James Wilson- Faith, Family, and Fitness

Oh my it's been awhile! Let's talk NUTRITION!!!

I'm going to have to split this up into several posts because there is no way I'd be able to express all of what you ought to know in a single post-- So stay tuned.

1. Study after study have shown, NO DIET IS SUPERIOR for weight management when total calories are the same. Name your trendy diet (Keto, Low carb, Vegan, Mediterranean, Flexible dieting, Intuitive eating, eating for your blood type, Carnivore). When it comes to weight management, it is calories in vs calories out for your specific body and your bodies energy needs.

2. With all of that being said ^^, the key factors for success are going to be determined by-
a)Your ability to stick with a diet long term, or diet adherence
b) Satiety or feeling full to help you stick to it
c) Promotes a healthful body

Some diets are extremely difficult to stick with. Keto, as an example, for most people is really difficult because the likelihood of you never eating fresh bread, fruit, or any other carb again for the rest of your life is pretty tough. I tend to direct people in the way of "flexible dieting" as it provides the most variety of food choices. Quite literally eat the foods you currently love and enjoy, but do so by managing your total caloric intake. You may need to measure out portions initially, but after a bit, you'll intuitively know portion sizes and can "eyeball" from there.

If you're on a lower calorie target to lose body fat, you're going to get hungrier quicker. This is where your dark green leafy veggies, are going to come in clutch. They provide bulk to your diet. My favorite go-to is tomatoes, cucumbers, a little avocado, ground pepper and Olive garden dressing (or Italian)and mix it together. Stand alone veggies like Celery or peppers to snack on are also great options. All of which help hydrate, are low calorie, have good fiber, and a symphony of micro nutrients to help your bodies cells do their jobs better.

Tagging on the back of the veggies for bulk, the healthful diet. We know that you can lose weight on a tw***ie and doritos diet, It's been documented and done. I would argue that it isn't ideal though to have a diet revolving around treat type foods. You don't have to eat fruits or veggies you don't like, but you should stock up and rotate through a variety. The nutrients fruits and veggies provide will significantly improve your bodies internal health, which will then become reflected on the outside.

I have been a personal trainer for 22 years now. In the two decades that I have done this, I've narrowed progress into 5 different categories to help optimize progress-

1- Nutrition. Arguably the most important element for progress. If you're a regular gym goer, you'll see the same people day in and day out for years and they never seem to change. That is because they are not getting their food right. There isn't a magical diet or way of eating, it largely boils down to hitting calorie targets appropriate for your goals and being consistent with that.

2- Resistance Training. I don't care what form you prefer, there just needs to be consistency. 3 days per week is simply a minimum, in my opinion. 4-5 days tends to be the sweet spot for progress. While it isn't necessary to shoot for PR's each workout, there needs to be genuine effort and muscle fatigue.

3- Cardio. Heart health is consistently one of the largest markers for mortality. We should be looking to move our body every single day to some capacity. Circulation is imperative for general health and longevity. Getting blood moving helps push waste and dead cells out, also shuttle nutrients for optimal cellular health and muscle repair.

4- Supplementation. This isn't vital, but helpful, especially if we are shooting for fat loss and our calories are reduced. Supplements help fill in the gaps from the holes in our nutrition. I will always encourage a quality multivitamin, fish oil supplement, and creatine for all genders across the board. Look for brands that carry the GMP or USP stamps on the label. This indicates the product was made to carry pharmacy grade standards for potency, purity, and delivery.

5- Support. This comes from a trainer/coach as well as a community. You may not always get support from home. In fact, you might even get some resistance! If you can find support through hiring an in person trainer, online trainer, or belonging and involving yourself in a community- this will be HUGE for progress and longterm maintenance. You won't always be motivated, that is normal, so having an appointment to meet or a community that inspires you will help when you're not in the mood.

Which of these do you struggle with? What would you like to know more about?

I'm here to help, don't be afraid to ask!

When I started down the fitness path, I was immersed in the belief that one should always choose what I perceived as “optimal.” Optimal training, optimal nutrition- all in the name of aesthetics.

As I have aged and gained a bit more wisdom, my definition of optimal has shifted a bit. Injuries, energy, recovery times, I recognize that my days of PR’s are probably behind me.

What I am more interest in is movement. Bad programming done consistently is going to be supremely more beneficial than optimal training that is simply skipped and not done.

