Eat Real Food.
“Look at trends, not outliers.”
The nutrition trend in the professional athletic community is pretty clear. Athletes are eating cleaner and with more precision than ever before. They are eating more real food, more lean conventional meats or hearty grass-fed meats, and more healthy fats and vegetables. They are eating quality carbohydrates at optimal times. Supplementation has become cleaner. And more athletes are using fish oil, high-quality whey, and vitamin D3.
Then there are the outliers. The ones labeled “freaks” because they seem to:
- Eat whatever they want
- Stay super lean
- Recover fast
- Perform as well as ever
So, why does it appear as if outliers can eat what they want without any consequences? Won’t a low-quality diet take a toll on their body and performance?
Outliers Explained
When it comes to outliers, one of two things is happening. The first is that the athlete does indeed have a “crap” diet. They may be incredibly lean with a super-high metabolism. They may have an extremely low resting heart rate and life stressors. This combination may lead to a better hormonal environment and body composition.
This is why it may appear that outliers can eat whatever they want without paying for it. But even in these cases, the athlete is not performing optimally. The absolute best athletes control every single factor they can, especially their diets.
The second possibility is that the athlete’s diet is not as it seems. Take an Instagram account, for instance. Pictures of donuts, beer, ice cream, cheeseburgers, etc., are fun, funny, and maybe “badass.” Does that mean this is what their diet consists of? Typically, the answer is no.
There is so much good, accessible information on the Internet regarding nutrition. I know many people who jump from diet to diet, fretting about the faults of each one. The key is to pick from the stack of great diets and stick to one for a while. It will help you become more disciplined and provide usable data about how that diet works for you.
Improving Your Chances of Success
The truth is that following a strict diet takes a lot of willpower. And willpower is a finite resource within the mind. However, there are a few ways you can make following a diet easier for yourself.
1. Seek Support, Don’t Get Dragged Down
First, make sure the people you spend the most time with know about your diet and support it. The people in our social circles have the biggest impact on our life decisions. And this includes our diets.
Do they constantly make fun of you? If so, set boundaries. If they don’t respect your boundaries, find new friends who support your goals. Or, stop eating around those people.
2. Plan Your Meals
Plan your meals and then meal prep. One of the most challenging moments for anyone on a diet is to be very hungry with no healthy food in sight. So, plan for that situation by preparing your food far in advance. You can go as far as writing down what you are going to eat that day. It may not be fun, but it works. Failure to plan means planning to fail.
3. Keep Moving Forward
Don’t be black and white with your thinking. One slip-up, whether planned or not, is not grounds for the termination of the diet. Allow yourself planned cheat meals to avoid becoming overwhelmed by a strict diet. Adding reasonable flexibility to your diet can help you stay on track and avoid feeling like you’ve let yourself down.
Making the Right Choices Today Can Pay Off
Again, just because one athlete “eats whatever he wants” doesn’t mean you can or should. Remember to follow the proven trends, not the outliers. And, speaking of proven results, The Moffitt Method’s strength and conditioning program uses tried-and-true strategies to help athletes succeed. We combine the knowledge of experienced coaches with modern technology to deliver highly customized remote workouts. And, we can provide these services at a fraction of the price of hiring a full-time strength and conditioning coach.
To learn more about The Moffitt Method, be sure to check out The Moffitt Method Podcast and follow our blog. You can also call 256-667-8325 or contact us online if you have any questions. Let our coaching experts take your training to the next level.