To along with my Beginner Supplementation article, I wanted to cover three more of what I believe are popular supplements. Two of them are pretty commonly taken by gym goers and fitness enthusiasts of all levels, and the third is one I believe a lot of people have misconceptions about. Like I stated in my previous article, supplements are made to SUPPLEMENT an already established diet and training program. They aren't some quick fix and won’t provide crazy results in the gym. They add that little 1% for people who are really looking to take their fitness to the next level. And even then, there are tons of good and ethical fitness professionals that will agree they do have their benefits, but are not required to achieve some incredible results.

When I talk to most general population individuals who aren’t very involved in the fitness industry about how much they eat, they will describe their eating habits as eating 2-3 meals per day. Then when I converse with them a little more, they also tend to eat snacks here and there throughout the day as well. As I move to a conversation with someone who is more involved in fitness, such as bodybuilders, coaches, and fitness enthusiasts, they will describe their eating habits as eating 5-6 meals a day. So even though this sounds like 2 completely different protocols, where one group is have 2-3x more meals in a day, when you define what a “meal” is, the two groups look a lot similar.

A super common problem that I see a lot is that people tend to way under eat on protein.  I even will sometimes be guilty of this myself and constantly have to be mindful of how much I am taking in.  It is super important to make sure you’re getting enough protein throughout the day for numerous reasons.  It is the most satiating macro nutrient, it helps build and preserve muscle, and it is the least likely to turn to fat when consumed, just to name a few. 

One of the most over and underrated meal options I see are salads.  I see so many people eating them in an attempt to “eat more healthy” or lose weight or cut calories, but usually the ones they choose look so bland and boring.  On the flipside, I think if utilized in a smarter way, salads can be an awesome meal choice that can be designed to hit any macro count.

I typically only go out to eat once or twice a month, if that, and because it is not very frequent I usually don’t hold back when I go.  Since it isn’t that often, it is pretty easy to make adjustments with my nutrition so the meal doesn’t mess with my goals.  But I know a lot of people that eat out at least once a week, if not all weekend long.  There may be plenty of people that eat out every day as well.  Sometimes, eating out can make sticking to your fitness goals very difficult.  I don’t believe this always has to be the case and there are some restaurants that can even help you adhere to your fitness goals.

It is a common stigma that to be in shape you have to eat super “clean”.  “Healthy” foods have their benefits, but even living as a bodybuilder, you may be surprised how much of a foodie I am or how much I like to enjoy a few beers.  When it comes to eating, I personally am all about balance. I try to make sure I eat food that is going to fuel me and my fitness goals, but I also have my fair share of highly palatable foods.  My all time favorite meal is a BBQ smoked meat plate with all the sides and cold beer. But in that same breathe, I also eat fruits and vegetables at every meal and ensure I get enough protein throughout the day.

When most people start talking about fitness, many time supplements get brought up even though many people do not know the intended dosages or even use for many common supplements.  Since people do not know much about them, many will go to a local supplement store to get information and buy some. In worst case scenarios, they will even take these people and convince them they need to spend and exuberant amount of money on a bunch of supplements to get in shape.  Since so many people do not understand the basics to supplementation, I figured I would go over the 3 most basic ones that I believe can be taken at any level of fitness.

When I talk to many people about what their health goals are, most people tell me they want to lose weight.  A lot of times I don’t even bring up health/fitness, but I feel like since a lot of people know I enjoy going to the gym, that it is an easy and relatable conversation to have with me.  During these conversations, the types of things I hear people say they think they need to do are usually very misguided. The preconceptions they have about how lose to weight and the role food has to play with fat loss sets them up for failure before they even begin to try.  There are many dieting styles that work for fat loss and I believe the best styles are ones that allow for the highest probability of adherence along with ones that are more of a lifestyle change, rather than a “fad diet” that's done for only a short period of time.

When many of us hear the word diet, we immediately start to think of starving ourselves, eating chicken and broccoli, and drinking nothing but water. So right off the bat when people are trying to figure out how they can lose weight or hit their fitness goals, they start out with a negative connotation to the whole endeavor. Unfortunately society has kinda drilled this thought into our brains, and there are even whole brands based around the dieting phenomena such as SlimFast, Atkins, and even Lean Cuisine meals. Now these things aren’t necessarily bad by themselves and even can have a good place in many people's day to day lives, but rather than starve ourselves or eat boring and bland foods, we need to learn what a “DIET” really is.