Meal Planning Guide

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Table of ContentsIntroduction ................................................................................................................................ 4

"Meal Planning 101" ................................................................................................................. 5

Step 1: Determining Caloric Needs ........................................................................................... 5

Step 2: Planning Meals ............................................................................................................. 5

Step 3: Shopping ...................................................................................................................... 6

Step 4: Meal Prep ..................................................................................................................... 8

Sample Meal Plans ................................................................................................................... 9

Morning Workouts .....................................................................................................................11

Evening Workouts .....................................................................................................................17

Control Days .............................................................................................................................20

Food Substitutions and What to Avoid .................................................................................23

Meal Frequency .......................................................................................................................27

Food List ..................................................................................................................................30

Weekly Templates ...................................................................................................................32


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Introduction

First of all, thank you for purchasing the Eat to Perform Meal Planning Guide. Since our

inception, we’ve been wary to delve into meal plan design but due to overwhelming demand, the

text you’re reading right now came to fruition. This eBook was written with two goals in mind:

1. True to our “teach a man to fish” philosophy, we want to give you as much information

about setting up your nutrition as possible so that you can ultimately put the principles of

Metabolic Flexibility into action using your food choices and your workout schedule. We

also wanted to discuss why some foods that are traditionally considered “off limits” may

have a place in a healthy diet.

2. We wanted to provide examples of what to eat and when to eat it so that you can get

started on your path towards optimal health, performance, and body composition as

soon as possible. We’ve gone and given you the basics of how and why our example

meal plans are set up the way they are and discarded anything that could potentially

confuse the process. There’s not a lot of theory or “science-y jargon” – just practical

information.

We believe that this guide will inform you well and put you in a position where you can design

custom meal plans for yourself, develop healthy and efficient shopping habits, and reach your

personal fitness goals without drastically cutting calories. Eat more, do more!

Thank you,

The Eat to Perform Team


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"Meal Planning 101"Within a few moments of using the Eat to Perform Calculator , one thing will become abundantly

clear to you:

You need to eat a lot of food to maximize your results!

Implementing a proper nutrition plan can be very hard for some people, especially if they're

used to eating in a restrictive fashion or going completely on (pun intended) their gut instinct.

Without the right amount of food, achieving your health, body composition, and performance

goals can be quite difficult.

That's why we thought it would be helpful to include a step-by-step approach to developing a

meal plan that works for you, followed by some great examples of what proper nutrition for an

active person looks like. Let's get started!

Step 1: Determining Caloric Needs

The first step to setting up a meal plan is determining how much food you need on an average

day - your macronutrient requirements or macros.

It's really pretty simple to figure this out! If you're a Science Lab member, you can head over to

the forums and a moderator will help you establish your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)

using the calculator and help you refine your macros based upon your unique requirements.

If you're on your own, the Eat to Perform Calculator is extremely easy to use - check out this

page for a tutorial:

ETP Calculator Explained

Now that you know how much you need to eat each day, you need to determine how many

meals you’ll eat and how the calories and macronutrients you have available will be split up.

Step 2: Planning Meals

Depending upon the purpose of the meal – i.e. breakfast, dinner, pre-workout, post-workout –

the general composition will change. Furthermore, the precise amounts of food will vary based

upon your individual requirements.

The easiest way to determine how much to eat each meal is to simply divide your daily caloriesby the number of meals you’ll consume throughout the day.

For example: 2000 calories divided by 4 meals = 500 calories per meal.

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You can use the same approach to determine the macronutrient composition of your meals:

For example: 66g fat/200g carbs/150g protein divided by 4 meals = 16g fat/50g carbs/37g of

protein per meal.

What exactly does a meal consisting of those macronutrients look like? With a little wiggle

room, something like this:

Sample Meal Total: 14g fat, 49g carbs, 35g protein

6 oz. sirloin steak 6g fat, 0g carbs, 26g protein6 oz. sweet potato 0g fat, 37g carbs, 4g protein

2 cups raw broccoli, chopped 1g fat, 12g carbs, 5g protein

1/2 tbsp. coconut oil 7g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein

NOTE: Trying to chase numbers and achieve “perfection” when planning meals is not

necessary. If you’re off by a bit on your calories/macros per meal, don’t sweat it – your body willnot atrophy if you’re off by a couple grams of protein per meal!

In the later sections of this book, there are sample meal plans provided to help give you an

example of how much you need to eat and what each meal should look like for you to hit your

daily caloric target. In addition, there are weekly templates to give you an immediate structure

to plan around.

Personal Preferences

Not everyone likes the same food. Some people are allergic to certain foods and would risk

their health if they blindly incorporated those foods into their nutrition. For this reason, we ask

that you experiment but don’t force yourself to eat selections that you hate or that you believe

make you sick!

Likewise, there’s no need to plan every single solitary meal. You can and should learn how to

eat intuitively! Planning meals can help you develop an understanding of what constitutes

proper nutrition but if you’d prefer to take a more relaxed approach, be our guest; you’ll still see

great success along your journey!

With all of this plotting and calculating taken care of, it’s time to put the numbers into practice

and venture into the world to buy food!

Step 3: Shopping

If you have a consistent supply of food available, you won't have to go for convenience meals

that might throw you off track on the path to your goals. You should organize a trip to the

grocery store each week on a day you have free to run errands. This is where the real work is


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done. (Note: If you’re very busy and rarely have time to shop, you can buy food for a couple

weeks in advance and prepare some frozen meals. More on this in a few paragraphs…)

Your best bet is to purchase large amounts of staple foods - foods that you can eat practically

every day that will provide you with plenty of energy. When you eat mostly the same things

each week, you can accurately guess how much you’re eating. That way, you don't have to

stress about counting calories; you’ll know how much food you’re consuming because you’ll be

eating consistent portion sizes and combinations!

