3-SIMPLE Ways to Fix Your Diet

Welcome to another week breaking down of 'The Base of Fitness'.

If you haven't read the OG Base of Fitness newsletter, on which this piece is expanding - check it out here.

Today we break down nutrition.

Nutrition is an area of fitness that gets too much attention and scrutiny -leading to mass confusion.

Before we get to it though, let's dive into this week's TLC.

Tune

Bicep - Glue. I come back to this song frequently, this week has been one of those weeks.

Lesson

Be yourself.

Whatever you do, make it fit you.

You bring something else that NO-ONE can bring.

Use that to your advantage.

Content

This 60-sec clip will give you goosebumps:

Imagine You Are On Your Deathbed.

Nutrition

I want to mention 2 things:

1) Getting nutrition advice from the internet is like trying to get a drink of water from a fire hydrant.

Sure there is water - but the sheer volume makes it hard to get anything.

When it comes to nutrition on the internet - it's the same.

Nutrition is one of the most hotly charged debates online.

Why?

People a c*#ts and there are mass amounts of money, fame and likes to be found.

Trainers, coaches, influencers, scientists, nutritionists, dietitians etc.

They all have opinions and they simply don't know how to simmer down what is best for the masses.

The attempt by governments to simmer down nutrition advice for the masses has also failed - don't believe me?

We're all still talking about it!

P.S. Google the Belgium Health Minister.

Pick when you get your advice from before you pick your advice.

2) Nutrition is a personal game.

The easiest way to find out what diet works best for you is through trial and error.

Why?

Because the way my body functions is completely different to yours.

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to nutrition.

Just because carnivore work best for 'X' does not mean it will work best for you.

Just because Vegan works best for 'Y' does not mean it will work best for you.

If you want to nail down what works best for you:

• Trail a protocol

• Commit to your trial for at least 8-weeks

• Participate in pre-trail assessments (blood work, cholesterol work, subjective notes, fitness tests etc)

• Consistent assessment and note-taking throughout the trail

• Participate in post trail assessments & compare them to pre-trail assessment

• Make your decision

Nutrition boiled down

What I'm going to give you today is going to be short and sweet.

I don't want to confuse you - I want to clear up your confusion.

Every diet or way of eating worth its salt can be boiled down to the below 3 guidelines.

1) Adequate Calorie Control

Managing your caloric intake based on goals is the best way to manage your nutrition.

Your basal metabolic rate is the number of calories you require to maintain your energy level and body weight.

This is based on several processes which include:

• Physical and mental upkeep

• Physical activity

• Food digestion

There is plenty of BMR calculators online - here is one for you to utilise.

Once you have your BMR - you can manage and track your eating with tools such as:

• My Fitness Pal - great.

• Carbon Coach - superior.

A good guideline to gain lean muscle:

• Your BMR + 10 - 15% (with reassessment based on weight changes every 4 weeks)

A good guideline to lose unwanted body fat:

• Your BMR - 10 - 15% (with reassessment based on weight changes every 4 weeks)

Calories control is that fucking simple - let's move on.

2) Protein Levels

Protein should be the centre of your macronutrient calculations.

Once you have your protein established, feel free to fill the rest of your caloric intake with carbs and fats - which you can look at as fuel.

If you look at carbs and fats as fuel - you should look at protein as the recovery macronutrient.

To establish your protein levels, use this calculation:

• (Your body weight in KG) x 1.6 - 2.4g of protein

Your exercise regime will determine where you sit on the above protein scale.

• 1.6g = minimal exercise.

• 2.4g = you do more exercise than most people you know.

Bada-bing, bada-boom.

3) Earth-Grown Nutrients

Earth-grown nutrients in 3 dot points:

• Foods that are grown from the earth (animal or non-animal)

• Shop on the outer rim of shopping centres

• It should not be altered from its earth-grown form

Nutrition is that fucking simple

If you boil any constructive diet to its core, strip away the flashy shit and negate the cult-like aura - this is what you get:

• Know your BMR and alter it accordingly

• Nail your protein levels

• Eat earth-grown nutrients

For today, that is all folk. I'm not a fire hydrant - I'm a health enabler.

Until next week,

Take care (but be risky)

Tom xoxo