The Optimal Diet
So, what do i eat?
Food is a confusing topic and there are so many people out there posting and preaching what works for them, and how they achieved their goals. The annoying answer is that diet is so individualized... So for people telling you that there is only way to do things is not right. I am not here trying to do that. I'm explaining my opinion on diet and food, with health being the most important factor, and what has worked best for me. You need to find what works best for you and where you feel the healthiest.
SO.... which diet?
Paleo, vegan, vegetarian, macro counting (iifym), low-carb, high-carb, etc...
All of these diets can achieve results, it's up to you to discover what works best for you. In my experience I have found that sticking to whole foods is the best diet for me. Within this I do not have to track calories, count macros, or worry about hitting specific numbers each day (although I am aware of how much food I am eating because I have tracked in the past. It's important to be aware of food quantity, especially when trying to make physique changes. I suggest eating your normal diet and tracking for a week to see where you are - then make any adjustments needed). I have counted calories/macros meticulously in the past and I found it time consuming and honestly annoying. I hated thinking of food as just a number. The common thread of these types of calorie tracking diets is that it teaches you portion control... and yes it did that for me because I was only allowed to hit a certain number of carbs, protein, fats, and calories for the day. Although, something happened when I stopped tracking and decided to eliminate most of the processed foods from my diet. I quickly realized that you can only eat so much whole food at once. Vegetables are packed full of fiber which makes you feel more full, and whole foods are free from chemicals that interfere with our brains ability to signal our bodies that we are actually full! Minimizing processed foods and adhering to a diet of mostly whole foods allowed my body to signal when it has had enough food, there was no need for any numbers anymore. This created lifestyle habits that made me feel like I was was never on a diet but that I was making choices about the quality of the foods I decided to put into my body. I decided I felt better listening to what my body needed, by fueling it with nutrient dense foods I allowed it to tell me when enough was enough. Simplicity is really key for me with diet, if it grew outside, was raised sustainably, and is minimally processed I will eat it. And if not, it's up to me to decide if eating that food is worth the consequences. To me fueling my body with the food it needs is much more of an accomplishment then being able to fit five cookies into my daily caloric intake. I feel better, look healthier, think better, move better, sleep better, and have accomplished all of this by paying attention to the quality of my food. Like I said I am not minimizing the importance of food quantity because it is a very important part of diet - this is why people are overweight....BUT I personally believe quality is more important - especially for diet sustainability and long-term health. We are talking health here not just about how shredded we can get our bodies. Be aware of how much you are eating for your lifestyle and your metabolism but do not obsess over it.
the truth about food
Processed foods are designed to keep us eating, keep us fat, and keep these large companies making lots of money. Not to throw any specific companies under the bus (i'm sure you are aware of the big food companies out there) but the reality is they have food chemists working with them to scientifically engineer their food so you will continue to eat. Look at many of their slogans "Bet you can't just have one" ... if you are like me and LOVE chips i'm sure you can relate to this one. There are food additives and chemicals within these foods that keeps your hand reaching for that bag, so who is to blame here?
If these foods are chemically engineered to keep us eating them then why even include them in our diets at all?
Isn't it just setting us up to be fat?
My opinion on this comes down a lot to to the concept of "food triggers" and your own personal control over certain foods. If you are a person who can have a handful of chips and put the bag away for another day then by all means have that handful of chips in your diet to satisfy your needs. BUT if you are like me in any way and that handful of chips turns into the entire bag and still leaves you wanting more then my recommendation is to stay away from them as much as possible. Many people have these "trigger" foods that often create uncontrolled eating patterns and often an emotional response around the food. (This is different from binge eating, which is an actual disordered form of eating) I'm talking about processed foods that you can't step away from. For me it's chips and popcorn, I just don't have an off button for these foods, so I don't keep them in the house and I only eat them when I'm in a setting I feel I have control over it and it's worth it to me. I can keep chocolate and ice cream in my house and I have no problems staying away from those, everybody is different and identifying your "trigger" foods will be very helpful in sustaining progress and knowing which foods to stay away from.
But what about cravings??
Can I never eat my favorite processed foods again??
The answer is you can do whatever you want. If accounting for them in your daily caloric intake and tracking them works best for you and you enjoy thinking of food as numbers then by all means do that! But whatever choice you make food wise, know that there is consequences and you have to make the decision if that food is worth those consequences. For me, gluten instantly bloats and upsets my stomach. Does that mean I will never eat it again?... NO. If i'm craving something with gluten in it or i'm out somewhere and I want to indulge by all means I will BUT I know that it will bloat me and it will upset my stomach so these are the consequences I have chosen to deal with. I did not "cheat" on my diet, I chose to eat that food knowing the side effects I will have from it. Sometimes it's worth it to me (pizza and occasionally chips, maybe a donut is worth it to me) so I eat them when I want to full on knowing the consequences, and knowing I decided to indulge so there is no guilt there. I like to feel my best, so most of the time I stay away from these foods, but on occasion it is worth it.
But a calorie is just a calorie right?
If a bowl of fruit has 200 calories, and a bag of chips has 200 calories, can't I just eat the chips and still reach my goal?