Try to shop on the perimeter of the store and stay away from the center aisles. The perimeter is

typically where you’ll find fresh meat, vegetables, fruit, and other products that need to be

refrigerated. You’ll probably need to head into the center aisles to pick up a few things –

specifically dry goods like rice and certain oils - but most of what you find here is highly

processed convenience food, which is questionable as far as where it fits into a healthy diet.

Protein

The first macronutrient group you need to take care of is protein. Go for between 2-3 protein

sources that you can prepare in advance so that they're on hand whenever you need them.

Beef, chicken, pork, fish, and lamb are all great options!

Protein is essential if you want to preserve and build any tissue – including muscle! Protein is

the foundation upon which your nutrition rests, so don’t skimp on it.

Carbohydrates

Next up are carbohydrates. There are basically three categories you need to consider:

veggies, fruits, and starches.

Veggies include everything from green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, spinach, lettuce,

squash, carrots, and a host of other great sources.

Fibrous vegetables add micronutrients and fiber to your diet. They plan an important role in

keeping you full when you’re attempting to lose body fat.

Fruits include: bananas, strawberries, mango, pineapple, apple, grapes, papaya, cherries,

berries of all types...Grab a bunch! Fruits deliver micronutrients and antioxidants, as well as a

small amount of glucose and fructose for quick energy. They’re generally low in calories but

they should be eaten in moderation – it’s still possible to overeat on fruit at the end of the day.

____

Then we'll go for our starches. Potatoes of all types, rice, quinoa, oats, corn, even ripe

bananas will do you well here. Starches are the plant equivalent to your own glycogen, a fuel

source stored within your muscles to provide instant energy. Thus, starches are the preferred

fuel source of your muscular system during exercise.


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Fats

Finally, we'll address fats. Most of your fat will come from your protein and vegetable sources

(beef, fish, chicken, avocados, butter, nuts, etc), but you can keep some oils on hand to prepare

your meals. Coconut oil, olive oil, and grass fed butter all work here. In a later section of thiseBook, we’ll discuss the differences between the various oils.

Once you've got a cart full of food to fuel your body, you need to get it home and prepare it!

Step 4: Meal Prep

Without a doubt, this is where most people flub things. If you get some cooking and storage

done in advance, you'll have food ready whenever you need it, in the amounts you require. At

that point, all you've got to do is eat it!

The easiest way to go about this is to designate a day each week, preferably on your shoppingday, to cook and chop up your protein and veggies for the next several days.

Chicken: You can easily cook chicken in bulk, making it a go-to protein source. Throw a

couple trays of chicken breasts in the oven with some spices and herbs, or let it stew in a

crockpot overnight. Chicken breasts are low in fat and high in protein.

Beef: Ground beef can also be cooked in bulk – just fry it up in a big pot, drain the grease,

and you’re good to go. Throw a roast in the oven or the crock pot and you’ll have plenty of

protein, along with some fat. Grass fed beef is always preferable if it’s available in your area

due to the health benefits associated with the fat content of the meat.

Eggs: Eggs can be hard boiled in large quantities and kept on hand for salads as well as

quick high protein snacks.

Veggies: This is where having a large sauté pan comes in handy! You can cook up your

vegetables either together or separate in a delicious pool of butter or coconut oil. Add

seasoning and voila, you have a delicious accompaniment to your meals. Steaming is also

a great cooking method.

Salads can be prepared in advance – just chop up your fresh vegetables and store them, or

leave them intact if you prefer to prepare them as you go later on.

Potatoes: Boil and bake them, mash them up, stick ‘em in a stew. Cook a whole bunch ata time so you have plenty of starches available on your workout days.

Step 5: Storage and Portioning

Once you've got everything cooked, you can organize it into containers for meals at work or at

home. Portion meals based on convenience - not every meal needs to be plopped into a


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separate container but if you’re a very busy person, portioning out more meals can make your

life less hectic. In the end, it’s up to you.

Refrigerating your meals works well if you’re planning for a week, but if you’re always on the go

and you need to think a little further ahead, you can always freeze some food and reheat it later.

A Word Regarding Workout Nutrition

Every meal you eat will technically come either before or after a workout, but when we refer to

pre/intra/post-workout nutrition, we mean nutrition consumed within an hour or so of

commencing or terminating a workout session. These are crucial periods where you have a

greater influence over your performance and recovery via nutritional intervention. This is the

one period of the day where convenience should take precedence – supplements become very

useful.

Pre-workout: This meal encourages your metabolism to handle carbohydrates more

efficiently. As such, pre-workout should consist of starchy carbs, protein, and very little fat.

A fast-acting carb drink like Vitargo is your best bet here; couple that with whey hydrolysate

and you have the perfect fuel source for exercise.

Intra-workout: Nutrition consumed during training can augment endurance or replace the

pre and post-workout meals. Go for a diluted carbohydrate beverage and try to remain

hydrated.

Post-workout: Shortly after training, you should prioritize eating a meal of protein and

carbohydrate. Some people feel better if they eat immediately after (often in the form of ashake) but some people wait a while. If you want to ensure positive adaptation to exercise,

try to eat a large amount of your daily calories in your post-workout meals, starting with a

protein/carb shake if possible.

