Happy Birthday, Coach Nick! Now let’s hear about his nutrition experience.
So let’s go back to the beginning..
About 10 years ago, I was overweight…. And kept getting more overweight… I was eating your general macros – 40% protein, 40% carbs, 30% fat… I had worked myself down to 1200 calories a day and was still gaining weight… I ended up being 270# at my biggest…
Continue my journey for another 2 years and I find keto… I was meticulous about macros. Breaking down every meal to 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbs or less… and I melted away… I lost 90 pounds in 4 months! 😱😳 That’s probably not a typical dedication or results in that time period. I was obsessive!
As time went on, it naturally progressed and I shifted more toward carnivore… eating only meat and animal based products like cheese and butter, stuff like that. That’s how I have been eating now for about 6 years very consistently and feeling good. I love my nutrition.
Well, about a month ago, we decided as a team that we wanted to get more into nutrition coaching and be able to help our members, clients, and friends get the results they wanted.. a lot of performance and body comp goals come down to the kitchen (not the gym) gasp!!!!!
Well, when we switched for the 30 days, I was eating significantly less calories going from 3500+ cals on carnivore.. to 2800 Calories consisting of 180 protein, 250 carbs, and 90 fat. A huge shift. My body did NOT LIKE IT. I was consistently eating those calories. I gained 4 lbs despite being in a major caloric deficit. I felt bloated all the time and it was hard to eat that much carbs. I was basically force feeding my 2 meals a day (that’s a lot of rice/ potatoes). I also ate a lot of fruit… I was getting over 30 grams of fiber per day. My 💩 was very inconsistent and not very satisfying. I know, too much information, just trying to be thorough. My workouts suffered… I felt like I couldn’t catch my breath when doing metabolic condition-style workouts. My body was sore. Knees, shoulders, hips – all super sore almost always. I was very stiff and my mobility suffered tremendously.
After 30 days, I switched back but monitored my calories more. Now I’m eating 3200 calories a day – 200p, 248 f, and I allow for up to 41 carbs…. I don’t usually eat any but an orange or a spoonful of honey in my tea, something like that if I have cravings, which has been rare. I feel so much better. I’ve lost the 4 lbs and am slowly losing more and my body composition has changed. I feel leaner. I feel fitter. I feel stronger. I’ve hit numbers I haven’t hit in a long time because my hips and such haven’t felt good. I’m mostly eating red meat! Gasp!!!!! Only red meat? My hearts going to explode! Who knows, maybe it will… but listening to my body tells me otherwise. I feel better than ever and I don’t plan on changing it again.
This taught me some things. It really reinforced how personal nutrition is. Every person is different. My experience and Sam and Whitney’s experience was all different and personal to us. Crazy how different actually. If you listen to social media or most fitness professionals, you’ll hear “calories in calories out.. “ Well, I’m not sure I believe that. If that’s a stamped in stone saying, then why was I gaining weight in such a deficit?
The experiment continues. It’s not going to stop. Always trying to learn myself and help my members, friends, and clients the best I can. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! Our coaches have a wealth of knowledge and want to help!
Until next time – with love and wellness,
Nick
