Nutrition is the vital link to complete Fitness and overall Health/Wellness. There’s a common idea around with fitness buffs and workout gooroos that the amount of time spent in the gym along with the mass quantities of protein powder intake is more important than a good nutrition schedule. As long as you get your 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, than your going to get big and healthy Right?? Well it’s not that easy but it is THAT SIMPLE.

There are many books on health and nutrition out on the market today. Many of them will contradict each other and lead you in every way possible. From the old school High Carb/ Low Fat diets to the very popular High Protein or Atkin’s Diet. Then there’s always the grapefruit and cabbage diets to compete against the Liquid Diet. With all these “experts” and so many options, how are we to choose?

The first step to getting on the right track is to NOT think of going on a diet. That’s right. Your not going ON a diet because that means at some point, you are planning on coming OFF this diet. Change your mindset to a LIFESTYLE CHANGE rather than a DIET. This is the only way to improve yourself physically and pshycologically. And the weight loss will come off as a BY PRODUCT of your new HEALTH. We eat for performance with weight loss as a welcome side effect.

Dr. Barry Sears wrote the book “Enter the Zone”. I highly recommend getting a hold of a copy of this. There are multiple copies available at the MCAS Yuma Library. His book is very well written and can give you the information you need to eat for a purpose. Food is all around us and usually readily available. A piece of chocolate or a breakfast muffin are great to satisfy your food CRAVINGS, but they are not surving a PURPOSE. Your food should be thought of and used as fuel for your body. Too little fuel and your going to run out of gas. Too much fuel and your going to have to store it elsewhere (stomach, hips…). And when you take in the wrong fuel, well you just ruined the engine of your new car by filling it with diesel.  Eating in “The Zone” will keep your body fully prepared for any physical feat you will come across throughout your daily lives.

Now for the breakdown. To Enter the ZONE, you must get the proper proportions of the macronutrients (Carbohydrats, Proteins, and Fats) at each and every meal and snack. Each nutrient affects your bodies in a different way and only in the right proportions will they work together to get you to your zone. What are the proportions? Well you want to follow a ratio of Ratio 40% Carb, 30% Protein, 30% Fat for every meal and snack. There are charts in the Crossfit Journal 21 and Barry Sear’s “Enter the Zone” book. These charts will explain the Block System.

Let’s take a look at BLOCKS.

When looking at a block chart, you need to choose 1 item from the Carbohydrates, 1 from the Proteins, and 1 from the Fats. That equals 1 MEAL BLOCK. Each time you eat, you need to follow that simple step of eating from each nutrient group.

So how many BLOCKS should I eat in 1 day? We’ll take a normal male for example that needs an average of 17 BLOCKS to supply his body throughout the day. As long as he eats his 17 blocks (no more, no less) during the day, than he’ll feed his lean body and will not support excess body fat.It’s THAT SIMPLE!!  Now there are a few rules to follow to ensure you are Zoning right.

Just follow these key points:
-Ratio 40% Carb, 30% Protein, 30% Fat (1 item from each nutrient in the block chart)
-Eat enough blocks to feed your body but not excess bodyfat
-Try to eat a meal/snack no longer than 5 hours apart
-Keep meals to 5 blocks or less
-Think of where these nutrients come from. You can eat any food you want in the zone but certain foods are obviously going to be a better choice so choose WISELY.

Those are the basics. Sticking to this program will be a change and certainly for the better.

Your food is your most powerful DRUG. Take it properly and remember to finish your prescription!!

For more information or to have help with a nutrition plan, contact me at gipper@yumafit.com
This was written through the knowledge acquired through numerous CrossFit Journals and discussions as well as the following Resources:
“Enter the Zone”  Dr. Barry Sears
“Syndrome X” Gerald Reaven M.D.
Crossfit Journal 21