These are not hard/fast rules – some people choose not to incorporate supplements into their

nutrition, opting for a completely whole foods diet. We believe that while it’s up to you to decide

what you eat and where it comes from, quality supplements are valuable tools so you may as

well use them.

Sample Meal PlansThese examples should help you piece together your own meal plans and understand what

you’re trying to accomplish by putting everything into a visual format. Remember – these are

just templates. To dial in on your performance, body composition, and health goals, you’ll need


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to customize your plan and find something you can adhere to long-term. You can start by

modifying these templates to suit your needs.

The easiest way to modify these plans to work for you is simply to change the serving sizes

each meal.

For instance: If a plan suggests ½ a cup of rice and you need more carbs, you could bump it

up to ¾ of a cup of rice.

In contrast, if a meal suggests 4 oz. of potatoes but you need fewer carbs, you can drop the

serving size down to 2 oz. Use a site like MyFitnessPal to recreate one of these sample meal

plans and see how your modifications affect the macronutrient content of each meal. Add and

subtract what you need to meet your goals for that meal and the day overall.

Regarding Vegetables… As you read through these sample meal plans you’ll notice that

occasionally, we don’t factor in the carbohydrates from vegetables. There’s a good reason for

this: it just makes life easier for most people! We refer to veggies as “incidental carbs” because

they don’t really count towards your daily calorie needs - their fiber/water content is so high thatthey offer very little “net carbs” i.e. you use up energy breaking them down and don’t really get

anything out of them. Counting them or worrying about overeating them is unnecessary. Eat

veggies to your heart’s content!

In the following section, you’ll see meal plans divided into several subsets:

Morning workouts: These plans are designed to provide plenty of energy for someone

who works out in the morning (before lunch) and promote optimal body composition and

performance via the principles of Metabolic Flexibility. Not everyone eats breakfast, so that

is reflected.

Afternoon workouts: These meal plans are for folks who are active in the middle of the

day, after lunch. Again, these plans are organized to take advantage of Metabolic Flexibility

to optimize performance, body composition, and general health.

Evening workouts: If you train in the evening, these sample meal plans are for you. As

with the morning and afternoon workout meal plans, these examples will provide you with

ample energy throughout the day and the right stuff to crush your workouts so you can get

to bed and awaken rested and recovered the next day.

Control Days: We refer to rest days as “control days” because you can often eat slightly

less and burn more fat without risking valuable lean mass due decreased energy demands.

These meal plans will give you a good idea of what to eat when you’re NOT working out!

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Morning Workouts

Morning Workout Sample #1 Macros: 2260 calories, 80g fat, 217g carbs,

152g protein

Pre-workout Total: 1g fat, 41g carbs, 26g protein

Protein shake (blended)6 oz. banana 0g fat, 38g carbs, 2g protein1 serving whey protein 1g fat, 3g carbs, 24g protein

Intra-workout Total: 0g fat, 17g carbs, 0g protein

1/2 scoop Vitargo 0g fat, 17g carbs, 0g protein

Post-workout/lunch Total: 5g fat, 37g carbs, 34g protein

6 oz. chicken breast 5g fat, 0g carbs, 30g protein6 oz. baked potato 0g fat, 26g carbs, 3g protein1 cup almond milk 2g fat, 11g carbs, 1g protein

Dinner Total: 53g fat, 47g carbs, 57g protein

8 oz. rib eye steak 30g fat, 0g carbs, 50g protein6 oz. baked sweet potato 0g fat, 35g carbs, 3g protein2 tbsp. butter 23g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein8 oz. steamed cauliflower 0g fat, 12g carbs, 4g protein

Pre-bed snack Total: 21g fat, 87g carbs, 37g protein

Chocolate peanut butter protein oatmeal2 oz. dry oatmeal 4g fat, 38g carbs, 5g protein6 oz. banana 0g fat, 38g carbs, 2g protein1 serving whey protein 1g fat, 3g carbs, 24g protein2 tbsp. peanut butter 16g fat, 7g carbs, 7g protein


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Morning Workout Sample #3 Macros: 2632 calories, 88g fat, 280.5g carbs,180g protein

Intra-workout Total: 0g fat, 17g carbs, 0g protein

1/2 scoop Vitargo 0g fat, 17g carbs, 0g protein

Post-workout Total: 2g fat, 44g carbs, 50g protein

Chocolate banana protein shake (blended)6 oz. banana 0g fat, 38g carbs, 2g protein2 serving chocolate whey protein 2g fat, 6g carbs, 48g protein

Breakfast Total: 20g fat, 46.5g carbs, 22g protein

2 whole egg 7g fat, 0.5g carbs, 6g protein4 slices cured pork bacon 13g fat, 0g carbs, 12g protein

8 oz. diced sweet potatoes 0g fat, 46g carbs, 4g protein

Lunch Total: 65g fat, 29g carbs, 61g protein

8 oz. Brussels sprouts 0g fat, 16g carbs, 8g protein8 oz. rib eye steak 30g fat, 0g carbs, 50g protein1 tbsp. ghee 13g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein1 cup of avocado 22g fat, 13g carbs, 3g protein


8 oz. cod filet 1g fat, 0g carbs, 35g protein1 cup Jasmine rice 0g fat, 144g carbs, 12g protein


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Afternoon Workouts

Afternoon Workout Sample #1 Macros: 2400 calories, 94g fat, 190g carbs,202g protein


