JRF Diet & Nutrition 101

  • This is probably the most important thing I’ve written so far on this page. I get asked meal plans/sample diets/nutrition about 10-12+ times a day and my reply is normally always the same. This is an important topic that can make or break your results.

     

    Let me start by saying this: EVERYONE in this industry has their own opinion. My opinion on nutrition might have worked well for me and all my clients but it certainly won’t stop another nutritionist or personal trainer from saying that my theory is crap and that you should go with theirs. That is life! It’s up to you to experiment with your own body and find what works well for you.

     

    Not too long after I decided to lose weight, I started reading EVERYTHING I could find about nutrition and diets. I did personal experiments on myself. I tried low carb, no carb, low fat, high fat, carb cycling, heck even starvation in the beginning. As I tried each different diet plan I documented my recovery, strength, energy, sleep, feelings, emotions, EVERYTHING I could think of that affected my health and wellbeing. I would slightly tweak each diet adding extra macros and seeing how that compared to what I was previously doing. I have literally done nearly a decade of (what I would consider) scientific experiments on myself and my clients determining what is the MOST affective diet plan for weight loss and muscle building. What I discovered was an amazing combination of foods that respond SO WELL in our bodies and provide quick results for our goals.

     

    I hold firm in my believe that amazing results are possible without the high dollar supplements and drugs. I know this first hand because I didn’t use them. When I first started I couldn’t even afford protein powder. My gym membership as it was caused my family to have to sacrifice, there was no way I was going to take away from my family’s needs so that I could buy some powder supplement. I knew the solution to my obesity problem was in real wholesome nutrition and food. Think about it! Look back in the day of old school fitness and bodybuilding….they didn’t have protein powder, vegetable capsules, super green supplements, yet Arnold Schwarzenegger successfully “shocked the world” with his physique which led to a lifetime of movies, Mr. Universe trophies and millions of followers across generations of fans. Myself and my clients have lost fat and gained lean mass at an incredible rate without high dollar supplements or fad diets. Proper nutrition in the right ratios will provide all you need to succeed. I do feel some supplements can aid in your success, but they are certainly not “required”.

     

    So what’s my plan? It’s simple. Follow a high protein, low fat and low/moderate carb diet and you WILL succeed. The only people that didn’t succeed on it were the ones that lacked the will power to change their diet. I’m sure all of us from time to time has started a new way of eating only to be great for 2-3 days and then go back to your old habits. This is my way of living and eating now, it’s not a “diet” it’s a way of living, my nutrition and it works. Of course everyone is different, some have food allergys, taste issues, texture issues, etc. Some small tweaks here and there might be needed to make this personalized for you but the below WILL get you on the right track.

     

    Let’s cover some foods, these are certainly not all of them, but the basics and you should get the direction I’m going.

     

    Great Protein Sources:

    Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

    Lean Beef (Sirloin, Top Round, etc)

    Fish (Tuna, Tilapia, Salmon from time to time)

    Turkey Breast

    Buffalo

    Egg Whites

    Lean Protein Powders

     

    Carb Sources:

    Oatmeal

    Sweet Potato

    Brown Rice

    Quinoa

    White Potato (with skin)

    Whole grain products (in moderation)

    Lots of Green Vegetables

     

    Before I touch on “healthy” fats, let me say, I usually don’t ever have to add fats to my diet. If/when I have had to increase my calories for my goals or my advancement in muscle mass I’ve added calories in the form of protein and carbs. Once in a while I will add in fats but it is a rarity. I already get some fats from the meats that I eat and that has proved to be enough for my health and energy.

     

    Fats

    Avocado

    Egg Yolks

    Olive Oil

    Nuts (raw)

    Excess Fish Oils

     

    OK, notice what you DIDN’T see here…..processed foods. As a rule of thumb if it’s been taken out of its raw form and processed, then placed in a box or a bag, it’s not the greatest for you and there are better choices available. Save those things for your cheat meals! For your every day, regular nutrition, eat real food, whole food, food that is in it’s natural state.

