Tag: diet plan

  • 6 steps to starting a new diet that works for you

    6 steps to starting a new diet that works for you

    Before you go all in on the diet that everyone seems to be talking about—work on figuring out what sort of diet you currently follow and how to tweak that. This will take longer, but it will be pay off in the long run because it’s your diet, not someone else’s. You can watch the rest as they burn out, fall off, or move onto the next one.

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    1. Establish what your goal is

    Do you want to lose weight, gain weight, or go somewhere in between? No one diet will accomplish all of that without tweaks and modifications. It comes down to what you eat and how much of it. If you simply want to start eating healthier, well, that’s easier: Stop eating processed foods and using loads of butters, oils, and sauces. Start eating lean protein and loads of vegetables. Once you’ve established your goals, you’re on your way to intuitive eating, which can be achieved after learning your body and how it reacts to food.

    2. Follow a consistent eating schedule

    It really doesn’t matter if you eat three meals per day or six this early in the game. You can’t just hop onto a new diet when you don’t know what your existing diet is. Logging your meals is good step to take, put some more structure around it. If possible, you want to try to get on a schedule for a few weeks in terms of when you eat, what you eat, and how much you eat. Now, log it.

    Editor’s note: I used to eat whenever I was hungry and ate whatever was around. There was no structure or consistency. To track everything, I started to eat every three hours or so.

    3. Understand what it is, and how much, you’ve been eating

    Once you’ve set your schedule and logged it for a few weeks, you should have a very good sense of what you eat everyday. If you don’t, then that’s problem number one. You eat way too much different stuff. If possible, cut down what you eat to the basics. You want a protein, you want carbohydrates, fiber, and fats. And you want the best possible versions of them. Check out our list of the 25 best muscle-building foods. It’s really all you need for a well-rounded diet. The less you buy at the store the easier it is.

    4. Cut out all of the non-essential stuff (cold turkey, or slowly, it’s your choice)

    If you’ve been drinking juices or sodas, or processed or packaged foods, it’s time to get rid of that stuff. Whether you want to do it cold turkey or slowly, that’s entirely up to you. The faster you get rid of that stuff the faster you’ll stop craving it and the faster you’ll start seeing results. But, it’s completely understandable if going cold turkey isn’t realistic for you.

    You may also like: How do I stop food cravings?

    Editor’s note: In my teens I liked Gatorade, loaded cheeseburgers, and even some packaged pastries. Once I wanted to get leaner, the packaged pastries were immediately eliminated, then went the cheeseburgers, then the Gatorade.

    5. Start making small tweaks based on what you’ve been observing

    If you’re trying to lose weight, but have noticed you’re gaining weight, then you’re eating too much. Start by pulling back a little bit on the carbohydrates and fats. Since you’ve been logging what you eat, you should be able to simply chip away from each meal.

    If you’ve trying to build muscle or gain weight, but you’re losing weight or staying the same, then you’re not eating enough. Start by adding a little bit more of everything in each meal. You’re probably safer starting with protein, then a little more carbs and fats.

    If you’re losing weight, but you’re still holding only body fat, then your calories are OK, but macronutrients like protein, carbs, and fat need readjusting. Try pulling back on the carbs and fats a little for a few weeks.

    If you’re trying to build muscle, but you’re adding too much body fat, your calories could be OK too, but the macronutrients also need readjusting.

    As a reference, freedieting.com has a good calorie and macronutrient calculator to estimate what you might need to lose, gain, or maintain.

    6. Keep these in mind from our article on intuitive eating

    • Your calories and macros will never be perfect. This is long process.
    • If you’re just starting out, throw out all the junk food in your house. If you’re serious about figuring this out, you don’t have time for junk yet.
    • On that note, don’t plan on any “cheat” meals for at least the first month. You don’t even know your body yet, don’t concern yourself with where you can “treat yourself”, you have plenty of time for that.
    • Most people don’t realize how much or how little they are actually eating. Educate yourself on serving sizes and be aware of what’s in what.
    • Food quality is more important than quantity.
    • The winning combination: protein is the base, carbs and fat for support. It might be different for you.
  • Strong And Lean In 2025: How To Eat for More Lean Muscle

    Strong And Lean In 2025: How To Eat for More Lean Muscle

    When you’re done with the holiday’s it’s time to get on track and start to eat for more lean muscle.

    Jumping right into it — in week 1-4 you’re going to use all the extra calories you’ve consumed to build some muscle. Coming into this program in a calorie surplus will serve as an advantage as the first weeks of the program focus’ on strength-building and mass-building. Believe it or not, you still will consume a decent amount of carbohydrates to recover from the day-to-day assault on your body, especially from Monday through Thursday, which are both heavily loaded, lower body days.

