The Uplifted Insider

“There's more to life than training, but training is what puts more in your life.” -Brooks Kubik

The Nightmarish Diet Cycle That Imprisons Many

If you hear the word “DIET” and feel sick to your stomach or immediately become depressed, I completely understand. Most diets feel like a punishment for being “BAD” and are restricting to the point where you cannot wait for a glorious “cheat meal.”

This scenario may sound familiar: You decide you're ready to get serious about your health. You research the latest diet trend, muster up some willpower, and ready yourself to dive in headfirst.

Day one: You're motivated and committed.

Day three: You're craving everything you "can't" have.

Day seven: You're miserable, hungry, and starting to negotiate with yourself.

Day ten: You find yourself with a stomach stuffed full of pizza and your spoon in a pint of cookie dough ice cream.

Sound familiar?

As an experienced personal trainer, I've watched this cycle repeat itself countless times. I have fallen into this trap myself. I’m no different. When I restrict myself too much, I want that pizza or loaded burrito just as much as the next guy. The problem isn't a lack of willpower or dedication. The problem is that most restrictive diets are fundamentally flawed from the start.

Instead of educating you on how your metabolism actually works and giving you practical tools to manage it effectively, most diets resort to bullying, fear mongering, and unnecessary food restrictions.

They make it seem that if you want to build muscle and lose fat, you have to kiss everything you enjoy eating goodbye. Grains, sugar, carbs, dairy, anything processed, it's all a “no go.” All of your favorite foods? You can’t have them.

But what if I told you there's a different way to approach eating? What if you could dramatically transform your body while eating foods you actually want to eat, every single day?

With all that being said, I now want to introduce you to the easiest and most effective approach to nutrition I know: FLEXIBLE DIETING.

Why Most Diets Set You Up to Fail

Before we get into the solution, let's address why traditional diets don't work for most people.

Most diets have you eat too few calories, which leaves you feeling miserable and constantly thinking about food. They severely restrict what you can eat, which is impractical when you're dealing with real-life situations like family dinners, work lunches, or social events. They also provide no realistic plan for returning to “normal” eating, which makes it easy to “give back” any progress you've made.

Here is a key truth that you must understand going forward: your diet is either working for you or against you, amplifying or reducing the results you get from your training.

No matter how much you get right in the gym, you'll never be fully satisfied with your results unless you also get things right with what you put into your stomach. The quality of your physique, your performance in and out of the gym, your recovery and so much more depend on this diet component. You truly are what you eat. Your nutrition is a pillar of health and fitness.

You can think of nutrition as a series of tollbooths along the highway of fat loss and muscle gain. Training moves you forward, but if you don't stop and pay your dues nutritionally, you don't get to go any further.

The Four Principles of Flexible Dieting

So what exactly is flexible dieting? It's not about eating fast food all week while dreaming about having a ripped, healthy physique. It's a strategic approach that turns your body's fundamental energy and nutritional needs into a meal plan you actually look forward to.

NONNEGOTIABLE POINT: Your diet will 100% not work longterm if it makes you miserable. You need it to become an achievable and enjoyable part of your lifestyle.

Here are the four core principles of Flexible Dieting:

Principle #1: How Much You Eat Matters More Than What You Eat

This principle instructs us to focus on the importance of energy balance (calories) and macronutrient balance (protein, carbs, and fat).

Food choices do matter, but not for the reasons most people think. At its core, this principle comes down to two things:

• Manipulating your calorie intake to lose, maintain, or gain weight as desired

• Manipulating your protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake to optimize your body composition

Once you can do those two things well, you can gain complete control of your health and physique.

Principle #2: You Should Eat Foods That You Enjoy

No matter how perfect a diet might look on paper, if you can't stick to it, it's not going to work for you. Period. As Stan Efferding, (a key figure in the fitness industry that I’ve learned from for the past dozen years) always says, “Compliance is the science.”

When you can eat foods you actually enjoy, including occasional indulgences, you never quite feel like you're "on a diet." Instead of depriving yourself for months and then flaming out in a spell of binge eating, you get to enjoy yourself along the way.

Most people find that flexible dieting is surprisingly simple and sustainable. Eventually, your "diet" will lose its negative aura and namesake and transition to your “healthy lifestyle.”

