What Are The Top 10 Missteps People Make With Their Nutrition?
These are not necessarily in order. They are from real experience coaching hundreds of people with their nutrition.
Every one of these can be opened up for deeper discussion and practice. If you have questions, please comment below. Thanks! - Coach Matt
1. They overcomplicate it.
80% of human beings on Earth do NOT need a complicated, highly specific, difficult to execute nutrition plan to achieve optimal health. At least 80% - it may be higher.
2. They are inflexible.
I sometime refer to this as putting yourself into a 'diet box'. Just because you have been eating a certain way in the past, does not mean that you automatically have to eat that same way today or tomorrow.
3. They attribute causation falsely.
Various diets - of all kinds - are often lauded as the cause of improvements in health, such as weight loss, when actually it is the removal of the junk food that was the cause, not the specific foods on the new diet.
4. They are too restrictive.
Yes, I understand the Energy Balance equation and the concept of Caloric Deficit for weight loss. However, many people actually need to eat more (of the right mixture of foods) in order to lose weight, or, many people restrict too extremely (10-20% is really all you need, IF you're eating properly).
Too much restriction can lead to a myriad of problems, such as 'yo-yo' dieting, inability to maintain, and be happy.
5. They don't hydrate properly.
Roughly speaking you should be drinking about half your bodyweight in pounds, in total ounces of water, per day. Upper limit is about 100 oz. I recommend electrolytes - especially for athletes. This will vary based on age, activity level, climate, and a few other things ... but the bottom line is, many people often mistake hunger for thirst.
6. They don't eat enough protein.
Again, roughly speaking, around 1 gram per pound of target bodyweight per day is a good starting point for most people. Keep in mind that there is a range; for some, it might be a little less. For athletes and people with other goals/needs, it might be a lot more.
7. They don't plan, prioritize, & prepare.
Being on top of your nutrition takes effort. Shopping, cooking, prepping, etc. This is a huge one. If you cook 80% of your food, and always have something available to eat in a pinch, you'll be way ahead of the game.
8. They aren't satiated.
This includes eating too much processed food & junk, which, generally speaking, is full of low quality, nutrient-poor calories that leave your body starving for vital elements and you feeling hungry all the time.
9. They eat too late.
Meal timing is an interesting topic, and whether you like to eat early or not, generally speaking, eating late at night is not a good idea. That's when your body needs to 'rest & digest'.
10. They eat when they're not hungry.
This is another big one. We are emotional beings. We get tired. We get stressed. We have schedules. For these and many other reasons, practicing eating when actually hungry is very important.
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