1 whole egg 7g fat, 0.5g carbs, 6g protein6 oz. chicken breast 4g fat, 0g carbs, 21g proteinMulti colored pepper and onions cooked in1 tbsp. of ghee

13g fat, 0g net carbs, 0g protein


Kale salad (Kale, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion)4 oz. of sirloin steak, strips 3g fat, 0g carbs, 31g protein1 cup of avocado 22g fat, 13g carbs, 3g protein2 tbsp. olive oil 28g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein

Pre-workout Total: 2 g fat, 76g carbs, 48g protein

2 servings chocolate whey protein 2g fat, 6g carbs, 48g protein,2 scoops unflavored Vitargo 0g fat, 70g carbs, 0g protein

Post-workout/dinner Total: 3g fat, 62g carbs, 68g protein

8 oz. lean ground turkey burger 3g fat, 0g carbs, 52g protein1/2 cup of dry Jasmine rice 0g fat, 30g carbs, 2g protein2 cups of steamed spinach 0g fat, 32g carbs, 14g protein


Coconut milk smoothie (blended) 1 cup of lite coconut milk 12g fat, 12g carbs, 0g protein1 cup of frozen pineapple 0g fat, 25g carbs, 1g protein1 serving vanilla whey protein 1g fat, 3g carbs, 24g protein


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Afternoon Workout Sample #2 Macros: 2053 calories, 77.5g fat, 187.5gcarbs, 152g protein


4 slices cured pork bacon 13g fat, 0g carbs, 12g protein3 whole eggs 21g fat, 1.5g carbs, 18g protein4 oz. banana 0g fat, 25g carbs, 1g protein

Lunch/pre-workout Total: 6.5g fat, 58g carbs, 38g protein

½ cup quinoa 5g fat, 58g carbs, 12g protein4 oz. lean ground turkey burger 1.5g fat, 0g carbs, 26g protein

Post-workout Total: 1g fat, 38g carbs, 24g protein

1 scoop unflavored Vitargo 0g fat, 35g carbs, 0g protein

1 serving vanilla whey protein 1g fat, 3g carbs, 24g protein

Snack Total: 14g fat, 26g carbs,14g protein,

2 hard-boiled eggs 14g fat, 1g carbs, 13g protein4 oz. banana 0g fat, 25g carbs, 1g protein


8 oz. rib eye steak 22g fat, 0g carbs, 37g protein2 cups green beans 0g fat, 13g carbs, 5g protein6 oz. baked potato 0g fat, 26g carbs, 3g protein


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Afternoon Workout Sample #3 Macros: 3179 calories, 115g fat, 334g carbs,202g protein

Breakfast Total: 36g fat, 17g carbs, 36g protein

Sausage and spinach omelet2 pork sausage links, chopped 22g fat, 0g carbs, 16g protein2 whole eggs 14g fat, 1g carbs, 13g protein1 cup spinach, chopped 0g fat, 16g carbs, 7g protein

Lunch Total: 35g fat, 144g carbs, 49g protein,

3 cup Jasmine rice 0g fat, 144g carbs, 12g protein8 oz. rib eye steak 22g fat, 0g carbs, 37g protein1 tbsp. ghee 13g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein

Pre-workout Total: 2g fat, 44g carbs, 26g protein,

Chocolate banana protein shake (blended)6 oz. banana 0g fat, 38g carbs, 2g protein1 serving chocolate whey protein 2g fat, 6g carbs, 24g protein

Post-workout Total: 2g fat, 41g carbs, 24g protein,

Vanilla protein shake w/ Vitargo (blended)1 scoop Vitargo 0g fat, 35g carbs, 0g protein1 serving vanilla whey protein 2g fat, 6g carbs, 24g protein

Dinner Total: 7g fat, 49g carbs, 35g protein,

6 oz. sirloin steak 6g fat, 0g carbs, 26g protein6 oz. sweet potato 0g fat, 37g carbs, 4g protein2 cups raw broccoli, chopped 1g fat, 12g carbs, 5g protein


Mango coconut milk smoothie (blended)½ can full-fat coconut milk 32g fat, 7g carbs, 7g protein6 oz. frozen mango chunks 0g fat, 29g carbs, 1g protein1 serving whey protein 1g fat, 3g carbs, 24g protein


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Evening Workouts

Evening Workout Sample #1 Macros: 3003 calories, 123g fat, 251g carbs,

223g protein


6 oz. ground beef 14g fat, 0g carbs, 44g protein1 cup kale, chopped 0g fat, 7g carbs, 2g protein2 large eggs 10g fat, 0g carbs, 12g protein1 tbsp. coconut oil 14g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein1 cup raw mushrooms, sliced 0g fat, 2g carbs, 2 g protein


6 oz. canned salmon 6g fat, 0g carbs, 36g protein2 cups raw broccoli, chopped 1g fat, 12g carbs, 5g protein


4 oz. banana 0g fat, 25g carbs, 1g protein2 oz. rolled oats (dry) 6g fat, 35g carbs, 7g protein1 serving chocolate whey protein 1g fat, 3g carbs, 24g protein2 tbsp. almond butter 16g fat, 8g carbs, 6g protein


3 cups cooked Jasmine rice 2g fat, 126g carbs, 12g protein8 oz. pork tenderloin 18g fat, 0g carbs, 67g protein2 cups raw spinach 0g fat, 2g carbs, 2g protein


Chocolate avocado/coconut pudding (blended)1 cup of lite coconut milk 12g fat, 12g carbs, 0g protein2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa 1g fat, 6g carbs, 0g protein1 cup of avocado 22g fat, 13g carbs, 3g protein


