JUST DO IT: Step 1

So what does "just do it" actually mean?  Just do what?  My experience thus far has led me to five steps.  They don't need to be done in any specific order.  You'll see faster results if some are dialed in first rather than last; however, all steps are equally important.  Please note, I am in no way an expert and consulting with a certified coach/doctor is your best bet.  I have been at this for five years though and can speak to my experience and knowledge.  Also important to note, I have mastered none of these steps.  I've got a fire in each pan but it's a process and I'm still trying to get my eggs to cook, too.

Step Number One is Nutrition.  

Get your nutrition dialed in and your body will change.  Thanks to a workshop at my gym I got to learn from Dr. Israetel from Renaissance Periodization.  

Calories are where it's at.

Bottom line, burn more than you eat.  Consult with your coach about how many calories your body needs.  It will be based off of your daily activities and exercise routines.  To change the composition of your body you need to eat real, nutritious food.  

Wait?  My cheeseburger from McD's isn't real??

No, it's not and it's also high in calories and in fat.  That means you'll meet your calorie goal early in the day and it will leave you hungry which will likely lead to eating more throughout the day, exceeding your allotted number of calories.

But I don't want to track everything I put in my mouth!!!

Agreed, it can feel tedious at first, as with most new tasks while you are learning.  Over time, you'll be able to  eye ball the correct caloric portion, or be relatively close, closer than that cheeseburger!!  Myfitnesspal is an excellent food tracker, self populating most food choices out there as well as remembering your frequent meals for easy repeat tracking.

Wait, what?  My food has nutrition in it??

Yes, all real foods benefit your body with the nutrients it needs.

The correct nutrients will fuel your workouts getting you faster running PRs, heavier weights, improved cardio, the list goes on.  Fuel your body; eat better, perform better.  You'll also find a strong component to your overall health with the correct nutrients like sleeping better, fewer headaches, stable mood and so on.  As I continue to go through my own process I have learned that when I'm eating the correct nutrients, my depression is not as powerful, my willingness to engage is higher and I don't feel as foggy. 

What do you need to eat then?

One serving every 2.5-3 hours of a protein, carb and a fat.  If you want simple carbs, stick to the whole grain variety as the grain contains a longer chain of sugar molecules which takes longer to break down and use.  Bleached white simple carbs strip the grain of the nutrients and stores as fat in your body because it breaks down faster and the excess is stored rather than used.

Gonna break down a bit of science here.  Learning the science of what is actually happening in my body has tremendously helped me understand the need for proper nutrition as well as my dependency on food to meet emotional needs.  A great book to read is It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig.  Excellent resource and it provided greater understanding of what my body needs to thrive and how to do it.  Okay, here comes the science.  If it makes no sense, message me and I'll try my best to explain it further.

Every time you eat something that has little to no nutritional value, you spike your insulin.  You pancreas secrets insulin, a hormone used to transport the excess glucose from your blood into your cells.  It stores because it contains more carbohydrates than your cells can use for energy and it lives in fat cells.  Once those cells are full, new fat cells are created to store the excess glucose, resulting in a growing pant size.  By eating a protein, carb and a fat each meal, your body breaks down the food slower and uses it for energy rather than storing it.  Thus if you're burning more than you're eating your body will have to use the stored glucose to give you energy resulting in weight loss.

In my experience I've found in order to keep myself from reverting back to my old ways; ie McDs, Quik Trip, Taco Bell, vending machines, I need to have a plan B, and a plan C and a plan D, hell I need the whole damn alphabet.  Back up for the back up for the back up is a sure fire way to combat any situation you might find yourself in, whether it be vacation, lack of desire to meal prep, don't want to cook tonight, feeling fat already so might as well eat shitty, too, etc.  I was introduced to AdvoCare in 2015 through CrossFit.  Many boxes around the country were using the products and getting excellent results, not only in the way they looked but also they way the felt and performed.  Rich Froning, the four time fittest man on Earth uses AdvoCare to fuel his workouts.  Okay, so the top dog of the CrossFit world, at that time, is using these products, surely they'll be good enough for little ole me.

AdvoCare has become a great plan B-Z.  The variety of products allow me to remain on track even when life is throwing curveballs.  Whether it be the meal replacement shakes, the snack bars, the AdvoGreens; I can always reach for something when I'm not feeling up to my plan to keep on track and get a bit of variety.  AdvoCare is backed by a certified scientific and medical board that test all products to keep you safe and getting results.  The benefits of the products are worth every penny.  More on products in another post.

So, Step One, get your nutrition right.  This for me encompasses much more than just the food I'm putting in my body, so the journey and process continues.