Here’s a few quick thoughts on nutrition that have come up from different convos at the gym.

Total Calories: total calorie amount should still be the number one priority when setting nutritonal related goals, wheter they be for sports performance, health, or aesthetics. Consuming an adequate amount of calories that’s in-line with your activity level is going to have the greatest impact on your weight, energy levels, and overall progress.  Before you begin foucsing on highlhy detailed concepts like nutrient timing and food quality, it’s important to cover this basic topic.  If you’re highly active and looking to gain muscle, it’s an uphill battle to add mass without consuming enough calories.  LIkewise if you’re intrested in reducing body fat, a caloric defecit is the best bet.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All: a frustrating part for many people that want to start a diet is all the confusion from conflicting reports about what’s best. “low fat”, “low carb” “intermittent fasting”.  Seemingly every day a report comes out claiming one diet to the end all be all for all nutritonal goals.  Likewise, encountering gurus and zealots of any diet is enough to turn any sane person away.  Ultimately beause of genetics, activity level, lifestyle and a variety of other factors there isn’t one definitive diet for everybody.  There are cultures all over the world with healthy biomarkers living off high carb diets, high fat diets (unsaturated and saturated), and high protein diets.  A great diet is an individual thing that comes down to something healthy that a person can stick to long term.

Nutriton As A Continuum: this is more of a common problem with people with more intermediate to advanced nutrition knowledge.  After seeing positive benefits from following a well rounded nutritional program they start fearing “bad” foods.  But in the context of a diet, the occasional junk food item won’t sabotage your overall goals.