The reason for the struggle is that it’s not clear where to begin to fix the problem. It’s not like eating one food suddenly improves your diet.

In fact, you’re likely already aware of what stands in your way. We hear three common barriers: 

1. Time (or lack thereof)
2. Confusion (not being sure of what to do or believe)
3. Motivation

A lack of time is a struggle for everyone. But, trying to make time becomes easier if you can eliminate confusion and increases motivation. 

And, despite being different issues, they are both deeply connected.

What Prevents Good Diets From Working

In the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, authors Chip and Dan Heath explain that your lack of clarity undercuts both.

In their book, the Heath Brothers were speaking about business and answering the question, “Why won’t your employees do what you want?”

The answer is “Because they don’t know exactly what that is, or how to do it.”

That’s true for your health, too.

Let’s say you set out to make a big change in your life, such as losing 10, 20, or even 100 pounds. It feels exciting but also overwhelming. After all, you think to yourself, “I need to adjust my diet, exercise, and even my sleep. Where do I start?”

Maybe you decide to start by eating better, but what exactly does that mean?

Or, you say: “I’m going to work out more.” But, in the back of your mind, you wonder, “How much is ‘more’? Will it be enough to make a difference? And do I really have the time for that?”

These are the sorts of questions that can kill your motivation before you even begin. You aren’t sure what to do next, so you do nothing. Or, maybe you take a step or two, but then feel you aren’t getting results. Soon, the entire plan starts falling apart.

When you aren’t confident that a change is going to make a difference, it’s hard to truly commit to that change.

4 Habits That Make Any Diet More Effective

Before you can gain confidence in your plan, it helps to have more clarity in your plan.

The Heath Brothers explain that when you know exactly what changes to make — and you see them make a difference — you want to keep doing them.

That’s essentially the same idea behind habit-based coaching. You take one step, then another, and another.

The changes needed for weight loss start with something that seems simple. Painfully simple. Perhaps, even boring.

If you’re looking to build a healthy diet, it doesn’t start with extreme restrictions, blood tests, or need to measure every ounce of food. It begins with habits that help put you in control of your diet, no matter your food preferences or lifestyle.

This includes time-tested techniques such as:

• Eating slowly
• Chewing more
• Getting enough vegetables and fruit (yes, fruit. Fruits are not evil. Neither are carbs.)
• Sleeping 7-8 hours a night

All those habits are a big part of an effective diet plan, but you rarely hear them discussed.

Eating slowly and chewing more helps ensure that the right signals are sent to your brain to indicate when you’re full. 

Fruits and vegetables keep you fuller for longer, are loaded with valuable nutrients, and have been proven to help you eat less of the things you love but know you need to limit (hello brownie sundae).

And, sleep is likely the most-underrated diet secret because lack of sleep does everything from make you hungry to increase your cravings for salty and sweet foods.

All of that knowledge is great, but following those simple habits can feel like a chore. So, how can you “make yourself” do it?

How to Stay Motivated (Even When The Scale Goes Up)

Motivation is tricky because it feels as if it’s just a decision, but it’s actually far more complex. Motivation is actually part-psychology and part-biology, according to Eleanor Simpson, associate professor of clinical neurobiology at Columbia University.

Beneath every choice you make, your brain does a complex cost-benefit analysis. The calculation takes into account your surroundings, your history, and how you are feeling at that very moment.

That math is more likely to come out in your favor if you’re already seeing results. Think about it: when you’re down a pound or two from last week, or you feel a little stronger in your next workout, it’s easier to keep pushing and believe you’re on the right track.

But, what if you’re just getting started, feeling stuck, or you’re not seeing any changes? This is when you lose faith and motivation, and even the best plan falls apart.

That’s when you need to realize two things:

1. Remember that weight fluctuation (spikes, dips, and plateaus) are part of the process. Within any given week, if you weigh yourself daily, you’ll see days where your weight goes up. This is normal. It could be a result of how you slept, whether you had more salt or carbs than usual, stress levels, and several other reasons. But, assuming you’re staying on track with your plan, the weekly and monthly trend should be headed down, which is exactly what matters.
2. To help you get through those days when you see a spike or you “don’t feel like it,” make sure you’ve connected your goals to a larger mission. Or, you need to remind yourself what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and that it’s time to get things done and make your goals a reality, even if it feels like it’s not going to happen. 

