Friday, January 1, 2016

Want to Be Lean? Become a Glutton


I have never been one to count calories or keep up with macros. For me, crunching numbers is no way to live.
The key to long term fitness is forming healthy habits. Once it becomes routine, it's like cruise control. You're on your way. All you need to do is navigate, and fire up the thrusters (more on this later). 

Make It a Habit

The most important habits start in the kitchen. For starters, get used to cutting out the pointless crap. Don't worry, this will be replaced by wholesome fulfilling foods that will treat your body right as well as your conscience. If you are serious about changing your body, then you will have to rewire your mind. It might take a little getting used to, but it will pay off, i promise. A little discipline goes a long way. 

What To Eat

You may be wondering, "what should I eat?"  Well, whats more important then what you do eat, is what you don't. I'm sure you're familiar with the term, "Abs are made in the kitchen". I can attest that is 100% true. Once I learned what not to eat, the picturesque definition I had strived for, but always eluded me, began to shine through. Once it appeared, it was here to stay. When you learn something that works, it's hard to go back to the old ways. You can't unlearn what you've learned, and witness before thine eyes to be true. So, without further ado, lets get to the nitty gritty. 

Check the Label

You're going to need to be that person that checks the ingredient label before you buy something, at least until you're familiar enough with what you're getting. Ditch anything with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and/or excess sugar. As well as soybean oil, which comes standard in most packaged bread. So forget the loaf, unless you can find one without it, along with 4-5 grams of fiber per slice other wise it's not worth it. This applies to cereal as well (if it contains over 6gs of sugar per serving, then ditch it). 

Cut the Crap

That's also going to include items such as snack cakes, chips, sodas, cookies, pretty much anything in a box from a big name brand. You need to see all of this for the crap that it is. It is no longer food to you, just fodder for the less fortunate souls who are still trapped in the spell. They covet the results you're on your way to achieving,  just not ready or willing to do what it takes. People say things like, " Anything else tastes like cardboard!". If that is what your thinking, just know that you have the power to decide what you want to eat. I can tell you right now that nothing I eat tastes like cardboard, but even if it did, and I had to eat it to create a desired effect for my physique, I would, and I would love every bite. 

Extreme Diets

Many people are taking their diet to extreme measures with movements such as veganism. I went vegan for about two months, just to see if I could. I had a decent amount of muscle when I started. Within a few weeks, It brought my body fat to such a low level, that I was completely diced. Even though I  was gorging myself on massive amounts of fat from avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. Goes to show that obsessing over every kind of fat is unnecessary. Eventually, I did start losing muscle, to the point where I felt I was becoming frail, and noticeably gaunt. By the end of the endeavor, I decided it wasn't for me, and started eating animal products again. Different strokes for different folks. For me, that was not the path to ultimate fitness. I do best on a high protein/moderate carb diet. 

Don't Skip Meals

Since you are going to be getting quality exercise on a regular basis, aim to eat a lot. Every 2-4 hours if you can. I am constantly referred to as a "glutton" by those who have the pleasure of dining with me.  I believe overeating is far more beneficial than under eating, as long as you aren't gorging on the wrong foods.

Eat Your Greens

 One more bit of advice. Consume plenty of green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, watercress, romaine lettuce), I make green smoothies to accomplish this. I'll provide you with my method for these, as well as periodically posting recipes to some of the staples from my own personal menu for your enjoyment. Now that you're realizing you may need to make some changes in how you fuel your body, next, I will discuss how to fuel your mind to take the edge off of those withdrawals, and boost your resolve into overdrive. The secret to success!


No comments:

Post a Comment