    Related: 6 steps to starting a new diet that works for you

    Phase 1: Building Strength and Mass (Weeks 1-4)

    During the first four weeks, you’ll focus on converting those extra holiday calories into muscle. The key is to support your intense strength-training sessions with a nutrient-rich diet that includes a significant amount of carbohydrates to aid recovery. This is especially crucial from Monday to Thursday when the training regimen focuses heavily on lower body exercises.

    Sample Diet for Phase 1:

    • Calories: 2,800-2,500 (for a target body weight of 170-180 lbs.)
    • Macronutrients: High in carbohydrates and proteins with moderate fats to support muscle recovery and growth.
    • Example Meals:
      • Breakfast: Oatmeal with whey protein, almonds, and blueberries.
      • Lunch: Grilled chicken breast with quinoa and steamed vegetables.
      • Dinner: Lean beef stir-fry with brown rice and assorted vegetables.
      • Snacks: Greek yogurt with honey and mixed nuts.

    Phase 2: Initiating Fat Loss (Weeks 5-6)

    As you transition into weeks 5 and 6, the focus shifts towards sculpting the body by stripping away fat to reveal the muscle gains. It’s a gradual reduction in calorie intake, not a drastic cut, to ensure you continue to recover adequately. Carbohydrates are reduced but not eliminated, reflecting a shift towards more moderate consumption.

    Sample Diet for Phase 2:

    • Calories: 2,500-2,250
    • Macronutrients: Moderate carbohydrates, high proteins, and slightly increased fats to start tapping into fat stores while maintaining muscle mass.
    • Example Meals:
      • Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and whole-grain toast.
      • Lunch: Turkey and avocado wrap with whole-grain tortilla.
      • Dinner: Grilled salmon with sweet potato and asparagus.
      • Snacks: Cottage cheese with sliced peaches.

    Phase 3: Maximum Fat Loss (Weeks 7-8)

    In the final phase, you enter full fat-burn mode. Caloric intake is reduced further, and carbohydrates are scaled down to push the body into using stored fat for energy. Fats are kept stable to support hormone levels critical for maintaining health during caloric deficits. This phase challenges your endurance and willpower but sets the stage for dramatic visual changes.

    Sample Diet for Phase 3:

    • Calories: Approximately 2,000
    • Macronutrients: Low carbohydrates, high proteins, and maintained fats to optimize fat loss while preventing muscle loss.
    • Example Meals:
      • Breakfast: Protein shake with unsweetened almond milk and a spoonful of peanut butter.
      • Lunch: Chicken salad with mixed greens, olive oil, and vinegar.
      • Dinner: Beef and vegetable stir-fry with minimal oil.
      • Snacks: Hard-boiled eggs or a handful of nuts.

    The Last Bite

    Transitioning through these phases allows for sustainable muscle gain and effective fat loss, adapting as your body progresses. Each phase builds on the last, ensuring that you not only gain muscle mass but also enhance your overall physique by shedding excess fat. Remember, the key to success in achieving a strong and lean body by 2025 is to eat for more lean muscle.

    Be sure to consult with a nutritionist to tailor these guidelines to your specific needs, and ensure your diet aligns with your workout intensity and personal health goals.

  • The Diet That Works Forever

    The Diet That Works Forever

    No matter how hard you’re working out, your body won’t change for the better unless you change your diet. What is a diet anyway? Most “diets” are constructed around the idea of eliminating things or favoring certain types of foods over others. 

    However, if you’ve tried any of the buzzy ones these days—Keto, Paleo, high fat, high protein, low carb—you’ve probably realized they’re unsustainable. Sure, they may work initially, and that friend that went on the Keto diet and dropped 30 pounds isn’t lying. But watch what happens to that friend over the next several months or if they’re lucky, years. There are exceptions to this rule but for the majority of people, extreme eating protocols just don’t work long-term. 

    To us, a “diet” is really something that should work forever. And we prefer the term “eating plan” for that exact reason. That’s why we’ve curated a collection of flavorful recipes that are great for building muscle and burning fat.

    In this PDF, you’ll get 19 recipe ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that we promise come straight from our daily routines. 


    Need help with portion control or modification? Send us a DM on Instagram, or join our exclusive Members Only group and post a question.

    Want to learn more about our approach to nutrition? Read our piece on how to become an intuitive eater and our collection on 25 of the best foods for building lean muscle.

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