Dude, it’s hard to follow the nutrition plan on Sundays.
If I’m being completely honest, I wasn’t surprised when I read the message. I mean, weekends always get tricky when it comes to diets.
The message came from an all-star in my online coaching program, Nico. Over the last few months, he’s absolutely crushed it. He’s lost more than 10 pounds. He’s dropped over 4% body fat. And he’s shaved inches off of his “beer belly” (three, to be specific).
As if that wasn’t enough, Nico hasn’t only lost. He’s also gained—muscle, strength, and swagger.
He’s leaner, stronger, and looks better than he has in a long time. He’s been dominating his workouts. He’s been following his nutrition plan to the letter. And he’s been getting amazing results.
But then football season started.
And I got the message telling me how hard it was to follow the eating plan on Sunday. As a coach, I could respond one of two ways:
1. Compulsion
I know it’s tough, man. But you need to stick to the plan if you want to get results. It’s specifically designed to—blah, blah, blah.
2. Compromise
I hear that, man. What is it you want to eat more of on Sundays? Let’s see if we can work it into your plan.
I went with the latter. After his response—wings and beer—I got to work.
Can wings and beer be part of a fat-loss diet?
Yes, 100% yes. And I’m about to show you both why it works and how to do it yourself. So grab your blue cheese and bottle openers. Sit back with some bone-in and a Bud Light. And get ready to feast on everything you need to start following the best diet on earth.
Why I Told Nico to Start Having Wings and Beer on Sundays
Imagine if I went with the first response and told Nico to stick to the plan. Odds are he’d listen—at first. One Sunday. Maybe two. Eventually, watching the games and passing on his favorite football foods would wear him down. It’d wear anyone down. Before long, he wouldn’t be able to follow the plan.
Fact: even the most dedicated dieters in the world don’t eat perfectly all the time.
Here’s another fact—it’s okay. You don’t need to eat perfectly all the time if you want to lose fat. Seriously.
Pretty cool, right? But it’s more than that. It’s not just cool, it’s necessary. If eating perfectly was required for fat loss, nobody would ever get rid of their love handles.
Sure, I could have tried to compel Nico to eat perfectly. But it would have been futile. Instead, I went with compromise and we retooled his nutrition plan for Sundays. The best part—since we tweaked his plan, he’s been getting better results. There are a couple big reasons why.
Reason #1: Food Quality Doesn’t Matter As Much As Most People Think
Need proof? Take a look at the flexible dieting and IIFYM crowd.
If it fits your macros (IIFYM) has become a sensation in the nutrition world. I mean, it’s no surprise. Getting a six pack on a steady diet of pop tarts and fast food? Who wouldn’t want that? IIFYM is flexible dieting at its finest.
Basically, flexible dieting allows you to eat foods that might usually be labeled “unhealthy.” As long as your calorie and macronutrient intake is in line with your goals, you’re in good shape. (For example, you could have wings and beer if it fits your macros.)
To an extent, flexible dieting can be extremely effective. To an extreme, it can be problematic for overall health.
Just because something can fit your macros, doesn’t mean it should. Ideally, your diet—even a flexible one—will include a variety of fruits and veggies. Because, you know, vitamins and nutrients or whatever.
If there’s anything we can take away from flexible dieting, it’s this: you can get shredded eating Snickers.
Mark Haub, professor of nutrition at Kansas State University, proved this when he lost 27 pounds in 10 weeks eating Twinkies, Oreos, and Doritos.
In the right amounts, you can lose fat eating just about anything.
Which is one of the reasons why Nico and I worked both wings and his favorite light beer into the nutrition plan. Neither will derail his fat loss as long as we keep them within the structure of his calorie and macro goals. Here’s how simple it was to set up:
Best. Diet. Ever.
Reason #2: Adherence Is the Single Best Diet in the World
Perfectly following a decent plan gets better results than decently following a perfect plan. Period. The best diet in the world isn’t one that utilizes science and strategy to create the “perfect” program. Sure, it may look great on paper and will get great results in theory. But it’s worthless if it can’t be followed.
The best diet in the world is the diet you can follow.
Low-carb, IIFYM, high-protein, paleo, Whole 30, vegan, low-fat—they work. They all work. But what works for somebody else isn’t necessarily the best diet for you.
Allow me to illustrate.
I don’t love carbs. I mean, I do because they’re delicious. But I love fat more. I’d take a rib eye steak over a bowl of pasta any day. As such, a diet lower in carbohydrates and higher in fat is my best diet in the world. I’ll happily have less rice, bread, and potatoes as long as I still get my steak, eggs, and nut butter.
I’d struggle following a low-fat diet. Could it work? Sure. But will it work best? Probably not. Because I’d be hard pressed to stick to it. And adherence is the best diet in the world.
Nico needed a plan he could follow on Sundays. He needed something that included his favorite football foods, not something that restricted them. And that’s exactly what I gave him.
Now, instead of getting off track during Sunday games, he’s staying on point. He’s having wings, beer, and sticking to his plan. But most importantly, he’s getting amazing results.
We tweaked his nutrition 11 days ago and he’s already lost over three pounds of fat.
Finding the Best Diet: It’s Time to Get Personal
Everybody’s “best diet” is going to be different. Because, well, everybody’s different. We’ve all got different body types, fitness goals, and personal preferences. Each will ultimately affect what kind of plan we’ll be able to stick to. In other words, the “best diet in the world” is as uniquely individual as the person following it.
What’s your body type?
What are your fitness goals?
And what are your personal preferences?
The answers to those questions are an integral part of finding your best diet. If you’re an ectomorph, you probably want to eat more carbs. (See more on body types.) If you’re trying to lose fat, you need to set up your macros accordingly. And if you can’t live without carbs, going low-carb isn’t going to be the best strategy.
Helping individuals find what works best for them is the cornerstone of my online coaching program. Honestly, it’s why I do what I do. Right next to raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, helping people is one of my favorite things. And I want to help you—find your best diet, enjoy your favorite foods, and get results like Nico.
The first step is simple. Apply for the BENTRAINED coaching program. Fill out the information below and let’s talk about what I can do to help you crush your fitness goals.