I have experimented with just about every diet. Keto, carnivore, marcos, vertical, and intermittent fasting have all been things I have used while trying to accomplish my goals.
Overall, my goals have been performance-based, not aesthetics. If there have been significant body composition changes, then it’s been a side effect of another greater purpose.
For example, I dropped weight while utilizing a ketogenic diet to reduce inflammation in my body. Weight loss was a side effect of this due to being in a slight deficit with calories for a long time. Through all of these plans, here is what held true no matter what.
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Calories in vs. calories out is the only thing that will affect weight loss or gain. Don’t fight this. Just get it sorted if that’s your primary focus.
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No matter what the plan is, stick to single-ingredient foods. Don’t fall into the trap of eating gummy worms as your carb source. Eat things your body can easily digest and turn into the fuel you want. It’s pretty hard to fuck up a diet when you know exactly what everything is on your plate. Think steak, potatoes, rice, carrots, etc. It’s really hard to overeat if you’re training hard and following this rule consistently.
- Hydrate and add salt to everything. This is a giant boost to performance and not feeling flat while training. I use pink sea salt as it provides some other minerals as well, but not that important.
These three big factors with diet will yield you the most change in any direction you are planning on going. Don’t make it complicated. Eat foods that make your body feel good, not the bullshit reward you think you deserve.
Find the foods that work well for you, experiment for a month on what plan will lead to the most adherence by you.
This is another crucial piece of advice: You need to be consistent. Consistency will create the results you want.
Make simple choices and stick to them.
