The Simplest Diet for Lean Fitness
Post written by Leo Babauta.
Im in the best shape in my life.
Im incredibly happy to say that. For years (as many of you know) I was in terrible health I was overweight and sedentary and addicted to junk food and a smoker and overworked.
Today after more than five years of living healthy I am about 65 pounds lighter. Im leaner than Ive been since probably high school with the same pants size as I had in high school (32) while being much stronger than I was back then. More importantly I am fitter: I can run and play sports and hike and do activities of all kinds better than ever before.
How have I achieved all of this? Slow change. Ive done no fad diets or quick weight loss. Ive done nothing extreme. Everything is about living healthier and eating whole foods and being active most days. And about enjoying the journey.
Today I thought Id share a bit about how I eat. Its not meant to be copied exactly but to inform others trying to make a similar journey. Next week Ill talk about my exercise.
Overall philosophy
My general philosophy of eating:
- I dont go for anything extreme. Ive made small changes to my diet over the years and have found this works best: if you try for drastic changes youll hate it and wont stick to it for long. But add a few extra fruits and veggies and its not hard. Change soda to water next month and its not deprivation.
- I eat slowly. OK not always but most of the time. Eating slowly allows me to fully savor the taste of the healthy food I eat and at the same time eat less while still feeling satiated (not stuffed).
- I eat real foods. I try for veggies and fruits and raw nuts and seeds and beans and some whole grains. Sometimes my food is processed but mostly its just the stuff youll find in the produce and bulk sections of a supermarket (or far! mers mar ket).
- I eat plants. I do that mostly for reasons of compassion (killing animals for pleasure doesnt feel right to me) but Ive found its also an extremely healthy way to eat. Sure its possible to be vegan and unhealthy (eat processed fake meats and sweets) but if youre a whole-food vegan its hard to go wrong. And yes its easy to get protein as a vegan.
- I enjoy myself. I look for healthy foods I love berries for example and savor them. Ill eat sweets now and then but in small portions and truly enjoy the few bites I have. I have red wine and love it. I drink beer sometimes and its wonderful. I have pizza about once a week and its delicious. Eating healthy isnt about deprivation but about finding ways to enjoy yourself while living a healthy life.
My Diet
This month Ive cut my less healthy choices down to Saturdays as inspired by Tim Ferrisss book The 4-Hour Body. That means I only eat pasta and pizza and sweets and beer and French fries on Saturdays. This has gotten me even leaner and I recommend this way of living.
The rest of the week I eat my own version of Tims Slow Carb Diet the Leo version. That means I eat a little fruit and a few whole grains and I dont eat the meat. I dont eat fried foods or drink calories (other than red wine at dinner) or eat white carbs (pasta bread rice potatoes pizza).
What I eat:
- Beans lentils and black beans and kidney beans and pintos and soybeans.
- Nuts and seeds raw almonds and walnuts and seeds and olive oil and avocadoes.
- Veggies lots of greens like kale and spinach and chard and broccoli. Carrots and various bell peppers and sprouts and so on.
- Fruits berries and apples and oranges and a little dried fruits like raisins. In moderation.
- Whole grains steel-cut oats and Ezekiel flourless sprouted-grains bread and quinoa (not technically a grain). Thats about! it I d ont eat pastas or whole-grain muffins or the like.
My Meals
My typical day usually goes like this:
- Breakfast: Every day I eat steel-cut oats for breakfast late in the morning (usually between 10:30 and 11:30). I cook it and then mix it with flaxseeds and cinnamon and blueberries and raw almonds and a few raisins and maybe a small amount of banana or raspberries.
- Lunch: Typically a big-ass salad with kale and spinach and sprouts and avocados and beans and raw nuts and a little fruit with balsamic vinegar. Sometimes Ill eat a tofu stir-fry with greens.
- Snack: If Im hungry in the afternoon Ill eat some raw nuts and dried fruit or veggies and hummus.
- Dinner: Beans and veggies or a tofu-stir fry or veggie chili with beans. This meal varies. Sometimes the beans will be Indian style or Mexican style. Usually the veggies will be greens like kale or broccoli or chard. Sometimes Ill have quinoa. Red wine with dinner.
And thats about it. Over time Ive found I need less food than I used to. Eat slowly and youll find yourself full on less food.
The Results
I used to spread my cheats throughout the week a whole-grain muffin here and some pizza there and beer more than Id like to admit. But putting everything on Saturdays has helped me be honest the rest of the week.
I honestly enjoy eating whole foods. I enjoy being lighter and leaner. Ive gained muscle eating these foods though I might focus on building more muscle later in the year.
I run faster than ever. I can do more intense workouts than ever before. I was tested for various health indicators recently and everything was perfect. Eating this way has absolutely changed my life.
Notes
A couple notes to answer potential questions:
- Soy is not un! healthy< /a>. You might have read various scare articles on the Internet about soy (usually based on misleading articles from the Weston A. Price Foundation) but theyre misinterpretations of science. I eat soy in moderation and try for whole soy in natural forms (tofu, tempeh, edamame, some natural soy milk). I dont have man boobs and Im absolutely healthy. Instead of pointing to scientific explanations of why soy is unhealthy show me the actual peer-reviewed studies that show that moderate amounts of natural soy (not soy protein isolate) have caused health problems.
- You can absolutely get enough protein and calcium and iron on a vegan diet if you eat whole foods and not junk.
- Sugar is junk and that includes white flour pasta and breads and French fries. Its worthless calories. Whole grains in moderation provide nutrients and fiber.
- A little meat in moderation is not unhealthy especially if you choose grain fed and free range. Most people eat unhealthy amounts of meat and eggs and dairy. Those foods in any amount are unethical in my opinion even if theyre grass fed and free range. Exploitation of animals as objects and their suffering for our pleasure is not compassionate. We dont need animal products to live healthy lives as my example shows so the only reason to eat them is for our pleasure (we like the taste).
