What’s the Most effective Nutrition Protocol?
Written by Kim McLaughlin
I work with a diverse group of individuals when it comes to nutrition. Most of my clients are weight loss/body composition clients but I also have some performance-based individuals and some people who just need to work on their relationship with food.
The First Step for Anyone
What’s interesting about every single one of them is that regardless of their goals, my first step after our initial meeting is almost always to ask them to track one week of eating and movement – don’t change anything. Just write down what you do.
Without a doubt, this is the one instruction I give that I get the most push back on. It sounds simple — track what you eat and do each day. But for some reason that is NEVER where people want to start. They want rules – don’t eat this, eat this much of that, etc.
So why start here?
Think about it…You just hired a nutrition coach – why are you going to waste a week doing exactly what you’ve been doing for however long? I get it.
BUT…The answer is simple…you don’t know the data until you collect the data.
You have to know where you are right now to figure out the map to where you want to go. The more exact you can be, the easier it will be to figure out a game plan.
- If you’ve never weighed and measured your food, this would be a good place/time to start.
- If you’ve never paid attention to the small bites and snacks you have throughout the day, this would be a good time to do that.
- If you eat really well six out of the seven days of the week this would be a good time to notice that.
- If you think you work out 4–5 days a week but notice something comes up about once a week that keeps you out of the gym or not finishing a workout or feeling good during a workout, that’s a good thing to note.
- If you can be honest with yourself and track exactly what you’re doing (not what you want to be doing or what you think you should be doing), it will actually save time in the long run. Making small adjustments to your current routine is a way more effective approach than changing things up completely.
While it may be appealing initially to have a set of rules to live by – don’t eat carbs, don’t eat sugar, eat these macros – that only works for a small amount of time. If we can make tiny changes to your daily routines – add more protein, add more vegetables, cut out one of your typical snacks — your chances of long term success greatly increase.
So what’s the most effective nutrition protocol?
It depends on where you are right now. Let’s figure that out and develop something that’s unique to you and your situation using that information.
When you’ve got goals and you don’t know how or where to go with your nutrition, start by recording a week in your life and then talk to me or Fritz and we’ll figure out the right game plan for you. If you don’t have any idea how to track or record your week, talk to me or Fritz and we’ll start there.
Got questions? Email Kim or Fritz.
