The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle Podcast

Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/

Links: Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/   Time stamps: 1:49 - Where did Flexible Dieting come from? Bodybuilding.com forums 4:10 - Dr. Joe's "Pop Tart Diet" 5:25 - Where/when IIFYM came to fruition 6:27 - Why does a meal plan work? 7:40 - Education gap with nutrition Understanding the "why" behind all of the "rules" and "guidelines" 8:43 What really is Flexible Dieting? 10:49 - Research on Flexible Dieting 17:05 - Tracking macros and your relationship with food

Links: Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com   Time stamps: 2:05 - The nutritional hierarchy of performance pyramid 7:37 - The base: Calories 12:58 - Next layer up: Macros 18:59 - The "debate" of are carbs vs. fats? 20:36 - Necessary vs. optimal 24:23 - What about fiber? 27:26 - What is alcohol? 28:30 - Link to a post Zach made on macro distributions of food(s) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsYQQ9nHv8W/

Links: Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/   Time stamps: 2:25 - How do we figure out our calories? Recap from episode 2. 5:52 - How to figure out your calories 10:08 - Female example 15:43 - Figuring out and setting your macros 27:28 - Less or more protein in a gaining phase

Links: Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/   Time stamps: 2:56 - What happens if you don't track your macros or are simply eyeballing? 4:54 - How do I track accurately? Do I need a food scale? 5:04 - Food scale vs. measuring cups 9:08 - MyFitnessPal 14:21 - The ratio 16:45 - Link a graphic of cooked vs. raw meats 10:40 - Tracking foods with food labels 10:57 - Tracking foods (fresh fruits and veggies) without food labels 12:27 - Tracking raw vs. cooked meats 17:08 - What do you do if you scan a label and what you see isn't what's on the food label? 18:41 - Cooking and tracking food that you cook in bulk 22:45 - Tips and tricks for guesstimating your macros 24:33 - Under vs. over estimating depending on your goals 26:32 - Eating out and tracking your macros Zach mentioned Caitlin's (@themacroexperiment) "eating out" guide (http://www.themacroexperiment.com/blog/the-iifym-chain-restaurant-master-list) 30:45 - Tracking alcohol 36:01 - Feeling self conscious about tracking around family/friends

Links: Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/   In this episode we talk about what "healthy" really means. But before we begin, we need to explain what the definition of "healthy" is (5:03). Once we have this general understanding, we talk about those healthy foods, our hunger cues (6:29), and the benefits of eating more wholesome, minimally processed foods. We then take a deep dive into the difference between processed and unprocessed foods, as well as the different types of processed foods (13:15). It's important to know that you cannot see foods as "good" or "bad" (15:08) but need to realize that the two have different goals. Additionally, when you hear people saying, "I don't want to eat chemicals" (17:29), understand that this statement stems from a lack of understanding of basic chemistry. We won't go into detail here but provide an example or two in the episode itself. Moving forward, we have the the topic of organic (vs. non-organic) foods and which is better? First and foremost, we need to define what "better" actually means. Is it in regards to a food's nutrient content or its beneficial impact on an individual's health. Then to wrap things up, we explain what categorizes a certain food as organic.

Links: Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/ Time stamps: 5:43 - What is Keto? 10:02 - Macro proportions for following a Keto approach 13:02 - Training levels and varying protein intake 16:21 - Is Keto high fat or low carb? 24:34 - Keto and intermittent fasting

Links: Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/ Time stamps: 1:33 - What is insulin?   2:00 - Chronically high glucose levels vs. acute glucose levels 3:59 - The role of insulin 4:41 - Mother to insulin analogy 9:07 - Insulin resistance 9:44 - The cause of Type 2 Diabetes 11:11 - Your body's creation of new "storage" areas 12:20 - The weight regain problem 13:42 - Two models of obesity and weight gain 16:01 - Zach's pros and cons of the Keto diet 20:05 - Miguel's pros and cons of the Keto diet 23:40 - Keto and weight loss 26:49 - Choosing your carb sources wisely

Links: Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/ In this episode, we pick up where we left off in part one and dive right into GMO's (0:35). Since the beginning, we've been genetically modifying our food. The only difference now is that we can be more selective by picking and choosing those genes. As for those arguments against GMOs, research has proven that it's safe to say that there is no harmful impact of GMOs on human health (3:12). There are studies out there that have taken a sample of individuals who shop GMO vs. those that do not (4:08), which have resulted in the findings that there is no real benefit to not eating GMO (6:23). Moving forward, we discuss the vegan diet, which has been deemed as "superior" to all other diets (7:02). Whether you're a vegan or not, we take a deeper dive into what few things should be taken into consideration in regards to food choices (11:05). Last but not least, we touch on following If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) and eating highly processed foods (17:40), as well as explain the study behind the Twinkie diet (18:05) to tie it all together.