How to Stick To Your Diet 

If you’re looking for a simple technique to help keep yourself accountable, you might want to borrow a tactic that comes from General Stanley McChrystal, a retired four-star general who once led the U.S.’s Joint Special Operations Command, which oversees units like the Navy SEALs and Army Rangers. 

According to motivation writer Eric Barker, McChrystal always tells his soldiers:

1. Here’s what I’m asking you to do.
2. Here’s why it’s important.
3. Here’s why I know you can do it.
4. Think about what you’ve done together before.
5. Now let’s go and do it.

Now imagine this as a conversation between you and your body. You say:

1. I’m asking you to go for a walk three times per week.
2. It’s important because we’re trying to shed 20 pounds and walking burns calories.
3. I know you can do it because you walk from your parking spot to the office every morning.
4. You’ve dedicated hours at a time to those TPS reports at work, so you have the attention span to do this.
5. Let’s go and get moving. 

Try that for any change you make this year. And if it doesn’t work, try listening to the Rocky theme before you do it.

That may sound ridiculous, but it’s effective. Barker explains that, when all else fails, energetic music can improve your performance. (And it doesn’t have to be Rocky. If you prefer hip hop, R&B or even metal, do your thing.) That’s not his opinion, it’s science.

Interested In A Custom Nutrition Plan?

At Born Fitness, we know every individual is unique. There’s no one-size-fits-all nutrition plan. Our team can develop a plan around your lifestyle to help you reach your goals.

If you’re looking for more personalization and hands-on support, our online coaching program may be right for you. Every client is assigned two coaches — one for nutrition and one for fitness. Find out more here. 

READ MORE: 

The Beginner’s Guide To Fat Loss

A New Approach To Fat Loss Nutrition

Eating At Night Does Not Make You Fat

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post What No One Tells You To Look For In A Healthy Diet appeared first on Born Fitness.

Why chai? Because it’s delicious.

Why protein — do you even need to ask?

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• ¾ scoop vanilla whey isolate protein powder* 
• ¼ cup full-fat Greek or Skyr yogurt, plain
• 1 tsp. Gaia vanilla chai maca powder**
• 1 tsp. honey, raw and unfiltered
• 1 tbsp. almond butter 
• 1 medium frozen banana
• Ice cubes 
• Cinnamon, for garnish

* We used BlueBonnet 100% all-natural whey isolate, vanilla creme flavor.

**If you have regular maca powder, then you can add 1 tsp. maca powder and ¼ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp. ground ginger and a dash of each of the following: allspice, cloves and cardamom.

Directions

1. Add all ingredients in a high-power blender.
2. Pulse until smooth.
3. Serve and enjoy immediately.

Nutritional Information & Macros

Dietary Information: Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Contains nuts & dairy

Macros per serving

• 341 calories
• 9g fat
• 26g carbs
• 39g protein

READ MORE: 

Is Coffee Bad for Your Health? 

Cinnamon Vanilla Protein Cake Batter 

The Ultimate Hangover Cure

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post Chai Protein Shake with Maca Powder appeared first on Born Fitness.

Let that statement settle for a moment. It might be difficult for you to read. Especially after all of the research that has suggested, “fat doesn’t make you fat.”

That statement is still true — up to a point. The role of any macronutrient in your diet — whether protein, carbs, or fats — all walk a delicate balance between being good for weight loss and being good for your general health.

Just because you can go high-fat and lose weight doesn’t mean it’s great for your general health.

In the case of fat — or more appropriately, “healthy fat” — that balance has been lost. Some research has twisted an important fact (you need to eat fat in your diet) with a twisted version of reality (eat lots of healthy fat, from many different sources, and you’ll lose fat and never have health issues).

The reality: there’s a very simple way to know if you should be eating more or less fat in your diet (more on that in a moment). More importantly, many foods that have been recommended as a “healthy fat” aren’t actually that healthy. 

So where does that leave you? Let’s start with a few essential facts about your diet.  

If you prioritize calories and protein, then the amount of fat or carbohydrates you eat is a secondary concern. That’s based on the latest research shows, which shows calories are still king when it comes to weight loss.

In other words, figure out how many calories you need, prioritize protein (usually somewhere between .7g – 1g per pound of your goal bodyweight — although it can be less for some diets, such as if you follow a ketogenic plan), and then fill in the rest with carbs or fats. This is why research shows that both low-fat and low-carb diets help with weight loss. Because both can.

But, where does that leave you when it comes to eating healthy fat? In most cases, you’re probably still confused about what you should eat.

Should you load up on nuts? What about coconut oil, olive oil, and butter?

