7 Rules of My Highly Successful Diet
The seven rules of my muscle-building, fat-burning nutrition plan and an inside look at how I implement them within my exact diet.
Over the course of this year, I have given you an inside look at each of my own personal training phases. But I have yet to give you an inside look at my daily nutrition. I think it's important how to look at how I feed myself for maximum results.
The real reason that I haven't covered my nutrition yet in 2012 is that I have been experimenting with new and different concepts (intermittent fasting being one of them). And through all of this experimentation, nothing wowed me or my physique. And with that, it kept me in constant experimentation mode without any real confidence in any one of them to put them down in words.
It wasn't till this past phase of training when I went back to my bodybuilding roots. Looking back at what worked best at building that physique that you see at the top of this page, it was only logical to look at the training AND the nutrition.
I can say with complete confidence that, in the last month, I have zeroed in on the perfect plan to build muscle and burn fat simultaneously. And I don't count calories! I just make sure I stick to a few simple rules when feeding myself.
Here are the 7 main rules behind my nutrition plan:
1. Eat every 2 to 3 hours.
I do this no matter what. I'm don't necessarily eat a full meal every 2-3 hours but I do make sure to get some form of quality nutrients in me. Overall, I have 7-8 feedings a day usually in the form of 3 meals, 2 snacks, and 2-3 shakes. With each of these meals, I do try to conform to the other rules below.
2. Eat complete, lean protein each time I eat.
Every time I eat, I can tell you that there is something that was an animal or came from an animal. Norms in my diet include:
- egg whites
- chicken
- grass-fed beef
- Greek yogurt
- jerky (beef, ostrich, turkey, or buffalo)
- protein powders and meal replacement shakes/bars
Even if I was a vegetarian, this rule would still apply. I would just need to find non-animal sources of complete protein.
3. Make sure to eat my share of vegetables.
Most people don't eat enough vegetables in their day. Next to a complete, lean protein source, vegetables are the second most important food in our fitness pyramid. I make sure to eat some vegetables in at least 2-3 of my daily snacks/meals.
4. Eat some fruit, but don't overdo it
I used to shun fruit for fear of the sugar. But the fact is that the phytonutrients in fruit as well as their effect on our ph balance (alkaline to acid levels) is quite beneficial. Also, I have a sweet tooth. I notice that when I include daily servings of fruit in my diet, I don't have the sweet cravings that I've had in my history.
But I am careful. Fruit is can still be too much sugar for my goals if I eat too much of it. I will include 2-3 servings a day, and I make sure that each time I include fruit in a feeding that it's JUST ONE SERVING. Common fruits that I include in my day are a banana, an orange, and/or a cup of mixed berries.
5. Eat all other carbs when they are best absorbed.
If I want to eat a carbohydrate that's not a fruit or a vegetable (this includes things like rice, pasta, potatoes, whole grain breads, etc), I save it for the two times I know that they will be utilized the best: at breakfast and immediately post-workout. This is where you will find me eating healthy grains such as oatmeal and those found in the meal replacement bars I utilize. For the rest of the day, I eat lean protein and a delicious selection of fruits and lots of veggies.
6. Make sure to get in a daily dose of healthy fats.
There are 3 types of fat and it's actually healthy to consume all 3 kinds in a balance...as long as none of them are overdone. I don't have to look to add saturated fat into my diet as that will naturally be present from the animal proteins I consume. I do have to make sure that I am conscious of ingesting some monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats throughout my day. While I must admit that most of what I take in comes in the form of supplemental flax and fish oil, I often include mixed nuts, olives, and extra virgin olive oil. I do warn people to know their serving size. This is a macronutrient where it can be too much of a good thing if you're not careful. At 9 calories per gram, it can add up fast. A little goes a long way when it comes to healthy fats.
7. NEVER consume a large amount of fats and carbs in the same meal.
How we combine our nutrients can have a profound effect on our body's hormonal response to each meal. When the goal is to avoid fat storage, I believe it's critical to avoid the presence of fatty acids and insulin in your blood stream at the same time. Why? Carbs cause the storage hormone insulin to be released. Fat ingestion leads to large amounts of fatty acids in the blood. Insulin + fat = storage of fat. This is why that with all of my feeding, I always consume a protein but will add either carbs or fat (but not both). My two approved meals look like this:
- Protein + Fat meals (with less than 10 grams of carbs)
- Protein + Carb meals (with less than 10 grams of fat)
*Note - Fibrous vegetables do not count as an insulin stimulating carbohydrate.
A Day (or Three) In The Life....
My schedule is somewhat different than most people. Yet, it's very similar to many that make their career in personal training. I'm definitely not a 9 to 5 kind of guy. Depending on my client load, some days are harder than others to find time to feed myself. But with some planning in advance (like...the day before), I can prepare and stick to my 7 rules without issue.
