What "Eating Healthy" VS "Eating Properly To Feed The Body" really does!

After 15 countless years in and out of the gym,   I was at least what I considered to be in good shape.  I lifted pretty decent weight amounts, had endurance both in the muscle and with calisthenics, but I still just could never get that “LOOK” I wanted.  You know that sick, ripped, shredded look that makes people stare and turn their heads as you walk by without a shirt on.  A shape so stunning  people just can’t help but admire the hard work and discipline that you have put into sculpting every rock hard curve and crevasse.

Although I hit the gym regularly and watched what I ate (so I thought), I just could not get my body to look like that dude in the magazine or the one on the internet.

 

(Before I go any further, I just want to make a very strong point, especially to anyone younger out there that may be reading this, that I DO NOT in any way, shape or form recommend that you compare yourself to ANYONE in the magazines….EVER!  This goes for us adults as well! Airbrushes, spray tans, makeup, technology and accessories can make us ALL look like stars.  Focus instead on being the best of YOU that YOU can be!  We are all beautiful people in our own way and we are ALL here for a reason.   With that being said, please keep in mind I have a few screws loose and my mind does not function normally (it’s a good trait of most special ops members) But as one of my favorite people Ellen D says,  “Be kind to one another”, you should definitely all learn to also be kind to yourselves"!   Sure be hard and push yourself, but be real at the same time.) 

The problem is my friends; it had absolutely NOTHING to do with my workouts at all.  In fact, I worked out like a Fucking Freak of nature.  I would leave the gym daily (6 days a week) dripping with sweat, mentally and physically exhausted and drained!    I would do workouts that would make some grown men cry…..SERIOUSLY it has happened!  These were not for the weak minded at all.
The TRUE problem lied a little deeper than just workouts.  You see, I ate what I thought was a “healthy diet”, but once I took the time to dig into my studies a little deeper, I began to understand  more and more that it really did have to do with proper “diet”  more than anything else!  I had read that a MILLION times over and over again as I am sure most of you have as well.  Problem is, I guess I just didn't really understand it.   Sure you still must bust your ass in the gym and work out like a freak of nature.  Good things don’t come easy, especially in the building of the body world.  But if you are not  feeding your body what it needs and when it needs it, the pieces of the puzzle are just NEVER going to come together for you!
In order to make it all come together for you, you have to understand which “body type” you are.  Body types used to fall into only 3 different categories.  As time went on and science became more advanced, there are now 2 more categories for a total of 5 in which your body type could fall into.   Ectomorphs, Endomorphs, Mesomorphs, Endo-Meso and  Ecto-Meso.

• Ectomorphs: naturally skinny types.  Hard gainers of both muscle and fat with small joints and slight builds that can eat and eat and eat and really never make a dent in either weight or body composition.
• Endomorphs: easy gainers of both muscle and fat, and retain muscle as seamlessly as they retain fat.
• Mesomorphs: naturally lucky SOB’s we all aspire to be, but few of us are.  These are the people that are built like rocks in like the 5^th grade all while they eat cupcakes all day long.
• Endo-Meso: easy gainers of muscle with a greater need to diet than a true mesomorph.  These people are not fat bellies though and can lose weight more rapidly that a true endomorphic type.
• Ecto-Meso: Packs on muscle easily, but still needs to eat like a wild beast of nature to make gains.

So now that we have figured out what our body types are, you have to figure out what your MACRO NUTRIENT counts must be.  What are macro nutrients you might be asking yourself?

• Macros are simply broken down into the amount of Protein, Carbs and Fats we eat in the course of the day.
• Micro nutrients are all the other such as vitamin A, C, D and so on.

To understand your macro count, you must first understand how the 3 types break down.  Protein is the food that your muscles feed on to sustain them.  They are non-negotiable in any diet where body composition changes are desired.  Although there are many different studies that have been done to this day about how much protein is actually needed, the general rule of thumb is 1g per pound of body weight at the very least.  For those people that are athletes or train like one, it is recommended that you consume more protein than 1 gram per pound.  Some experts even argue it is up to 2g per pound as others say 2g is not needed.  It’s up to you to figure out what YOUR specific body reacts best to.

Now unlike proteins, carbs and fats are both energy sources for the body.  Carbs are 4.5 calories per gram while Fats on the other hand are twice as much with 9 calories per gram.  Those of you looking to build NEW LEAN MUSCLE should not be afraid of a little FAT, as double calorie-dense fat has been shown to increase testosterone production, and provide sustained levels to both strength and endurance athletes alike!

While the human body reacts metabolically and hormonally to all macro nutrients, it reacts with the most volatility to carbohydrates.  This is the part of the equation that makes this so difficult!  You see, a calorie is NEVER a calorie, and macro nutrient types are very rarely created equal.   This is the #1 main reason as to why some of the FAD DIETS out there work so well for some and bomb with others.  Everyone is different; that's what makes us each unique.  Some people are just going to be genetically gifted and most others, including myself, are going to have to work your asses off for it!
With the proper diet, macro count, and workout plan, ANYONE,  no matter who you are or who you came from can pack on size and lean muscle.  Anyone can lose the weight they put on and don’t want anymore!  Anyone can seriously do this, but the strong minded are the ones who will persevere.

To wrap this all up and show you what the power of eating properly can do, I have posted up a couple pictures here of myself.   The first picture of me holding my daughter up above my head was taken on November 1^st, 2012.  If you look close, you can tell that I definitely had a good solid base  but I also had a high body fat %.  The other pictures shown below were taken the second and last week of April, 2013.   We are only talking 6 months here people from one to the other.  Look at the difference in body fat % and look at how more lean and ripped I was able to get myself!  I was pretty amazed when I put these side by side the other day, as when you look at yourself daily, you can never really see the changes that are happening little by little inside of you.

 

 

 

 

 

I am not going to sit here and bullshit you and tell you that it was easy because it was NOT at all!  I have been hitting the gym for 2 times a day now for quite a while now.  Sure I take time off to recoup and recover, but I push my body to its limits all the time.  I am usually at the gym for 0430 blasting out a cardio and core session and then I am back again at 1700 for weight training.  I spend about 1 ½ hrs on either Saturday or Sunday meal prepping for the week ahead.  I am constantly changing up my workouts usually on a monthly basis.  I NEVER and I mean NEVER miss a day of training.  I would have to be seriously fucking ill to miss a day;  like in the hospital hooked up to monitors or something.  I am determined to succeed and WIN.  Win at what you say, just WIN at life itself.  I regular y compete in Obstacle course races, I love the outdoors and get on trails for hikes as much as possible.  I am entering my first stages of bodybuilding competitions, I am a role model for my daughter and others, I am a trainer, and I refuse to not take life by the balls and call it MINE!
Take the time to understand your body and how it works.  Take the time to take care of it, as it’s the only one you will ever have!  Just take a little time each day for yourself.  I promise you, you will never regret a great workout and eating healthy once you begin.  The feelings you get, the friends you make, the way you feel, and the energy you will possess will astonish you.