In our Level 1 Nutrition Coaching, we are going to focus on 4 habits very closely. These four habits will give you the best bang for you buck in regards to time, and are great if you are just getting started improving your nutrition.
Here they are:
- Drink more water
- Eat more protein
- Eat more Veggies
- Tracking + Measuring Progress
If you can master these four habits, and perform them in the right quantities, you will have more energy, feel full, drop fat, and be smiling 🙂
Here’s how to master these habits in more detail. Each habit has three levels. Once you are able to hit your level 1 goal seven days in a row, then you can move to level 2. Once you hit your level 2 goals 7 days in a row, you can move to level 3.
Habit #1: Drink More Water
When drinking more water, I recommend finding a bottle of water with a given amount of fluid ounces. Instead of counting ounces throughout the day, count how many bottles it will take to reach your goal. It makes it much easier this way.
Level 1: Drink .3 your Body Weight in fluid ounces of water
Level 2: Drink .4 your Body Weight in fluid ounces of water
Level 3: Drink .5 your Body Weight in fluid ounces of water
Habit #2: Eat More Protein
Eating more protein can be challenging, especially if you aren’t used to eating a lot of fish, meat, etc. One key here is to plan your meals around a protein source, not around a carbohydrate.
So for example, instead of starting your meal with pasta, and adding food groups around that, begin with pork, and add your other food groups there.
Supplementation here can be very helpful. I recommend using protein powder (2 scoops or about 50g of protein / day) to help you reach your goal. The best times to take your protein powder are within 30 minutes of the completion of your workout, or for breakfast in the morning.
Level 1: .5g of protein per pound of body weight
Level 2: .75g of protein per pound of body weight
Level 3: 1g of protein per pound of body weight
Habit #3: Eat More Vegetables
Eating more vegetables is very important. Not only will they fill you up, but they will aid you in digestion and provide you with a lot of important nutrients to help fuel you.
I recommend keeping these green. Broccoli, spinach, peppers, swiss chard, lettuce, kale, and peas are all great options.
I like to use frozen vegetables. They are affordable, don’t spoil as fast, and provide almost all of the nutritional benefits as fresh vegetables.
Level 1: 5 cups of vegetables per day
Level 2: 7 cups of vegetables per day
Level 3: 10 cups of vegetables per day
Habit #4: Tracking and Measuring
We are going to want to track multiple things as we use this program.
We will want to track:
- Body Weight Weekly
- Measurements Bi-Weekly (every 2 weeks)
- Habits
Using your access to me, the team here at Hybrid Fitness, and our accountability group, we will be able to stay accountable to our goals and the actions we are taking to reach them.
Each week I’ll want you to email me your weight and measurements (if applicable for that week), and on a daily basis, you’ll want to report to our accountability group on facebook how you did on your 3 habits above.
On this page, I will just show you how to report to the group on your 3 habits. I’ll show you how to take measurements and track your weight in the following pages.
Measuring Quantities of Protein and Vegetables
One thing that separates the Level 1 Nutrition Program for the Level 2 is counting calories. In level 2, we get very specific, but we can still be pretty accurate with hand measurements. Below is a guideline on how to estimate your intake for protein and vegetables for the day.
Vegetables are fairly easy, a cup is easy to estimate but protein is a little harder. One palm size portion of protein is generally 20-30g of protein.
If your goal is 100g of protein in a day, you’d want to eat approximately 4 palms worth of a protein source!
In this chart you’ll also see recommended serving sizes for men and women. If your goal is fat loss, despite what the graphic says, I suggest limiting starchy carbs (rice, pasta, quinoa, and potatoes) until your post workout meal.
Reporting your Habits to the Accountability Group
Each day, you will see in our accountability group (which you will be added to) that we do a daily check-in post. In the comment section of that post, comment the following:
- What amount of protein, veggies, and water you are shooting for that day
- How much protein and veggies you ate, and how much water you drank.
Here’s an example post if you were on level 1 for protein, veggies, and water:
Daily Goal: 90g of protein, 5 cups of veggies, 54oz of water
I hit 80g of protein, 6 cups of veggies, and 60 oz of water.
As long as you hit these 3 habits on a consistent basis, you will move closer to your goals.
As the habits become easier, you will want to move to the next level.
When you have reached level 2 and 3 on all of the three habits, you are ready to move to the Level 2 nutrition program.
Ready for Level 2?
Click to button to the right to begin…