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Evening Workout Sample #2 Macros: 2052 calories, 72g fat, 202g carbs,149g protein


4 oz. salmon fillet 8g fat, 0g carbs, 28g protein4 oz. asparagus 0g fat, 5g carbs, 3g protein

1 tbsp. coconut oil 14g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein

4 oz. banana 0g fat, 25g carbs, 1g protein

Lunch Total: 6.5g fat, 54g carbs, 32g protein

Turkey burger on lettuce

4 oz. lean ground turkey burger 1.5g fat, 0g carbs, 26g protein

Lettuce leaf bun 0g fat, 1g carbs, 0g protein1 cup cooked Jasmine rice 5g fat, 53g carbs, 6g protein


1 scoops unflavored Vitargo 0g fat, 35g carbs, 0g protein

1 serving chocolate whey protein 1g fat, 3g carbs, 24g protein

Dinner/post-workout Total: 43g fat, 80g carbs, 65g protein

Yam & rice bake

4 oz. diced yams 0g fat, 31g carbs, 2g protein

2 oz. white rice, dry 2g fat, 49g carbs, 1.5g protein

8 oz. ground beef (80/20) 17g fat, 0g carbs, 60 protein

1 cup of avocado, mashed 22g fat, 13g carbs, 3g protein


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Evening Workout Sample #3 Macros: 2692 calories, 100g fat, 262g carbs,186g protein


Sweet potato scramble6 oz. ground beef 14g fat, 0g carbs, 44g protein

2 large eggs 10g fat, 0g carbs, 12g protein

8 oz. diced sweet potatoes 0g fat, 46g carbs, 4g protein

Snack Total: 33g fat, 32g carbs, 32g protein

Cherry coconut milk smoothie, blended

½ can full-fat coconut milk 32g fat, 7g carbs, 7g protein

1 cup frozen dark cherries 0g fat, 22g carbs, 1g protein1 serving vanilla whey protein 1g fat, 3g carbs, 24g protein

Lunch/pre-workout Total: 9g fat, 58g carbs, 33g protein

½ cup quinoa 5g fat, 58g carbs, 12g protein

6 oz. chicken breast 4g fat, 0g carbs, 21g protein

Dinner/post-workout Total: 34g fat, 126g carbs, 61g protein

8 oz. rib eye steak 22g fat, 0g carbs, 37g protein

2 large eggs 10g fat, 0g carbs, 12g protein

3 cups cooked Jasmine rice 2g fat, 126g carbs, 12g protein


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Control Days

Control Day Sample #1 Macros: 1965 Calories, 93g fat 114g carbs,

170g protein


8 oz. ground beef (80/20) 17g fat, 0g carbs, 60 protein2 cups green beans 0g fat, 13g carbs, 5g proteinBlack coffee w/ 1 tbsp. coconut oil 13g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein


Chicken Caesar salad (romaine lettuce) 1 heart of Romaine 2g fat, 21g carbs, 8g protein

6 oz. chicken breast 5g fat, 0g carbs, 30g protein2 tbsp. Caesar dressing 12g fat, 1g carbs, 1g protein


¼ cup almonds 18g protein, 5g carbs, 8g protein


6 oz. sirloin steak 6g fat, 0g carbs, 26g protein6 oz. sweet potato 0g fat, 37g carbs, 4g protein


Coconut milk smoothie (blended)½ can full-fat coconut milk 32g fat, 7g carbs, 7g protein1 banana 0g fat, 27g carbs, 1g protein1 serving whey protein 1g fat, 3g carbs, 24g protein


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Control Day Sample #2 Macros: 2489 calories, 125g fat, 132g carbs,209g protein


6 oz. chicken breast 5g fat, 0g carbs, 30g protein2 cups raw broccoli, chopped 1g fat, 12g carbs, 5g protein2 large eggs 10g fat, 0g carbs, 12g protein

Snack Total: 49g fat, 18g carbs, 37g protein,

Chocolate almond coconut smoothie2 tbsp. almond butter 16g fat, 8g carbs, 6g protein½ can full-fat coconut milk 32g fat, 7g carbs, 7g protein1 serving chocolate whey protein 1g fat, 3g carbs, 24g protein


8 oz. pork tenderloin 18g fat, 0g carbs, 67g proteinKale salad w/ balsamic dressing

1 cup kale, chopped 0g fat, 7g carbs, 2g protein2 tbsp. olive oil 28g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 0g fat, 3g carbs, 0g protein


6 oz. ground beef 14g fat, 0g carbs, 44g protein4 oz. white rice 0g fat, 90g carbs, 10g protein1 cup raw mushrooms, sliced 0g fat, 2g carbs, 2 g protein


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Control Day Sample #3 Macros: 2731 calories, 127g fat, 177g carbs,220g protein


8 oz. pork tenderloin 18g fat, 0g carbs, 67g protein3 large eggs, fried 21g fat, 1g carbs, 20g protein

1 tbsp. coconut oil 13g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein

8 oz. grapefruit 0g fat, 25g carbs, 2g protein


1 cup spinach, chopped 0g fat, 16g carbs, 7g protein

6 oz. ground beef 14g fat, 0g carbs, 44g protein

8 oz. diced sweet potatoes 0g fat, 46g carbs, 4g protein1 cup of avocado 22g fat, 13g carbs, 3g protein


Chocolate protein shake (blended)

1 serving chocolate whey protein 1g fat, 3g carbs, 24g protein1 tbsp. coconut oil 13g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein


Chicken salad (Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, carrots)

6 oz. chicken breast, strips 5g fat, 0g carbs, 30g protein

1 heart of Romaine 2g fat, 21g carbs, 8g protein

4 oz. Greek yogurt, plain 6g fat, 5g carbs, 10g protein


8 oz. sweet potato 0g fat, 47g carbs, 5g protein

1 tbsp. butter 12g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein


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Food Substitutions and What to AvoidOne of the things we wanted to have a real conversation with people about is the idea of eating

foods that might not be considered all that great. It’s almost paralyzing to think of what you can

and cannot eat, but it doesn’t really have to be that way! Let me give you a few examples of

what I mean.

