Flexible Dieting, Moderation, and Nutrient-Dense Foods

Flexible Dieting and Moderation

Moderation is crucial to any sustainable nutritional approach.

It's a key concept within the flexible dieting strategy that I live by and teach my clients.

One of my favorite nutritional sayings goes something like, "You can eat anything and lose weight, but you can't eat everything."

I am definitely not here saying you can eat unlimited amounts of unhealthier foods like pastries and birthday cake and expect to keep your weight in check.

But can you have a couple slices of pizza 1-2 nights per week and treat yourself to some ice cream on Saturday night and still stay on track? Absolutely.

I still eat those foods regularly and am able to maintain ~12% body fat year round.

My days of restrictive approaches like keto are long behind me.

They can work if you can stick to them.

But the restriction is unnecessary, usually unsustainable, and way less enjoyable.

I've averaged ~ 300 grams of carbs per day over the last 6 months.

While doing keto you can only eat 50 grams of carbs per day.

One is a lot more fun and sustainable than the other.

If you're in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight no matter what.

80-90% of the time you should consume whole, single ingredient foods that are nutrient dense and minimally processed.

The other 10-20% of the time, you can eat whatever you want.

Nutrient Dense Foods

Nutrient density is a comparison of how many nutrients a food has in relation to its calories.

Nutrient dense foods are foods that provide a high amount of essential nutrients per calorie.

Or in other words, they are high in essential nutrients and relatively low in calories.

By essential nutrients, I am referring to vitamins, minerals, fiber, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

Nutrient dense foods have little to no added fats and sugars.

Salmon is a great example of a nutrient dense food. It's high in vitamin B12 and is a good source of lean protein and healthy fats, while not being very high in calories.

Nutrient dense foods include: - Fruits - Vegetables - Lean Beef - Chicken - Fish and Seafood - Eggs - Nuts and Seeds - Whole Grains - Legumes - Dairy - Oils and Healthy Fat

These foods are essential to maintaining a healthy diet and providing the body with the fuel it needs to function properly.

There are many benefits of eating nutrient dense foods, including: - Improved energy levels - Lowered risk of chronic disease - Reduced risk of nutrient deficiencies - Weight management - Improved immune function

These foods should make up 80-90% of your diet at all times. If you're in a fat loss phase I would lean 90%, but if you're maintaining or bulking, 80% should be good enough.

Start eating these foods most of the time, and watch the results follow.

Stay well this week, Hal the Health Coach