Weigh & Measure- a couple of approaches a concise guide
In this realm- gym, fitness, CrossFit- if at any time, anything is lacking or unsatisfactory etc. We should always remind ourselves that the base of the pyramid is nutrition. Results stalled? Not loosing weight, not gaining weight? Haven’t set a new pr in months, years? We all have a ceiling. You can only achieve so much, but you can move that ceiling by addressing your nutrition.
CrossFit suggests that we weight and measure our food and by doing so, we can gather the data we need to improve our nutrition to best drive our results, whether it be performance, aesthetics, or longevity. The official measurements that CrossFit prescribes is The Zone diet. Its a system that in practice is really really effective, but can be just as challenging to begin or sustain. In a perfect Harvest World, we’d all follow The Zone and conquer the earth basically. Though we truly believe the zone to be optimal weighing and measuring is going to look different for different athletes, and even different for the same athlete in different life seasons. Here’s a couple of examples that don’t look like the perfect 40/30/30 at 4 meals per day like the zone prescribes.
Macros and Calories tracked by the day.
A. figure out your daily calories using this chart.
Multiply your current body weight by a number. Just choose one. This chart also assumes you’re doing CrossFit once a day, so the activity level applies to the other 23 hours of your life. Also, don’t over analyze it— just choose a number, if you don’t like it in 2 or three weeks, try a new one. For ladies who weight 220 or more or men who weigh 240 or more, subtract 30 before multiplying.
B. Download MyFitness Pal- it’s a smartphone app. Set your Goal Calories to the number you found and set your Goal ratios to 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, 30% fat.
C. Track all the food you eat. The app is really helpful for when you eat stuff with a label or bar code. Track it right when you eat it, don’ wait or you’ll forget. At first you might just be tracking to see how much you actually eat or don’t eat, but after a while, you’ll become a macro-ninja who can craft an entire day of eating and fueling.
D. If you don’t know what Carbohydrate, Protein, or Fat is— Then you should probably sign up for nutrition coaching, you have a lot to learn!
2. Hand Size Portions-
Ain’t nobody got time for tracking. Eat 4 times per day. At every meal use your hands as portion quides. Ladies- 1 hand, Men- 2 hands. At every meal, try to eat- Lean Protein- Palm circumference and Thickness. Colorful vegetables- Fist. Smart Carbohydrates (fruit, legumes, whole grains) Cupped Hand. Healthy Fat (Nuts, seeds, minimally processed oil) Thumb.
Again, if there were a lot of words in there that you’re unsure about, sign up for nutrition coaching and we’ll help you navigate what and how much to eat and the habits to support it.
3. Damage Controll-
If my life offers one more thing to track or manage, I’ll crap my pants and die, or kill someone I love.
1. Entirely lower your expectations. If Dutch Bros or Taco Bell are even remotely on your radar, don’t expect anything good to happen in your life in any realm. Your kids’ schedule isn’t ruining your life, it’s your nutrition. There are plenty of people busier than you who are more successful with training and nutrition.
If you absolutely cannot measure your food in any way shape or form, focus primarily on the quality. And just try to make decisions one notch better than your first notion. Don’t try to be perfect, just try to be better. And quit telling yourself that you’re an “all or nothing type of person.” If you can’t be perfect, the only other option ISN’T eff-it, you can certainly choose “better” even if it’s not the best.
Avoid labels. Choose whole or minimally processed foods as often as possible. Eat as much whole food as you need to feel satisfied. If the only option is Dutch Bros or Taco Bell, get the small. And again, if you don’t know why Dutch and Taco Bell and the like are ruining your life, sign up for nutrition coaching!