DIET PRIORITY PYRAMID

The Diet Priority Pyramid demonstrates five principles of dieting for optimizing body composition and performance outcomes!

LEVEL 1: CALORIE INTAKE

Calorie intake is the strongest nutrition variable and is going to determine what happens to your total body weight. Weight change = calories in - calories out. This is the most important level of the pyramid and creates the foundation for any muscle gain, fat loss, or maintenance diet. The process of gaining muscle is best achieved with a calorie surplus and the process of losing fat is best achieved with a calorie deficit. When designing a diet: establish your total daily calorie intake first.

LEVEL 2: MACRONUTRIENTS

Once total daily calorie intake is established: the calories can be broken down into three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate, and fat. The correct macronutrient intake is essential for adjusting body composition and improving performance.

Protein Intake: can range between 0.8 to 1.5 grams per pound of body weight depending on your specific training and dietary circumstances. 1 gram per pound of body weight will cover a large range of scenarios.

Fat Intake: can range between 0.3 to 0.7 grams per pound of body weight depending on your food preferences and lifestyle

Carbohydrate Intake: can range between 1 to 3 grams per pound of body weight depending on your goals and activity levels. Ideally: the majority of carbohydrates should be consumed pre and post training as they are essential to fueling performance and restoring muscle glycogen

Importance of Fiber: 14 grams of fiber should be consumed per 1,000 calories on average to ensure adequate digestion and gut health

LEVEL 3: MICRONUTRIENTS

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that our bodies use in small amounts to regulate numerous processes from vision to energy metabolism to bone formation. Also, micronutrients can make a powerful impact on health, training performance, and hunger levels. To optimize outcomes and prevent micronutrient deficiencies: consume a well balanced diet and follow the guidelines below!

Guidelines

• Consume 3 to 4 servings of fruits and vegetables daily

• Consume a variety of fruits and vegetables of different colors

• Consume fatty fish once or twice per week

• 80% of your diet should consist of high quality and nutrient dense calories from whole food sources

LEVEL 4: NUTRIENT TIMING

Nutrient timing describes how calories and macronutrients are consumed relative to time throughout the day. This can have a small effect on body composition and performance outcomes. For athletes and those who want to maximize their potential: meal timing is an important factor to consider.

Meal Timing Considerations

• Divide protein intake into 4 to 6 meals across the day with each meal containing at least 20 to 30 grams

• Carbohydrate intake should be consumed closer to training sessions: with the largest consumption in the pre, intra, and post training periods

• Fat intake should be consumed away from training sessions and put towards longer periods without meals including sleep and work

LEVEL 5: SUPPLEMENTATION

Supplements are like one letter of Happy Birthday on a cake: one small element. Proper training and nutrition variables have a far greater impact on a physique than any natural supplement. Investing more time and energy in improving training, nutrition, and mindset is a top priority. When choosing supplements: consider their safety, efficacy, and cost!

General Supplement Suggestions for Health, Body Composition, and Performance:

• Protein Powder

• Creatine Monohydrate

• Caffeine

• Vitamin D3

• Multivitamin

SUMMARY

Most importantly: the ability to adhere to a diet influences how successful that diet will be. The more consistent and disciplined you are: the greater your results will be. Once the diet plan is established: embrace the process, focus on long-term goals, and maintain control!