Links: Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/   In this episode we talk about everything around meal timing. From "Intermittent Fasting" to eating 6 times a day to understanding what's happening at physiological level and how can you modify it to put yourself in the best position to succeed. We first cover the definition of meal timing (3:05) on both a daily and weekly basis. After discussing the basics, we go into the biggest debate of macro-nutrient timing (3:57) and how you can focus on meal timing in respect to your metabolism, as well as how it can be used to gain muscle mass (4:38). Moving on, we explain macro timing (5:00), what's happening from a caloric stand point, and arguments around the different eating windows. Alongside that discussion, we help further your understanding of the thermic effect of food (6:27). This leads us to answering the question of "is there a benefit to eating 6 times a day so your body can turn into a metabolic thermis?" Once we've answered and explained our thoughts on that debate, we talk about what Intermittent Fasting really is (8:35) and if it's really a "diet" or not. Additionally, we go into depth on whether breakfast really is the most important meal of the day (11:13) because we've all heard that before! Lastly, we talk about the two hormones that help regulate our hunger levels (14:05) because this will truly help you understand what's going on with your body. And to wrap up this episode, we circle back around to Intermittent Fasting and autophagy (21:06).

Links: Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/   In this episode, we continue with our conversation on meal timing and building the perfect eating schedule for you. We start off by going into detail about the study of the guy who fasted for 379 days (0:30), as well as explain why Intermittent Fasting works for some individuals but is a "bandaid" for others (3:50). As you listen, you'll understand why it's so important to get to the root of why you are choosing to intermittent fast and the impact it can potentially have on your day-to-day life. We then go into a discussion of overweight, more so obese, individuals and the difference in their hormone levels (9:39). To further our level of understanding around meal timing, we talk about protein distribution (13:57) and how it can help maximize muscle growth. There was a previous study done by Murphy (15:19) that compared a balanced protein diet, of 3 meals with 30g of protein each, to a standard "western diet." The finding was that those individuals who ate more of a balanced diet of frequent protein feedings had greater protein synthesis than the latter. So ideally, 4 meals per day about 3-5 hours apart can help you increase muscle growth. We then dive into the benefits and timing of both pre and post workout meals (17:37) since we all want to make sure we make the most out of our training sessions. Lastly, we explain what happens if you "break your fast" (19:15) with say - coffee and a little bit of creamer. Then to wrap things up for this two part episode, we touch on what we call "starvation mode" and metabolic adaptation (12:02).

 Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/  In this episode, we talk about supplements. We start off by explaining what supplements are and how they're regulated (1:23). Keep in mind that there are a lot of false claims floating around. In regards to what health supplements we'd recommend, a fish oil (7:12) is at the top of our list followed by Vitamin D3 (13:33), then a multivitamin (20:37). With all of this talk around what's necessary, we wanted to explain whether or not it's possible to overdose on a supplement (18:13) and which supplements you want to be careful not to take too much of. These next two recommendations are going to be geared towards vegan athletes (23:56) - Vitamin D12, which can have an effect on your mood, and iron since it is mainly found in meats. Lastly, we discuss the ever-growing popularity of green supplements (25:37) and whether they a necessity or not. To wrap part one of this two part episode up, we talk about the placebo effect (28:53). What this means is that if there's no research backing a certain supplement but it made you feel better, that feeling was not an effect of the supplement itself.   Fish oil recommendations Costco Fish Oil https://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signature-Fish-Oil-1000-mg.%2c-400-Softgels.product.11072245.html ALLMAX Nutrition https://www.allmaxnutrition.com/products-type/omega-3/ PEScience Omega 3+ https://pescience.com/products/omega-3   Multivitamin recommendations Centrum https://www.centrum.com/centrum-adults Kirkland https://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signature-Daily-Multi%2C-500-Tablets.product.11491625.html   Multivitamin recommendations Kirkland https://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signature-Vitamin-1000-Tablets/dp/B072FSTWC9/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=224059489338&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9028321&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=b&hvrand=12137960692522913491&hvtargid=kwd-328039096307&keywords=kirkland+vitamin+d3+1000+iu&qid=1550445105&refinements=p_89%3AKirkland+Signature&rnid=2528832011&s=gateway&sr=8-1&tag=googhydr-20 Jamieson https://www.jamiesonvitamins.com/products/vitamin-d-1-000-iu-1 Now Foods https://www.nowfoods.com/supplements/vitamin-d-3-1000-iu-softgels Solgar https://www.amazon.com/Solgar-Vitamin-Cholecalciferol-Vegetable-Capsules/dp/B0037U85OS/ref=sr_1_4?hvadid=214334601967&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9028321&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=15555087998866026245&hvtargid=kwd-328785787345&keywords=solgar+-+vitamin+d3&qid=1550445353&s=hpc&sr=1-4&tag=googhydr-20 Webber Naturals https://webbernaturals.com/en-ca/product/vitamin-d3/   Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/  

