Instructions: Start with the Foundation for 4-6 weeks (however long it takes for you to successfully incorporate these rules/habits) and then move into the Carpe Eating Approach and you can optionally incorporate “Ketogenic Bursts” to catalyze further results and if you reach plateaus. If you have questions, comments, or positive/negative results to report on, please reach out to me.
Objectives: Manage your calorie/meal count, metabolism, portion sizes, meal timing, and start eliminating the low-hanging fruit health/weight loss impediments.
Follow these 9 steps:
- Develop a Target Weight and Key Metrics: Set goals, achieve them, set new ones and keep succeeding! Make the process data-driven and measurable, select a target weight and other key metrics to measure goals against. Select a target weight that you have derived from your personal view of your ideal weight, has been prescribed by your coach or doctor, or use one of the national health standards as a starting point, I like this approach as it takes into account sex/height/frame size. Identify other metrics you want to measure over time, suggest: 1) Body weight/BMI estimate from scale (Withings) daily; 2) Body Fat % and lean mass every 6 months (via DEXA scan); 3) Body measurements monthly (Chest, Biceps, Waist, Hips, and Thigh); and 4) Blood tests every 6 months at least (Cholesterol – LDL/HDL levels, Iron, Testosterone/Estrogen – total/free, Vitamin D, Thyroid levels, Ferritin, and Hematocrit all are strong indicators of health/fitness levels)
- Develop a Daily Calorie Target: Add a zero to your target weight/multiply by 10 (e.g. 150 would be 1500 calories), this is your baseline daily calorie intake on non-workout days. For workout days, multiply your target weight by 10 + the number of hours you’ve worked out to account for the calorie deficit – e.g. a one hour workout would equate to 1650 calories for a target weight of 150 (e.g. 150 x 11). Track your calories for the first 2 weeks (use site such as fitbit.com), no need to continually track calorie intake unless you find it helpful (many weight-loss studies see strong positive correlation with meal tracking or taking pictures of your meals with iPhone apps such as MealSnap), simply need to be sure you’re in the right ball park and are adequately eliminating more calories than you’re taking in. Once you have reached your target weight, you simply maintain the same calorie target you have already aligned to and if you want to lose more weight, set the target weight/calorie count at that level and repeat.
- Divide calories into Protein/Carbohydrates/Fat: Protein and Carbs have 4 calories per gram, while Fat has 9 calories per gram. If you are doing endurance sports/frequent cardio (5+ days a week), aim for this percentage: P: 35%; C: 45%; F: 20%. Anyone else, including those doing resistance training/short burst cardio, aim for isocaloric (equal amounts from each macronutrient): P: 33%; C: 33%; F: 33%. Take your target calories and divide by the macronutrient calorie amounts to determine how many grams of each you should be having daily and incorporate them into your meal plan (for workout and non-workout days) – for example, for a 1500 target, 1500*.33 = 495 from each macronutrient (495/4 = 123 grams of protein and 123 grams of carbs, and 495/9 = 55 grams of fat).
- Optimize digestive efficiency: You must be able to derive the nutrients from food efficiently and optimally to adequately fuel your body. Be conscious of your body’s natural circadian rhythms and digestive process: 4am-Noon – Elimination (Toxic debris and dead cells are removed from the body. Intensified house cleaning takes place via the lungs, skin and urinary tract), 12-8pm – Alimentation (Prime time for eating. These are the hours when the body should take in food.), and 8pm-4am – Assimilation (Food that was taken in during the previous phase is now assimilated and stored for use). Hence, the following rules to optimize your digestive efficiency: 1) Breakfasts should be light/easily digested (e.g. protein shake); 2) Have your largest meal at lunch; 3) Consume less calories (particularly from carbs) through the day; 4) Dinners should contain no or be lighter on protein (as protein takes 6 hours to digest) and never have more than one type of protein at any meal in order to optimize digestion; and 5) Never eat after 8pm or within 3 hours of bed time if you’re a night owl – ideally you want 12 hours between dinner and breakfast the following day.
