There is no right or wrong, just your way!
Have you ever wondered why Crossfit and Paleo got Mary astonishing results but did nothing for you or how Dave down the street is a vegetarian and along with some running followed by pull ups and push ups out his back garden gives him a great looking body.
I suppose you might think that maybe you didn't do the Paleo diet right or maybe you didn't eat the right vegetables being a vegetarian. Here's one, maybe it just wasn't for you???
I was out for a coffee the other day with a mate of mine (in the health industry) and we got talking about certain coaches/trainers we know who are incredible at what they do but don't get the credit or make the money they deserve and then there is others we see on TV or through other media who are there not because of their education or experience but because they know how to market themselves, know the right people or (my point) know how to make their bog standard quick fixes sound sexy.
Now there is nothing wrong with marketing yourself well. It's something every entrepreneur needs to learn. But with certain training facilities or 'celeb trainers' there is very little in the way of an end result for the client.
You see my stuff doesn't sound sexy. It is what it is and it's the one thing people hate hearing....The Truth.
The amount of people that tell me how my blogs and Facebook posts bug the arse off them but then follow with 'but your dead right'.
I don't promise you the worlds greatest body in 8 or 12 weeks. I actually don't promise people much. I do what I do to get you from A to B to C and however long it takes is how long it takes.
I don't follow Paleo, Ketogenic, Vegetarian or Vegan. I get people to do the big stuff first like Drink more Water, Eliminate Cardboard Carbs, Reduce Sugar and Dairy and get More Sleep. For most people this will give results to start us off and then we go on to look at macros, micros and calories.
Remember my Vegetarian blog where I talk about essentials? You can read it fully HERE but I go on to talk about how we all need a certain amount of something. Essential Vitamins, Aminos, Fats etc and whatever natural source we choose to get these from is fine.
The same applies to training. The 80's was aerobics, 90's was bodybuilding, 00's was endurance sports and now it's Olympic and Power Lifting.
So here's some refreshing truth that won't bug the arse off you.
IT DOESN'T MATTER.
It doesn't matter what diet you choose to follow. It doesn't matter if you want to do Crossfit or Powerlifting. What matters is the following (All Equally Important).
1) It does no harm (physically or medically).
2) It makes you Happy and Healthy.
3) It's sustainable.
I gauge a lot of my clients by how happy they are. You show me someone who stays thin by fad dieting and I'll show you one miserable bitch.
Those however that eat three good meals a day. Loads of veggies, protein (animal or vegetable) and a good amount of fats. Those people just shine, literally, they glow the same way a pregnant woman does. Throw in regular aerobic/anaerobic exercise and weight lifting and your there.
You'll never know how good you can feel until you actually feel it.
Try not get bamboozled by all the so call 'science' out there. For the basics your already programmed with what's right or wrong. It's call your gut. If you put a horse in a field it instinctively knows which flowers it can or can't eat. We have those same instincts but maybe at the moment your 'gut' is thrown out of whack by all the sugars, additives, preservatives etc in your food.
Keep it simple, your food should be just that...food. Cabbage is cabbage, broccoli is broccoli and chicken is chicken. If your looking at a list of 20 ingredients then it's not food, merely a food like product.
Ollie did a nice blog last Wednesday on A Better Approach to Dieting. Have a read of it HERE.
So to sum up. If you're trying to make positive changes in your lifestyle and you're implementing a lot of the points above. You can't really do any harm to yourself. What works for you, keep on doing it and if after a couple of weeks you find other changes are having a negative effect well then change it.
We're all totally individual. Like I talk about time and time again. None of us have the same stresses, sleep, working hours, nutrition etc so you can't take just my training or my exact nutrition and expect it to work the same for you.
And here's the not so sexy truth.
-Make a plan and stick to it for a sufficient amount of time. Not just two weeks or even two months. This will take your time.
-Make only one or two changes a week.
-Educate yourself.
-Don't try take any shortcuts.
Until next week,
Love and Happiness,
John T
PS: What training is right for you? Have a read HERE were I talk about choosing a training facility that best suits you and your goals.