Nutrition

Over the last 6-10 years I have learned that there is no right or wrong way to lose fat only the right and wrong way for me. There was no magic cure, no magic pill (although there are a few that can help) that will make up for the simple fact that I overeat.

It wasn't about metabolism, carbs, fat, antioxidants or some magic acai berry. It wasn't even about what this weeks big study says is the right or wrong way to do it. It was about finding the way I could make eating less food work for me.

The one rule I kept to is that losing fat is about burning more calories than I eat.

I tried the 5-6 meals a day thing. It didn't help, in fact it made me crazy. Because a meal plan of around 1500 calories makes for 5 x 300 calorie meals. 300 calories isn't much on it's own. "But you get to eat again in 3 hours!" This maybe so but what it meant was that I counted down the minutes to my next snack pack. I obsessed over the perfect way to design 300 calorie meals in perfect macro nutrient portions. and invariably I got to supper time looked at my 300 calorie dinner and said 'screw this'.

I like to eat and I like decent sized portions. In the end the perfect answer for me was Intermittent Fasting. There are a few protocols out there that do this: Lean Gains by Martin Berkham and Eat Stop Eat by Brad Pilon are my two primary sources. The Warrior Diet by Ori Hofmekler was another that was part of my learning curve.

Whilst the above have helped me on when to eat probably my biggest source of great nutrition info has come from Lyle McDonald, Alan Aragon, Tom Venuto and most recently James Krieger.

These guys have helped me through the minefield that is nutrition myth and magic today.

Personally I like consistent routines so a daily fast is my best method. This boils down to skipping breakfast and having a very light lunch. What it means is I can come home in the evening and put together a great meal that makes me and my appetite happy. This can mean 1000 calories in one or two meals, a feast on any other diet, is normal and easy to work around. I can even fit in a glass of wine or some dessert without feeling deprived and guilty.

I don't do free meals or cheat meals any more, they would just end up turning into binge fests and guilt trips. I would be missing too many things on my diet and would try to fit everything I was craving into those one or two  meals a week. I've found that by incorporating smaller amounts of what I crave into my daily eating along with the fasting I can keep a pretty hefty deficit running whilst still maintaining my sanity.

As always I still consider it a learning process and while I am feeling very confident right now about my knowledge I will never become complacent about it. We all change, 10 years ago getting me to eat a vegetable was near impossible, now I love great heaping piles of mixed veggies.