By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Kettlebell Training is a highly optimized way of burning fat fast, but without a proper nutritional diet, all the training in the world will do you no good. So, what is the perfect diet to compliment Kettlebell Training you ask?
The honest truth is that there is no real “diet” that you should follow to get lean using kettlebell workouts.
Remember, the whole purpose of the TT Kettlebell Revolution is to help you simplify your lifestyle, and that includes your workouts and your nutrition. It isn’t about measuring protein portions or referring to the glycemic index every time you think about eating.
With that in mind, I recommend following an "un-diet", meaning eat whatever you want, whenever you want.
But, wait a minute! That doesn’t mean loading up on pizza, fries, cake & beer all the live-long day. (Although you should be able to enjoy these foods on occasion).
Eating “whatever you want” and still staying lean and in great shape means that 1) you need to have a good relationship with food and 2) you have to have a healthy consciousness towards food.
Let’s try to break down both of them…
Having a good relationship with food:
Over the summers when I was young, I used to work at a gym where one guy would consistently buy a case of tuna each week and store it in his locker. He wouldn’t touch rice (brown or white), pasta, apples (most fruits in fact) or any type of oil or fat. Any time he would break down and have an apple or a piece of fruit, he would be enraged and upset with himself, feeling guilty that his will power had failed him.
This guy was in what he called a “cutting” phase. And he was clearly miserable.
Well, that same winter I quit the gym training job and the day I left, this same guy walked into the gym, about 20lbs heavier, with 3 bags of McDonalds and would devour Big Mac after Big Mac in the hopes of getting bigger (fatter). The "cutting" phase was now apparently replaced with the “bulking” phase.
It was pretty evident this guy’s relationship with food was out of whack. And his systems were getting all messed up from “cutting” and “bulking” every 3 months.
Any time you eat clean and then decide to reward yourself with a piece of cake, and then feel guilty that you had the cake and went on to have the pie, cookies and ice cream … I’d say it was time to examine your relationship with food.
Having a healthy consciousness towards food:
This one is a little different, but equally important.
Let’s say we had 2 individuals - Peter and Joe - plan out their perfect day.
Peter's perfect day involves sleeping in until one, skipping breakfast and sitting around all day watching TV. Later on, Peter invites some of his friends over to watch the game while they eat pizza & wings and drink some beers until they pass out on the couch until the next morning.
Joe's perfect day on the other hand involves getting up at 6 and meditating for an hour. Then he enjoys a breakfast of eggs, fresh fruit and yogurt. After that he takes his kids to school and then heads down to the ocean with his wife for their surfing lesson. He and his wife then eat a lunch of fresh grilled fish and a salad by the beach. They head over to the gym to workout together and then they pick-up the kids and spend the rest of the night together as a family enjoying dinner and an evening walk.
Who’s got the healthier consciousness towards food and life?
Each of them mapped out their perfect day. The only difference is that Joe's consciousness of health (and food) is a lot healthier than Peter's.
So when I say that I eat “whatever I want”, it needs to be stressed that, more often than not, I don’t want the greasy, fried and battered stuff. It certainly wasn’t always like that. But now, being a little older, (arguably) a little wiser and knowing that there is always someone watching every decision I make (ie. my 4 girls), my consciousness of health has developed over the years.
Nowadays, I'm not craving McDonald's or wings, but instead, good, fresh food.
Mind you, I will enjoy some Buffalo chicken wings while watching a game or two (no beer or pizza though). And I loved it - the company, the experience – and most importantly, I didn’t feel guilty afterward.
So going back to the original question, “what diet should you eat when you’re on the TT KB Revolution“?
My answer, after you’ve examined your relationship with food and your consciousness towards health/food is…
Eat REAL FOOD.
Eat when you’re hungry.
Stop eating when you’re satisfied - not full, not “stuffed” - when you’re satisfied.
Train with intensity 3 times per week.
And Be Conscious and Enjoy the process.
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://turbulencetraining.rxsportz.com
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