Don't eat like an Android!

Many people ask me, what is a good diet? Firstly I believe calling it a diet only set you up for failure. Most people don't realise that relating the word diet automatically makes most people think limitations and restrictions to food which leads to urges.

This is what makes a diet hard to follow. You are restricting yourself from many meals, snacks and treats that at some point you will want to indulge in. So it leaves this great temptation which in most cases wins, and sends that so called "diet'' down the drain.  

I believe giving yourself the best chance at maintaining a healthy "diet" is to change your outcome from having a diet, to having a healthy lifestyle with a healthy food plan. If you allow yourself to eat these foods that many people call cheat meals or snacks and implement them moderately into your healthy food plan it will increase the chance of success. All in all a win win!  

In many cases I see people coming into the gym with the chicken breast, steamed veggies and steamed brown rice approach to there Nutrition. This I like to call the "eating like an android" diet.

The concept of weighing food, counting macro's (macronutrients) and cheat meals is not sustainable for the every day person.

If you are wanting to become a professional athlete or are training for a specific sporting event, body building competition, weighing in for a boxing match etc, then yes counting macro's and weighing food is needed. Having a specific nutrition plan like this is to improve athletics perforce.

If you are not training to become a professional Athlete the why should you eat like one?

Have realistic expectations with a reasonable approach to your day to day eating habits.  

*disclosure: the above is general guide, opinion and recommendation only – it is advisable to seek out further information from a GP or physician if you have any medical/health conditions or concerns.

By Nicholas Katsidis.