Just because you can go high-fat and lose weight doesn’t mean it’s great for your general health. After all, we have professors following Twinkie diets and losing nearly 30 pounds.

To understand the “healthy fat” debate, you need to hit refresh on the extremes (“Fat is bad!” “Fat is amazing!”) and take a different perspective. Not only will this new approach give you peace of mind, it’ll also help you understand what you can eat often, what is OK in moderate doses, and what you should completely avoid.  

What is a Healthy Fat?

The thing about the term “healthy” is that everything is relative. The answer will differ from person to person and depend on context.

For example, take the question of whether or not coconut oil is healthy. Start with the baseline: Healthy compared to what?

If the question is coconut oil vs. nothing – i.e. the alternative is starving – then yes, by all means, coconut oil is the better choice.

But if the question is coconut oil vs. another fat source, then you have a debate—one that will have different outcomes depending on the opponent. That’s because some fats are more beneficial than others.

For example, the PREDIMED study, which followed thousands of people over several years, showed that olive oil and nuts were linked with better overall cardiovascular health. By definition, both would be considered healthy fat.

“That was a landmark study because it showed hard events,” says Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, a physician and online health coach based in North Carolina. “Not just some little experimental data showing mechanistic changes in sensitivity, cholesterol or endothelium function. So, at the very least, you can say that olive oil and nuts are probably pretty healthy.”

Nadolsky says the same is true for avocados (and avocado oil), fish, and nut butter. They contain beneficial health properties over and above the presence of fat.

“Olive oil has polyphenols in it and cardioprotective properties, and so do nuts,” Nadolsky says. “We have data on olive oil, nuts, fish oil, and omega 3s.” So those fats are, in that sense, “good” for you.

So what are you to make of other supposed healthy fat sources like coconut oil?

The Coconut Oil Debate (And What it Teaches You About “Healthy Fat”)

The recent controversy about coconut oil started with small studies showing some benefits, which were then taken out of context.  

One study kinda-sorta suggested that coconut oil might inhibit the growth of certain bacteria.

Media translation: “Coconut oil is antimicrobial! Use it to clean your bathroom!” (<-Not true. Don’t do that.)

Another study showed that men who ate more medium-chain triglycerides, a type of fat present in coconut oil, lost a whopping one pound more than those who followed a “regular diet” over a 28-day period.

Media translation: “Coconut oil will make you skinny! Put a shovel of it in your coffee!” (<-Listen, you can do this if you want. But don’t expect anything special to happen.)

You get the idea. The nutrition industry consistently exhibits “irrational exuberance” about the benefits of certain foods. Combine that with marketing hype and a little myth, and before you know it, you have a “superfood.” 

In coconut oil’s case, the superfood train had well left the station in many people’s minds. And it was picking up steam until the American Heart Association released a report advising against the consumption of coconut oil. Suddenly, EEEERT!

The onslaught of ominous headlines denouncing coconut oil was immediate and ubiquitous. It’s a knee-jerk reaction that says if a food isn’t good, it must be bad.  That’s freaking out about a food’s supposed risks.

By and large, no single food is going to make or break your diet. You’ve been taught to view foods as “good” or “bad,” but that’s a gross oversimplification.

The biggest concern cited in the AHA report is that coconut oil is high in saturated fat. But anyone who’s even casually glanced at a coconut oil nutrition facts label would know that—it’s stated right there. And while saturated fat has been blamed wrongly for a lot of health problems, it’s also not something you can eat in any quantity. 

So what’s your move? Start with a better understanding of saturated fat.

“There are all sorts of different types of saturated fatty acids. It’s not just one molecule. Just as there are multiple polyunsaturated fatty acids—omega 3s, omega 6s, and so on—there are multiple types of saturated fatty acids, and they all have different effects on the body in the body,” says Nadolsky.

So saturated fat on its own isn’t a problem. Neither is cholesterol, necessarily. Whether or not a problem arises depends on the condition of your body—and especially your arterial walls—and how many lipoproteins you have in your system.  

“How does atherosclerosis (the hardening and narrowing of the arteries) actually happen?” Nadolsky asks. “Think of your arteries as a canal, the lipoproteins as boats, and cholesterol as those boats’ cargo. The more lipoproteins you have, the greater of a risk you run that the boats will go crashing into the canal’s walls. And when that happens, it causes the beginning of atherosclerosis or plaque build-up.”

Even if you don’t have a lot of “cargo” (cholesterol), you can still run into trouble if your canals are full of boats (lipoproteins).

