Back in the Saddle

Finally back to the regular workouts. Feels great.

Many folks have been asking me about specifics (eating and workouts). So I’ll start off by laying down some specifics of what I eat on a daily basis beginning tomorrow. Today… some ground rules.

Like many diets out there, I eat 6 meals a day. No, I do not do Body for Life. No I do not do the South Beach diet. I do, however eat 6 small meals per day. This is not because these diets have them, but rather because it just makes plain sense. If you’d like some research findings and medical proof, let me know. I can point you to everything I’ve read.

Disclaimer: I do not promote some of these fad diets, however some of them do have some great concepts. For example: Even though I don’t agree with the Body for Life workouts, they do have an awesome cookbook titled, "Eating for Life". There is one exception. Even though the book does have some excellent recipes and eating concepts (it includes the popular 6 meal plan), it also includes a strong push for one of the EAS supplements, Myoplex. My suggestion: use the book and ignore any of the recipes that include Myoplex.

Also, one thing that soooooo many people fail to realize (which I have said on many occasions)… if you want to change the way you look, you have to change the way you live. This means that if you want to lose weight and maintain a healthy body, you have to change the way you eat for the rest of your life. If you diet temporarily, you will have temporary results. If you want permanent results, you have to make permanent changes.

However, you won’t have to give up some of your favorite foods forever, but you will have to earn them. You must eat right 6 days per week, with one day off per week. This day off, you get to eat whatever you want, and however much you want. This concept has been around for many years, way before the fad diets came along. If you are good for 6 days, then you have earned a day off.

During your 6 days, you will eat 6 small meals. Keyword: small. You must maintain portion sized meals. Piling 5 pounds of food onto a plate 3 times a day (or worse, twice a day) is not a form of good nutrition. Think of it as 3 meals and 3 snacks. All of these meals should consist of both protein and carbs. Two of them will also include an additional veggie of some sort, preferably of the green variety. For example: