If you follow a diet, you will ultimately and permanently fail. If you live a lifestyle you will consistently succeed. Read that again: Follow a diet, you fail. Live a lifestyle, you succeed.
Doctors, nutritionists and highly educated persons with plaques on their walls have written countless diet books, but as a former competitive bodybuilder, I know how to create a plan that maximizes lean muscle and minimizes body fat. I’m here to deliver it.
Anyone can get skinny, but most weight-loss diets result in a drop in pounds that is, at best, temporary and comes with a price—usually muscle loss, which leaves you thin, often frail and soft to the touch. That’s not what I’m here to deliver.
I long ago discarded traditional advice from nutritionists. Not that they have nothing to offer—they most certainly do—but my experience often proved the opposite of their teachings. One nutritionist insisted that all the “extra” protein in my diet was unnecessary … and she lost me right there. How else, I asked, do you hold onto muscle and lose body fat but by following a moderate-fat, moderate-carbohydrate, low-glycemic intake? When another suggested a very low-carbohydrate intake for many days on end, I concluded that what sometimes seems to work in a text book, doesn’t work in the real world. When another teacher marked me wrong on a question asking which athlete needed more protein—the cyclist, gymnast, marathoner or bodybuilder—when I circled “bodybuilder” and was marked incorrect, I was done with traditional teachings.
If you thought of the body as akin to a house, you would be less concerned with its sheer square footage and more concerned with the quality of its framework. The Complete Physique fitness plan is not about dieting—it’s about building a strong framework. That means coupling maximal lean muscle tissue with minimal body fat. Not enough attention is paid to paring those two things. It would seem to many that the two can’t coexist, that it’s seemingly just too difficult to achieve this balance. The many are absolutely wrong.
It also means banning the word diet from your vocabulary. Sure, it can just refer to the foods a person consumes, but these days the word comes with other baggage. The word diet now connotes “deprivation,” in other words, depriving yourself to lose weight, often through unsustainable levels of food or unrealistic restrictions on your food choices. Replace the word diet with the word intake—a neutral term that harks back to diet’s original meaning. It is simply what you eat.
Consumers today know more than those of yesteryear. We know that even though a food product is labeled low fat and low calorie, it’s still very likely to be unhealthy—the reduction in fat and calories is the result of processing. Anything labeled with these words—unless you find them in the fresh veggie aisle—is a food product and is rarely raw or unrefined.
These days, we also know that a calorie is not just a calorie. Sure, anyone can shed pounds by reducing calorie intake—eating just about any foods—but the quality of the calories you consume ultimately plays a large role in your body’s composition.
For example, which is better for you: a can of soda contains roughly 140 calories with 39 grams of sugar and 0 fiber or the equivalent 140 calories in raw nuts, with its 1 gram of sugar and 3 grams of dietary fiber? The clear choice is the raw nuts, because the soda is going to be stored as body fat.
Here’s why: The soda will affect the body by bringing a sugar rush to the liver. To process this rush of sugar, the pancreas releases excessive amounts of insulin, which stores the sugar as fat. All this—even though soda contains no fat.
The raw nuts, on the other hand, do contain fat, and that fat, along with the nuts’ fiber content, will digest much more slowly, maintaining blood sugar levels on a far more even keel. Another bonus is that the fat in the raw nuts will help to keep you satiated. A can of soda will just leave you hungry and craving even more sugar very soon thereafter. This is due to the fact that high insulin levels can block your brain from knowing that you are full, which can create powerful urges for more and more sugar.
No one gets a pass from sugar abuse and its ill effects. We often look at skinny people and assume that they must be healthy, but being thin isn’t always the same as being healthy.
What are the “enviable” people eating? If they regularly consume processed foods, they might well be “skinny fat,”’ and skinny-fat people can develop unhealthy fat around their organs. They may lack lean muscle, which can result in higher insulin resistance (the body’s inability to use insulin effectively), and they might be at risk for developing diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
Fortunately, these negatives can be avoided if they lose body fat and exercise with resistance training to increase lean muscle mass, improve flexibility and develop true body composition health.
So what’s the solution if you do carry extra weight? Why is it so hard to lose it? Contrary to popular opinion, obese persons were not born to be obese. Being “big-boned” or having “no metabolism” is a myth. Although a certain body type (endomorphic) has a predisposition to storing visible body fat and seemingly does so while simply looking at processed foods, the really good news is that even endomorphs have control over their bodies.
Even before portion control, try really “cleaning” up your food. This means choosing items to put in your shopping cart that generally reside at the outer perimeters of the supermarket: the vegetables and fruit, the meat and the dairy. The mid aisles generally contain processed foods, products that in the short term may seem cheaper, but are far more expensive in the long-term. Eating clean food equals a clean inner you and, ultimately, a clean outer you.
Remember that merely cutting back on processed foods is still eating processed foods. To become lean and stay healthy, stick with food that is consumed as close to its original state as possible.
