I've been reading a lot of material about nutrition and dieting, and it's really frustrating because there are so many contradictions!
When I first started working out, I'd heard about all of the typical advice one gets these days: 1) eat lots of protein, 2) eat frequently so that you keep your metabolism up 3) eat a lot during the "bulking" phase and less during the "cutting" phase, 4) breakfast is very important, 5) eat whole grains and such.
Then I start doing this crossfit thing, and learn about the paleo approach and the "zone" diet. Paleo seemed like a good idea simply because it restricts you to eating typically healthy foods, but didn't seem to have a solid foundation (besides the idea that we're genetically predisposed to eating these kinds of foods). The Zone thing seemed more scientific to me, so I tended to believe that (the idea that protein and carbs should be eaten in an optimal ratio to balance hormones for fat loss).
I then stumbled on this "leangains" website a couple of days ago, and have basically read the whole thing now. THIS guy basically throws all the generally accepted notions about dieting out the window: http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html. He cites scientific evidence for his claims, but SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE. One study will say that 3 big meals is better, while another will say that 6 meals is better, and both can point to "scientific" papers that back up their claims. WTF?
So I guess what I'm asking is, what do you guys do nutrition-wise and what do you think about all this dieting mumbo jumbo?
i agree that everything you read purports to have the solution, the right ratios of foods, the right timing, bullshit bullshit bullshit.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is one right diet though I think some may be better than others. Personally I've been eating a primal/paleo-based diet for a little over a year now. I'd say 75% of the time I exclusively eat meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, or seeds with no processed foods, sugar, little startch, and some other crap I can't remember right now. The other 25% of the time I still eat pizza, bread, ice cream, drink beer, etc. The most strict I've been diet-wise has been ~90-90% only for a few weeks at a time.
I do feel significantly better/healthier/more active/more energetic when I am around the 80-85% paleo/primal. I think anything more than that ends up being more of a hassle for me and rather than enjoying the benefits of the "clean" diet and feeling better overall, I stress out too much about everything I can't eat. Anything lower than the ~75% level and I definitely feel shittier, slower, and just overall not well.
When I first started really paying attention to what I was putting in my body (~Jan of last year), the new diet was a significant shock to my system and I lost ~25lb in a few months. Also worth noting was my strength kept increasing even though I was losing a good amount of body weight.
I think the key is to find the right balance of eating what makes you feel your best without killing yourself over counting the calories in a carrot or weighing every portion of food before you eat it. One reason I didn't try the zone diet was b/c I didn't feel like counting blocks and all that shit. Ultimately, I do think eating real food is better than the processed alternative. I like the Michael Pollan school of thought: "eat food, not too much, mostly plants" because it is simple and has worked for a few thousand years. And of course, everything in moderation. Eating fried chicken infrequently will not kill you. Eating it every day will.
Forgot to add that I don't pay too much attention to timing of when I eat. I don't necessarily believe eating 45 meals a day is better for your metabolism than 2 or 3. I eat when I'm hungry and usually don't when I'm not. I do try to always have food at home or at work so those times I am randomly starving I don't have to resort to eating cookies or crap b/c I have nothing else to eat.
ReplyDeleteI think JC is on the right direction here.
ReplyDeleteStep 0
Understand that the way to make money giving advice is to advise something that is different that what would be common sense. People are always looking for the quick fix or quick idea "That is new/different. So it must be right". Furthermore given the bredth of scientific (and corporate) study into nutrition I don't imagine it is hard to back up nearly *any* claim.
Step 1. Common sense.
You know what eating healthy means, so do it. If you do a principal component analysis on change in weight you will probably see that the biggest contributors are 1. calorie surplus 2. activity level 3. sleep 4. etc each getting less important. Focus on the top things first then start specializing.
Step 2. Don't go overboard.
Don't eat too much of any one food group, ie don't only eat salad, or don't only eat meat (or only fish vs beef etc).
Step 3. Reflect on your progress
Pay attention to your eating habits, working out habits, stress levels, and sleep. If you have low energy during your workout it could be several things, you can analyze these yourself. Don't need a guru to tell you..
Step 4. Look for areas of improvement. Ie incorporate what makes "logical" sense from the different concepts of health out there and be open to change relative to what you are currently doing.