     

    SIDE NOTE: I get a lot of questions about the necessity of eating “organic”. Honestly, to me, it’s not worth it, ONLY because the guidlines behind claiming something is organic is SO LOOSE that you don’t have assurance it’s any healthier or better than the regular store produce/meats. Now if you can afford and desire to buy produce from a certified organic farm that you know it’s truly organic, that is great. For many of you reading this the difference between eating organic veggies and non-organic veggies is the least of our concerns. Getting you to avoid the drivethrough or the bucket of icecream or booze is probably the best area to focus on right now (I’m speaking from personal experience here). When you have successfully cleaned up your diet and made healthy eating a way of life, THEN let’s talk organic and see if it’s the right direction for you.

     

    Here is a sample days eating on my plan. THESES ARE NOT THE RATIOS OR MEASUREMENTS FOR YOU, THESE ARE FOR EXAMPLE ONLY SEE BELOW ON FIGURING OUR YOUR NEEDS. I eat every 2.5-3  hours which usually equals around 7 meals a day.

     

    Meal #1: Shake that contains 10oz. raw egg whites (pasteurized egg whites are safe to drink), 1.5 scoops protein powder, ¾ cup raw oatmeal.

     

    Meal #2: 7oz. (measured cooked) B&S chicken breast, ½ cup brown rice, ½ cup steamed broccoli

     

    Meal #3: 7oz. steak, ½ sweet potato, serving of green beans

     

    Meal #4: 2 cans of tuna fish on top a mountain of mixed greens, little fat free dressing.

     

    Workout occurs here – Immediately PWO 2 scoops protein powder

     

    Meal #5: 7 oz. B&S Chicken Breast, ½ baked potato

     

    Meal #6: 8oz. Baked Tilapia, ½ cup brown rice, asparagus

     

    Meal #7: 7oz. Turkey breast, ½ baked potato, small mixed green salad very little fat free dressing.

     

    My recommendation for you (since I can’t physically do your entire diet plan personally for everyone) is to use an online caloric need calculator to determine you caloric needs per day. If you are trying to lose weight, subtract 500 from that total. Then divide those calories up per meal so you know around how many calories per meal you should shoot for. Following my example above you should get an idea on rations of protein to carbs, etc.

     

    I can guarantee you that if you start eating healthy foods like I listed above, you will notice a huge difference in your energy levels and your weight loss and/or muscle building results will come quickly. One thing people get caught up on is overthinking it, there is not one magic combination for the greatest results of all time. Staying high protein, low fat, and low/moderate carb has worked fantastic for me and my clients goals but it is certainly not the only way. This could simply be a starting point to get you focused and eating healthy, then you can take it from there. I will continue to expand on this in future write ups so be on the lookout. I hope this helps you, no, I KNOW this will help you if you commit! I am here for you as always, let me know if I can help.

     

    Proper nutrition is essential.

    Much Love,

    -Jeremy

     


    May 19th, 2013 | JRF | 6 Comments | Tags: , ,

About The Author

Jeremy Reid

6 Responses and Counting...

  • Jessica P 05.19.2013

    Did you do a lot of cardio when you started or stuck with lifting weights?

  • JRF

    Yes, I actually didn’t get into weight lifting seriously for about a year into my journey. My initial focus was cardio 6-7 days a week and doing the best I could with nutrition which at that time all I knew is I needed to eat less and cut out the obvious items like fast food, soda, candy, etc.

  • Hey Jeremy,
    Where did you find your recipes to alter the meal plans! Additionally, what type of protein powder did you use?

  • JRF

    The meal plans are based on years of research and education on my part. As far as the protein powder. I enjoy Musclepharm – Combat Powder. The taste is amazing. It’s a quality protein and includes digestive enzymes in it as well. Taste is outstanding!

  • Are there any books, magazines or websites you used to get started on becoming more knowledgable?

  • JRF

    I searched everywhere high and low, read a lot of free info on the internet. In the end it was the guidance I got from both professional school, personal training certification classes, and my own experimenting that gave me the most knowledge. I have several friends who are very knowledgeable in fitness and nutrition that made a big impact in pointing me in the right direction along the way.

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