Your transformation begins with identifying your triggers, those signs that you are heading toward nutritional derailment and eventually physique derailment. How to counteract a goal-thwarting behavior (cheating, binge eating) must be discussed before we can progress further. If the following behaviors apply to you, you may be an emotional eater:
Why, for so many of us, is it all or nothing? Why do we set our sights on unrealistic goals that only set us up to fail? Do we really want to punish ourselves, to live with constant guilt? Why do we suddenly stuff our faces when dealing with a stressful situation in the hopes that this extreme will thwart another?
Emotional eating, which comes on rapidly, is using foods to make yourself feel better—although the only thing you really fill is your belly, not any emotional needs or gaps. Commonly referred to as “eating your feelings,” this self-destructive behavior results in mindless overeating and leaves you feeling both physically and emotionally worse for wear. Like an addict who replaces something missing from life with drugs or alcohol, emotional eaters replace what’s missing with food. That leaves emotional eaters walking a hard road. Unlike alcoholics and drug addicts, whose substance of choice isn’t necessary for life, addictive eaters can’t just give up food forever.
So what is that you are missing? What sends you to the refrigerator? Identifying these triggers is the first step in literally turning the scales in your favor. Boredom, frustration, stress, the need for instant gratification, anxiety, loneliness, exhaustion and, yes, even the desire to celebrate with excessive food when happy, are all triggers that set off emotional eating. Feeling as if you have little to nothing to look forward to and an inability to tolerate your own bad feelings are also strong triggers for surrendering to emotional eating.
Emotional eating is a particularly destructive behavior because indulging becomes your primary coping mechanism in an unhealthy impulse cycle that leaves you feeling, at best, good in the moment but worse for wear over the long haul in a vicious and ongoing process. Of course, sometimes even knowing a certain behavior is bad isn’t enough for you to stop doing it—it’s not that difficult to find a reason or excuse for allowing such poor practice.
Perhaps you may find yourself believing that you had an especially tough day, a day of careful eating and strenuous training, and you indeed deserve this immediate gluttony. And let’s face it, when you’re eating the burger or pizza or whatever your favorite treat is, life couldn’t be better. The short term “high” you receive from the flavors of your favorite foods exploding in your mouth can be extraordinary—in the short term. Yet, even the planning of an indulgence is part of the cycle of emotional eating.
Yet, the guilt associated with emotional eating is too great a burden to bear, too great an indulgence to dismiss, and it can’t coexist with a social life. Some emotional eaters punish themselves with seclusion, even canceling events for fear of their “secret indulgence” behavior being discovered.
You must work to replace the mental confinement of emotional eating with the freedom of conscious eating. “Conscious eating” means that you eat when you feel physically hungry, which is a natural feeling. You then stop eating at the point of feeling satiated, but not overly full or stuffed. You are aware of what you are putting into your body.
Conscious eaters do not replace negative emotions with the temporary positive feeling associated with instant gratification and emotional eating. Conscious eaters plan ahead by packing food to bring with them to work, on the road and for any eventuality, and they further know how and what to order when placed in a situation in which they could just throw it all out the window and give into temptation. Conscious eaters do not allow themselves to get too hungry, which could create an emotional eating trigger, nor do they have negative relationships with their bodies or even food itself.
Just how can you protect and fortify yourself in your role as a conscious eater? Taking the time to prepare healthy food ahead of time is not only fueling you for optimal performance and aesthetics, but is also reaffirming that loving yourself is good and that your self-worth is high. You can further take back control and make the shift from emotional eating to conscious eating by slowing down, breathing, enjoying your food and never skipping meals. Find activities or passions that are positive, ones that leave you feeling happy and keep you in the moment. Cultivating healthy habits and supportive friends can go a long way to keeping you whole and in control of your lifestyle.
Recently, I took a date to a sushi restaurant. Not a problem, I thought. There’s plenty of healthy choices. When my date asked me what I was ordering, she didn’t seem too impressed with my selection. Too clean, I fathomed from her reaction. When I asked what she liked, there wasn’t one choice that wasn’t fried and bathed in a heavy sauce. She gave me the eyes and said, “You wouldn’t let a girl eat by herself, would you?” And so although there was no gun put to my head, I indulged and had an unplanned cheat meal. Certainly not the biggest of blunders. But I felt a mixture of guilt and annoyance. Sound familiar?
Far too often we derail ourselves because our partner, loved one, friend or what have you is not on board. They judge. And we want to at least placate, to be liked, to fit in, to not rock the boat, to not be judged. But other people’s choices should not impede your progress or negate your goals. The ones who get it are your peers. Keep them around you. Ignore the people who pressure you, the people who thwart your efforts because they are unable or unwilling to follow the same path. Pay them no mind.
In life it’s often important to compromise, but it’s also important to have someone’s back and to appreciate those who have yours. Be true to you. What I might have done differently on that date is never to have had it in the first place, because we didn’t have another. Yet, in all seriousness, I could have explained to her that this is my lifestyle and the way I wish to eat. By all means order what you like. It’s that simple.
If you’re concerned with offending others, don’t be. Once your body starts changing, it is you they will look up to for actually walking the walk. In truth, what is needed in life and in your pursuit of a complete physique is more “Did you eat meal 4?” and less “Why are you eating so many meals?” When in doubt, you eat the foods that you are comfortable eating, regardless of the company you are keeping. People tend to respect those who do not reverse themselves.
Most of us have heard about portion control and warnings to not shop for food while hungry, and to some degree these are effective strategies, but I’m going to share with you some in-the-trenches solutions that continue to serve me well. We’re all on the same page here: none of us want to get comfortable in “fat clothes,” so let’s thwart the pulverizing beast that is nutritional derailment by mastering the mental in order to enhance the physical.
Some of the measures I’ve used over the years to get myself into peak condition (or even in the realm of it) may seem humorous or a little outside the box (and indeed they are), but they work for me. The more strategies you can employ, the more fortified you become and better prepared to achieve your goals.
If I can’t eat it, I watch it. For me, watching someone else indulge while I can’t has always had a powerfully positive effect—I’m living vicariously through them without the guilt. So if watching a TV show dedicated to searching the country for the greatest pig-out spot or getting hooked on cupcake competitions sates your appetite without sending you to the nearest barbecue joint or bakery, wallow in your favorite foods on screen.
It sure is fun to watch someone eat sinfully good food and then ask them questions about it … a lot of questions, as I tend to do. Countless times have I taken out friends, relatives and even dates for a lavish meal and then deposed them like an attorney about every aspect of it. And they’re usually good sports. My favorite question, asked just as a friend takes the first bite of a decadent treat, is: “Describe for me what’s going on right now on your palate.” The answers make those restaurant checks my favorite bills to pay.
There’s two ways of looking at this activity: You either force yourself out of the baggy sweatpants and loose-fitting shorts to try more form-fitting and flattering attire that does not yet fit but ultimately will, or you can reward yourself by trying on clothes that fit now, ones that quite frankly make you feel and look fine. The former can work as incentive—think about how that dress is going to accentuate your new curves. The latter way can be a reward for your hard work up to that point. You don’t have to settle for what many call a “fat wardrobe.” When jeans fit and your waist is looking small, there’s little chance of you allowing yourself to derail your efforts.
Let’s face it, if you’re not feeling your best or even good, you probably won’t want to take progress pictures. But I’ve always found that if a serious urge to indulge in a cheat meal strikes, and you’re showing some progress, no matter how minute, snap some pics. Finding something to like about your body and even the tiniest hint of a smile will indeed help to keep you on track. And if you’re really liking the pics, post ’em on social media.
When I was a competitive bodybuilder, we didn’t have social media, but the immediacy associated with it is now such a part of our lives. Back then, I’d go into my buddy’s office at the gym, strip down to my skivvies and hit some poses. If I was on track, he’d smile. If I wasn’t, I’d get the look of disappointment. And that was that as far as feedback went. Today, posting progress pics does so much to keep you on track and to let you know that you are doing a good job and in turn inspiring others. Those “likes” and “comments” really do add to your arsenal. And surfing through others’ social media accounts can be extremely motivational. It’s impossible for me to scroll through people I am following and not be motivated to stay strong, keeping on my program and eating clean, when I see all their progress pics and positive phrases. Remember, those who inspire in turn need to be inspired themselves. We’re all in this together!
Let’s begin our talk about food intake openly and honestly and recognize the elephant in the room: sugar. Sugar, a simple carbohydrate generally used to sweeten foods and drinks and, more specifically, foods that are processed. Processed foods are altered from their natural state to offer convenience and flavor, but all that added sugar takes its toll. Consumption of high amounts of sugar at multiple meals per day is single-handedly driving diabetes, heart disease, lipid problems, strokes, cancer and other diseases across a large percentage of the populace. Of course a little here and there won’t prove harmful or fatal, but consuming meal after meal of foods loaded with sugar can eventually lead to metabolic disease and obesity.
Sugar can hide behind many names on food labels, but it most often appears as “high fructose corn syrup.” High fructose corn syrup is a cheap, processed sweetener that is commonly used to replace table sugar in processed foods. Food corporations even introduce sugar into baby formula, which may be hooking consumers to life-long sugar cravings.
Even natural sugars should be avoided or limited. If you think fruit juices, for example, are good for you, please reconsider. When you eat whole fruit you are ingesting supportive fiber, but when you drink fruit juice—even juice clearly labeled no sugar added—you get almost all sugar and little to no fiber. A grapefruit contains roughly three grams of fiber, but look at the nutrition info on a carton of grapefruit juice, and you’ll see no fiber listed at all. You might as well drink a soda.
Indeed, juicing with fruit is not a good way to get lean. Without fiber to aid in digestion, your body releases insulin, the fat storage hormone.
Food is fuel, and your food intake determines how we feel on the inside and how we look on the outside. But not all food is efficient fuel.
When devising a food intake plan that will transform their bodies, many people fail to consider the role of protein. Sure, the food pyramid and recommended daily allowances ascribe some semblance of space to this all-important macronutrient, but certainly not enough. Many “authorities” cite various carbohydrate and fat sources as mainstays of nutrition, but until you put protein at the forefront, you’re not changing your body. Carbs and fats are just energy, calories that both allow and enable sustained movement. Protein, on the other hand, is what you are: it is flesh, and flesh is what you have control over to bring you your own complete physique. And please jettison the cry of “I don’t want to get too big.” It’s simply not going to happen without the right combination of genetics, tons of weights hoisted on a consistent basis, an army of food and a lot of time.
