NOT a new training program. The body will adapt to stimulus, as long as its underlying needs are met.

Yep, that means that you’ve got to eat smart to get where you want to go.

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Nutrition comes down to a few simple concepts. And while this is simple, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Ask anyone who’s worked to lose fat or gain massive strength: the work takes effort, diligence, planning, and patience. The ideas are simple; execution is hard.

• Get enough protein. Start with lean, high-quality protein sources, and supplement as necessary. Your bodyweight in pounds, as grams of protein per day, is a good place to start. If you’ve got liver or kidney dysfunction you need to check with your physician.
• Eat a variety of colorful vegetables and fruits each day. If you’ve got weight to lose, aim for a 90/10 ratio of vegetables to fruit; if you’re lean, or building strength, a ratio of 75/25 is good.
• Calories count, but we don’t count calories. Yes, if you overeat (take in more energy than you need), you’ll gain weight; if you’re training for strength, that’s a good thing. If you’re training for fat loss, that’s a bad thing. But rather than counting calories, be consitent in your food intake week-to-week, especially in energy-dense foods (anything processed or packaged, non-lean meats (bacon, sausage, etc.), and fruit (yep, we need to consider the energy density of fruit – hence the vegetable-heavy ratios above). If you’re seeing progress in the direction you want, carry on. If not, explore more/less total energy intake. Adding or subtracting one apple a day could be enough to stimulate progress.
• Eat some high-quality fat with most meals. A couple of tablespoons of oil on a salad or when cooking, or a small handful of almonds, will serve you well.

Every student I’ve worked with who’s seen meaningful, lasting progress – whether losing 10% of bodyweight in two months, vastly improving physique while gaining 4 pounds, or performing better on the soccer field, has followed these simply ideas. And they’ll all tell you that they had to change their relationships with food, and while not easy, with support, it was doable.

If you’re on the path of fat loss, strength gains, or performance improvements, you have to remember: to be an optimally healthy human, you’ve got to act like an optimally healthy human. It’s not enough to just lose weight, or lift heavy, or crush at your sport of choice. You must consider how your goals impact your life, and how your life impacts your work towards your goals.

With the goal of improving your health, your life, and your performance, consider a three-legged stool:

The three legs are movement, nutrition, and stress management. To make this stuff work, you’ve got to consider all three.

We’re starting with movement.

Why? Dunno. No reason. It’s the first thing I typed.

Okay, maybe there’s a reason. When I started teaching yoga and running many years ago, I was clearly teaching movement. Just like you, when I think of being fit and healthy, movement (or exercise) is the first thing that comes to mind for most people.

Side note: why not use the word exercise, instead of movement? Aren’t they the same thing?

No, they’re not.

Exercise carries connotations: going to the gym, or going for a run. It’s often done with the goal of getting stronger, or burning calories.  And exercise is movement – it’s a very small subset of the category of movement. Just like every square is a rectangle, but squares make up a very small percentage of the rectangles in the world.

But movement is broader, more expansive. Going for a run is movement. So it going for a walk. And so is getting down on the floor and up again. So is squatting down to look a child in the eyes, or to pick radishes.

Here’s an idea: should you be squatting with weight, if you can’t comfortably get down to pick up something off the ground?

My answer is an absolute, unqualified no. You’ve got to own a way of moving, before you start adding weight to it.

 

 

Here’s a challenge for you: set a timer for 5 minutes, and move constantly for those 5 minutes. Try not to do the same thing for more than 30 seconds. So take a few steps, and the squat down as low as you can. Put your hands on the ground and crawl for a few steps. Put your knees on the ground and crawl backwards. Reach a hand up to the ceiling and rotate your ribcage. Don’t do more than is comfortable; keep yourself safe; start to explore what you’re capable of.  You don’t have to make it especially hard; there’s always tomorrow to do a bit more.