Structuring Nutrition for Busy Professionals
Are you too busy working to come up with and follow a complex diet plan?
As busy professionals, the last thing we want to do is count calories and spend hours in the kitchen. I used to do this but have found a better way.
Let me simplify things for you by laying out 3 steps to help you structure your eating habits.
Determine your Eating & Fasting Schedule
This is not the first time I’ve talked about this and it won’t be the last. It has helped me spend less time worrying about food and more time working.
The first step in this process is to determine your fasting time. When you will NOT eat.
The second step is to decide your eating time. When you WILL eat.
Having a set eating and fasting window is referred to as intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting can:
Help to burn body fat
Help reduce insulin and inflammatory levels
Aid in digestion
And it can save you time in the kitchen and money on food
A typical intermittent fasting schedule could look like this:
12 PM start eating for the day.
8 PM stop eating for the day.
As an ectomorph (naturally skinny and hard to put on muscle) I opt-in for a shorter fasting window. Experiment and pick something that works for you and stick with it whether you are at home, traveling, or on the go.
2. Have a General Idea of How Much you Should be Eating
Trying to lose weight?
Try out the intermittent fasting schedule I suggested above and eat 2 meals per day plus a protein shake.
Trying to build muscle?
Try a shorter fasting window and eat 3-4 meals a day with a protein shake and extra carbs at each meal.
This is just a starting point; give it a shot and adjust as needed.
Either way, aim to get a protein and a veggie source at each meal and eat your carbs as needed.
What does that mean?
If you are an ectomorph like me and have a hard time keeping weight on, you might want to add in some extra carbs and have them at each meal.
If your goal is primarily fat loss, consider only having your carbs close to the workout, either before and/or after your workout to fuel and recover.
But how much should you be eating?
I’m trying to simplify things for you and there is more in-depth teaching on this in the programs that I offer. So for now, aim to get in some protein and lots of veggies with each meal and eat carbs as needed.
When you are eating, pay attention to how you feel and eat slowly. If you are finished with your plate and want more, weight 10 minutes for your food to settle to see if you really need more. This is a great way to gauge your hunger levels to know how much you should be eating.
Again, we are trying to simplify things so keep it simple and follow these steps the best you can.
3. Decide what 1-3 Things that You Will Not Eat
What are 1-3 things that are getting in the way of building your best body?
Is it alcohol, sweets, sugary drinks, or crappy restaurant foods?
Whatever it is for you, set some parameters on how often you will consume those things.
Let’s say it’s energy drinks and pizza that you consume regularly.
You may decide to consume them only once a week on Sunday’s for example.
You may decide to only have them on holidays, at parties, and after completing a major project.
Maybe you decide to cut the energy drinks out completely, replace it with water, and only have pizza once a month.
Set parameters ahead of time so you can enjoy these food/drink items without regret at the appropriate times. And during the times that you have not allowed yourself these food/drink items, it will be easier to say no to them and feel good about it.
Building structure around your eating habits is freeing because it allows you to take control and be the master of your own health and body.
Conclusion
As busy professionals, we don’t want to put the time and energy into detailed dieting. We travel, we’ve got a lot going on, and it doesn't make sense to follow a complicated plan.
Setting some simple parameters can go a long way in building structure into our eating habits which will yield us a better body and a better mind.
Step 1- Determine a fasting & eating schedule.
Step 2- Have a general idea of how much you should be eating.
Step 3- Decide what needs to get cut out.
If you can plan ahead and work these 3 things into your daily life you will save yourself time and headaches and you will be moving closer to building your best body.