As I’ve previously stated, if you’re eating mostly unprocessed foods, then you’re generally going to stay lean. Having said that, and in the hopes of narrowing down just how much you should be consuming each day, here are some more specific guidelines for the three main nutritional macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fats.
Consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily in the form of chicken and turkey breast, eggs, lean meats, fish or plant-based protein powders to maintain and build lean muscle mass. Protein, at 4 calories per gram, is composed of amino acids. To promote an anabolic, or muscle-building, state, you must consistently take in these building blocks of protein. Protein helps in the repair of tissues and in the ongoing process that results from muscle breakdown (from exercise) and muscle repair (from nutrition). A 200-pound man should take in roughly 200 grams of protein daily split among five small meals with approximately 40 grams per meal.
Consume roughly 1.5 grams of low-glycemic carbohydrates per pound of body weight on the days you work out in the form of beans, yams, quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, whole- or sprouted-grain bread or legumes and roughly 1 gram on the days you do not. Carbs contain 4 calories per gram. You can consume fibrous carbs, such as salad greens and broccoli, in near limitless amounts due to their low caloric content.
All carbohydrates are not equal to one another in terms of insulin release and fat storage. The Glycemic Index (GI) can help you track your carbohydrate intake, allowing you to gauge whether you are eating “good” or “bad” carbs. The GI tells you how quickly your blood-sugar levels rise after consuming certain kinds of carbohydrates. Look for carbohydrates with low GI scores ranking 55 or lower, and avoid those with high scores. White bread, white potatoes, white rice and alcoholic drinks have high GI score ratings of 70 or above. Medium-GI choices include muesli, oatmeal, and shredded wheat, rating 56 to 69. Low-GI foods include lentils, legumes, nuts and most vegetables, with scores of 55 or lower. Limit most dairy, soda, fruit juices, alcohol, breads and cereal, pasta, butter, margarine, heavy oils and fried food.
Carbs can be classified into two main categories: simple and complex. Simple carbs are simple sugars that can be found in processed foods such as cakes, cookies and candy, as well as in more nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables. Complex carbs are generally considered unrefined or unprocessed (during processing, nutrients are taken out to make for a longer shelf life). As previously discussed, ingesting mostly low-glycemic carbs is a major key to staying lean. A 200-pound man should take in roughly 250 grams of carbohydrates daily split among five small meals with approximately 50 grams per meal.
Consume roughly one-third of your body weight daily in the form of healthy oils like olive and coconut healthy fats found in such foods as nuts and avocados. Fats, at 9 calories per gram, are essential in the further acquisition of lean tissue and to regulate body functions. Skin and cell maintenance, eye and hair health, lowering of cholesterol levels and disease prevention are just some of the benefits of consuming the right kind of fats.
Fats can be further divided into subcategories including both saturated and unsaturated. The body doesn’t digest saturated fats (bad fats) well and tends to deposit them where they can build up, while unsaturated fats (good fats) are used for optimal health. A 200-pound man should take in roughly 65 grams of fat daily split among five small meals with approximately 13 grams per meal.
By totaling the grams from the three macronutrient groups you will arrive at your daily allotment of calories. It need not be exact and should not remain repeatedly the same foods—your intake should be changed now and then to offset boredom and further disarm the temptation to engage in emotional eating.
You might think that this section belongs in the chapter on exercise. After all, you’ve got to work your abs to make them show, right? As I say to new clients wanting to work just their abs and those convinced that the key to getting a trim and rippling midsection is crunches, sit-ups and more crunches, “Stop the crunches.”
The key to tight abs is burning stored body fat through a reduced and quality nutritional intake and melting the fat off by elevating your metabolism through both weight training and cardio. Performing a set of squats rather than a set of crunches will do more to elevate your metabolism and the efficacy in which stored calories are utilized. I can prove it to you. Check your pulse after a set of squats and then check it after a set of crunches. It will be elevated after squats, especially if those squats were performed deep.
Want your abs to truly show? Stick to unprocessed foods, and consume them as soon after they are harvested as possible.
Supplements are, at best, supplemental to your intake. Filling nutritional gaps, helping to meet macronutrient levels, and offering ease and convenience are the major pluses of implementing sports supplementation. They should and will always take a backseat, however, to proper and complete whole foods.
In my competitive days and less hectic work life, I was able to get in my five regular meals with ease. Yet, like many, my adulthood added responsibilities that leave me with far less free time. The good news is that you can achieve outstanding results with limited time, either with or without supplements. I’m living proof: I got in shape for this book on an intake of three whole meals and two additional protein shakes daily.
Strangers, friends and even family often approach me with free samples of some new “miracle” supplement or stream of supplements. Then I am told how much extra income I can make by turning on my readers and clients to these products. Integrity is of utmost importance to me, and I have never hawked products to those who place continued trust in me simply to make a buck. Again, supplements will always be supplemental to food, and I only recommend something if I personally believe in it and take it. In truth we trust.