- Practice Portion Management: ½ of plate from vegetables, ¼ from starch (if applicable/post-workout) and ¼ from protein (or ½ if no starch), with portions the size of your fist. Know that you are going to be eating again in 3 hours, so you do not need to eat until you “feel full.”
- Practice Conscious Eating: Acknowledge/meditate on the food in front of you before you begin, chew twenty times before swallowing, breath in between bites, put your fork down after every bite, and limit liquids with meals to allow for complete natural digestion. It takes your body 20 minutes to digest, so eating quickly will result in overeating and spikes in insulin/blood glucose, take your time and you’ll soon realize that you need far less food to feel satisfied.
- Manage Meal Volume: Eat 5 meals a day (3 primary + 2 snacks) to increase metabolism, fuel workouts, and combat hunger/fatigue. Divide your calorie target amongst the 5 meals, such as in the below example.
- Meal Timing is Key: Example eating schedule with 1500 calorie target (eat every 3 hours):
- Breakfast: 7am (300 Calories)
- Snack: 10am (200 Calories)
- Lunch: 12pm (500 Calories)
- Snack: 3pm (200 Calories)
- Dinner: 6pm (300 Calories)
- Work on continually managing/attacking the low-hanging fruit health/weight loss impediments:
- Avoid processed foods (sugars, breads, pastas, cereals, and manufactured foods out of packages/wrappers)
- Sugar – regular and artificial sweeteners (Sucralose/Splenda, Equal, Sweet-n-Low, High-high-fructose corn syrup, etc.), all of which spike insulin/signal to your brain that calories are forthcoming and make you hungry, as well as harm your digestive lining/tract. Hence, no sodas (regular or diet), snacks, desserts, or other foods that contain sugar or artificial sweeteners. The only acceptable sugar substitute is Stevia (which is increasingly being used in Vitamin Water, sodas such as Zevia, protein bars and powders, etc.).
- Liquid calories as they are empty calories. Drink primarily water (aim for 64 ounces a day), fresh vegetable juice (either from Whole Foods or your own juicer, not V8 or other artificial versions), or tea (eliminate or limit caffeine intake, as it negatively impacts your endocrine system and causes insulin spikes). No milk, fruit juice, or any drink with calories. Limit alcohol consumption to once or twice a week and a two drink maximum (preferably red/white wine which have some health benefits, no beer, and if you must drink liquor, stick to clear ones with soda water).
- Avoid white flour and all “white” carbs/grains (e.g. breads, pastries, potatoes, etc.)
- Avoid fried foods
- Limit stress. Though a fact of life for many of us, stress causes weight gain and has other harmful effects on the body, managing stress is critical for weight loss (particularly stubborn abdominal fat) – recommend yoga, meditation, and proper sleep (at least 7 hours per night). Great article from Mayo Clinic.
- Saturated Fats (butter, cream, lard, coconut oil, etc.)
- Domino and “gateway” foods. Many foods are difficult to stop eating once you have started (e.g. a bag of nuts – nuts are also not ideal for weight loss focused diets) or serve as a gateway and catalyze you to eat more (e.g. alcohol) – know yourself and don’t put yourself in a position to sabotage your healthy lifestyle. Additionally, keep all domino or temptation foods out of your house.
- Emotional/reward eating. Food is for fuel, period, reduce the significance of food in your mind and don’t tie it to reward or comfort. Seneca argued “Our keen edge is too often dulled by heavy eating and then wasted further as we drain our life-force in exercise trying to work it off.” Further, as the Cynics argued: “Food is just dead animals, plants and liquids we’re eventually going to excrete. No need to get excited nor stressed.” "Cheat days" which are popular in other programs are a direct link to reward/emotional eating and simply extra calories at the end of the day - no one feels good after excess/poor eating. Resources for overcoming emotional eating: Shuman, Pawlik-Kienlen, and WebMD.
