How many different foods, in a week, would you say you eat?
5?
25?
40?
If you are like most people you fall into the 40+ category.
And while variety has been coined to be the spice of life, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Wordplay aside, keeping your diet relatively similar on a daily basis as a myriad of health and psychological benefits. Two of the many we’ll discuss are eliminating decision fatigue and the commitment to consistency principle.
So without further or do, let’s jump into one of the most life changing principles I have ever come across for abundant energy, effortless fat loss and greek god like muscle.
Eliminating Decision Fatigue
Decision fatigue helps explain why ordinarily sensible people get outrages at colleagues and families for no apparent reason, splurge on clothes and buy a delicious but completely unnecessary 1 kg bucket of Nutella at the supermarket
No matter how rational and high-minded you try to be, you can’t make decision after decision without paying a biological price.
The more choices you make throughout the day, the harder each one becomes for your brain, and eventually it looks for shortcuts, usually in either of two very different ways.
One shortcut is to become reckless: to act impulsively instead of expending the energy to first think through the consequences. (Sure, eat half a pie. What could go wrong?) The other shortcut is the ultimate energy saver: do nothing. Instead of agonizing over decisions, avoid everything at all costs (yes the problem is that there is actually rep ructions to your actions, even if you action is nothing).
Not doing anything, often creates bigger problems in the long run, but for the moment, it eases the mental strain.
For example, dinner tonight. What are you going to have? If you’ve had a decision filled day, chances are you’ll say fuck it, and order pizza. Your brain gets the much needed break, but your body and goals take a hit.
By having a list of pre determined foods you stick too – it makes deciding what you eat effortless. This leads to more compliance and ultimately the achievement of your fitness goals.
Commitment to consistency
If you are reading this, you are aware of how important starting your day off right is for your overall life success.
And the first thing you put into your body (regardless of the time) plays an even more important role. Ever had a first meal from an all you can eat buffet? Ya, my mouth is salivating too just thinking about it.
That being said, those are probably some of my most unproductive days. After the obscene eating scene, I crash hard. Which makes sense, physiologically speaking.
But then my day usually spirals out of control. I avoid doing work and when I do get around to eating again, I usually opt for unhealthy foods, because hey I already ruined most of the day, might as well just restart tomorrow.
By starting the day off healthy and the same way you set yourself up for success. It becomes a pattern to eat the 2-3 meals and you know that you are guaranteed to feel fucking fantastic after.
Now, you’re probably thinking “won’t I get tired of eating the same meals every day?”
Well I’ve been eating these same meals very regularly for a few years now and I have yet to get bored of them. But that’s because I have a few tricks up my sleeve; tricks that if you ask nicely (say pretty please), I’ll share:
1. I do have the occasional all you can eat cheat meal to spice up my life – mostly for the psychological aspect of giving me a break. Plus, life’s too short to miss out on deep fried cheesecake.
2. I do modify the flavor of my meals by getting different types of cheese, adding different seasonings, spices and even salsa, or changing up the vegetables that I use. You also don’t need to be too strict about it. If you feel like you’re getting tired of the same meal then take a break for a couple of days. 20 foods however should provide more than enough variety for a while
My Top 20 Foods
Protein: Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast; Turkey breast (deli, carved or bacon style); Egg Whites; Lean Burgers; Flank Steak
Carbs: Potatoes (russet, yellow fleshed, white or sweet); White Rice; Banana (Frozen or Not); Strawberries (Frozen or Not); Raspberries (Frozen or Not); Pasta; Bread; Chocolate Almond Milk
Fats: Coconut Oil; Olive Oil; Butter; Chocolate (Dark); Cheese ; Eggs (whole); Coconut Milk (unsweetened)
My 2 Favourite Cookbooks For Delicious Meals
I’m going to be honest here, I used to be an awful cook. But then I was turned on to the Muscle Cook and his great teachings.
Here are the only 2 cookbooks I use and recommend.
Anabolic Cooking – Muscle Building Cookbook
Metabolic Cooking – Fat Loss Cookbook
Your Action Steps
What, you think I would end an article off without giving you homework?
Please, you should know be better than that by now.
Once you start simplifying your diet, you’ll find it’s hard to stop. When eating incredibly healthy day in and day out becomes effortless and you notice how great it makes you feel, you start to realize that simplifying your diet is the easiest way to vibrant health.
So what I want you to do is pick 2-3 foods you absolutely KNOW don’t make you feel like shit when you eat them. For me that was olive oil, chicken breast and sweet potatoes.
Eat only those foods for ONE day.
Then the next day add in another food. Then another. Until you find a food that doesn’t fit.
Keep testing until you find your 15-20 Top foods.
Then, eat them for the rest of eternity. Ok fine… Once a month, you can cheat a little bit. Have some pizza, ice cream or deep fried Oreos. You want to binge eat 322 gummy worms? I understand.
BUT in general, stick to your top 20 foods. It will do wonders for your health and energy.
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