The list below, placed in order of each item’s importance in my program, is exactly what I use in my arsenal, and I cite them for demonstration purposes only. As always with supplements, less is more, and more will never be better. I do not recommend supplements for everyone; these are merely what I take consistently to yield a quality physique to supplement my whole food intake and Complete Physique lifestyle.
The multivitamin packet has always been my greatest insurance policy. Investing in your body through proper food intake and intense training must be supported by the underpinnings—in this case, vitamins and minerals. You could have the sturdiest steel beams, but without quality bolts, you’ll never build a sound structure.
Many of us tend to consume the same or similar foods, and so multivitamins help to fill in the gaps. I take them every morning with breakfast.
Protein powders are an efficient way to fulfill your daily protein requirements. The greatest thing about protein powders is their portability, affordability and ability to supply a steady flow of this macronutrient to recovering muscles.
A casein-based powder is best taken at nighttime due to its slow digestion time, and whey-based powder is best consumed post-workout due to its immediate assimilation. These powders are also complete in all essential and nonessential amino acids, meaning that they have a high biological level, or BV (how well the body can both utilize and absorb a protein). I generally take protein powder with almonds (a good fat to slow down fast digestion) between whole-food meals.
Pretty much the first thing I reach for in the morning (following, of course, holding my dogs) is half a caffeine pill. Why not a cup of coffee or tea? I have nothing against the liquid stuff (provided it’s not mixed with sugar and cream), but the pill just helps to get me going in the morning. Am I reliant on it? No. Is it an added boost to begin my morning? Absolutely. And I never take caffeine in any form after 4:00 p.m. to ensure adequate sleep.
Fats and their many benefits are such an important weapon in the nutritional arsenal (when maintaining a low-fat intake) that they appear near the top of the list. Fish oil is a high-quality source of the healthy fats that help with metabolic and antioxidant support, smooth-functioning joint health and proper nervous system function. They are also great for the skin, hair and heart. They aid in dietary satiety and even help to improve your best lifts. I take one fish oil capsule at breakfast.
Much like our smart phones today, pre-workout powders are everywhere. One wonders what we did to power our workouts before the invention of this ultra-popular category of supplements. Low in calories and meant to work in conjunction with whole foods, many pre-workout products contain caffeine for energy and focus, nitric oxide for an increased muscle pump, creatine for fuller muscles and increased endurance, and other stimulants. These products are strong, so if you are sensitive to stimulants and/or have high blood pressure, stay clear of them. It is also a good idea to only take a pre-workout powder for limited periods or cycle different kinds to counteract their diminishing effects over time. I alternate brands weekly. I take it minutes before my workout with a meal.
Depending on to whom you speak, this supplement either works wonders or does nothing. I take it at least for the mental boost, knowing that my joints are strong and connective tissues and cartilage supported. It gives me the mental confidence to perform my best in the gym during the rigors of heavy lifting. When I don’t take this supplement for a few days, I can definitely feel a difference. Joints are subject to heavy loads and repetitive motion during lifting, and this product supports the production of synovial fluid within the bone tissue. I take two with my first meal.
Out of 22 amino acids, the building blocks of protein, 9 are essential and must be derived from food because your body cannot produce them. BCAAs contain the three most important of the amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine, which are responsible for protein synthesis (the process whereby individual muscle cells increase in size), energy production and to prevent or decrease muscle breakdown. I take four capsules prior to breakfast in conjunction with caffeine every morning in order to keep a muscle-preserving and even anabolic, or growing, state, especially when I’m on a restricted caloric intake.
The release of varying hormones plays a large role in determining the body’s muscular composition. Testosterone increases muscle protein synthesis, the process by which our muscles grow. It is released from the testicles in males and to a lesser degree from the ovaries in females. Growth hormone is what allows us to grow from children into adults and helps to keep us youthful as well as stimulate muscle tissue repair. It is secreted from the pituitary gland. Insulin, as discussed earlier, helps to assist nourishment into muscle cells. It is produced in the pancreas. These three powerful hormones are anabolic in nature, that is, muscle building.
The equally powerful but derailing hormone cortisol is opposite in effect in that it is catabolic, meaning it breaks down muscle tissue. Cortisol is released by the adrenal glands in times of both mental and physical stress as a coping mechanism. Too much can lead to gaining fat and losing muscle, the exact opposite of our intentions here.
It is nearly impossible to halt or block cortisol release, but it is possible to lessen its effects on your body by including regular exercise in your lifestyle. Endorphins trigger positive feelings within the body and are released from both resistance training and aerobic exercise and will help to lower your cortisol levels. Deep sleep is unique in that this is when your cortisol levels are at their lowest and your growth hormone is at its highest.
Time and time again when I inquire about my clients’ nutrition during work hours, I hear the reply, “I have no time to pack food to take with me, and all that’s available is x, y and z.” Of course, x, y and z are always poor choices. Without trying to lecture them like a parent scolding a child, I remind everyone that we all lead busy lives, and, truly, as the saying goes, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
It really doesn’t take that much time to fire up the grill or saucepan and cook chicken while scooping protein powder into shaker cups and portioning frozen rice and veggies into storage containers for transport to the office. Let’s assume that these days most of us have a microwave at work, and so … there you go.