The short answer is well, yes, but a calorie is NOT just a calorie. A calorie represents how much energy is inside that food, so yes 200 calories of strawberries has the same energy value as 200 calories of chips, but the difference is the other nutrients within the food. The fruit has fiber, antioxidants, polyphenols, and a number of other chemicals that respond in a specific way in the body. The chips have some nutritional value but they lack the healthy chemicals that the fruit has. See what i'm trying to say? ... Food behaves differently once it enters the body, so just because the energy value of food is the same, the hormonal responses, the reaction these chemicals have inside our bodies are different!! So the old way of thinking that you should just count calories is irrational because different foods initiate different hormonal responses that can cause us to activate fat loss, turn on muscle growth, or the opposite inhibit fat loss, and inhibit muscle growth. It all depends on the quality and type of food you are eating! Food is more then just a number. For your long-term health, hormone regulation, weight-loss sustainability, and mental clarity this is SO IMPORTANT!
In summary...
Yes you can achieve your aesthetic goals by counting calories and macros, or by following any of the diets I listed at the beginning. THERE IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL... There are multiple ways to achieve a goal BUT in my opinion the most sustainable way to achieve aesthetic, health, and longevity goals is to implement a whole food diet. And to look at food quality most importantly, and quantity second. If the quality is right, the quantity should be monitored by your body the way it's supposed to. The brain will tell you when you've had enough kale, I can guarantee you that you won't overeat your organic vegetables.
In terms of health, food quality is much more important! I do think it's important to be aware of quantity. I suggest tracking your food for a week to see how much you are actually eating and adjust changes from there. Specifically, if your goals are physique related it is important to be aware of how MUCH you are consuming. When you are already lean to get to the next level everything counts, so numbers do play an important role in this setting. Track to see how much you are currently eating and which macronutrient ratios to adjust but DO NOT become obsessed with the numbers and tracking everything you are eating. Unless of course you are cutting for a specific weight class or sporting event (this is different)... but for everyday life there is no need to meticulously count every single thing we are eating. Worry about food quality first!!! Change your diet to mainly whole foods then track for about a week to see how much food you are consuming, and adjust from there. See if you do better with lower carbohydrates and higher fats, or vise versa - it's trial and error when tailoring your personal diet... so don't give up - it takes time! This is what has worked for me - sticking to mostly whole foods, tracking my diet for a short period of time and adjusting macronutrient ratios based on how my body responds (I do well with higher fat & slightly lower carbohydrates - too many carbohydrates leaves me constantly hangry only hours after consuming them, which is not ideal. I don't want to feel shakey and hangry 2 hours after a meal). Find what ratios work for you - do not just eat a diet because someone told you it works best - it's trial and error. Really pay attention to how you feel after meals - was your energy super high after eating then dropped immediately (this could indicate an insulin issue - try less carbohydrates and more fats), are you bloating, how is your digestion (possibly you are eating too many fats - try a digestive enzyme or HCl with meals). Your body will give you cues on how it feels after eating certain foods - maybe it's your favourite food that makes you feel like shit after you eat it... well, if you don't want to feel like shit remove this food from your diet and only eat it when you are ready to deal with the consequence of feeling like shit. This may seem overwhelming but it just takes time to figure out - I am still trying to figure out what foods are best for me. Once you can figure out your optimal diet, re-adapt your taste buds to craving vegetables instead of candy (yes it can be done) you will feel so much more empowered with your diet. It will allow you to provide fuel for your body and to stop obsessing over food. Food is supposed to be enjoyable - it is the last thing I want to stress over so I personally do not want to track my food intake forever or be stuck on constantly thinking about food. Like I've said - if tracking all your food works for you then by all means do it! But if you are like me and it causes you stress and it is too time consuming.... there is another way to reach your goals, and specifically your health goals. At the end of the day feeling good and having energy is much more important then being extremely shredded. Do what is best for you! - but remember your health and mental health comes first, the physique benefits will come - it just takes time!
Don't get overwhelmed -> this is a lot to take in. Especially if you currently eat a lot of processed foods. Start slow!!! It's taken me about 5 years to get to place I am in now with eating mostly whole foods, and I still indulge in processed foods when it's worth it to me, and I am still dealing with some digestive issues - most likely caused by foods I continued to eat that my body did not digest well and from not being able to deal with stress. It all takes time! Focus on feeling good - and remember nobody is perfect, and no diet is perfect. The slower and the fewer changes you make, the more sustainable the result. Start reading labels, paying attention to ingredients, or the amount of sugar in foods, start shopping on the outside of the grocery store only, start buying your meats organically and grass-fed/finished. START SLOW! Sustainable changes don't happen over night, they require consistency. Remember this is a lifestyle!!!! It's a marathon not a sprint. Stop searching for quick results and instant changes - health takes time. But in 10 years I can guarantee you will be so thankful you stuck with this type of lifestyle and made the changes. Change is difficult, especially diet change - so cut yourself some slack, start slow, start with one small change, once that is mastered try another change. And remember - processed foods are chemically engineered to be addicting so if you are having a hard time removing them, it's normal! Don't feel weak, or stupid for slipping up and having some but know the consequence, and know that whole foods are what your body truly desires and needs to properly fuel you.
To conclude, this is my opinion and experience with different diets and styles of eating. I'll say it again - Do what works for you, and Do what you will stick to. Keep your long-term health always in mind when making choices, and understand food quality. The body is far too complex for a calorie to just simply be a number. There are hundreds of thousands of processes going on in you right now - and the nutrients in your food are largely required for these processes to work optimally. Remember that when you are making the choice of what is your optimal diet!
Stay Healthy!
-Holly :)