April 29, 2011 –
No matter how hard the workouts are, I find that the hardest part of a program for most people is the nutrition plan. This is a critical component in what I call the “3-legged stool”: exercise, supplements, and nutrition.
Asylum comes with its own “Get Shredded” nutrition plan. I have been following a healthy nutrition plan since December 2009, so I feel fairly comfortable with designing my own program. I am not saying there is anything wrong with Shaun T’s plan. In fact, I follow alot of what he details out. He outlines some key principles that are extremely important. I believe that if you just follow these, you are already well down the path to better nutrition.
1) Eat Frequently – at LEAST 5 times a day
2) Go Light at Night – Yup. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and one of your largest.
3) Limit Your Portions – When you start measuring what an ounce is, you will be amazed how much you were actually eating before.
4) Eat Lean – See #5
5) Carbs are Cool – I lump #4, #5, and #9 together as they all drive back to the golden rule of what to eat: Whole Grains, Lean Protein, Fruits, Vegetables, and Healthy Fats. Carbs are not evil, they are critical for our body. But choose good carbs like whole grains.
6) Avoid Dairy – I never set out on my diet plan to eliminate dairy. In fact, I LOVED cheese. However, I noticed that I was eliminating dairy by just watching what I was eating. I prefer the taste of Almond Milk now and I rarely have cheese. I suggest giving this a try. I don’t think you’ll miss it as much as you think.
7) Hydrate – This is very simple. Drink Water. Drink Water. Drink Water. No Soda. No Carbonated Beverages. Water. I will have a Vitamin Water Zero if I want some flavor, but for the 30-day Asylum CHALLENGE, I am only drinking water!
8 Limit Alcohol – In moderation, alcohol is okay. We all like to have a glass of wine or a beer once in a while. However, abstain from all alcohol to maximize your results.
9) Don’t Fear Fat – See # 5. I have written an entire blog with supplemental articles on Healthy Fats.
10) Supplements – Shaun lumps another leg of my 3-legged stool into one of his principles. This is a long topic, but for this workout, I’ll keep it simple. You NEED a recovery drink.
Shaun outlines a 1500 or 1800 calorie plan and some great sounding recipes. I have been on a 3100 calorie plan for almost a year, but I am going to try and get really lean and decrease my caloric intake to 2400-2500 calories. My guidelines are to keep my fat component to <15% and have my protein and carbs be close to 50/50 of the rest. So 42.5/42.5/15.
I am 5 days into this plan. So how are things going?
My average caloric intake this week was 2430 calories with a split of 43/45/12 (43% Protein, 45% Carbs, 12% Fats). I followed a similar meal plan every day and I want to share that with all of you.
I use the word meal lightly here. This is my morning Post Workout Supplement which consists of P90x Results & Recovery Formula and Beachbody Strength & Muscle (Creatine). I am using the New & Improved version that uses dextrose and has less sugar. For more on the N&I version, click HERE. I have cut my intake of P90x R&R to 1 scoop. So far I have been fine, but I will probably go back to 2 scoops after this 30 day Challenge.
After my post workout, I get ready for the day which gives the supplements the required 30 minutes to appropriately get absorbed before my next meal.
– 8 Scrambled Egg Whites. I buy the liquid egg white cartons. 8 eggs whites = 1 Cup
– Cantaloupe (1 Cup)
– Organic Whole Wheat Toast (1 Slice)
– 1 Tbsp PB2 mixed with 3/4 Tbsp water spread on my toast (Don’t know what PB2 is? Wow, are you missing out! See my review HERE.)
I look forward to this around 10:30 – 11:00 everyday! I make this before I go to work and then put it in a 40oz Thermos. It works perfect and keeps my shake just like it was when I poured it out of the blender. You can see me make it below in my You Tube clip.
– 1 Scoop Chocolate Shakeology
– 1 Scoop GNC Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 Chocolate Whey Protein.
– 1 Scoop Shakeology Boost – The Fiber
– 5g of L-Glutamine Powder
– 1 Tbsp PB2
– 16 oz of Water + 15 ice cubes
For lunch, I have been sticking with an all vegetarian salad. Shaun has this meal as an “all out veg out”. I agree! I add beans to give me some good carbs (and protein) along with avocado and oil olive for some healthy fats.
– 2 Cups Lettuce
– My Favorite Veggies (Mushrooms, Zucchini, Squash, Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers)
– 3/8 Cup of Beans (Kidney, Garbanzo, and/or Navy)
– 1/2 Avocado
– Dressing = 2 slices of squeezed lemons and 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
Around 3pm, I’ll grab another snack.
– Small Organic Braeburn Apple (my favorite, although Honeycrisp is good too.) I thank my wife for introducing me to these two varieties!
– P90x Peanut Butter Peak Performance Bar. I am now getting the New & Improved version, so there is less sugar. Read more about the N&I version HERE.
I keep dinner very simple and stick to some lean protein and vegetables. This is the only meat I have during the day.
– 7-8 oz of lean meat. I have been having skinless boneless chicken. However, I also had some nice lean boneless pork chops one night. I am a big fan of the meat at Whole Foods. I have been trying to reduce my intake of meat. So when I do have some, I buy really good meat that is vegetable-fed, no GMOs, locally grown, etc.
– 2-3 Cups of Vegetables. This week, we had Broccoli and Green Beans in the house.
A couple of nights this week, I made myself another Shakeology, but kept it plain with just water and ice. If you want a little kick, put in just a tiny bit of Peppermint Extract. YUMMY!!
For my final meal of the day, I make a protein shake. I usually make it with a frozen banana, but I have eliminated the fruit for these 30 days. .
– 8 oz Almond Milk
– 8-10 Ice Cubes
– 2 Scoops GNC Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 Chocolate Whey Protein.
Great review! And thanks for sharing your diet in such detail! I appreciate all the work you put into sharing your tips with others.
Hey Coach. I have learned alot from you as well! So thank you!