As a coach, one of the most common questions I get asked is something along the lines of, “What’s the best diet for me to eat to lose weight?”. I typically answer that question with more questions, because I simply don’t have enough information to answer. I don’t know how you currently eat, what your goals are, how you feel, etc. All of which can influence the decisions on what is the best dietary program for you.
The truth is that your body is the most well equipped and elaborate (while at the same time, “cheapest”) nutritional laboratory that you’ll ever have access to. But, it requires you to use it just like a scientist would. It takes research, testing, and patience to determine what is the best way for you to eat. It may seem like you’ll actually need to hire a that scientist to figure all that out, but it’s really not that hard.
Dietary Theory Explained in Under 5 Minutes
When it comes to figuring out how to pick the right diet for you, you don’t need a PHD next to your name. All you really need is a basic understanding of dietary theory. In a nutshell, all diets are created by simply shifting the balance, timing, and source of macro-nutrients. Macros, as the cool trainers like to call them, are the source of calories you put in your body in the form of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
Take for example a popular diet like the Ketogenic Diet. Keto diets specify that you have roughly 5% or 20-25 grams of carbs per day, while up to 75% of your daily macros should come from fats, and around 20% – 35% should come from protein. This diet is high in dietary fats to put the body in a state of ketosis that burns fats more readily as fuel. So, the focus is more on Balance of the Macros towards higher fat intake.
Now consider another popular diet called Intermittent Fasting. This diet focuses on only eating during an 8 hour window of your day, while fasting the remaining 16 hours. Here, the focus of the diet is on Timing.
Could you combine a Keto diet with Intermittent Fasting? Sure you could! And that’s the whole point I’m trying to make. Once you understand dietary theory, you can create a perfect diet that is specifically designed for you. Simply shift around the Balance, Timing, and Source of your Macros until you find a combination that works for you. And that’s really all there is to it.
Now, armed with your new knowledge of dietary theory, go experiment with your diet. Remember, what works for someone else might not work for you. You’re dietary needs will also change as you change, so this is not just a one time process.
Want some help with figuring all of this out? I can do that! Just book a FREE 30 minute strategy session HERE.
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If you don’t know where to start, I’m here for you. Each and every week I set aside times for what I call Success Strategy Sessions. These short (and FREE!) coaching calls are designed to get you moving toward your goals and reaching them at lightening speed. During the call we’ll talk about where you currently are, where you’d like to be, and come up with some quick actionable steps you can take right away.
These calls are FREE, but I only have a limited amount of time to do them each and every week. They are “first-come-first-serve”. If you’d like to schedule a free Success Strategy Session CLICK HERE!