Oils

When you cook with oils, they become unstable and degrade in quality due to oxidation.

Oxidated fats are linked to cardiovascular disease. The rate at which the oxidative process

occurs is referred to as oxidative stability. Poly and monounsaturated fats like olive oil, soybean

oil, and corn oil are all less stable at high temperatures than saturated fats like coconut oil and

palm oil. Does that mean you shouldn’t consume olive oil? No. But you shouldn’t necessarily

cook at a high temperature with these sources. It is still a great addition to salad dressings and

useful when you’re cooking at a low temperature.

Dairy

Dairy is a controversial topic for a lot of reasons. Obviously there are people that are lactose

intolerant but we addressed that earlier – if you believe you have issues digesting lactose, get

tested.

In reality, many people avoid dairy because it’s a quick, convenient way to get in lots of calories.

It’s easy to rely upon when you’re between a rock and a hard place. If your main thought

process is that you eat too much, certainly dairy would be something you would look at

removing from your diet in this process.

But what if you aren’t eating enough of a specific macronutrient like protein? Can dairy be a

useful food item? I think it can! Drinkable proteins like whey protein or even milk can help you

reach your daily protein requirements and that’s an important part of staying healthy! If you

aren’t allergic to lactose or you’ve never experienced problems with milk, there’s no reason to

avoid dairy.

If you’re going to incorporate dairy into your nutrition, you should go for whole-fat milk. One of

the reasons behind this is that fat blunts insulin secretion. When you take the fat out of milk you

are basically refining it to a drinkable sugar (lactose). For highly active people, the fat in milk or

food items like Greek yogurt will keep you full longer and keep your blood sugar better

regulated. It’ll also provide you with more calories, which can be helpful in many scenarios.

Should I Avoid Grains or Gluten?

If you have celiac disease, you’ll probably already know whether or not you can eat grains

safely. Other issues lie in a less obvious condition known as gluten-sensitivity where

individuals experience migraines, digestive issues, skin conditions, etc. However, an individual


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who doesn’t experience problems with grains/glutens doesn’t need to avoid them entirely.

When people ask me if I eat grains, the short answer is “Yes.” The long answer is that I do eat

them, but I don’t eat that many and it’s not because I view them as a “bad” food.

When you look at the nutrient profile of most grains you basically have a highly processed form

of fiber, even in the case of the good stuff. While whole grains are often demonized as bad for

you due to gluten, aside from gluten digestion problems for some, the biggest reason why

grains aren’t the best option is because many of them are highly processed. Processed foods

don’t make the cut on my plate because when I eat them, I am missing out on other

macronutrients or micronutrients (vitamins) that provide my body the type of nourishment it

actually needs.

For the vast majority of sedentary people, adding in a bunch of food that doesn’t really add

much to the equation isn’t a good thing and when given the option I just choose nutrients most

of the time. The problem, much as it is with dairy, is that highly processed grains are very

convenient and modified to taste good. If you aren’t planning ahead and you become over-

reliant on convenient foods, you won’t get the most out of your efforts in the kitchen and in thegym. That’s the real problem.

The ironic part is that the grain we recommend the most is considered by many to be a “bad

food” because it’s not only a grain but it lacks fiber. I’m talking about white rice or variants like

rice noodles. When you talk to most average people they believe they should avoid starches

and embrace fiber and therefore whole grains are where it’s at. When you start becoming

active, starches play a crucial role in preserving and creating new and stronger tissue by

keeping your muscles hydrated and energetic. It’s pretty funny when you tell people that you

don’t eat many grains because their first response is “Where do you get your fiber from!?” and

that answer is “fruits and vegetables.” but that doesn’t always occur to a lot of people because

there aren’t a lot of Kale ads on television.

Certainly Sugar is Bad, Right?

I think most people know that they shouldn’t eat a ton of sugar but just don’t put it into context.

That is to say that eating too much sugar leaves you less room for nutrients your body would

rather have. Avoiding sugar altogether basically sets up a disaster scenario when you let it

back in. For the majority of people, moderate sugar or fruit consumption isn’t that big of an

issue…but that stance certainly doesn’t sell a lot of books!

Once again we get back to the argument of what is really important as it relates to food. When

you view any food as inherently bad, you miss out on eating those foods when they might be

useful. Certainly fruit would be the biggest argument for a good source of sugar because itdoesn’t just have sugar (fructose) - it has many vitamins that come along for the ride, as well as

fiber. Oh, by the way, it tastes great! That is probably the biggest argument for sugar in

reasonable doses: a little can go a long way to make food taste better than it would otherwise.


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One point I rarely hear discussed by the “sugar addicted” crowd is why people seek sugar out

so aggressively in the first place. Let me give you an example that that is very common and is

often ignored in relation to the sugar discussion.

