Number 1 Resolution Part 2: Eating

If you want to see results towards your New Years resolution of losing weight, diet is going to be 80% of the formula. Exercise all you want, if your eating isn't right, you won't see the difference. Sure, you'll feel stronger or have more endurance, you'll even see a change in body composition, but it won't be nearly as dramatic as when your diet is dialed in.

For me, I've been eating mostly a Paleo diet. Meals consist of mainly meats, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. I stay away from breads, pastas, rice, and potatoes. At first, the rice and potatoes made no sense to give up on, but at some point, I decided to make a leap of faith with the recommendations of people I trusted and the weight just dropped off. The idea behind the diet is to eat what a hunter-gatherer would because that's basically what your body was made to be.

Also, diet isn't a temporary thing. You have to be willing to make a lifestyle shift. That's why most people fail. They aren't willing to make a long term change. It's tough to blame them because most diets seem so rigid and any deviation is to be frowned upon.

The people who I tend to listen to give guidelines and not rules. They say to eat a certain way, but also to feel free to make adjustments for your needs. If you want dairy, have it. Just don't expect the same results as if you didn't take eat it (If you're looking to gain weight, milk can be your friend). If you want more carbs, at least try natural sources like sweet potatoes; some have had decent results with oats or rice.

My indulgence is "Free Day". That's the one day a week where I allow myself pizza, cookies, and any other food that I've been craving that week. Usually, after the first meal I'm ready to puke.

Here are some websites that I recommend. I don't agree with everything these guys say, but they have definitely had an impact on the way I view food and it's relation to health.

1. Arthur DeVany - Arthur DeVany is a 72 year old statistician who has also been studying health in relation to how our bodies were made. His brand of fitness is called Evolutionary Fitness and he's been perhaps the most influential person on me to this point. He advises diet and activity patterns that mimic those found in nature (very similar to the Paleo diet). I also greatly respect that he lives what he preaches. The man is 72 and is in amazingly good shape and is still very athletic with out hormone replacements or other drugs.

2. CrossFit Forums - Where it all started for me. These guys are all about what works. They have 2 diets that they support. The Zone Diet and the Paleo Diet. There is a lot of discussion about both and if you have any questions, it's likely been asked and answered there.

3. Performance Menu Forums - The second step from CrossFit. They share a lot of the same ideas with PM being more about strength than CrossFit. Also, I think these guys are a little more tightly knit of a group.

4. The IF Life - Mike O'Donnell is a health and fitness coach who I came to be aware of thru the Performance Menu. The reason I recommend him is because he is one of the guys who introduced me to the idea of Intermittent Fasting. To put it simply, IF is getting out of the mindset that you have to eat every few hours. If we were in the wild, you wouldn't know where your next meal would come from. It makes no sense for your body to be destroyed by this process and may even be healthful. For me, IF is just delaying when I have my first meal. For others, they eat a day, skip a day. We get our daily calories in, just in a smaller window.

5. Underground Wellness - This is a link to the YouTube videos of Sean Croxton, Certified Personal Trainer and a very well researched Diet and Lifestyle Coach. I don't know if I buy the Metabolic Typic program that he's into, but he is I do respect his opinions. Also, if you're like me, being able to watch videos in small chunks is a great way to pick stuff up. He's fairly new to me, but I feel confident in recommending him.

These are sites that have helped me. If you don't agree with them, that's fine. There are tons of ideas out there because they've all seemed to have worked for someone. Just be active in finding what works for you. If you go buy some diet book, and it doesn't work, it doesn't mean healthy eating won't help you, it just means that book wasn't for you. Most of all, find something that makes sense to you.