Links: Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ In this episode, we're going to get right back into it. Glucose disposal agents (0:40) are the last health supplement we want to talk about. They're often marketed as the supplement that will help push those extra carbs (i.e. that you consume from say a "cheat meal") to the right places. However, what we're finding is that there is little to no effect of this for the average/healthy individual. While you're listening, keep in mind that nothing you take will fix everything; it's an all encompassing approach. Moving on, we talk about our top two recommended performance supplements (5:42). The first is creatine monohydrate, which will help improve your performance in the gym. You have the option to take 20g per day for a week, then just 5g daily afterwards or start with 5g a day and take that consistently - both will lead to the same results. Continue listening if you want a more in depth explanation. Next, we have caffeine (19:11). Caffeine can help improve your cognitive performance, strength output, and overall workload capacity. Because each individual has different tolerance levels, you'll have to find the dosage that works best for you. You also want to keep in mind that caffeine does have a half life of about 8 hours, as well as the easy possibility of taking in too much and overdosing on it (23:05). To finish out this episode, we discuss citrulline malate (28:24) - a supplement that isn't backed by science but is used by most individuals to help get a "pump." Lastly, we touch on beta alanine (33:07). For those of you that are familiar with this one, it makes you feel tingly and like you're skin is crawling. We explain both of these in more detail in the episode, so be sure to listen until the end.   Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/  

Links: Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ In this episode, we talk about how to smash weight and fat loss plateaus. To begin, we define what a plateau is (1:24) and explain what happens when you first start losing weight (2:22). You'll learn more about this in the episode itself but at the beginning, your first initial drop can be pretty significant due to losing water weight. However, after that, you'll see more consistent progress (3:20). Next, we move on to a few compounding variables that can make a difference in your weight loss (4:57). These can include but aren't limited to - sleep quality, overall stress levels, and whether or not you're able to go to the bathroom. In terms of stress, we dive deeper into cortisol (12:53), which is the stress hormone can have both beneficial and negative impacts on your body. Remember that you have to earn the right to lose fat and that your body will fight you. So if you're chronically stressed out, you won't lose the weight. Then to wrap this episode up, we explain how high stress training (18:02), as well as high sodium levels (18:47) can impact your weight. Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/

Links: Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ In this episode, we pick back up where we left off with dehydration (0:23). Water is arguably one of the most important things in our body, so you can see an acute spike in your weight if you're drinking too little or too much water. Females should aim for roughly 3 liters per day and males, 4 liters. And when it comes to weighing yourself, you want to do this first thing in the morning (preferably) after you use the restroom. Moving on, let's talk about the menstrual cycle for females, which will also cause water retention. The majority of the female population will say they feel bloated and watery for the time being; however, depending on the individual, there is a large variability in regards to how much weight will be gained. For example, one female might gain 3 lbs but another, 10 lbs. Now that we've talked about a few of the compounding variables, let's discuss how to determine if you've truly hit a plateau (6:54) and if you have, what you can do about it. The first thing is to look at your weekly average. Instead of looking at your weight from just one day, compare two weekly averages to each other. If you're not seeing a change, reduce either your carbs or fats somewhere between 5-10%. Another option is to implement a refeed or diet break (6:54). One is more of a calculated approach while the other is seen more as a "cheat day." To learn more, be sure to listen to the entire episode where we take a deeper dive into what each approach entails. And to finish up this two part episode around smashing plateaus, we explain how you can find your new maintenance level calories after dieting for X weeks (17:43). To reiterate, remember to look at your weekly average of weigh-ins (20:45). Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/

Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ In this episode, we talk about metabolism and why yours isn't broken. Before we start, we define what metabolism is (1:30). And once you have a better understanding, from a scientific perspective, we dive into detail of what your metabolic rate is made of up (1:58). First, we have your basal metabolic rate, which is the energy you need to stay alive. For example, the energy you're going to expend just laying down. Second, we have your non-resting energy expenditure (3:30), which is the energy you expend when you're not at rest. There are two parts to this: your physical activity/movement and your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Within the fitness community, there's an interesting conversation around this topic (4:33) and that includes those NEAT liars (7:34). Third, we have the thermic effect of food (8:42) and that's the energy required to digest the food that you're eating.   Now that we've talked about what your metabolic rate includes, let's look at a few variances (9:03). The biggest one here is going to be tied to NEAT (10:04). If you want to hear more, be sure to continue listening. As we wrap up this episode, we answer two questions. The first is whether or not your metabolism really is broken (15:42). Because there's a discrepancy between people underreporting what they're eating while over reporting their energy expenditure, they think their metabolism is broken. And the second, does your metabolism slow down as you age (25:50)? Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/

Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ In this episode, we discuss the ever-so popular debate of your calories vs. your hormones. To start things off, we talk about what is actually happening (2:01). In one corner, you have calories in vs. calories out and in the other corner, you have the hormone model. The hormone model, which is also known as the carb model, says that you get a spike in insulin when you eat carbs. However, research shows that insulin doesn't have the role that people believe it does (6:13) and that it will raise whether coming from a carb or protein source. This is because your body sees nutrients as nutrients and nothing less or more (8:50). Moving on, we explain fat storage and the process of how your body stores body fat (9:30), as well as how our hormones affect our metabolic rate (14:49). The punch line here is that not only are your hormones are important, but will impact your hunger levels (19:13). Yes, your hormones can cause you to burn less energy but if you want to lose weight, you can drop your energy intake. Remember that you need a certain amount of dietary fat to produce those life giving hormones that are necessary to put you in the best position to succeed (22:28). Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/

Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ In today's episode, we're talking about artificial sweeteners, what we actually know, and giving you an unbiased opinion to what they actually are. We start off by explaining what artificial sweeteners, also referred to as non-nutritive sweeteners, are (1:21) and what the biggest advantage to consuming them is (2:43). Keeping everything we've talked about thus far in mind, it's important to understand the nutritional hierarchy of importance - calories in vs. calories out (3.58). Since we've covered the basics of artificial sweeteners, we go into explaining the three different types. First, we have aspartame (5:56), which is the most common sweetener in diet beverages and is made up of 2 amino acids. The maximum amount that the FDA says can be consumed is 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. However, this recommendation is 10x less than what they actually think is the maximum dosage and that is to protect themselves (7:56). Second, we have sucralose (10:15). Sucralose is made to imitate table sugar in its taste and is used in the majority of your protein powders, bars, etc. The FDA recommends no more than 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day, but keep in mind that "per day" is over the span over a long period of time. And lastly, we have stevia (17:43), which is an extract from the stevia leaf. Stevia is  sweeter than sucralose and the FDA has approved 4 milligrams of killiograms of bodyweight per day. At the end of the day, your body doesn't see the various artificial sweeteners differently (21:52). In fact, it has no idea what specific ones you're consuming so it is okay to have them in moderation (23:33). Now to wrap this episode up, we explain what meta analysis (25:04) is and dive deeper into detail in regards to the studies done on artificial sweeteners, as well as discuss what we know about artificial sweeteners in the microbiome (34:05). Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.com Miguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/

Show Notes/All Resources from Episode: https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com/podcast-show-notes/ Zach's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/ The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle website - https://www.flexibledietinglifestyle.com Miguel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mblacutt/ Miguel's website - https://miguelblacutt.comMiguel's coaching - http://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/

In today's episode, we're talking about my nutritional journey. Miguel kicks things off by asking me what led me to start caring about food and nutrition (5:02). Although I was extremely active - surfing during the day and playing basketball all night, I didn't know what a vegetable was. Instead of thinking about what I was eating, I ate whatever I wanted until 20 years old. That was until I suffered from a career ending injury and, after speaking with my mentor, realized things needed to be turned around (11:10). So in late 2011, I searched "what is the best diet" in Google and came across the Paleo Diet. While this approach led to weight loss, it also led to me having an all out "cheat day" every 7 to 10 days (15:10). After following the Paleo Diet for over a year, I decided to get my PN certifications and start learning from other, highly respected individuals within the industry (18:28). This was when I came across macros and started tracking my food. However, this approach didn't better my relationship with food since I was solely trying to fit in all of those "junk" foods. Once I realized that I was overeating almost every single day, that's when I decided to start remaking those foods to be more macro friendly. Now, years later, I'm at a point where I look at each day as a whole and how nutrition can help me live my best life (22:15). Continue listening to hear me talk about why I chose to continue learning more about nutrition after I recovered from my injury (25:27), as well as whether or not I was controlled by wanting to maximize food volume (30:30). To wrap things up, I dive into my thoughts on body dysmorphia (35:17). When you get to a point where you're seeing results, it's so important to be careful to not become too obsessive. Remember this - when you look in the mirror, your natural inclination is going to be to point out what you don't like about your body and what you want to improve.