So if you really want to know how much saturated fat you can have, go see a doctor and test your lipoprotein levels (apoB/LDL-P).

This will indicate how much eating saturated fat affects your body. Yes, that requires a visit to the doctor. But it’s worth it. And a lot better than playing a guessing game.

Healthy Fat vs. Available Fat (The A-Ha! Moment)

But what about this “MCT” everybody talks about when they discuss coconut oil? These are the “medium-chain triglycerides,” which people tout as a fat-burner because of the way the fat is broken down in your body.

To be clear: MCT can have health benefits as a healthy oil, but its reported benefits of melting fat from your body are significantly overstated. As we mentioned, when you look at the data from the study that is used as evidence of MCT’s fat-burning power, it shows that MCT oil led to just one pound of additional fat loss.

Second, the oil used in that study had a far greater concentration of MCT than what you’ll find in coconut oil. When researchers examined whether coconut oil had the same effect, they found that it did not affect fat oxidation in the same way. Bottom line: If you want to burn money (MCT ain’t cheap) for an extra pound, that’s your choice.

As nutrition researcher Alan Aragon pointed out in his research review, a curious detail about the studies cited in the recommendation is that some of the most damning studies of coconut oil used a hydrogenated version of the stuff. That’s an important point because hydrogenated anything isn’t healthy for you. “Hydrogenation of vegetable oil is a well-established way to [turn] a relatively neutral oil into a threat to cardiovascular health,” Aragon writes.

But it’s pretty easy to avoid this problem: Simply buy the extra virgin version of any oil you buy, coconut oil included. (If you stop reading this article right now, that’s a tip that will provide some insurance to upgrade your shopping behavior.)

So where are we left? Is Coconut oil good for you? Is it bad for you? The answer is: It’s neither.

“You will not receive any magical benefits from eating coconut oil,” Nadolsky says. “Coconut oil is not going to kill you, either, so long as you’re not eating gobs and gobs of it.”

That answer holds true for a lot of other fat sources, too. Most of them are what they are: a source of fat, the most calorie-dense of all macronutrients. (Proteins and carbs have four calories per gram, while the same unit of fat packs nine calories.) They can be helpful for greasing pans when you’re making eggs or pancakes. And, it’s fine to consume them in moderation.

Fat is an essential nutrient. Your body requires it in order to survive. 

“Butter and coconut oil are not ‘bad’ for you,” Nadolsky says. “They are perfectly acceptable fat sources. But you shouldn’t go out of your way to eat more of them. There’s no proven benefit to doing so—and there are some documented risks.”

There are really only two fats you should avoid all the time: Trans fats (but you already knew that), and nuts — if you have an allergy (you knew that too).

For nearly everything else—butter, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, and so on—you can feel free to eat them within moderation, and without guilt. These are the “available” fats. You’re not bringing your body one step closer to death by eating them. You’re also not doing it any big favors. You’re simply supplying it with an essential macronutrient.

Are there “better” or “healthier” sources of fat? Yes.

Olive oil, nuts, and seeds contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats with demonstrated health benefits that have held up in studies. But that doesn’t mean you need to only eat them.

You should also know that simply adding a “healthy” fat source to an otherwise crappy diet (one that’s high in calorie-dense packaged foods and low in fruits, vegetables, and whole foods) will not make you healthier. In fact, it could make you less healthy if the additional calories you pile onto that crappy diet take you over your daily caloric intake, and lead to fat gain.

“If you do it in the extreme, you could see extreme changes,” Nadolsky says. “And not in a good way.”

The Quick Guide to Healthy Fat (AKA What You Should Eat)

READ MORE: 

How Much Fat Should I Eat?

Do Carbs Actually Make You Fat?

Winning the War on Hunger: Practical Solutions to Overeating

The post Healthy Fat: Which Foods Should You Really Be Eating? appeared first on Born Fitness.

I’m pretty worried right now. Every time I want to enjoy eating out, being social, or even the holidays, all the diet plans I try just stress me out. How do I make this work without losing my mind?

The question was fair but frustrating, and only because he was one of 100 people to ask almost the same question.

I could only wonder and regret, “How the did we get to this point?”

This “point” is a place where the most commonly held belief is that fitness and nutrition are black and white. “Healthy eating” and most “diet plans” are experienced as an overwhelming and depressing shade of stressful perfection, oftentimes created by popular diet books. Ask most people, and they believe the most effective diet and training plan consists of two primary concepts:

1. You can’t indulge and still look great
2. You must train or exercise all the time to be fit, look great, and be healthy.

