After doing several blogs on the flexible approach to dieting i had some emails last week about if you should have a more strategic approach to flexible dieting or if you can just do what you want. Well you could just pretty much follow the basics and I'm sure you would be fine. I like tho following 5 rules that help me stay on track and not slip off on a path of just saying “screw it, I'm flexible i can eat that”. Today we are going to discuss 5 rules that everyone who uses flexible dieting should probably follow just so they can stay in control and not spiral out of control overtime.
THE 5 RULES TO FLEXIBLE DIETING
But before we jump into the 5 rules do you need some tips to keep you on track? Check out this blog!
Above All - At Least Hit Your Protein Numbers
- If your only going to do one thing with flexible dieting that one thing should at least be hitting your required protein each day. Protein is the macro nutrient that really can be directly linked with body comp and really can determine the amount of muscle you gain overtime. Yes Fats and carbs are important as well to really maximize your results but in my experience and clients experiences you can get away pretty well with just making sure your hitting your protein numbers. For example say for if you go on vacation. The way i do vacations is pretty simple. I make sure and hit my protein grams by the end of the day and i eat whatever else i want. Now I'm not saying to always live like this as the more optimal way of doing things would be getting your protein then hitting your calories but i also understand some of us need those times to just go out and eat as we please just like i talked about in this blog. So Shawn your saying to get results you could just track protein then make sure your hitting your calories?” Yep i am! In fact i really put this too the test about a few months ago and i found this way to eat was so simple! All i did was factor in my protein grams for the day then i just ate whatever else i wanted and hit my overall calories by the end of the day. The result? No additional gain in body fat and my energy was fantastic! The only reason i went back to tracking all macronutrients again is because I'm a numbers guy and i really enjoy tracking everything from my sets and reps to my calories and macros as well. Doing that test tho did show me that all you technically had to do to get results was track protein and overall calories and that was a pretty interesting thing to see.
If your looking for how much protein and carbs and fats to eat a day then make sure and check out the FREE quick start guide and that will get you your overall numbers. I personally like 1.35 grams per pound of bodyweight for myself but it can range from 1 gram per pound up to 1.5 grams for some people.
Be Flexible With Carbs & Fats
This goes with what i already talked about above but i want to go into more detail with what i mean. So like i said above for getting really good results all you really need to do is track protein and then hit your remaining calories with whatever your feeling for that day. Meaning that once your protein is hit then you eat carbs and fats as you please until you hit your overall calories for the day. For the majority of people this approach is all you need but for those of you actually competing then i might recommend you track fats and carbs as well. So lets break down an example of how you could do this;
Male
overall calories are 2400 calories
recommended protein is 200 grams or 800 calories
this guy can track his protein through the day and as long as at the end of the day he has that 200 grams of protein then he can fill in the reaming calories with carbs and or fats. Its really that simple! Just remember that carbs are 4 calories per gram and fat is 9 calories per gram so use that or a simple App like MyFitnessPal to track.
Get That Fiber... But MORE IS NOT BETTER!
Ever since flexible dieting has really come out in the media. Fiber has also really been hyped up lately since it has been shown to negate the effects from too much sugar and while that is true to a point i also see so many people now a days taking in ridiculous levels of fiber. Yes you need to get the right amount of fiber to get the benefits but no that does not mean more is better and actually more can actually make you feel like crap (pun intended).
So How Much Fiber Should I Get A Day?
For me and my clients i recommend you get 15 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you take in so if you eat 2,000 calories a day then you should take in 30 grams of fiber and so on. Taking in more than that will not necessarily harm you but the more fiber you eat the more bloated your going to feel and trust me you don't want to be bloated all the time. Also if you have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) as some of my clients have, I actually only recommend then taking in 10 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories. Play with the amount you take in and adjust as needed.
Take In 2 Servings of Fruits & Vegetables A Day
This next one I'm sure a lot of people will argue and say its not needed to take take in 2 servings of fruit and vegetables a day and thats fine. This is more a rule i made myself to insure overall health and to make sure you are still getting plenty of whole food nutrients each day for overall health. Yes i understand a lot of so called fitness professionals don’t follow this but remember the healthier you are the more you can train and less training days you will miss and that will yield better results in the long run! So eat those Veggies and Fruits! This doesn't need to be complicated for example i have a banana pre workout and berries before bed. and then i have a giant salad with lunch and dinner. Thats it both are capped with that! Super simple and... "It's A Great Way To Stay In Shape" - Family Guy Reference 😂
Don’t Buy a $40,000 Car If You Only Make 30,000 a Year!
Now don’t be tricked with this one. While this is great Financial Advice I'm actually referring to your caloric budget during each day. For example if you only have 2000 calories for the day and you only have 150 grams of carbs then i would not budget in a pop tart because that would take up 400 calories and 70 grams of carbs and you would only have 80 grams of carbs left for the day! This is not very smart... Think of your caloric budget as a money budget and only budget in things you can actually afford to budget in! If you can eat 2,500 calories a day then a 400 calorie pop tart is not such a bad thing. Make responsible decisions and you will be good to go.
Flexible Dieting is just that - Being Flexible but just because your being flexible does not mean you should do so without any rules. A little rule here and there can help you stay on the right track for the long term and the more consistency you have with your nutrition and training overtime the better results you will have.
To Sum this one up
- Hit your protein
- You have the option to be flexible with carbs and fats, just hit your calories
- Eat 2 servings of fruits and veggies a day just for overall health
- Get your fiber (10-15 grams per 1,000 calories) but not to much!
- Budget your calories each day and don’t overspend when you can’t afford it.
If you guys have any other rules you like to implement please let me know in the comments below! Also if you got something out of todays post be sure and give it a share by clicking those buttons below as it really helps me to know who is enjoying the content. Thanks for reading guys, and if you feel all so generous please feel free to leave a donation even a dollar can go a long way to show your support. Thank you! Till next week...
Stay Strong
Shawn Fausey
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- Shawn Fausey is the Founder and CEO of Fausey's Fitness. With Over 6 years experience in Bodybuilding, Powerlifting and Nutrition. Shawn offers services of online fitness coaching, programing and consulting. Shawn is also a Graphic Designer and can be reached for graphic services on www.rev-graphics.com
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