This blog is designed to give you the basic tools to implement into your daily routine so success is only a matter of time and not a guessing game.
Eating better is not hard, it’s just about making better choices that support your goals, not stand in the way or hold you back.
This will help you make those better choices and start dropping fat and building muscle in no time. It’s a new lifestyle, not just a 2 month change in your diet, even though you can make some amazing progress in 2 months. These suggestions are designed to be implemented on a permanent basis.
This Nutrition Basics report is here to give you a point of reference, as well as some staple recipes to keep on hand for those times when you’re just not quite sure.
Step 1: The Cleanout
This sounds dramatic, mainly because it is. This step doesn’t mean you have to go out and throw away half the stuff in your pantry, unless you want to, but it more so focuses on a new start with healthier alternatives for certain things.
Eg. Swapping out any vegetable oils for quality olive oil, coconut oil.
Eg. Getting rid of your “biscuit tin” and swapping it for a DIY Trail Mix jar to have on hand.
Eg. Getting rid of sauces and dressings from the fridge and using your own mix when required.
Some of these simple changes will start to create a bigger impact as we go along. As you start to clean out the old stuff, you will then see other things that you do, and you never even realised.
Step 2: The Basics
Pantry and fridge basics are important so that you can make healthy and nutritious meals at the drop of a hat, and you don’t constantly falter on your new nutrition plan and slip back into old habits.
Step 3: Your Goal
This is your next major step, because without a goal, all of this is pointless, unless there is something keeping you focused and accountable. We would all eat ice-cream every night if we didn’t have goals, but some of us do, so we choose not to, because it’s not aligned with our fitness goals.
Foods to Avoid:
It’s very easy to eat everything, even if you know deep down, that food isn’t right for you, you may have an intolerance to or be very sensitive too and it causes a lot of grief, pain, bloating, inflammation, etc.
What’s important when you’re doing a nutritional reset is that you take the time to focus on the things that you need to change first, then focus on the things that you should change next.
The things you need to change are all the foods that serve no purpose in your diet, eg;
processed oils and sugars (vegetable oil, canola oil, white sugar)
Cereals (all breakfast cereals)
too much dairy
too much gluten, unless your intolerant, then remove 100%
excessive alcohol consumption
Foods to Add In:
When it comes to adding in foods to your nutrition, it’s important to understand why.
Protein is King! The more the merrier. The better the quality the better! The more varied, even better again.
Protein is any a lot of foods you may not even realise. But the majority of it comes from these sources;
Chicken
Beef, Pork, Veal etc
Eggs (mainly the egg white, as the yolk is the cholesterol. Still healthy, but all fat)
Nuts & Seeds
Oats
Yoghurt
Broccoli, YES! BROCCOLI!
Quinoa
Protein Powder
Lentils
The list above, shows you just how easy it is to eat plenty of protein from a variety of sources so you can also get all the essential fatty acids they contain too.
Preparation & Planning
When it comes to success, it’s important to make sure you’re doing everything it takes to give yourself the best chance at achieving your end goals. This starts from the Planning & Preparation stage. Knowing what foods you need to be eating on a daily and weekly basis will keep you in control of the outcome.
Planning out your week in advance, or at least a few days in advance. This can make sure you stay on track with quantity, not only with volume, but also your macronutrient breakdown of your meals and days. This means eating enough of the 3 major nutrient groups, protein, fats and carbs.
When you get the right balance for you, then you will start to see fast and effective fat loss, muscle gain and body composition changes. Which is ultimately what we are all trying to achieve.
We often recommend that clients use MyFitnessPal to get the ball rolling so they can track foods, to see just what they’re currently eating, and the percentage of each nutrient that makes up their day.
With these numbers, we can then make progressive changes throughout different stages of your fitness journey.
Top 3 Most Common Nutrition Myths:
When it comes to the health & wellness industry, there is often confusion when it comes to the right things to eat, not to eat, ways to exercise etc, but with the wonderful world of the internet, plus our team at Revive PT Eltham, you will always get your questions answered with the best possible answer that is personalised to your situation.
Some common myths that often confuse people;
You should remove carbohydrates to lose body fat
This is a very popular myth in the fitness industry, often causing confusion. Adequate carbs from the right sources is often vital for total body composition transformation. Especially when you begin to lift weights and do more resistance training.
2. I need to reduce my calories to lose weight
Another myth that leads people down the rabbit hole of confusion. Reducing calories is not always the right solution. You need to look at changing what foods you’re eating first, then see if reducing calories is the next step. If you eat perfectly 90-95% of the time, your calorie intake shouldn’t be the only possible solution to aid fat loss.
3. Dieting is the best way to lose weight
This is also a very common myth for most people. It seems the most logical, yet the main issue is that people don’t really know what “dieting” entails.
It is normally best to start from the basics. Go right back to the very beginning and start eating simply and keeping meals to the very minimum, almost like a nutritional reset.
Once you have your rhythm back, and you’re now more educated to make the right decisions moving forward to aid fat loss.
Start by removing all of the complex foods/meals and go back to protein and 3 veggies at at least 2 meals each day.
Eating well and achieving better health is about combining all of the different areas that create total health. Training, nutrition and lifestyle. Once you find better balance within all 3, better health, a fitter body, and a more confident you is within reach!
Stay motivated.
Remember why you started.
Stay focused on the small wins. Celebrate them.
Set measurable targets. Eg. Body fat %. Muscle mass etc.
Surround yourself with positive people who support you, not try and drag you onto a different path. You’re above that now.
Listen to all the advice, and implement it.
Remember why you do what you do, and why you want what you want to achieve. The rest happens easily.
I hope this quick handout is helpful, and it clears up any grey areas you may have when it comes to healthier eating and living.
Can’t wait to work with you inside or outside the gym to help you achieve your health & fitness goals, so hit us up via our CONTACT US page.