I may be a trainer who spends many hours in the gym five days per week helping my clients to achieve their physique goals, but believe me when I tell you that between scheduling them, I do get in both my workouts and clean meals, and so too should you make healthy eating one of your priorities. And no matter your vocational situation, you can make this happen. Going to work without prepared food is like going into battle with guns but no bullets.
Whether it be business, travel or a date, most of us are eating out often and are more likely to consume more calories than when we eat at home. And those calories are likely to come from heavy starches such as rice, breads and pastas, as opposed to vegetables and leafy greens. As I’ve said before, there’s almost nowhere that you can’t find a healthier alternative when in public. Of course, most of us have been in a situation where someone reminds us to live a little and to put the tuna and carrots down and dig in. And from time to time, we should.
I’ve certainly been on my share of dates, meetings, parties and other events at which I couldn’t dig in—I had competition plans or a scheduled photo shoot that prevented me from indulging, but even this was only for a limited time. When those plans concluded, it was back to indulging here and there, all the while keeping myself within striking distance of a complete physique. Not giving in to peer pressure is one thing, but not living is another matter entirely.
The Complete Physique plan gives you a bag of tools that will help you to maintain a livable, long-term lifestyle that is above all else, attainable. The goal on paper is to become your best. But the real-world goal is to get there while navigating this thing called life, while anticipating problems and offering solutions, before they occur. And for any fitness plan, eating out is a problem with many solutions.
You may think of Mexican as just fried tortillas, heavy cheeses and frozen margaritas, but when eating Mexican, you can’t go wrong with white chicken fajitas, black beans or pinto beans, soft whole-wheat tortillas, salsa and a negligible amount of guacamole. Watch the calorie-dense sour cream, cheeses, chips and tortillas.
Sushi restaurants offer lots of healthy selections. If available, ask for brown rice rolls, and avoid deep-fried tempura dishes. Stick to less fancy, less dressed, cleaner rolls such as salmon, tuna, shrimp, yellowtail or veggie rolls. Watch out for hidden ingredients, such as mayonnaise, which can be found in spicy tuna rolls. To feel more satiated, start with either the miso soup, edamame or a mixed green salad devoid of heavy dressing.
A Mediterranean restaurant is another venue that offers lots of healthy choices. Order chicken kabobs or chicken without the skin with various grilled vegetables. Olive oil is the main source of fat used in this cuisine, which consists of largely unprocessed foods, but steer clear of the fried falafel and pita bread. Go for moderate hummus and moderate rice. Watch the fat-laden spreads and dips. Enjoy spiced onions, tomatoes and pickles.
Rich Thai curries are delicious, but loaded with calories and saturated fat. Order a dish that is steamed and is devoid of coconut milk. Cashew chicken is a good choice, because cashews contain plenty of healthy fats, and the dish can be complemented with brown rice. Hot and sour soup is another low-calorie, low-fat option, but keep in mind that it’s high in sodium. As a starter, choose steamed spring rolls filled with healthy vegetables.
Indian restaurants offer numerous options for a clean intake. It’s a flavorful cuisine, containing many spices, some of which have been shown to contain beneficial antioxidants. Lean foods such as Tandoori chicken or shrimp are good choices. Skip the high-glycemic naan, the deep-fried poori and the griddle-fried paratha breads, and opt for the whole-wheat roti. Vegetarians can also eat clean by having legume-based dishes, but just avoid the heavy sauces.
These days it is hard to avoid the ubiquitous coffee shops that have popped up on nearly every street corner. If you find yourself in one, ignore the high-calorie frappuccinos and flavored lattes, which are loaded with fat and sugar, and opt for plain tea or coffee. These shops used to sell just coffee, but now offer a host of breakfast and lunch items, too. Go for a whole-grain oatmeal (and stir in your favorite protein powder) or a reduced-fat turkey sandwich on a whole-wheat English muffin (tell them to hold the cheese).
Let’s face it, when on the Complete Physique plan, a buffet restaurant is probably not the place to be—mounds of all-you-can eat selections are just invitations to gluttony. Still, even at a buffet you can gather a plate of salad, vegetables and fruit. Assume lean protein (other than hard-boiled eggs) is nonexistent at these places, but count on fried chicken. Simply grab a breast, and discard the skin and fried parts. You will then have a supreme source of first-class lean protein.
Skip the mile-high layers of pastrami or corned beef, and go for a lean meat such as turkey, chicken or roast beef on whole-wheat bread with vegetables and a low-calorie condiment such as mustard.
Most of the “quickie-mart” road stops are stocked with RTDs (ready-to-drink meal replacements). In addition, there is beef or turkey jerky, which is very low in fat, despite its high sodium content. Various trail mixes and single pieces of fruit are also good choices. Remember that you can find a way to eat clean, even while fueling up at the gas pump.
Vegetarian restaurants offer a host of clean choices. For one, there’s soybeans, which by themselves contain all the essential amino acids (building blocks of protein), and for another, there’s quinoa, a near-perfect food. There’s also legumes, nuts and grains. Keep in mind that the label vegetarian by itself does not mean “healthy” or “lean,” because even veggie dishes can be prepared by frying. Opt for grilled dishes without heavy sauces or condiments.
