Nutrition Follow Up- The Basics

Nutrition is the single biggest factor in losing weight/body fat and getting in shape. Fuel your body with the right stuff and you'll be amazed at what CrossFit can do for you. Eat poorly, and you'll wonder why you're only seeing minimal results. Nutrition is the cornerstone on which everything else is built. Before you guys go off and start looking at thousands of diet books out there, just try and start following a few basic rules. The staples of your diet should be lean meat, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds. That's it. Not pasta, not pizza, not yogurt, not anything but what was just listed. No, not even after a workout. Lean meat, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds. Eat these things in roughly equal servings every time you eat. Eat 4-5 smaller meals a day instead of three huge ones. Eat within an hour of waking up and within an hour of your workout. Drink a lot of water. Water needs to be your staple beverage. Cut out sugar and processed foods as much as possible. What constitutes a processed food? Is it a meat, fruit, vegetable, nut or seed? No? Then it's a processed food. Take steps as you need to, to start removing processed foods from your diet each week. Quitting all processed foods "cold turkey" can be very hard for some people, and could result in a binge later. But start following these basic rules and you'll be well on your way to reaching your fitness goals. There will be time to get into macronutrient ratios, nutrient timing, and supplements later. Start with the basics.

~Contributed by Chris Gedicks, Trainer, Compound CrossFit