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How often are you working out? For fat/weight loss, we suggest working up to 5 hours of exercise per week.
Are you someone who can control cheat meals and get back on track or do you go off the deep end when giving into one craving?

Now we can go on and on about things that would affect our answer but in order to not deprive yourself we recommend following a 85/15 or 90/10 rule. That means 85-90% of your meals should come from unprocessed foods meaning foods that come from the outside perimeter of the grocery store...leans meats/proteins, nuts/seeds, fruits, veggies, etc. REAL FOOD. (no breads, cereals, pasta, etc. should exist in this 85-90%). 

The other 10-15% you can live a little. Before we break this down let's be clear on that 85-90%. For optimal results, the unprocessed food meals should follow these habits 90% of the time:
- Drink enough water (half body weight in ounces or a gallon a day)
- Eat veggies at every meal
​​- Eat every 2-4 hours (3 meals at least)
- Eat lean protein at every meal
- Eat until 80% full
- Eat healthy unprocessed fats daily
​​
For fat loss earn your carbs and eat fruit as carbs during most meals and only starchy carbs (rice, potatoes, etc.) post workout.
Avoid drinking your calories (aim to consume water only 95% of the time)

If you're naturally slim and can lose weight easily or are somewhere in the middle you can afford to go 85/15. However, if you put on weight easily its best to go 90/10. 

So what does this mean? Well take your # of meals per day...let's say 5 (3 meals and 2 snacks)...multiply by 7 (days per week) and you arrive at 35 meals per week. Now keep in mind if your meal is not in line with the habits above it should be counted as a "live a little" meal. 

Okay so we have 35 meals per week. How many meals can we afford to go off track?? For 90/10, 10% of 35 would be 3.5 meals or 3 to 4 meals per week. For 85/15, 15% of 35 would be 5 meals per week. I would suggest spacing out these meals throughout the week vs piling them up in one day. For example maybe plan to eat out or "live a little" Wed, Fri, Sun 1x each of those days.

In conclusion, if you're working out 5 hrs per week and are following the habits listed above you can afford to eat the foods you like 3.5 to 5 meals per week (yes that includes donuts). Keep in mind it would be best to consume these meals post workout. Additionally, a "live a little meal" doesn't mean go eat 3-4 slices of pizza in one sitting. It may mean 1 slice for a female and 2 slices for a male. In other words don't go crazy in one sitting. 

Hope that helps! 

With Your Health in Mind,

Ray Cattaneo

Owner
NASM - CPT, CES
CF -L1

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