The most important factor in creating fat loss is eating a calorie deficit. Most people tend to take

the “rip the band aid off” approach and go for bust. By that I mean that it’s easy to go to

extremes under the false presumption that a huge calorie deficit will yield MORE fat loss than a

moderate deficit. For instance, a person unaware of how many calories they should be eating

(total daily energy expenditure) defaults to what is commonly accepted and recommended by

the FDA: a 2000 calorie diet. Logic dictates that you would need to eat less than 2000 calories

a day to lose fat, and for some reason 1200 calories is the commonly accepted number. That

might work for a sedentary person, but the caloric needs of active people are much greater so

when they default to super low numbers, the result is “energy cravings”. At its heart, sugar is

just a very condensed form of energy. When you create a huge calorie deficit, it’s quite normal

for your body to seek out a way to replace that energy…Thus the cravings for sugar!

Let’s look at an example: a female with a TDEE of 2453 eating 1200 calories a day. In almostevery instance this woman would be eating lower than her basal metabolic rate, which breaks

down to eating less than the basic needs of her body to simply exist. In the short term (day-to-

day) you can gut it out with this approach but things go sideways fast. When you know how

much food your body needs, you can easily keep foods you like in the equation and still see

results.

Are Sweet Potatoes Better for You than White Potatoes?

Yes they are, but only marginally so. The main reason you would eat a potato is for the value of

the starch. I default to sweet potatoes because they’re more nutrient dense, I think more

vitamins are better for me, and I like how they taste. Said simply, it’s not an issue to have aserving of mashed potatoes. Having hash browns for breakfast, potato chips for lunch, and

scalloped potatoes for dinner is another story, especially if you’re not very active throughout the

day. Again, context is very important.

Energy Dense Foods and Their Role in Your Diet

Many of us believe that the foods we’re eating are causing the problems with our health and

body composition, but I would argue that most of these foods have their place in healthy diets

assuming that allergies aren’t an issue and they’re eaten in appropriate amounts. Let’s be clear

though: the majority of the food you eat should be simple. Meat and vegetables will not fail you

but to get the most out of your workouts, to build and maintain lean tissue, you need energy

dense foods. Meat and veggies become drudgery without some potatoes and rice, or somecheese, or whatever else you might want.

If you factor in that you should be eating at your TDEE the majority of the time and you prioritize

working out fueled, that leaves a lot of room for the things you enjoy. If you understand how


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food works and eat it in adequate amounts workouts are easier and much of the confusion

related which foods to eat and not eat goes away.

Vegetarian Substitutions

The most difficult aspect of nutrition for a vegetarian/vegan is getting in enough protein.

Thankfully, there are fermented soy products like tofu and tempeh available that provide proteinper gram comparable to beef, chicken and fish. Fermented soy offers many health benefits to

both vegans/vegetarians as well as meat eaters. Raw soy and soy milk should be avoided as it

has been implicated in the development of certain cancers. Beans and nuts can bolster your

daily protein intake as well. Finally, vegetarians and vegans can enjoy protein shakes from

hemp, pea, and various other plant sources just as non-vegetarians take whey protein shakes.

Gluten Free/Zone/Paleo/Dairy-Free and the Bottom Line

There’s absolutely no reason that you can’t stick to one of these diet archetypes and achieve

success with Eat to Perform. At the end of the day, what matters is that you eat adequate total

calories and balance your macronutrients based upon your unique requirements.


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Do I Want to Be Anabolic or Catabolic?

Being anabolic is technically the process of building tissue. Catabolic is the opposite. There

are people that live in fear of being catabolic and I have real bad news for them, they are

catabolic every day at some point. Fat loss is technically catabolic; you are hopefully tearing

down fat cells and using them for energy. Another myth that is very prevalent and could be

confused with our Metabolic Flexibility method is the timing of protein. It was a common thought

that if you ate too much protein at one sitting or if you didn’t have a protein shake after working

out that you would “waste your workout”. We agree but not in the way that is being represented.

The goal of working out is to put yourself in the best position to build work capacity. Insulin

works as a sort of switch that signals to your body the energy system required. Therefore if you

aren’t doing very much, your glucose/carbohydrate needs aren’t very high, and so you would be

better off using mostly fats for energy. So your meals would be mostly proteins, fats and fibrous

vegetables. I say mostly because that also depends, even though in these guides we provide a

good map to follow, personally if I don’t have a small amount of starchy carbs (20g-30g)

digestively it’s a negative. Any thought that a small amount of carbs like that is a net negative is

just not based in fact. So don’t be scared to test small deviations of what we are presenting.

Which brings up an interesting point, if protein timing hardly matters, is a protein shake

necessary? For me that answer is yes because eating two meals a day it is often difficult to get

in enough protein. So I almost always have 45g of Hydrolyzed Whey around my workouts. Not

because the timing is magic because science has proven that your body will figure it out, but for

me it becomes more of a planning thing. I weigh 180 pounds and so I try to get anywhere from

150g to 180g of protein a day. That is close to the equivalent of three ten ounce grass fed

steaks a day. I don’t eat that much steak so once again preparation makes a big difference.

