60 billion dollars.
That’s the value of the diet industry today.
1 in 3. That’s how many American and Canadian adults are overweight or obese today.
1 in 3. That’s home many American and Canadian CHILDREN and TEENS are presently obese or overweight.
So, obviously, we have a problem; yet, as a whole, we still seem to be getting fatter and sicker.
According to the American Medical Association (AMA), this is the first generation where the parents are expected to OUTLIVE their own children. No parent should have to bury their child. Ever.
There is, however, a positive side to all this:
Research into how the human body works has exploded over the past few decades. And the conclusions are nothing short of remarkable. That’s the reason for this report. To spread the message, that you do have control over your body, your weight and your health.
You are a Ferrari, So Start Treating Yourself Like One.
On that note, I’ like to introduce you to the 5 components of the perfect diet.
Now these components are based around 2 principles:Results & Adherence
There’s no reason in following a diet if it doesn’t line up with your goals and give you the results you are after. That’s what these ingredients are for. Furthermore, eating a bland, boring diet means you’ll quit on day one and never get the results you are after. That’s what these ingredients are for.
So, with that long introduction out of the way, let me introduce you too… The 5 pillars of the perfect diet. It will be broken down into 2 main sections (results and adherence) and then further broken down into individual components.
Where Results Comes From…
1. Energy deficit or surplus
This is most important factor to weight loss/gain/maintenance. Eat more calories than you burn and you will gain weight. Eat less calories than you burn and you will lose weight.
And today its easier than ever to manage your calories with hundreds of apps, programs and restaurants proudly showcasing all the necessary data.
So therefore your plan is this: figure out your fitness goal, find out the necessary calories you need to consume each day to reach that goal and hit your calorie goal every single day.
Here are some simple calculations to get you started…
Fat loss Calories = your goal body weight (within 20lbs of your current BW) x 11 or 12
Muscle Gaining Calories = BW x 16
Maintenance Calories = BW x 14-15
Obviously, everybody is different and lead different lives, so play around. Track you calories and body weight for 2 weeks and then re-asess. If you are making great progress, then continue. If not, reassess the numbers and track another 2 weeks.
Remember, it probably took you 20+ years to get to your body now…it’s not going to magically change in just 1-2 months.
2. Macronutrient Ratios
While eating a diet of pizza and pop tarts sounds terrifyingly delicious, your body will suffer gravely. That’s because your body’s hormones are kept carefully in balance by the calories you eat – and the breakdown of those calories.
The only diet, to date, that has been studied, perfected and stood the test of the time is the balanced diet.
Low fat diets destroy testosterone and cause hormonal imbalances.
Low protein diets cause unnecessary muscle loss and poor repair.
Low carb diets cause brain fog, low energy, unpleasant mood swings and hormonal imbalances.
That is a diet that consist of close to even amounts of protein carbs and fats. However sometimes, based on your goals, you need to adjust these. Therefore, I am going to give you my 3 go-to ratio splits for fat loss, muscle gain, and everyday living.
For fat loss diets you want a little extra protein to preserve muscle mass with just about of carbs to support exercise.
Carbs 35-40% Protein 35% Fat 25-30%
Muscle gain should emphasize carbohydrates to promote recovery and support intense training protocols. Fat should kept lower due to the high carb content.
Carbs 45-50% Protein 25-30% Fat 25%
Everyday diets should provide a ratio that gives freedom and satiety while keeping everything in balance.
Carbs 40-45% Protein 25-30% Fat 25-30%
Where Adherence Comes From…
3. Micronutrients, Food Choices and Food Combining
My overarching philosophy is that you CAN get lean eating lots of foods. But I think that being “strict” has merit aside from its efficacy. That is to say, I think restriction can teach you a lot about yourself, and give you some skills that translate to other area of life.
As such, I would prefer that you primarily eat whole, unprocessed organic foods, and keep other stuff to a minimum. Especially for the first month on a diet.
Furthermore, I am a strong believer that for the most part, as long as everything else (training, mindset and supplementation) is going according to plan, most foods work swell together.
4. Meal / Nutrient Timing
This component helps with adherence, because life is hectic. While rigid diets are great, they offer little flexibly for the chaos that is called life.
While eating big meals post workout helps, its not necessary. While skipping breakfast may be easier, it is not necessary.
While eating 6 meals may be more convenient for some, eating 2 big meals (with the same total calorie count as the 6) achieves the same results.
While intermittent fasting may be all the rage, again it is not necessary.
What is necessary, is that you are hit your calories on a day to day basis (preferably with mostly whole foods with a proper macronutrient split). When and where you eat is ultimately up to you and your life. Here’s how I time my meals…
I skip breakfast and opt for black coffee or pre workout and lots of water(I find it gives me more freedom).
I don’t snack.
I eat 2 big meals and 1 smaller meal.
I try to consume my biggest meal post workout and/or near the middle/end of the day.
Sometimes I scrap all these rules if my day doesn’t work out in my favor.
5. Supplements
There’s a reason this is number 5.
You don’t need supplements. That being said, they still offer unique benefits.
First off, they speed up results. If you have your diet and training in check, supplements will speed up the results you are after making adherence much more manageable. There’s nothing worse than going on a diet for 8 months and realizing that with the right fat loss supplements, you could’ve achieved your goal, in only 5 months.
Secondly, they fill the gaps. I’d like to wager that no matter how healthy you eat, there are some micronutrient gaps in your diet, robbing you of precious energy. This is where supplements come in. They are your nutritional insurance policy. They fill the missing micronutrient gaps in your diet so that your body is functioning optimally.
Lastly, they make life easier. Supplements, tend to add freedom to your life. They give you a little cushion, so that if you were to tragically binge eat a dozen, fresh out of the oven Krispy Kreme original glazed donuts, you wouldn’t do the worst possible damage.
Furthermore, maybe you are strapped for food, protein powder provides a quick and satiating meal replacement. Or maybe you need a kick in the ass to get to the gym. Enter pre-workout powders.
The bottom line, get the diet and training in check and then add the supplements.
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