How much attention do you spend on nutrition?

[jacobian]

@thephilosopher6 Very very little at this point. Spent a ton of time on it for a few years, but now I understand my body very well as well as have a strict list of things I like to eat that work well for me.

 

[sawyerbrownlive]

@thephilosopher6 Nutrition is important and not surprisingly if you drink beer you will end up with a beer belly. That said you aren't wasting your time in the gym. Regardless of what workout plan you are on you are laying the foundation to be more successful later. Your lifts are probably increasing and I am assuming you arent hurt. The key to long success in the gym as you age is consistancy and injury is the enemy of consistency. Also you may be putting on some muscle but you can't tell due to your fat. Without an accurate body comp assessment you may not know. Figure out if leaning out is more important that beer and make the necessary adjustments.

 

[renatusfueritexaqua]

@thephilosopher6 What you eat is not the same as how much.
You need to get a solid amount of protein and reduce added fats. You can still make progress eating like crap as long as its high protein and you'd have to reduce portions. It is easier if you eat better (more whole foods).
I don't worry much about nutrition, but do make sure I get enough protein and lean carbs.

I drink a few beers every night, it doesn't seem to hurt progress in the scheme of things.

 

[thephilosopher6]

@renatusfueritexaqua I also have a few friends who are super in shape and eat/drink whatever they want. But most of the time we see each other for a beer after work. So I don’t know how the eat the rest of the time

 

[renatusfueritexaqua]

@thephilosopher6 You can eat some garbage, but keep in mind the calorie count, don't eat a lot of garbage and stay away from total crap like gummies and soda. Have some fruit juice and seltzer instead, and only use about 1/3 juice.

It is easy to get too many cals eating poorly, and then even if in a deficit there will be no room in your diet for quality nutrition,

 

[thephilosopher6]

@renatusfueritexaqua I usually don’t eat fat, but I think my problem is sugar. I love candies and all the empty calories, like white bread and so on...

 

[renatusfueritexaqua]

@thephilosopher6 Avoid the candies!

In an exercising person you won't readily store excess carbs as fat, but you won't burn much fat either already stored or what you keep eating.

I have a few simple rules:
- If its high protein I eat it.
- If its high fat and high protein I eat it.
- If its high carb and high protein I eat it.
- If its high carb and low fat I eat it.
- If its high carb and high fat I eat only a little.

The candies add significant calories and have next to zero nutritional value, try switching to fruits instead for a sweet snack. Breads and such at least have some protein, fruits are packed with vitamins.

If eating crap make sure its only a pinch, literally.

 

[shannonhartwell24]

@thephilosopher6 What kind of habits are sustainable in your own life?
I think a reason why you are eating like crud is due to convenience.

I have found that when I'm hungry, I don't have the motivation to cook up something complicated, so I used to go for foods that were readily available (usually junk). Now I try to have at least one meal prepped every day (lunch is easiest). Frozen veggies, pasta or rice, mixed together. I also try to have a solid protein source available for dinner (for me, it's always salmon and tofu as options).

Food is mental for me, as well. Forcing myself to make choices that will support the hard work I'm doing in the gym (cyclical motivation) helps me continue on both aspects.

I also make choices after of time of what I will eat: greek yogurt and caramel sauce, toasted peanut butter banana sandwiches, so that there isn't guesswork when making choices.

I also use MyFitnessPal and a Garmin Forerunner watch, but take the calories with a grain of salt, as both can be inaccurate (I read up to 10%).

But start small... Drink a beer instead of three, switch from soda to seltzer, from chocolate to small quantities of nuts. Buy a scale and track your calories.