Carpe Eating Approach – Objectives: Eliminate poor fuel sources, derive nutrients from “real”/unprocessed foods, while enhancing high-nutrient robust food sources, control insulin/blood sugar levels, and maximize fat burning while providing sufficient energy to fuel workouts and fitness goals.
In Addition to the Foundation Rules, 3 Things to Limit / Avoid
- High carb and high glycemic index (GI) foods (unless immediately after a workout as explained later – examples: beans, corn, potatoes, carrots, squash, parsnip, peas, artichokes). Carb reference. GI references: List and Database. Your body can only handle a certain amount of high GI/”active” carbs and when you eat more than what your body is able to use from energy, the excess is stored as fat.
- Dairy: While having a low GI and low glycemic load (GL), dairy products have a high insulinemic response and will impede weight loss.
- All fruits (except avocados): Fruit’s principal sugar, fructose, which is processed in the liver as glycerol phosphate into triglycerides and stored as fat – some identify it as a toxin and go so far as to call it a poison for the body – and will impede weight loss (particular abdominal fat). This is a controversial recommendation (one which Four Hour Body took a lot of flack for), particularly given national health agencies and nutritional recommendations – if fruit is a must for you, eat it by itself or in a protein shake (it combines terribly with other foods from a digestive perspective), limit to one serving a day, and stick to low carb/low GI fruits (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and grapefruit). Note that having experimented myself, fruit was a major drag on my weight loss and I do not miss it at all.
Allowable Fuel (if it’s not on this list, don’t eat it, period):
- High Quality Proteins: Lean Beef (Sirloin, top round, tenderloin), Buffalo, Eggs, Fish/Shellfish, Skinless Poultry (turkey/chicken breast), and Whey/Casein/Egg Protein Powders
- Low-GI/Low Carb Veggies: Asparagus, Broccoli, Green beans, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumbers/Pickles, Lettuce, Green/Red peppers, Mushrooms, Spinach, Sprouts, and Zucchini.
- Limited amounts of higher carb complex sources (post-workout fuel only): Veggies: Yams, squash, sweet potato, beans, and raw carrots. Grains: Quinoa, wild rice, brown rice, polenta, or steel cut oatmeal. Supplement: Carb Powder for protein shake.
- Dairy Substitutes: Almond Milk (Unsweetened) preferred or Soy Milk (females only)
- Natural/Unsaturated Fats: Avocados/Guacamole, Olives/Olive Oil, Fish Oil, and Flax Seed Oil
- Spices/Garnish/Toppings: Cayenne Pepper, Cinnamon, Ground Pepper, Turmeric, Hot Sauce, Mustard, Salsa, Hummus, and Nut Butters (natural almond or peanut butter)
- Snack Options: 1) Protein shake; 2) Non-fat hummus or nut butter + low-GI/low carb veggies; 3) Salsa + low-GI/low carb veggies; 4) Low sodium pickles.
- Sample Meal Plan - ideally workout in the AM followed by:
- Breakfast 7am: Protein Shake (at least 25G of protein, 15-20G of Carbs, such as from Carb Powder or add Steel Cut Oats, with ice + dairy substitute or water).
- Snack (10am): Two table-spoon scoops of non-fat hummus + celery sticks
- Lunch (12pm): Salad – ¾ veggies and ¼ lean protein (grilled chicken, tuna, or other)
- Snack (3pm): Protein Shake (Protein only)
- Dinner (6pm): ¾ veggies + ¼ lean protein (+ starch/carb substitute if post PM work-out)
Workout Nutrition
- In order to get the most out of your workouts, you ideally need to time them around your primary 5 meals and use those meals as your pre/post-workout fuel, however, if the timing isn’t optimal, you should be aiming for the following. Additionally, in the “anabolic window post-workout” high GI carbs should be consumed in the meal, as it will help quickly restore your glycogen levels and insulin will spike, pulling the nutrients into the cells more quickly. For both the pre and post-workout shakes and typical workouts, use a ~2:1 Carb:Protein ratio as a baseline – if you are performing high intensity two hour+ workouts, increase the ratio to 3:1. See “Favorites – Health and Nutrition” for information on the appropriate types of supplements.
