Go Long to Get Strong & Nutrition
MON -TUES-WED-THU NOV 7 2013-FRI-SAT-SUN
NUTRITION QUALITY CLEAN—80/20—OFF
HOURS OF SLEEP 8-10+ 6-8 <5
MOOD/ATTITUDE GOOD – OK – BAD
5 miles easy, slow jog completed in 53 min. Alex has me doing this to build my engine. If your nutrition and strength work are spot on you should not be afraid of long[er] work!
Ok so I want to write a quick note about how I eat so that people can see what fuels my training. My coach, Alex Viada, believes in eating a relatively clean diet that hits the proper macros and calorie requirements with a little bit of leeway for some fun. Obviously depending on your goals and training diet etc will change but for my goals and training currently we have come up with an eating plan that is sustainable and enjoyable.
Those that know me personally will tell you I love to read about everything and anything pertaining to training and nutrition. This can be great but it also can be very detrimental. When I was a younger athlete dedicated to excelling at the sport of soccer I ate like a normal high performing athlete. Good clean foods and a ton of fluid. No fancy diets or supplements or protocols needed. I wasn’t massive by any means or crazy ripped up but I was a lean 187lb soccer player that could do his job well.
After I stepped away from the game and decided to call an end to my playing career I started to eat like crap. I put on some weight and started to “enjoy” myself way to often. At 6’2 I got up to about 220lbs. I was about 20 % bf and looked good in a tshirt but like shit with my shirt off. Wanted to get back to my lean soccer physique I started to read about paleo and low carb diets. I decided to try these out and see what would happen. NOT A GOOD IDEA. I have nothing against paleo and believe is is fantastic but low carb is something I have a problem with. For those suffering from obesity and those who do not train a lot I feel low carb is fine but for someone with high training volume and high training intensity low carb diets can not help you sustain your training levels. Trying the low carb stuff I found I would feel like I was half starved for a couple of days then temptation would sink in and I would go bananas and eat everything in site. This hindered my progress and made me feel like shit physically and mentally.
Seeking out the advice of Mr. Viada we came to the conclusion that a basic frame work for my diet would be needed and as long as I stuck with in the guidelines then things should start to fall into place. Below is what we have settled on for now and may change as I change. That last sentence is super important. Nutrition can be either super complex or super simple but it should always be tailored to you and yourself. What works for me might not work for you and vice versa.
My day usually looks like this right now.
Fat as byproduct of meat/fish/eggs and for taste(olive oil, coconut oil, avocado etc.)
Fat as byproduct of meat/fish/eggs and for taste(olive oil, coconut oil, avocado etc.)
Fat as byproduct of meat/fish/eggs and for taste(olive oil, coconut oil, avocado etc.)
2-3 Servings of fruit eaten when ever needed
Fats such as almonds or couple tbsp spoons of nut butters to hold me over
Every day I get around 200-240g protein 300-350g carbs and 100ish g of fat.
Note that protein does not need to be this high at all. Right now I am running with these macro levels because I feel good and Alex suggested I stick with this plan because it’s working so far and we will make changes when we absolutely need to.
Below you will find out the frame work I use to create my meals. Note I do not eat dairy or gluten as I feel much better without it but this is only because I have a sensitivity to it. If you can stomach it go for it! Just make sure you are eating cleaner foods most of the time and you are within your proper calorie ranges for your goals.
Protein: 4 whole eggs and 3/4 cup of egg whites
Carbs: 4 slices of ezekiel bread
1/2 cup of blue berries and some almonds
Protein: 1 Scoop of protein powder
Carbs: Banana & 1 tbsp Honey
Protein: 1 Scoop of protein powder
Carbs: 1 cup of oatmeal (dry measure) & 2 quinoa cookies
Protein: 7 oz of lean beef
Fats: 4 tsp of olive oil (on veggies)
Carbs: 8 oz of sweet potato
Hydration: Around 3 liters minimum per day plus a couple cups of black coffee
Off Day Meal Plan will look identical but I may cut out some of the carbs if I feel the need to.
Ok guys so there you have it. Thats generally how I eat. Its easy for me to plan this way with my busy lifestyle at the moment. If you have any questions just feel free to ask.
