How to Begin A Life Long Nutritional Plan

Many people know they need to eat healthy and genuinely desire to support a healthy, well-functioning body. However, how do you choose a plan best for you? How do you begin? and How can I sustain my diet?

We are all inundated with sensational advertising, magazine covers, “model” type aspirations and unrealistic quick fix ways to make ourselves “look good”. A critical point to understand is that there is NO QUICK FIX for changing your eating habits and “looking good” does note mean being healthy. There is definitely no pill to transform you overnight, 11 days or even in one month.

As a 5’1″ female who is not a fitness model, not a professional body builder, or professional athlete, I would like to share with you what I have found that works for me to support healthy eating habits. I have always been conscious of my weight and body image, maybe from my perspective a little more so than the average female, but probably just as much as the next guy. After college, I had about 30 lbs to loose and attached it head on with aerobic type exercise while remaining somewhat conscious about my eating. I was successful with what I felt was a healthy way to loose weight. Following my weight loss, I did partake in my fair share of diet pills and try many quick fix gimmicks. Kind of odd how I use the words quick fix and gimmick in the same sentence! After realizing that I was single and wanted to live a little, 1-2 hours exercise was not going to fit in my daily routine. In order to sustain my weight loss, I experimented even more with crash diets and drastic ways to keep my weight off. My main method of madness was severe caloric restriction and skipping meals when I felt guilty about what I had eaten previously during that day or evening.

So…how did I get to where I am today? I read a lot, experimented a lot, I learned how to listen to my body and give it what it needs. This is a very important point and not all of our bodies need the same things, we are all unique and must eat differently. Yes, we all have the basic need for survival. We all need oxygen, food, water, and a nervous system to survive.

In researching many types of diets, most all came back to quick fixes and restriction. Whether, restricting carbohydrates as in the South Beach and Atkins diet, restricting fat and protein as in the Pritikin Diet, or Dean Ornish’s Diet. Other popular diets such as the Zone allocate percent of carbohydrates, fats, and protein that appears to be a one size fits all diet – remember not all of our bodies need the same things. So what now — time and time again, I circled back around to logic and eating a natural, innate diet as our ancestors might have eaten. So, I gave it a whirl. My diet of choice is the Warrior Diet, which cycles periods of fasting (a natural detox) and periods of feasting on a daily basis. Now, this is not a diet that everyone can practice, but I believe in the principals behind this way of eating. Ori Hofmekler, in his book “The Warrior Diet” makes some very important points about food that can be applied to sustaining a healthy life long nutritional plan.

One of the first things I needed to realize was that I was not “dieting” anymore; I was beginning a life long process. One that I would be able to sustain and incorporate into my life. Easy right? No Way, this was a process that I committed to change my habits, it certainly did not happen overnight. Remember, the whole weight thing, this was suddenly second fiddle and simply a by product of my new way of eating. It wasn’t weight loss, it was fat loss and you know, that stubborn fat that we all despise. It was actually coming off!

To begin your healty eating plan follow this simple test:
1. Is it simple? Can you realistically follow in your lifestyle (be honest with yourself, no excuses here) 2. Is your diet plan based on proven scientific principles 3. Have the rules worked for people like you?

If you cannot answer yes to all of the above questions, then you may need to rethink your selected diet plan. I will also add one more rule here, let’s say a BONUS: Can you sustain your nutritional plan for LIFE?

What influences your eating habits? How have these habits influenced how you look today? Do you eat for convenience? Do you plan what you are going to eat on a daily, weekly basis? Have you ever kept a diary of what you are eating? You don’t have to write a term paper, but jot down a few simple influences on your eating habits, now think about how you can change any of these influences to support a positive nutritional plan?

Think about the influences above, I would like to introduce you to a set of good habits to begin practicing:
1) Eat Complete Protein, prefreably grassfed(anything that had a mama – You cannot kill a pizza), I would also recommend supplementing your protein intake with a Whey Protein Shake. Most people do not get near enough protien on a daily baisis. (remember I metioned keeping a food log)
2) Carbohydrates are not the bad guy, but concentrate on eating complex carbohydrates (vegetables, whole and fresh, did it come from nature?) not simple carbohydrates (refined sugars, processed food, there are no bread trees)
3) Eat Good Fats and eat them often – omega 3 fats are essential, we do not produce these and must get them from the foods we ingest (fish, olive oil, nuts, flaxseed oil)
4) Eat Organic as often as possible
5) Drink ONLY zero Calorie Beverages (water or greeen tea – a cup of coffee in morning is ok)
5) Watch your empty calories – (Alcohol, simple carbs, most all processed foods)
6) Supplementation – a good multi Vitamin, EFA (Essential Fatty Acids), Calcium (for females).
7) Exercise – must be treated as an essential nutrient (see previous blog)

Finally, in order to sustain a good nutritional plan, keep it simple. Plan your meals. “Planning without action is futile, action without planning is fatal”. Do you want to look back and say, I should have done more to take care of myslef? What’s stopping you now…

My Influences: Reading and Websites
The Warrior Diet by Ori Hofmekler
Prograde Nutrition
Defense Nutrition
Precision Nutrition
The Wellness Practice
The Innate Diet & Natural Hygiene by James L. Chesnut