“How many calories am I eating?”, “Am I eating at a deficit?”, “Should I carb load?”, “What are my macros?”, “Should I eat at a surplus?”, “Is this food bad?”, etc, etc, etc.

Ai yai yai.

When a client starts with me, I rarely share numbers (as in never) and am unlikely to strategize a diet with a Contest Prep-like approach because when it comes to weight loss for the masses (i.e. if you’re NOT an athlete), keep it simple.
Embrace eating whole foods portioned for one’s goals is usually my first “go to” strategy. I also certainly arrange marcos strategically. Along the way, I will troubleshoot the program based on my client’s progress with adjustments, tweaks, or simply riding it out. I just don’t feel this information is necessary to share so early into a program for someone so new on their fitness journey because too much information can be overwhelming (“paralysis by analysis”).

My most successful clients that truly understand the process do so because they are eventually connected with their body, the foods they eat, and all of the great changes happening. They notice more energy, vitality, and increased strength. Simply put, they just feel better.

As always I do share information but also do this strategically because I feel my clients have to be in the right headspace to truly and authentically understand nutritional and physiological details.

On the flip side, some of my clients that struggle the most are the ones that are so obsessed with numbers and “what happens next” – their weight, the scale, their calories, their macros, their FREE MEALS, their dietary indiscretions, their projected weight loss, their overall progress (whether its fast or slow), etc, etc. Sadly they miss out on understanding all of the wonderful things that are happening to their body and also within – failing to ever truly trust themselves around food or embrace the entire process as lifestyle.

Food is awesome and I encourage lots of food flexibility when one’s metabolism is strong enough to support typical food items that are usually labelled as “bad” but don’t do so until one’s metabolism (and willpower) is strong enough to do so regularly.

Start with the basics.

Most importantly, if you’re NOT a nutritionist but want to expand your learning in this area using yourself as a point of reference – CONNECT SPIRITUALLY WITH FOOD BEFORE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT AS A SCIENCE.

It will make more sense that way.