- Pre-workout (1 hour before): Protein and carbs meal (either one of your existing meals or if you are working out in the AM for example, have a shake with 10G of protein and 20G of carbs - e.g. about a half scoop of whey protein powder and about a half scoop of carb powder).
- In-workout: Water mixed with BCAAs and electrolytes.
- Post-workout (within 1 hour of workout completion): Protein and quick carbs meal (either one of your existing meals or a shake aiming for 25G of protein and 40G of carbs - e.g. one scoop of whey protein powder and one scoop of carb powder).
Optional Supplements
- They are “optional” as if you are eating whole foods from the program, you shouldn’t require supplementation, however, some supplements have proved to be beneficial and can act as enhancers/accelerators to improved fitness – again, see “Favorites – Health and Nutrition” for information on my preferred supplements.
- Part of core program: Whey Protein, BCAAs, Electrolytes, and Carb Powder
- Multi-vitamin (with breakfast)
- Fish Oil – Krill Oil Best (before bed)
- Vitamin D (with breakfast)
- Fat Burning/Insulin Control (with breakfast and lunch): 1) Green tea capsules; 2) CLA; 3) Chromium Picoilinate; and 4) Vanadyl Sulfate.
- Strength Gain (pre/post work-out): 1) Creatine capsules (cycled every 6 weeks) - Ethyl Ester or Kre-Alkalyn and 2) DHEA
- Joint Improvement (before bed): Capsule with Cissus Quadrangularis, Glucosamine Sulfate, Chondroitin Sulfate, and MSM
- Digestion Aids and Probiotics (with meals)
- Endocrine/Adrenal/Stress Management Aid (with breakfast)
Ketogenic Bursts
Ketosis is the process of burning fat (both stored “ketones” and consumed) for energy as opposed to glycogen (storage form of glucose which comes from carbs), and is accomplished by getting carbohydrate intake down to <50G per day, such that carbs are largely unavailable as an energy source for the body. High protein and high fat diets have been around for many years – popularized by Atkins – they are one of the most powerful fat burning approaches, but have been mistakenly used as a permanent eating approach which is largely unsustainable for most, though is becoming increasingly more popular for pure endurance athletes and has been proven to improve epilepsy. Hence, as opposed to making it a permanent approach, would recommend (as does Dr. Wiley), leveraging “Ketogenic Bursts” are 2 week periods where you are taking a ketogenic approach to eating, using the same calorie target, but adjusting your macronutrient ratio: 70% fat, 25% protein, and ~5% carbohydrates (<50G). You will have lower energy, particularly in the first couple of days, but cannot cheat on these runs or it will not work – to ensure you have entered ketosis, you can use ketosis strips.
- On the Burst, four guidelines: 1) Ensure you are taking an electrolyte supplement, as calcium/magnesium/potassium will be depleted; 2) Ratchet back your workouts to the Foundation-Baseline (2 cardio sessions and one resistance training session per week); 3) Take a fiber supplement (Metamucil or Pro Fiber) in the evening; and 4) Once complete, on day 15, after the keto run, increase the higher carb sources during your meals in order to replenish glycogen stores and exit ketosis.
- Sample Meal Plan:
- Breakfast 7am: Protein Shake (Protein powder + flax seed oil)
- Snack (10am): 3 Oz Raw Almonds
- Lunch (12pm): Salad – Limited veggies (1/4) with salmon or tuna (3/4) mixed with olive oil
- Snack (3pm): Protein Shake (Protein powder + flax seed oil)
- Dinner (6pm): Limited veggies (1/4) + salmon or tuna (3/4)
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