Although vegetarianism has been around for millennia, it was not until the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that it truly grew in the Western world. In our century, vegetarianism in its many forms, from raw veganism, which includes only fresh and uncooked fruit, nuts, seeds and vegetables, to ovo-lacto vegetarianism, which includes animal/dairy products such as eggs, milk and honey, continues to grow and flourish.
Along with paying close attention to what they eat, vegetarians of all stripes are just as conscious about getting into peak shape (if not more so) as their carnivorous counterparts are. Whatever your food preferences and lifestyle, the Complete Physique plan is for you. You can hone your body to its absolute best, with maximal lean muscle and minimal body fat, consuming a diet of only foods grown from the earth and none that originate with a face.
One of the biggest misconceptions about an exclusively plant-based intake is that it does not supply your body with enough protein, or complete protein sources. Yet, most plant foods do contain protein to some measure. Take, for example, spinach: Its protein per calorie equals that of chicken, though there are indeed far fewer calories per ounce in spinach than there are in chicken. You would have to eat a lot more spinach to get an equivalent amount of protein.
Plant proteins are just as valuable as those found in animal sources. The main difference is that animal sources are whole, meaning that they contain all the essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein. You can, however, still build an amazing physique on a plant-based intake, as long as you carefully combine foods to get all the essential amino acids.
If you are consuming a rich variety of plant-based foods—seeds such as quinoa (naturally high in protein), fruits, legumes, nuts and leafy green vegetables—and in ample amounts, you will likely take in enough complete sources of protein. You also derive other benefits. The natural fiber found in these unprocessed, whole foods (unlike their meat counterparts) aid in digestion, and they actually help to keep you lean because many of these foods are nutrient dense, low in calories and full of vitamins and antioxidants. They also tend to be cheaper and less perishable than meat.
The following sample training day’s clean intake provides roughly the type and quantity of nutrients a vegetarian needs. Feel free to change the times and even sequence of the meals if it better suits you.
 | MEAL 1 8:00 a.m.
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 | MEAL 2 11:00 a.m.
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 | MEAL 3 2:00 p.m. (pre-workout meal)
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 | MEAL 4 5:00 p.m. (post-workout meal)
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 | MEAL 5 8:00 p.m.
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On the flip side, many of the benefits of plant- based foods come with an added expense of high carbs, most especially the sugars found in fruit. Limit these type of carbs in order to get lean and also to prevent such diseases as type 2 diabetes. Having said that, if you’re eating plant-based, the chances are still high that you will get enough of everything you need, and virtually none of what you do not. You may even require fewer nutritional supplements.
The general consensus is that we don’t need as much protein as we were once told, but to build or even maintain muscle mass, you’re going to need an adequate protein intake on a daily basis—roughly a gram (at least) of protein per pound of lean body weight every day. That means a 200-pound man who carries 180 lean pounds of muscle needs a minimum of 180 grams of protein per day to maintain muscle mass—and even more is he wants to build new tissue. A plant-based intake is generally low in calories, but taking in enough calories to get sufficient protein is key, provided the foods are low glycemic, so as to minimize and negate the release of insulin, the fat storage hormone. For this reason, including plant-based protein powders like rice or soy in your diet is a good idea to help supplement your intake and hit your daily numbers.
There’s so much more to a vegetarian diet than the stereotypically limited tofu and salads. Indeed, plant-based nutrition can be delicious, different and varied.
If you follow a plant-based diet, be sure to choose from all of its four main food groups: whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits. Low-glycemic starches include healthy pastas, brown rice, vegan wraps and tortillas and oats. Many vegetables, including portobello mushrooms, kale, spinach, romaine lettuce and sweet potatoes, are nutrient-dense and vitamin-fortified foods that will help to keep you lean. Additionally, gluten-free options can greatly help those with allergies and those suffering from celiac disease.
The time factor in preparing plant-based meals can be of further benefit,—it takes mere minutes to put together a dish such as quinoa, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli and a handful of raw nuts. Another meal could be a veggie burger in vegan bread, such as Ezekiel, with leafy greens and golden beets. A protein-and-vitamin-rich smoothie takes mere seconds. When on the go, pack raw nuts, fruits, vegetables and grains in baggies or storage containers to keep you on track and progressing.
Consuming an array of unprocessed plant-based foods throughout the day portioned into small meals that are loaded with fiber will help you get lean and stay healthy. Limit packaged foods that have labels listing a surplus of unpronounceable ingredients, and be sure to take advantage of low-calorie spices and low-glycemic condiments to add extra flavor to an already colorful plate.
What is the cheat meal, and why should you add it to your food intake plan? It is simply one extravagant meal that you indulge in once a week, which will actually reset both your metabolism and state of mind.
Don’t force one if you don’t think it’s warranted, but if you go for it, don’t let a cheat meal morph into a cheat day, as it often does. It doesn’t mean gorging over the weekend only to reset on Monday. It’s really just one meal a week in which to elevate your calories and enjoy the foods you’ve been limiting or even avoiding. If you can have it early in the day, great. This gives you a chance to use up some of that ingested energy.
