Ever since I started posting my progress and competition results on Facebook, I've had many people who have voiced their support and encouragement for the choices I've made, which is incredibly uplifting! I've also had many people ask me what I did to get to this point. Well, honestly it is incredibly complex and incredibly simple all at the same time. I will try my best to chip away at this topic through this blog. But also, PLEASE bear in mind that I am not a certified trainer or nutritionist - I am simply sharing my personal journey and advice so that others can possibly take something away from it or find something to try for themselves.
First of all, I couldn't have done ANY of this without the e-book that got my nutrition straightened out. It's called "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" by Tom Venuto, and you can find it here. I had been eating relatively healthy, skipping fried foods and all that. I had tried to messing with my carbs and making them higher to try 'giving myself more energy,' but that failed miserably. I needed to find out how to get my nutrition on track. When an internet search yielded Tom's book, the more I read about it the more I liked it. So, I decided to give it a go! But let's step back for a moment...
I have tracked my food in a food diary via MyFitnessPal for over two years now, and I credit my initial weight loss two years ago to a combination of cardio and this website. I used their calorie and macronutrient guidelines to keep myself in check, and whaddayaknow - it worked! Who knew holding yourself accountable could WORK?! I had tried Hydroxycut and acai berry pills before that point, with little to no results. I am very happy to say that I achieved both my initial weight loss and my more recent muscle building with good old fashioned nutrition and exercise. The only "supplement" I use is protein powder - that's it! No gimmicky pills or paying for pre-packaged food delivered to your door, just smart decisions, dedication and a good work ethic. This is also one of the reasons why I loved Mr. Venuto's book, because it focuses on straight up nutrition. He's not trying to sell you anything. (The only thing he ever advertises is his "Inner Circle" website, which is a support community for people who follow his program/book.) He covers exercise as well, which is helpful, but most of the book is focused on nutrition. And it is a LOT of info for only $40. I swear, that thing has WAY more than paid for itself!
If you decide to spring for the book, I think you'll really like it. I truly think it's perfect for anyone at any point on their fitness journey, whether you're just starting out or looking to fine-tune your habits.
To really pinpoint what you need/want/should do to achieve your goals, you need to assess your current stats and what you want your goal stats to be, physically. Then you can tune your program, including your caloric intake, macronutrient goals (fats, carbs, protein), and workout regimen to work toward those goals. This can take a bit of time and effort to figure out, but once you've got that down, it really does become pretty simple!
The book explains all the different types of carbs, proteins, fats, etc. which is very important information, and in the end it boils down to good old-fashioned all NATURAL food!
First things first - cut out processed foods. Most junk food is "junk" because of all the processing and additives it gets in production. I can tell you that I rarely go down the aisles of a grocery store. 90% of my shopping is done in the "outer circle" of the store, aka the produce, the butcher, refrigerated section and the health market. I don't buy frozen vegetables or meat, I prefer to buy fresh, but I do know that for some people that is the most time and cost effective way to buy food, and I understand that. If that's your preferred method, still take time to read the label and make sure there isn't a bunch of unnecessary additives to it.
Oh yeah, did I mention you should read labels? READ LABELS!
I repeat... READ. LABELS.
Yes, be that person. I read labels on everything I buy. And I am highly discriminatory. The less ingredients, the better. There's all kinds of hoopla about how accurate labels are these days, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't read them. For now, take them at their word. If there's a bunch of words in there that you've never seen or can't pronounce (propyl gallate say-whaaa?), it's probably not good for you.
And for the love all things, PLEASE steer clear of artificial sweeteners. Aspartame, sucralose, saccharine, acesulfame K...no bueno. They won't do you too much harm in small amounts, but many people (and I was guilty of this too) make a huge habit of using them, e.g. Splenda in their coffee, Equal in their tea, etc. My advice? Stevia. It's a wonderful thing. Zero calories, but much more natural AND sweeter than any artificial sweetener! I also use Truvia blend and/or erythritol in baking rather than white sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Basically, it boils down to eating wholesome food. There. That's pretty simple, right? I'm going to leave it at that for now. Hopefully I will find a way to make sense of even more fitness and food tips for future posts :)
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