One nutrition change that skyrocketed my progress
February’s Theme: Managing Burnout
Today’s topic: Adequate fueling and nutrition
I really need y’all to listen to me today, because I spent YEARS spinning my wheels with my fitness progress until I learned how TF to EAT.
And I don’t mean complicated (read: unnecessary) stuff like carb timing, fasting, strict meal plans, keto, or anything specialized.
Or how to eat for only 12 weeks or just before/after workouts.
I mean how to eat every single day in a way that feels good and easy, both psychologically and physically, AND supports your goals.
People make nutrition way more complicated than it needs to be, while at the same time somehow writing it off as something that’s only kinda important and can be half-assed.
I fought addressing my nutrition for years, and as a result never fully provided my body the nutrients it needed to build strong new tissues, or create long-lasting energy all damn day.
Here’s the thing I changed that made the biggest difference:
I started eating enough lean, whole-food protein.
☝️ That looks like a really simple sentence, doesn’t it? It’s not.
Let’s break it down:
I started eating ENOUGH lean, whole-food protein.
“Enough” is where people get the most defensive (I did too). People eat a handful of almonds and two eggs and they wail “Cooooooach I AM eating protein!”
Yes, you’re eating protein. BUT you’re not eating enough protein for your goals (stronger, leaner, faster, more stamina, etc).
The government RDA for protein is the amount you need to eat in order to not be deficient. In other words, the amount you need to eat every day in order to not slowly die.
Trainers everywhere (you know, those fit, strong people you pay to get advice from?) know that the amount of protein needed to THRIVE is much higher—specifically, 0.8-1.0 grams per pound of ideal bodyweight.
Note: I say “ideal bodyweight” because most folks are carrying around extra fluff, and we don’t want an unreasonably high protein goal based on the extra 30+lbs you gained after college.
Take me as an example: Let’s say my ideal weight(ish) is 140. 140x0.8= 112, and 140x1= 140. So my range for daily protein intake is 112-140 grams.
If I were to go off the RDA (0.36 grams per pound), my protein goal would be a measly 50 grams. Which, again, is fine if my goal is to just not die, be weak, and kinda chubby.
Next:
I started eating enough LEAN, whole-food protein.
Once people are onboard with daily protein goals, they make the next big mistake: Getting their protein from fat- and carb-heavy foods, which means in order to hit their protein goal, they overeat carbs and fats and start gaining unwanted weight.
Here’s how to know if a protein source is LEAN:
👉 It has double the amount of protein than fat (in grams!), AND equal or more protein than carbs (in grams!).
Eggs, salmon, cheese, full-fat dairy are all extremely healthy foods that you can and should have in your diet. BUT understand that they are very fatty and shouldn’t be your only sources of protein!
Nuts and seeds are straight-up fat sources. And beans are a carb source. Again, they are very healthy, but use them as the fat and carb sources that they are, not your main protein sources.
Centering your meals and snacks around leaner proteins like chicken, no-/low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese, tuna, turkey, whole eggs boosted with whites, means you get the protein punch with less calories.
Next:
I started eating enough lean, WHOLE-FOOD protein.
Here’s where I differ a little bit from other trainers. Most of them will tell you it’s ok to just load up on protein powders, protein bars, and supplements in order to hit your goal.
I’ve done this myself, and let me tell you the results are not impressive.
Why? Because when you rely on supplements and processed food, a few crucial things are happening:
You’re missing all the glorious nutrients that come with real food. Nutrients that help your body function better, which means you feel better.
Protein bars/protein-enriched food is still just processed food, and often comes with more carbs/fats than protein, in addition to missing nutrients.
You don’t get the fiber and satiety that comes with eating real food. Our jaws need to chew, our stomachs need to expand in order to feel full and satisfied.
Using a protein powder is a fast and convenient way to boost your protein in a meal, and there’s nothing wrong with it in moderation.
But if you start relying on supplements for the bulk of your protein, you’re not actually changing your eating habits—you’re just shoehorning in protein and thinking something magic will happen. It won’t (unless you’re deficient).
The human animal needs as much real, unprocessed food as possible in order to function correctly, perform its best, and feel awesome.
You will need to change your habits. You will need to change how you live. This takes time, patience, and support, which is why most people are failing.
Once you’re consistently eating enough protein, here’s what will happen:
You stop craving junk food and sugar
You recover faster after excursions/workouts
You gain or maintain your lean mass (sexy, sexy muscles)
You have steady energy all day instead of crashing and needing caffeine
You sleep better
You lose fat more effortlessly
You feel less sore and achy
It’s what happened for me, and what happens for my clients. Bless them—I always preach the benefits they’ll see, and they never believe me until it happens to them, it’s adorable. #proudcoach
The fact of the matter is this: Without the raw materials needed to build and repair tissues, your body will never perform (or look) the way you want.
But it doesn’t stop there, oh no! Once you provide the materials at the construction site, you need to schedule downtime for the workers to get to work. This is called SLEEP, and we’ll be engineering a sound night’s sleep for you next week!
February Theme Schedule:
Week 1: Active recovery for blood flow and parasympathetic nervous system activation
Week 2 (📍You are here): Nutrition for the raw building materials that a strong body needs
Week 3: Sleep to allow the body to use the materials to build and repair
Week 4: The Dial Method for lifelong consistency
Love & muscles,
Coach Mac
Muscle Sherpa
