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Step 3: Developing a Diet Plan

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One google search looking for the best diet for weight loss, the best diet for muscle growth, the best diet for longevity and you will be inundated with a myriad of pages ALL stating reasons why this particular diet is the absolute greatest. I am a firm believer that we are all different (animals and humans alike), have different needs, different goals, different lifestyles, and there is no one diet that is going to be a perfect fit for everyone. This may not be the answer you want to hear, but you may have to try (and occasionally fail) with certain diets before you find which one makes you feel the best and your body responds well with. Ultimately, the best diet is one that you can live with long term, and most diets that restrict ANYTHING especially carbs or fat, will undoubtedly lead you to a lack luster life and potentially create an unhealthy relationship with food.

 

Now, I am not saying that restricting fats or carbohydrates will not help you lose weight in the short term if that is your goal, but these are not strategies that can be maintained effortlessly for your entire life and thrive. In my personal opinion, the best diet for you will be one that you enjoy and you can maintain while not feeling deprived. I personally have tried a few different “fad diets” including intermittent fasting, keto, macro counting, and portion control. All of these at one point or another have helped me reach different goals, but the lifestyle that I live now is not as conducive to counting macros, I absolutely do not want to restrict carbs or fats, and I don’t necessarily like to fast during my working days in case an emergency walks through my door and I need to be able to manage that case with 100% mental focus and energy. The lifestyle change that is currently helping me reach my fitness goals and making me feel the most comfortable consists of allowing myself to eat what I want, when I want, but being mindful of my portions. If I want to indulge in a small piece of chocolate dessert dropped off by an appreciative client you better bet I’m going to have a taste. If I want to have a beer with friends after a seemingly endless day you better believe I’ll be there to celebrate. I make sure to keep working towards my goals by 1)eating enough protein during the day 2) being mindful of my carbohydrates and fats(I eat more carbohydrates around my workouts) and 3) indulging in tasty yet caloric dense foods in moderation (one savory taste goes a long way).

 

Again, this lifestyle fits me and my goals and will not work for everyone because we are all different, have different lives/jobs/needs, but the key here is that through trial and error I found what works best for me and makes me the happiest. I have restricted certain foods, completely eliminated alcohol, fasted for 18 hours every day and I won’t lie, I was the lowest % body fat I have ever been in my entire life. Although my goal at that time was to become as shredded as possible, that is no longer my goal. I realized yes I had achieved what I wanted, but I didn’t feel completely satisfied. This new body made me much happier, but I felt like it was a second job just monitoring what I ate, when I ate it, and it severely affected my social life with friends and family. I wasn’t near as happy as I am now by maintaining the body I can look at in the mirror and smile while eating my cake too (pun intended). By not limiting myself, but also being mindful of what I put into my body, I enjoy eating vegetables with most meals, eating lean meats occasionally, and sharing a piece of warm molten chocolate cake with loved ones for dessert. I have found what works for me and makes me the happiest through much trial and error, so I am not here to tell you what WILL work for you, but I want you to know there is no ONE super life hack diet that will solve the mystery and this is what you’ve been missing out on all of this time. Instead, make small changes, test your body, play with your macros focusing on protein ingestion if nothing else and LISTEN to your body’s response. See how you feel, trust the process, and keep working hard towards the life you deserve.

 

Now that we have you sorted, let’s briefly talk about your pet’s diet. Pet nutrition is one of the most asked questions I receive on a daily basis as a general practitioner! I will not lie to you, this is one of the most debated topics in not only the veterinary field but also the human field as well. Just as I stated above with people, I truly believe that there is not a single diet out there that fits every animal’s needs. This is why you should have a discussion with your veterinarian about what diet will best allow your pet to not only survive but thrive. Whether you prefer kibble, canned, home cooked, or raw, please have that discussion with your veterinarian and at the bare minimum make sure that your pet is meeting all of it’s nutritional requirements. But you don’t have to stop there, try to find a food that your pet can get excited about. There are more diets to choose from nowadays than ever before and it can be overwhelming to the general public on which food is appropriate for their dog. We absolutely need to make sure we are feeding appropriately based on age, activity level, pregnant/lactating, and consider any special conditions your pet may have such as digestion issues, kidney dysfunction, allergies, and many others. Don’t be scared of judgment when your vet asks you what you’ve been feeding your animals, we are not here to judge but to help inform you to the best of our ability to keep your pets happy and healthy! I for one LOVE it when people ask for my advice on pet food, because it shows that they care, and they want to make sure they are providing the best possible life for their pets. I have recently changed my dog’s diet to a cooked diet, formulated by veterinary nutritionists solely because Asher is an extremely picky eater, and my other dog Sadie is not! I have to leave for work early in the morning and sometimes Asher doesn’t want to eat his kibble, so I decided to change it up to something more palatable for him that still provides him the nutrition he needs and deserves. I know many people complain to me that they have to constantly monitor their dogs at home while eating because one doesn’t eat as fast as the other and if they turn their back for a second (or have to leave for work like me) they can’t ensure their pets are receiving the food they need. Again, I made the switch from kibble to cooked solely for increased palatability for Asher, and trust me when I say Sadie doesn’t care what I put in her bowl, EVERYTHING is highly palatable for her. This is just one example of what fits me and my dogs’ lifestyles the best. This has also improved my quality time with my animals because while I’m cooking my dinner at home (one of my 3 steps that has become routine) I can be heating up Asher and Sadie’s food on the stove as well, and let me tell you THEY LOVE THIS. They are so excited when I start busting out the pots and pans because they know dinner is about to get lit.

