Getting Started #3 – What Should I Eat?
Posted by TracFIT on December 15, 2009
A question that comes up often, and it’s a good sign if it does, is “What should I eat?”. Any fitness program that doesn’t address nutrition is skeptical at best. Let me introduce you to CrossFit’s basic recommendation and then I’ll tell you what’s worked for me.
As simple as it gets from Coach Glassman (CF Founder), “Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar.” We eat to support our daily lives and support performance improvements in the workouts. Any excess, i.e. bodyfat, is unwanted.
Whether it’s Paleo (caveman diet), Zone (protein/carb/fat ratio), or Atkins (low carb), pretty much each diet recommends low carbs. Why low carbs and not low fat? Basically, too much carbs, especially high glycemic (high sugar) and processed carbs, cause hormonal insulin spikes that lead to health problems.
For more in depth info, start here:
CrossFit Start Diet
CrossFit Journal Issue 21
It’s not easy getting started, but here’s how I started to ease into eating healthier and I’m going on -40lbs now:
1) Start by splitting up your normal meals. If you’re eating a breakfast, lunch, and dinner right now, try to split those up. Instead of eating your entire lunch at once, break it up into a brunch and lunch. If you come home and have dinner at 5pm, split that in half and have the rest at 7pm. This helped me not to splurge on snacks as I got hungry throughout the day and it also kept me from thinking, “I don’t want to feel hungry later, so I’m going to eat up now”. By constantly eating every 2-3 hours, my metabolism also kicked up as the steady supply of food kept my body from wanting to store everything for later.
2) Once you got step 1 down, start choosing less processed foods. This is what’s great about the Paleo diet. It refers to how cavemen used to eat and basically tries to match what we eat to how our genetics work. Cavemen didn’t have pure white sugar in a bag. That stuff is highly potent and processed, so try cutting out the sugar. Believe me, you will face your sugar and carb addictions but keep at it, because you will be happy with the results, and it will become less and less a part of your life. Stick to the natural organic stuff.
3) Using the base Zone ratio for percentage of calories in a meal of 30% protein, 40% carbs, and 30% really started to lean me out. The Zone depends on some pretty specific measurements, but to me, it was more of a scientific way to gauge a baseline. Out of all the methods, I saw the most results from zoning and can start to see the individual muscle serrations as my body fat % is dropping. I have altered the ratio a bit to include more protein as I felt my strength was decreasing slightly, and it’s been working. I feel stronger, look leaner, and am increasing performance.
4) Try a challenge. There are food challenges on the CF forum for either 30 days of Paleo or 30 days of cutting sugar. Joining one of those contests can help you stay on track and once you reach the end of the contest, you will more likely than not, want to continue on track.
I never would have thought that I could get this lean or fit, even when I was training 8hrs a day in taekwondo. I’m back down to my high school “fighting” weight, but am worlds stronger and have more functionality. Give it a try.
Blue Light Special
