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Now that you have a good understanding of why each type of macronutrient is important in your diet, it’s time to figure out what you will eat on a daily basis. Most diets narrow food choices to so few that people grow bored within weeks. Sometimes after a few days, the dog dish starts to look appealing. Diets like these allow foods to control your life. The less options you have, the more you think about food. If you’ve ever held a conversation with a bodybuilding or figure competitor days before they step on stage, they are likely obsessing about food and hunger. Stick around long enough, and you’ll get a list of what they want to eat the moment they step off stage. And most of them eat the entire list.

This is a slippery slope, and I don’t ever want you to slide down it. Food deprivation turns into food obsession, and I want you to have a healthy relationship with food. Food is fuel for life, and eating is such an enjoyable pastime. It’s one of the only times during your day when you get to sit back, relax, and take care of yourself. So, use this time wisely, and make the most of it.

More importantly, drastic dietary and exercise protocols used by many bodybuilding, figure, and bikini competitors do more harm than good over the long haul. I can’t tell you how many figure and bikini girls I’ve trained who have permanently harmed their bodies and are left with sluggish

metabolisms, thyroid dysfunction, and other issues. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Your food choices can be divided up into the three macronutrient groups. You will decide how many grams of each macronutrient you need to eat based on the number of calories you need per day to reach your goal.

Protein

Chicken breast, ground chicken, dark chicken meat, canned chicken, fresh tuna, canned tuna, ground turkey, turkey breast, dark turkey meat, lean beef, steak, goat meat, lamb, white fish, salmon, canned salmon, pork, ham, wild boar, venison, bison, eggs, whey protein, hemp protein, tofu, ostrich, and more

Fat

Olive oil, butter, canola oil, nut oils, avocado, raw nuts, nut butters, coconut oil, cheese, whole milk, cream, seeds, Greek yogurt, kefir, skyr, cottage cheese

* Note that yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk can also be protein sources

Carbohydrate

Berries, apples, apricots, peaches, melons, cherries, bananas, pears, grapes, mangoes, pineapple, figs, other fruits, dried fruits, carrots, yams, winter squash, brown rice, white rice, whole grains, potatoes, oats, pumpkin

This list is just to get you started. Note that fibrous and non-starchy vegetables are an important part of your daily diet, but do not fit into any of the three groups. I would like for you to consume two to three cups of these vegetables per day. Just be careful of the “vegetables are freebies” notion because that can steer you in the wrong direction. There’s no such thing as a negative-calorie food. You shouldn’t fear consuming ample amounts, but if you begin consuming plates of veggies and start overeating, you will need to scale back. Also note that when cooking vegetables or eating salads, you are adding fat calories to your meals when you use oils and dressings. Be very conscious of this because I’ve had clients stop progressing simply because they were using too much oil in their meals.

Fibrous Vegetables

All leafy greens (lettuces, spinach, kale, arugula, dandelion greens, bok choy, collards, mustard greens, etc.)

All peppers Artichokes Asparagus

All sprouts (alfalfa, Brussels sprouts, bean sprouts, etc.) Broccoli Cucumber Garlic All onions Green beans Tomatoes Zucchini squash Carrots

Can you ever eat foods that aren’t good for you? Sure, it’s okay from time to time as long as you work out the calories and account for the carbohydrates and fats. Just remember to consume these sparingly, perhaps two to three times per week in small amounts. Once you start eating whole foods nearly all of the time, you may lose your taste for treats. So, if you don’t get the urge to splurge, you don’t need to use the wild card calories.

eggs, fresh meats, and ample healthy fats. Food is your best friend for achieving body recomposition. Don’t deprive yourself of valuable nutrients.

Depriving yourself of all of the foods you love can send you straight to the ice cream freezer. You want to work treats into your diet, but do so with caution. Junk food tastes yummy, but it’s also calorically dense. A single donut can have up to five hundred calories per serving. A plate of fresh veggies, a side of yams, and a serving of chicken equals about the same. Think about what happens in your belly when you eat each of these.

The donut fills a tiny space, probably about one-fourth of the room in your stomach. On the other hand, the plate of delicious whole foods fills you to the brim and satisfies your appetite. This isn’t intended to completely steer you away from those rewarding goodies, but keep this advice in perspective with regard to those enticing treats. Reward yourself, realizing that it’s a treat, not a meal. If you intend on eating that piece of cake at the end of your meal, don’t pile as many carbs and fats onto your plate for the main course. Making these small compromises in your diet will keep you on track and may prevent overindulgences.