 

So if you don’t take anything else away from this post, please at least hear this. There is not one superior, ultimate, superfood diet that you OR your pet has been missing out on for all of these years. There is more than just one path to health, and sometimes you just won’t know what works best for you until you try it. Do your research, make educated decisions, and enjoy the process!

One google search looking for the best diet for weight loss, the best diet for muscle growth, the best diet for longevity and you will be inundated with a myriad of pages ALL stating reasons why this particular diet is the absolute greatest. I am a firm believer that we are all different (animals and humans alike), have different needs, different goals, different lifestyles, and there is no one diet that is going to be a perfect fit for everyone. This may not be the answer you want to hear, but you may have to try (and occasionally fail) with certain diets before you find which one makes you feel the best and your body responds well with. Ultimately, the best diet is one that you can live with long term, and most diets that restrict ANYTHING especially carbs or fat, will undoubtedly lead you to a lack luster life and potentially create an unhealthy relationship with food.

Now, I am not saying that restricting fats or carbohydrates will not help you lose weight in the short term if that is your goal, but these are not strategies that can be maintained effortlessly for your entire life and thrive. In my personal opinion, the best diet for you will be one that you enjoy and you can maintain while not feeling deprived. I personally have tried a few different “fad diets” including intermittent fasting, keto, macro counting, and portion control. All of these at one point or another have helped me reach different goals, but the lifestyle that I live now is not as conducive to counting macros, I absolutely do not want to restrict carbs or fats, and I don’t necessarily like to fast during my working days in case an emergency walks through my door and I need to be able to manage that case with 100% mental focus and energy. The lifestyle change that is currently helping me reach my fitness goals and making me feel the most comfortable consists of allowing myself to eat what I want, when I want, but being mindful of my portions. If I want to indulge in a small piece of chocolate dessert dropped off by an appreciative client you better bet I’m going to have a taste. If I want to have a beer with friends after a seemingly endless day you better believe I’ll be there to celebrate. I make sure to keep working towards my goals by 1)eating enough protein during the day 2) being mindful of my carbohydrates and fats(I eat more carbohydrates around my workouts) and 3) indulging in tasty yet caloric dense foods in moderation (one savory taste goes a long way).

Again, this lifestyle fits me and my goals and will not work for everyone because we are all different, have different lives/jobs/needs, but the key here is that through trial and error I found what works best for me and makes me the happiest. I have restricted certain foods, completely eliminated alcohol, fasted for 18 hours every day and I won’t lie, I was the lowest % body fat I have ever been in my entire life. Although my goal at that time was to become as shredded as possible, that is no longer my goal. I realized yes I had achieved what I wanted, but I didn’t feel completely satisfied. This new body made me much happier, but I felt like it was a second job just monitoring what I ate, when I ate it, and it severely affected my social life with friends and family. I wasn’t near as happy as I am now by maintaining the body I can look at in the mirror and smile while eating my cake too (pun intended). By not limiting myself, but also being mindful of what I put into my body, I enjoy eating vegetables with most meals, eating lean meats occasionally, and sharing a piece of warm molten chocolate cake with loved ones for dessert. I have found what works for me and makes me the happiest through much trial and error, so I am not here to tell you what WILL work for you, but I want you to know there is no ONE super life hack diet that will solve the mystery and this is what you’ve been missing out on all of this time. Instead, make small changes, test your body, play with your macros focusing on protein ingestion if nothing else and LISTEN to your body’s response. See how you feel, trust the process, and keep working hard towards the life you deserve.

Now that we have you sorted, let’s briefly talk about your pet’s diet. Pet nutrition is one of the most asked questions I receive on a daily basis as a general practitioner! I will not lie to you, this is one of the most debated topics in not only the veterinary field but also the human field as well. Just as I stated above with people, I truly believe that there is not a single diet out there that fits every animal’s needs. This is why you should have a discussion with your veterinarian about what diet will best allow your pet to not only survive but thrive. Whether you prefer kibble, canned, home cooked, or raw, please have that discussion with your veterinarian and at the bare minimum make sure that your pet is meeting all of it’s nutritional requirements. But you don’t have to stop there, try to find a food that your pet can get excited about. There are more diets to choose from nowadays than ever before and it can be overwhelming to the general public on which food is appropriate for their dog. We absolutely need to make sure we are feeding appropriately based on age, activity level, pregnant/lactating, and consider any special conditions your pet may have such as digestion issues, kidney dysfunction, allergies, and many others. Don’t be scared of judgment when your vet asks you what you’ve been feeding your animals, we are not here to judge but to help inform you to the best of our ability to keep your pets happy and healthy! I for one LOVE it when people ask for my advice on pet food, because it shows that they care, and they want to make sure they are providing the best possible life for their pets. I have recently changed my dog’s diet to a cooked diet, formulated by veterinary nutritionists solely because Asher is an extremely picky eater, and my other dog Sadie is not! I have to leave for work early in the morning and sometimes Asher doesn’t want to eat his kibble, so I decided to change it up to something more palatable for him that still provides him the nutrition he needs and deserves. I know many people complain to me that they have to constantly monitor their dogs at home while eating because one doesn’t eat as fast as the other and if they turn their back for a second (or have to leave for work like me) they can’t ensure their pets are receiving the food they need. Again, I made the switch from kibble to cooked solely for increased palatability for Asher, and trust me when I say Sadie doesn’t care what I put in her bowl, EVERYTHING is highly palatable for her. This is just one example of what fits me and my dogs’ lifestyles the best. This has also improved my quality time with my animals because while I’m cooking my dinner at home (one of my 3 steps that has become routine) I can be heating up Asher and Sadie’s food on the stove as well, and let me tell you THEY LOVE THIS. They are so excited when I start busting out the pots and pans because they know dinner is about to get lit.