Principle #3: The Majority of Your Calories Should Be Nutritious

Will hitting the drive-thru or eating some sugar here and there make you unhealthy? Absolutely not.

But will getting a large portion of your daily calories from nutritionally empty junk, hurt you in the long run? Absolutely.

You'll slowly develop nutritional deficiencies that can lead to health problems, impair mental and physical performance, and even reduce muscle gain by interfering with your body's ability to recover from workouts.

I always tell people about my 80/20 rule: Get at least 80 percent of your daily calories from nutritious, relatively unprocessed foods.

Most of what you eat should consist of whole foods. Some examples are, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils. Then, if you would like, you can fill your remaining calories with your favorite treats that may or may not have much nutritional value.

Principle #4: Eat on a Schedule That Works for You

When you eat doesn't matter nearly as much as many people believe. As long as you're hitting your daily targets, meal timing isn't going to make much difference.

You can get the body you want eating two meals a day, three meals a day or eight, eating a large breakfast or skipping it entirely, and eating as much or as little at night as you'd like.

The key is finding a schedule that fits your goals, lifestyle and preferences.

The Secret That Changes Everything

Here's what makes flexible dieting so powerful: it removes the “all or nothing” mentality that destroys most nutrition plans.

You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to eliminate entire food groups. You don't have to meal prep for hours every Sunday or carry Tupperware containers everywhere you go because you cannot eat any other food.

You just have to be consistent with the fundamentals: calories, protein, and eating mostly nutritious foods, eighty percent of the time.

This approach works because it's sustainable. It fits into your real life, whether it’s a family dinner, special celebrations, social outing, or just an occasional craving for something indulgent.

When you decide to get serious and try your hand at flexible dieting, you'll realize that you're now unencumbered to the diet frustrations and anxieties that plague most people. This strategy allows you to finally develop a positive, healthy relationship with food. I truly believe that developing a positive, healthy relationship with food is one of the greatest gifts an adult can give to themselves.

A Benefit Of Eating Whole Foods 80% Of The Time

One of the biggest benefits of eating mostly whole foods is that you'll naturally get enough fiber. This is key because fiber is a game changer for both health and body composition.

Research shows that eating enough fiber is vital for reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and numerous other health issues. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you eat.

There are two types of fiber:

Soluble Fiber- dissolves in water and helps slow digestion. Great sources include beans, oats, apples, and sweet potatoes.

Insoluble Fiber- doesn't dissolve in water and helps maintain digestive health. Examples include brown rice, wheat bran, and vegetable skins.

When you follow flexible dieting principles, there is a really good chance that you'll hit your fiber targets automatically and you won’t even have to think about it.

Your Flexible Dieting Action Plan

Are YOU ready to break free from restrictive diet culture and build sustainable nutrition habits? Here's a sample approach:

This Week: Track your current eating without changing anything. Just observe and record calories and protein intake.

Week Two: Set your calorie and protein targets based on your goals. Focus only on hitting these two numbers. Don't worry about anything else yet. Simplification will lead to higher compliance and as I said earlier, “Compliance is the science.”

Week Three: Time to apply the 80/20 rule. Make sure 80 percent of your calories come from nutritious whole foods, and allow yourself 20 percent for treats and indulgences.

Week Four: Experiment with meal timing. Find a schedule that fits your lifestyle and helps you hit your daily targets consistently.

In Perpetuity: Remember that consistency, not perfection, is the goal. You are in the process of building a sustainable lifestyle, not enslaved to a temporary restriction.

Ready to Make Nutrition Simple and Sustainable?

If you're ready to break free from restrictive dieting and build a nutrition approach that actually fits your busy life, I'd love to help you implement flexible dieting principles with a personalized plan.

My online coaching program teaches busy professionals how to use flexible dieting to achieve their physique goals without sacrificing their sanity or social life. We'll work together to create a sustainable approach that delivers results you can maintain long-term.

Ready to discover what becomes possible when nutrition works with your life instead of against it?

Click here to apply for customized online personal training today!

Remember: The best diet is the one you can stick to for life. Flexible dieting gives you the tools to make that happen without the misery, restriction, and constant food anxiety that comes with traditional approaches.

Your relationship with food doesn't have to be complicated. It can be simple, sustainable, and enjoyable. All while still delivering the results you desire.

*Author’s Note: There will be no newsletter on Dec. 6. They will resume on Dec. 13.