Meeting Your Macros on Any One Given Day

April is the “head coach” in the forums and she tracks her meals diligently. She does this

because if she doesn’t she will under-eat. Most people are in a similar boat – they’re unaware

of how much they’re eating throughout the day going solely on their internal hunger signals, so

they keep a food log. This is preferable to under-eating. Why? Well, the big problem with

under-eating is that it’s not magic and most people think it is. If you are constantly under-eating

your body simply adjusts. This is one of many problems with a just “meats and veggies”

approach. Just because you are full doesn’t mean you have provided your body proper

nourishment and over time your body simply adjusts to inadequate food intake by down

regulating various hormones. Many people mistakenly refer to this as “starvation mode” in fact

it’s just your body adjusting like it is built to do. Does this mean that every single day you needto hit those numbers with extreme precision? That answer is quite simply no and I think for the

good majority of people eating intuitively opting for mostly whole foods is a great way to

approach life. When you are making changes and looking for a more specific result some level

of precision would probably help most people. Let me give you an example:


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You are a male and your total daily energy expenditure is estimated at 3150. You have been

maintaining weight and eating intuitively while meeting your macronutrient goals for 6 months.

In those six months your weight has been relatively stable. If you just opt for meats and veggies

without a basic understanding of how much you are eating you might drastically under-eat and it

may become difficult to maintain. By far the better approach would be to eat at a more gradual

deficit with some level of precision. You can start at 2800 calories and see if you get results thatway. When your results stall you go to 2700 calories. Let’s say you opted for one pound a

week and you went for eight weeks. This approach is pretty close to the most optimal way of

losing fat and preserving the muscle you have worked hard to build. As you can see it doesn’t

require extreme changes.

The Key to Meal Timing and Meal Frequency

In the end it always comes down to doing what works and feels the most right for you. There

are rules though! In this way a calorie isn’t just a calorie because your meals have to work with

some sense of balance. You should have some idea what you need to eat to reach your goals

and obviously we make the case that you shouldn’t be in a deficit all that often. You should

spend most of your time growing and feeding yourself well. When you decide that a deficit will

help you reach your goals, you will see better results and you’ll be able to sustain them.

With the information we’ve provided you in this eBook, we hope you’ll be able to make more

informed decisions regarding your nutrition. Use all of the tools at your disposal to piece

together a plan that works for you – including the Eat to Perform calculator, the Science Lab

forum and webinars, and “Metabolic Flexibility for Fat Loss” – and you WILL achieve your goals.

Thank you for reading and good luck!


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Food List

Protein

Item Carbs Fat Protein

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, 4 oz. 0g 3g 23gTuna (water packed), 5 oz. can 0g 1g 28gSalmon Filet, 4 oz. 0g 2g 15gShrimp. 3 oz. 0g 2g 18gExtra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round, 4 oz. 0g 4g 24g1 egg 0g 5g 6g1 cup of egg whites 0g 0g 21gRib eye Steak, 8 oz. 0g 30g 50gTop round steak, 4oz. 0g 8g 35gSirloin steak, 4 oz. 0g 15g 35gBeef Tenderloin (aka Filet, Filet Mignon) 3 oz. 0g 6g 24gNY Strip Steak, 8 oz. 0g 8g 32gFlank Steak (Sir Fry , Fajita), 4 oz. 0g 8g 32gPork Loin , 4 oz. 0g 6g 23gGround turkey, Turkey Breast Slices or cutlets (freshmeat, not deli cuts), 4 oz.

0g 2g 26g

Starchy Carbs Item Carbs Fat Protein

Sweet Potatoes, raw, 4 oz. 23g 0g 2gQuinoa, 1/4 cup d ry 31g 3g 6gOats 1/2 cup dry 27g 3g 5g

Old Fashioned Grits 1/4 cup dry 32g 1g 4gWhite rice, 1/4 cup dry 42g 0g 3gWhite potatoes, raw 20g 0g 2g

Veggies Item Carbs Fat Protein

Lettuce, 1.5 cups 2g 0g 1gBroccoli, 1 cup raw 6g 0g 2g Asparagus, 1 cup raw 4g 0g 2gSpinach, 1 cup raw 1g 0g 1g

Multi Colored Bell Peppers, 1/2 cup raw 2g 0g 1gBrussels Sprouts, 1/2 cup raw 4g 0g 1gCaulifl ower, 1 cup raw 5g 0g 2gZucchini, 1 cup raw 4g 0g 2gCucumber, 1 cup raw 4g 0g 1gMushrooms, 1 cup raw 2g 0g 2g


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Fruits Item Carbs Fat Protein

Apple, 1 small 15g 0g 0gBanana, 1 medium 27g 0g 1gMango, 1 cup 25g 1g 1gNavel orange, 1 medium 16g 0g 2g

Blueberries, 1 cup 21g 0g 1gStrawberries, 1 cup 11g 0g 1gBlackberries, 1 cup 14g 0g 2g

Healthy Fats Item Carbs Fat Protein

Natural Style Peanut Butter or Almond Butter, 2 tbsp. 8g 16g 7gOlive Oil, 1 tbsp. 0g 14g 0gClarified or organic bu tter, 1 tbsp. 0g 7g 0gCoconut Oil, 1 tbsp. 0g 14g 0g

Avocado, 1 medium 3g 21g 3g


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Weekly TemplatesThese templates are based upon common weekly workout schedules and when you work out.

This should make organizing a weekly meal plan a little easier – all you have to do is fill in the

blanks. You’ll need a spreadsheet editor like Microsoft Excel, or you can check out Google

Drive, a free service provided to anyone with a Gmail account (which is also free!) that allows

you to view and edit spreadsheets.

Morning Workouts

3 on/1 off/2 on/1 off

3 Days a Week

4 Days a Week

Afternoon Workouts


3 Days a Week

4 Days a Week

Evening Workouts


3 Days a Week

4 Days a Week
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