By: Joaquin Ramirez
We are now two weeks into the nutrition challenge and already we have seen quite an improvement in a lot of people! For those of you who decided to opt out of this years challenge I have gathered some of the most important takeaways when it comes to changing your nutrition.
#1
Remember that when you set goals “ I want to lose 5 pounds of fat” you must first understand how you’re going to get there. You’ll have to set smaller goals to achieve the bigger ones. So if the goal is to lose body fat then maybe you will set your first goal of eating vegetables at every meal. Once you have done that consistently for a week or two then you set another goal of possibly replacing sugary drinks with water, sparkling water or zevia. Once that has been achieved you can then look into timing your carbohydrate around exercise or counting the found you are consuming daily. As you complete each small goal you will start to enjoy and understand the process of what it takes to change your lifestyle for the better. It is not an overnight fix and it doesn’t always happen fast. Strive for progress not perfection.
General rule of thumb
When it comes to nutrition there is a very basic law. In most cases if you are consuming less energy via calories then you are expending you will lose weight. If you take in more energy then you expend more often than not a gain will happen.
#2
Calorie balance is one of the main contributors to a healthy body composition. As most of you have seen Derek has had tremendous results just from understanding his body and how much energy he truly needs to support his lifestyle. Every person is different and thus the needs for every individual will be different, but I can tell you that most Americans are gaining weight because of improper energy balance.
#3
Whole foods! DE Nutrition has a no nonsense approach when it comes to nutrition methodology. We tend to use the “Keep it simple stupid” theory. Eat good foods more often than not to support your lifestyle and goals and generally you will be in a good spot.
This whole foods concept is another key contributor to Derek’s success. Typically, whole and fresh foods tend to be MORE nutrient dense and LESS calorie dense. That’s part of the reason you can eat 5 cups of vegetables and barely have any calories. If you can start to replace meals with foods that do not have nutrition labels you will bring down your total daily energy consumption and I’m going to assume you will start to look and feel better.
If at any point you wish to dial in your nutrition or even learn a bit more about healthy nutrition habits simply reach out and tell us your goals! We will get you on the right path towards a healthier body!