For some, the cheat meal is a social thing. Maybe that upcoming wedding is your indulgent reward to yourself. For others (like myself), it’s often a private thing to be enjoyed in the sanctity of home. It’s up to you—choose the time and place and lose yourself for that one meal. And then get back on track, guilt-free.
My hope for you is that you use the knowledge within this book to achieve your personal best. When you’re getting close—meaning your clothes are fitting well and there’s some abdominal definition going on—the final 10 pounds can prove quite an annoyance. Your instinct might be to do more activity and take in less food, but extreme measures do not always guarantee success. And they often backfire.
Sometimes all you need to do is to take a closer look at your current behaviors. Are you taking in hidden sugars? I know you’re eating skinless chicken breasts, but are you using excessive ketchup or other sugar-laden condiments to get them down? Are you eating ground turkey or ground turkey breast? The turkey breast is far leaner. Greek yogurt is a complete and fantastic source of protein, but how much sugar is listed on the label? Are you using butter to prepare your eggs? Are you having a glass of wine just about every night? The cream and sweetener, no matter how slight, in your morning coffee adds up over time.
But let’s assume that it’s all clean eating. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of time. So go easy on yourself. You’re probably doing enough, so just keep doing it, and be patient. You didn’t get out of shape in a matter of days and you won’t get back into shape in the same time frame. Just keep on the road to results. You’ll be showing a beach-worthy body at the end of the journey.
The great thing about your transformation is that it is a solo endeavor, a private journey in which you are bettering your previous best, and no one else’s. We are all different, with differing fitness levels, yet with the common goal of besting ourselves, so our targeted question is not “Will you get to the top of the mountain?“ but “When?”
As a trainer told me long ago, if you’re not ready one week out from an event, all the little tweaking and adjusting in the world won’t do much to change your physique. There are, however, “peaking secrets” that I’ve used with success over the years, and they have made a difference to my appearance. Many of you are using the Complete Physique plan to actually get in shape for an event on a specific date—a wedding, reunion, beach vacation—so I am laying down exactly what I did in the last week to prepare for my big event.
My event, the photo shoot for this book, was to take place over a weekend, with Saturday being specified as my main peaking day, so I began final preparation on the prior Monday. From Monday through Wednesday I willingly and voluntarily salted my foods (which I wouldn’t recommend if you are prone to high blood pressure). The theory behind this is that the extra salt will retain water in the skin, giving it a smooth, almost bloated look … temporarily.
On Tuesday, I had a full-body wax to provide ample time for my skin to heal and for any swelling to go down. I also practiced isometrics or muscle posing for five minutes per day all seven days of this last week. Nothing fancy, just traditional bodybuilding poses you’d see in nearly any muscle magazine. That gave me greater control over the muscles of my body, allowing me to tense these muscles while still relaxing my facial muscles. This way, my physique would appear super hard, but my expressions wouldn’t be tense or forced.
My workouts were the same as those prescribed during Phase 3 of the Complete Physique plan with an extra day of cardio thrown in early Saturday morning. I did this more for a mental boost rather than any physical change for the big day.
Come Thursday, I then cut out as much sodium as possible, eating my foods with no condiments or seasonings. I also added in asparagus (a natural diuretic) all the while drinking a lot of water in an effort to flush the salt from my body and make my skin appear tighter.
Friday was a full-body spray tan. And then, Saturday, I woke up fresh and ready to go, although I still drank plenty of water to stay hydrated. We began shooting outdoors under the sun, which caused even more subcutaneous water loss—so much so that by the time we were ready to snap the interior shots, my physique was at its absolute peak.
Worth mentioning is the fact that I had carbs even with my last meal. Many people opt to cut their carbs after an afternoon meal, but this is simply too drastic and unrealistic. You need those carbs to perform demanding resistance training and cardiovascular exercise week in and week out while attempting to hold onto precious muscle tissue and jettison stored body fat. If you attempt to cut carbs too early in your day, you will most assuredly binge later on or late at night. Remember, if you follow a diet you will ultimately and permanently fail. If you live a lifestyle you will consistently succeed.
You will lose fat and gain lean muscle during your program, so be wary of the scale; it does not give a true indication of what’s really going on behind the number and underneath the threads. Although experience and results dictate that I am not a proponent of numbers—that is, I am not concerned with sheer body weight but rather the composition of that body weight and how it looks—I did, however, weigh myself when I began the Complete Physique plan and then again on the day of the photo shoot. I began at 242 pounds and ended at 198 pounds. My goal this time was twofold: to come in with a little more lean muscle and even less body fat than my previous books.
Aside from increasing my lifts on target sets, I upped my protein a little from the previous plan and allotted myself one cheat meal per week until six weeks out from the photo shoot. I then eliminated all cheat meals until after the shoot. Then I slipped back into a maintenance mode. My suggestions are to use your clothes, the mirror and your pictures to assess your true condition.
Here is a sample of a daily menu (with supplementation included) that I followed as I prepared for the photos for this book.
 | MORNING SUPPLEMENTATION 7:00 a.m.
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 | MEAL 1 8:00 a.m.
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 | MEAL 2 11:00 a.m.
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 | MEAL 3 2:00 p.m.
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 | MEAL 4 5:00 p.m.
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 | MEAL 5 8:00 p.m.
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