The healthiest diet plans and most effective nutrition strategies focus are not about superfoods, scapegoats, or supplements. Rather, if there’s one reality that we see in research (from Atkins to The Zone), consistency, sustainability, and patience are the foundations of a good plan and prevent diet failure. And when done right, any diet and fitness plan should be built to withstand desserts, days off, and daiquiris. (Yeah, I said daiquiris. I guess “drinks” would have been a little manlier.)

This applies year-round, but it is especially important during the holiday season where many people that have worked hard throughout the year are worried about blowing it all in a couple of weeks.

Not. Going. To. Happen.

The same can be said for people that weren’t so healthy throughout the year. You can start the process of undoing your struggles by shifting your mindset towards something new; an approach that might just knock over the first domino to better health and put an end to the yearly struggle.

Hit Refresh: What Healthy Diet Plans Should Look Like

Let’s take a step back from goals like fat loss, healthy eating, and body transformation. Start by ditching whatever inflexible mindset you have about what it takes to look and feel good. That doesn’t mean you should say, “screw it” and not worry about your behaviors and actions.

But it does mean you should understand the context of what it means to be healthy, and how seemingly good behaviors can become obsessive and dangerous, and most importantly deceive you into believing you must follow certain “extreme” measures to be fit.

Before you start any plan, here’s a checklist that matters more than any weight-loss promise:

Healthy is enjoying your life.
Healthy is finding the right situations to eat the foods you love.
Healthy is not worrying if you miss a day you planned to exercise, especially if it’s because you’re doing something better with your time.

Born Fitness, was built on the principle of balance, honesty, and keeping it real so you don’t waste your time or risk your health in an attempt to become better. I don’t care if you’re a professional bodybuilder or a recreational couch surfer — we all need balance.

How will I eat during the holidays or a night out? However I please. And I recommend you try something similar.

Your goal is to separate what it takes to change your body from what sounds helpful but isn’t needed. It can be as simple as a two-step filter:

1. Add the good
2. Remove the bad, and that includes the rigidity of diets you can’t stand (you hear me, diets that say you can’t eat at night) and workouts that aren’t fun.

Do your best to train hard, passionately, and relentlessly. But if you miss days don’t sweat it.

Your job is to prioritize your health but not be perfect with it, especially during the holidays. The people you spend time with and the memories you make count more than any one workout.

That’s not an excuse or a lack of commitment to your fitness. Anyone who suggests that is only spreading the venom of their own insecurities and fears. If they choose to stay strict it can be perfectly healthy… if it’s their choice. But that doesn’t mean it has to be yours.

Instead, focus a mindset that helps you establish balance and peace of mind. Ultimately, it will probably lead to more consistency, better workouts, and improved diet compliance. That’s what happens when you have freedom and don’t need to stress the small things.

If you need a place to start, find an area that’s tough for you — such as eating carbs — and follow a more realistic approach.

Your workouts and eating habits should be a priority, but not always the top priority. Use your judgment about what’s important and enjoy.

Your body wouldn’t have it any other way.

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post Why 99% of Diet Plans Really Fail (Hint: It’s Not Dessert) appeared first on Born Fitness.

You can use it as a dip or be creative. Spread the tomato basil hummus on an Ezekiel wrap, add grilled chicken slices and arugula for a quick lunch or use it as a marinade on white fish, wrap it up in aluminum foil and bake until cooked thoroughly.

Why It’s a Healthy Recipe

Garbanzo beans—or chickpeas—are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, which aids in digestion and has shown to help with losing weight.

Garbanzo beans—or chickpeas—are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, which aids in digestion and has shown to help with losing weight.

Ingredients

• 1, 15-oz can low-sodium garbanzo beans
• 1 fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tsp water
• 7-8 grape tomatoes
• 3-4 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Dash of cumin
• Dash of sea salt
• Dash of white pepper

*Yields about 1.8 to 2 cups of hummus. One serving is 2 tablespoons.

Directions

1. Rinse the chickpeas under cold water. We recommend rinsing all canned food to help clear out some of the preservatives used in packing. In a food processor or blender, add all the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Nutritional Information & Macros

Dietary Information: Gluten-free, Paleo, vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, no added sugar, Low-Fat

Macros per serving (2 tbsp):

• 32 calories
• 1g fat
• 4.3g carbs
• 1.3g protein

The post One-Step Tomato Basil Hummus appeared first on Born Fitness.