With the new year-new you; I’d suggest that instead of jumping 100% into something you won’t maintain in the long term, that you simply jumpstart with moving your body. Walk, bike, do some circuit training. You don’t need to do an hour of cardio. Start off with 15-20 minutes. You don’t need to body part-body building split resistance train, again, just get some weights in, and challenge yourself a bit for 25-45 minutes 3 days a week.

Over time the results will come with consistency and I would bet that someone that doesn’t know what they’re doing, but does 3 days of workouts per week for a year will have vastly better results than the individual that goes hard for 2-3 weeks and then doesn’t go back.

I don’t care what form of exercise, just move your body!

Weekends are for splurges, right?!

This past weekend I went to Yellowstone National Park and had heard about a burger join called, Big Jud’s. They have some “Man vs Food” menu items and I had to attempt this. I don’t usually throw my diet out like this, but… I went for it.

I ordered the single Big Jud, which is 1 lb hamburger patty, and essentially a loaf of bread. You can see mine, vs a normal burger, and then my daughter’s “kid” burger in the images for scope.

I did finish the burger!!! I didn’t touch the fries that came with it, I was so full. I have no clue what the calories were for this meal, but if I had to guess, it was at least 3000.

EDIT- And yes, this burger is overlapping a paper dinner plate.

Fat loss drugs- Ozempic, Mounjaro, etc…
my opinion in the comments

Changed the name on this page to me, like my old page that disappeared. I feel like that gives me more flexibility to talk about what I want and have a variety again instead of just fitness.

First things first, does ANYONE even engage on FB anymore, or is it just voyeurism and sponsored posts that everyone just skips?

Send a message to learn more

Something I feel to be important to ask, and be introspective about, is-- what is my intent, or why do I exercise?

Look at the reasons that you do, or don't exercise. Do you exercise because of negative motivation (like you are unhappy with yourself), or is it more positive (I want more capability, to be stronger, to feel better, to be healthier).

It's my observation that if approached with a negative mindset, the struggle will be very real. Yes, exercise will hurt, especially when you first start. However, I've seen time and time again that as you stick with it, it begins to feel good! As you get stronger and more capable, it feels really good, kind of addicting actually!!

If I may suggest a shift in mindset, away from self deprecating and more towards the positive. Thoughts like-
"I need to workout because I love myself!"
"I need to workout because I deserve the best for me!"
"I want to be stronger for me and so I can be strong for those I love around me."

If you can show up with a positive purpose, with real intent, I feel like results then come easier.

If I may-- what got you into wanting to exercise? Have you been able to sustain?

I want to hear your story!

I feel like 2 things really stick out as deterrents for a lot of people.

1- environment.

If your home/work space environments challenge your self will or resolve. Example, your spouse/partner has limited interest in eating healthful and/or being active. We become what we are surrounded by. If the environment challenges an already difficult thing to do, then it’s natural to choose the path of least resistance.

2- Grit.

You gotta want it!! If the environment isn’t conducive, you will have to dig deep. External motivation can be mildly helpful, but ultimately, you absolutely must endure and push through by being motivated from within. We all have the inner dialogue, “I really ought to do _______”, “I probably shouldn’t __________”. We already know what we need to be doing. So just get after it!

Some of the more important elements of nutrition to understand are the following-

1. Calories dictate our size.

If you only care about weight, then focus on calories. People have done crazy diets where they've lost weight on an all tw***ie diet. So yes, energy needs being greater than even the "junkiest" of foods can produce fat loss if you are managing total calorie intake.

2. Macronutrients are going to help determine shape.

Macronutrients are carbs, proteins, and fats. If you are seeking to balance these in proportions, you will find that you can better manipulate food to help support a specific shape to your body (ie more muscle with more attention given to protein).

3. Micronutrients will impact how you feel.

You can look fit, but internally, you may not be doing as well as you could if you are not getting in adequate vitamins and minerals.

Even if you don't have any desire to exercise, you can feel pretty good about the way you look and feel if you focus on micronutrient rich foods (fruits and veggies as the bulk of your food choices).

If you want a specific shape to your body, then being more aware of the macronutrients, coupled with solid resistance training, will be the most advantageous way to go about your personal fitness and overall health goals.

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It’s very typical for our goals to get sidelined on the weekends. Structure from the weekdays is gone, we skip meals, we snack, we binge, we may miss workouts, we “fall off the wagon”

What are you going to do to make sure your weekend aligns with your fitness pursuits?