Dan Spills My Biggest Fat Loss Secret on T-Nation

Seriously, check it out:

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/band_of_meatheads_the_glories_of_group_training

Besides being a killer article on why you should train with other people, in a quick two sentences, Dan lays out what may be the biggest reason my clients hit their weight loss goals.

On top of that, I've been getting a lot of questions about it, so I thought I'd drop some knowledge here.

First Things First

It's funny, it's actually a lot like two of the biggest things I learned from Dan: "If it's important, do it every day" and "If it's something you need to work on, do it first."  (I remember Dan talking about taking a month and putting squats first in your workouts)

Well the food journal is important, so we look at it every day.  On top of that, we look at it first.

Actually, I have three rules about the food log:

1.) We look at it every training session

2.) We look at it at the beginning of the training session

3.) We don't start working out until everything in the food log is resolved: It's been graded, it's mentally complete, we celebrate the victories and we've planned for next week.

And I really mean that I don't start the workout until the food log is resolved.

With some clients, it takes 5 minutes to go through the food log.  With other clients, it takes 45 minutes.

Some clients have been shocked that we spent 45 minutes on their food, and 5 minutes on their workout…  but if food is THE issue, then it's really a waste of time to do another workout pretending that the food doesn't matter.

What You Need To Resolve In Your Food Log Every Week If You Want To Hit Your Fat Loss Goals

First you need to take a look at what happened last week.

First pass at the food log:

1.) I like to circle everything that's bad, and put stars by everything with protein.

2.) I take a quick look at if there was protein at every meal.  If there wasn't, this is what we deal with.  We spend the rest of the time talking about how to add protein to each meal, which kinds of protein are easy or that they would like, and how to have that prepared ahead of time.

3.) Count the total number of "free meals" in the week.  If the number is more than six, then the only thing we talk about is how to have one less free meal next week than they had last week. 

So if they had fifteen free meals last week, their only goal next week is to have fourteen free meals this week.  Literally, we eliminate one free meal per week.

The first pass at the food log is 80% of the battle.  We spend 80% of our food log strategy time talking about that.  For clients who already have protein at every meal and only have three free meals per week (or one free day, per Cheat Your Way Thin rules) we can start spending more time with the stuff I look at on the second pass.

Second pass at the food log:

1.) We take a look at general food quality.  Is it mostly stuff that is real food, or is it mostly crap?  More food and less crap = better results…  about 100% of the time.

2.) We take a look at any times they felt hungry after a meal.  We look for patterns and adjust.  If they feel more full eating more protein, we add more protein.  If they feel more full eating more carbs, we add more carbs.  We almost always add more good fat when someone is hungry. 

We keep adjusting the ratio of protein/carbs until we get that mix where they feel most satisfied. 

In a perfect world, we'd get two passes at each food log every session.  Usually, if you look, there is something so glaringly obvious that it becomes the only thing we need to focus on.

No matter what, we only change ONE thing each week.

The Really Important Part

The really important part is doing that one thing in real life.

If that one thing is adding protein to every meal, maybe it will have to do with preparing more protein on Sunday night.  Or maybe it means bringing some lunch meat with you to work and stocking the fridge there.

If that one thing is cutting back on free meals, then maybe you need to PLAN when you are having free meals this week.  Literally put them on your calendar.

What ever it is, plan for that one thing.  Then do that one thing.  Then at the end of the week, regardless of what ever else happened, if you did that one thing you should celebrate it.

It May Seem Crazy, But It Will Change Everything

Look, I'm assuming you already have a great workout program and you are following it.  If you don't, buy one and start following it immediately.  Because you've got to have both, the workout and the diet.  My experience is that people are better at getting the workouts in than getting the food in.  So lets handle your food every single workout session.

It may seem crazy to bring your food log to the gym, and not start your workout until you've resolved everything from last week, but it will change your body in ways you can't imagine.

First, by actually handling what makes the most difference (food) you'll hit your goals.

Second, it will cause a permanent and indellible shift in your brain, that getting the food right is absolutely essential to your fat loss goals and must be the first priority.

by Josh Hillis, RKC2, CPT, PES, ZMIS

Josh is the author of The Stubborn Seven Pounds.

Josh has been featured in USA Today and the Denver Post, and quoted in the Los Angeles Times