Forget everything you know about dieting. In fact, go one step further, and forget everything you know about food. Forget nutrition, forget exercise and forget the food pyramid. Whether you’re someone who’s looking to lose weight, maintain your current body or pack on muscle, one truth is evident: you need to be eating your fill. Starting with the craze of the Atkins diet during the 90s, low-carbohydrate diets have been the dominant forces in commercial dieting. However, for those who pair their diets with exercise (as instructed), a low level of carbohydrates is not only a hindrance but even a potential danger. The majority of what you decide to put into your body should be based on what you plan to get out of your body.
The reason that it’s so essential to forget all communal and cultural knowledge of food is because of the seemingly obvious reason that every person’s diet is unique.
You’ve been told hundreds of times before, but the final word is in: you are indeed, “a beautiful and unique snowflake.”
The word of the day is balance. If you’re interested in making a dramatic change in your diet, then you need to look at the way you are living your life before you look down at your dinner plate.
Start by making lists. Lists are the key to an organized and balanced diet. This first set of lists will be known as your preparation-lists, and they will include two simultaneous diaries measuring intake and output, respectively.
Preparation-lists should occupy a sample time period of about a week, in order to determine any patterns, such as differences between diet and exercise levels during the week and during the weekend. Try to plan this for a week that you feel is most reflective of your long-term schedule. On these lists, keep track of your physical output, including walking, and the specifications for any physical activity you are engaged in, such as sports or a workout routine. Concurrently, keep track of everything that you are putting into your body, including the more subtle items, such as water and medications.
Once you’ve concluded with your preparation-lists, it’s time to plan out the future of your diet based on what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re looking to lose weight, start by planning out a weekly schedule of physical fitness. Try to balance this schedule between weight work and cardio, but remember to include your indirect physical activities, such as walking or athletic classes. Once you’ve established a weekly fitness plan, start making a general outline of how you would like to simultaneously plan your diet. Carbohydrates are extremely important for being able to work out to your full potential, so try and schedule foods like starch (pasta), wheat and rice.
Furthermore, for meals that take place after your fitness or during your days of rest, work to include high levels of protein from white meats, soy products and vegetables. If you’re looking to pack on muscle, these “off periods” of protein ingestion should be a little higher to compensate for the muscles you’ve torn as well as those that are being rebuilt. If you are looking to maintain or tone your current form, then try to schedule a heavily cardio-influenced workout, while eating levels of proteins and carbohydrates that correspond more directly to your daily output. Interspersing a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the entire week is a great way to maintain your vitamins and essential amino acids.
Once you’ve invested in a steady workout routine, you’ll start to realize that the days of rest are just as important as the days you spend in the gym, especially regarding diet. Be sure to fill these days of rest with plenty of water, protein and – most of all – rest! If you feel the need to maintain a steady level of physical activity, then these are the perfect days for yoga and dynamic stretching.
However, be sure to grant your body time to relax, and make an effort to fill your nights with at least eight hours of sleep. Failure to respect your off days will result in lower-quality performance at the gym and offset the entire schedule. Once again, the key is balance.
The overlying theme, regardless of your personal goals, is that your diet should be fitting to you in a way that doesn’t deprive you of the amounts of food and water that you need.
A lack of essential carbohydrates, proteins and even fats can lead to workouts that cause more harm than good.
Hydration is also essential for preempting the work your body does and recovering it afterward. So next time you’re buying food and planning what to eat for the week, take claims like “low-carb” and “fat-free” at face value.
Take a look at the labels, and research ingredients that you’ve never heard of.
Always remember that what’s best for you isn’t always what’s best for everyone, and that the food you eat doesn’t go into anyone else’s body but yours.
Robert Weisblatt is a College junior from Belle Mead, N.J.
Cartoon by Mariana Hernandez
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