What you are about to see are 3 different days in the life of Jim Cipriani, CT's leading personal trainer. You'll notice that as much as I eat pretty much the same things each day, there are some tweaks made to each day so I can adhere to my 7 rules. Some days I will have more shakes. Some days I will have more "real" food. And some days I may fit in more overall meals. Here is your inside look:
Monday 8/13/12
6 AM: 8 oz egg whites (topped with Frank's Hot Sauce), 1 serving oatmeal (mixed with 1 banana and sprinkle of cinnamon), 1 cup coffee (black, 1 packet Truvia)
9 AM: Meal Replacement Shake
12 PM: 6 oz Chicken Breast (topped with 1/2 cup natural tomato sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese) and 1 cup chopped broccoli
3:30 PM: Meal Replacement Bar
5 PM (pre-workout): 5 gms BCAA, 5 gms l-Glutamine, 1 scoop of pre-workout stimulant (I use Labrada Nutrition's StimForce) all mixed in 12 oz water
6:30 PM (post-workout): 5 gms BCAA, 5 gms l-Glutamine, 5 gms Creatine all mixed in 12 oz water
7:00 PM: Same as 12 PM meal
8:30 PM (post-dinner dessert/pre-bed snack): 6 oz plain Greek yogurt mixed with 1 cup mixed berries and 1 packet of Truvia
Insights on the above day: My first appointment isn't until 6 AM on Mondays. That extra hour in the morning allows me time to sit and eat some real food. Also worth noting is that, on Mondays, I'm usually coming off of my Cheat Day so I tend to be a little less hungry compared to other days in the week. Mondays tend to have one less meal early on in the day.
Tuesday 8/14/12
5 AM: Meal Replacement Shake with 5 grams Creatine
7:30 AM: 1 Stick of Ostrim Jerky, 1 Orange
10 AM: Meal Replacement Shake
12:30 PM: 6 oz Chicken Breast (topped with 1/2 cup natural tomato sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese) and 1 cup chopped broccoli
3:30 PM: Meal Replacement Bar and 1 cup of coffee
5 PM (pre-workout): 5 gms BCAA, 5 gms l-Glutamine, 1 scoop of pre-workout stimulant (I use Labrada Nutrition's StimForce) all mixed in 12 oz water
6:30 PM (post-workout): 5 gms BCAA, 5 gms l-Glutamine, 5 gms Creatine all mixed in 12 oz water
7:00 PM: Protein Shake
8 PM: 8 oz egg whites with chopped vegetables, 1 serving oatmeal mixed with 1 banana and cinnamon
Insights on the above day: My first appointment is at 5 AM, so I don't have a lot of time to sit and eat. So I start my day with a meal replacement shake. Being that I'm starting with that shake, I find I need to feed myself every two hours in the beginning of the day. Otherwise I start to feel catabolic. My client load has me going straight from 5 AM till 11 AM without much more than 5 minutes between appointments. Not a lot of time for a sit down feeding, but after that 1st meal shake I want something to chew. Jerky with a piece of fruit is perfect for filling this gap and splitting up the two morning shakes. On this particular day, I had one last appointment after my workout, that is why I had the shake first and meal later. Being that I was in that important post-workout window, I made sure to include some carbs in that last meal even though it was later in the night. Most Tuesdays I would actually have 2 more appointments after my workout. On these days, instead of the Protein Shake I would have a Meal Replacement shake that contains carbs at 7 PM and have my last meal of only lean proteins and vegetables around 9 PM.
Wednesday 8/15/12
5 AM: Meal Replacement Shake with 5 grams Creatine
7:30 AM: 1 Stick of Ostrim Jerky, 1 Orange
10 AM: Meal Replacement Shake
12:30 PM: 6 oz Chicken Breast (topped with 1/2 cup natural tomato sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese) and 1 cup chopped broccoli
3:30 PM: Meal Replacement Bar and 1 cup of coffee
5 PM (pre-workout): 5 gms BCAA, 5 gms l-Glutamine, 1 scoop of pre-workout stimulant (I use Labrada Nutrition's StimForce) all mixed in 12 oz water
6:30 PM (post-workout): 5 gms BCAA, 5 gms l-Glutamine, 5 gms Creatine all mixed in 12 oz water
7:00 PM: 8 oz grilled top round steak with asparagus
8:30 PM (post-dinner dessert/pre-bed snack): 6 oz plain Greek yogurt mixed with 1 cup mixed berries and 1 packet of Truvia
Insights on the above day: This day is like a fusion of the previous 2 days. It starts out like Tuesday and ends like Monday. I do like to include some form of red meat twice a week, so Wednesday's dinner is usually steak time.
There you have a look at 3 different days and how, even though they are somewhat different, all stick to the #1 overall rule of my nutrition: adhering to the 7 rules above.
The Cheat Day
I am someone who loves food. And I'm not a robot. As much as I love how I feel when I'm eating clean, mentally and physiologically there always comes a time when I need a break. I love my pizza. I love my ice creams. I love chocolate. I love...a lot of things that wouldn't help me reach my goals if I ate them on a regular basis.
But 100% nutritional discipline is not required to maximize progress. What I have learned from the days of Bill Phillip's Body for Life, through the research of Paul Cribb, and the teachings of John Berardi, the difference, in results, between 90% adherence to our nutrition programs and 100% adherence is negligible. So I allow myself to eat these rule-breaking foods 10% of the time.
It's important that if you do utilize this concept that you do the math and determine what 10% of the time really means. For example, I average 7 meals per day for 7 days of the week. That's 49 meals. 10% of 49 is about 5. Therefore I allow myself 5 meals each week to break my food rules. Remember this...breaking the rules doesn't just mean eating something bad. In the 10% rule you have to also count missing a meal as this is just as bad when it comes to trying to stimulate the metabolism.
I'm like most individuals in that I do best with this rule when I just warrant a "cheat day" where I can eat a couple of things I've been craving, miss a meal or two if needed, and stay on course 100% the other 6 days in the week.
Conclusion
If you made it this far in the article you are armed with some serious nutrition ammo that you can put to use instantly. If you can adhere to the above 7 habits of result-producing nutrition, I can just about guarantee that you will see a tremendous body transformation happening right before you very eyes...and quicker than you may imagine.
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James Cipriani
Cutting Edge Personal Training
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