Meal Planning Guide

Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 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
2
Introduction
First of all, thank you for purchasing the Eat to Perform Meal Planning Guide. Since our
inception, weve been wary to delve into meal plan design but due to overwhelming demand, the
text youre 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. Weve 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. Theres 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
"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 youll 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 calories
by the number of meals youll consume throughout the day.
For example: 2000 calories divided by 4 meals = 500 calories per meal.
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

6 oz. sweet potato
2 cups raw broccoli, chopped
1/2 tbsp. coconut oil
6g fat, 0g carbs, 26g protein

NOTE: Trying to chase numbers and achieve perfection when planning meals is not
necessary. If youre off by a bit on your calories/macros per meal, dont sweat it your body will
not atrophy if youre 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 dont force yourself to eat selections that you hate or that you believe
make you sick!
Likewise, theres 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 youd prefer to take a more relaxed approach, be our guest; youll still see
great success along your journey!
With all of this plotting and calculating taken care of, its 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
done. (Note: If youre 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 youre eating. That way, you don't have to
stress about counting calories; youll know how much food youre consuming because youll 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 youll find fresh meat, vegetables, fruit, and other products that need to be
refrigerated. Youll 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 dont skimp on it.
Carbohydrates
Next up are carbohydrates.
veggies, fruits, and starches.
There are basically three categories you need to consider:
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 youre 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. Theyre generally low in calories but
they should be eaten in moderation its 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.
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 this
eBook, well 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 shopping
day, 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 youre good to go. Throw a roast in the oven or the crock pot and youll have plenty of
protein, along with some fat. Grass fed beef is always preferable if its 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 saut 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 at
a 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 youre a very busy person, portioning out more meals can make your
life less hectic. In the end, its up to you.
Refrigerating your meals works well if youre planning for a week, but if youre 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 a
shake) 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 its 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 Plans

These examples should help you piece together your own meal plans and understand what
youre 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, youll need
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 a cup of rice and you need more carbs, you could bump it
up to 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 VegetablesAs you read through these sample meal plans youll notice that
occasionally, we dont factor in the carbohydrates from vegetables. Theres a good reason for
this: it just makes life easier for most people! We refer to veggies as incidental carbs because
they dont really count towards your daily calorie needs - their fiber/water content is so high that
they offer very little net carbs i.e. you use up energy breaking them down and dont really get
anything out of them. Counting them or worrying about overeating them is unnecessary. Eat
veggies to your hearts content!
In the following section, youll 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 youre NOT working out!
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Morning Workouts
Morning Workout Sample #1
Macros: 2260 calories, 80g fat, 217g carbs,

152g protein
Pre-workout
Protein shake (blended)

6 oz. banana
1 serving whey protein

Intra-workout
1/2 scoop Vitargo
Post-workout/lunch
6 oz. chicken breast

6 oz. baked potato
1 cup almond milk

Dinner
8 oz. rib eye steak

6 oz. baked sweet potato
2 tbsp. butter
8 oz. steamed cauliflower

Pre-bed snack
Chocolate peanut butter protein oatmeal

2 oz. dry oatmeal
6 oz. banana
2 tbsp. peanut butter

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144g protein
Breakfast
Total: 14g fat, 2.5g carbs, 21g protein
1 whole egg
3 turkey sausage links
4 large egg whites
7g fat, 0.5g carbs, 6g protein

Pre-workout
Total:7g fat, 38g carbs, 31g protein
Chocolate oat shake (blended)

2 oz. rolled oats (dry)
1 serving chocolate whey protein

Lunch/post-workout
Cabbage - Red, raw, 2 cup, chopped

1 tbsp. coconut oil
4 oz. salmon fillet

Dinner
8 oz. sweet potato

6 oz. grilled chicken

Pre-bed snack
Mango rice pudding (blended)

4 oz. white rice
1 cup of lite coconut milk
1 cup raw mango

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Macros: 2632 calories, 88g fat, 280.5g carbs,

180g protein
Intra-workout
1/2 scoop Vitargo
Post-workout
Chocolate banana protein shake (blended)

6 oz. banana

Breakfast
2 whole egg
4 slices cured pork bacon
8 oz. diced sweet potatoes

Lunch
8 oz. Brussels sprouts

8 oz. rib eye steak
1 tbsp. ghee
1 cup of avocado

Dinner
8 oz. cod filet

1 cup Jasmine rice

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Afternoon Workouts
Afternoon Workout Sample #1

202g protein
Breakfast
1 whole egg
Multi colored pepper and onions cooked in
1 tbsp. of ghee

13g fat, 0g net carbs, 0g protein
Lunch
Kale salad (Kale, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion)

4 oz. of sirloin steak, strips
1 cup of avocado
2 tbsp. olive oil
Pre-workout
Total: 2 g fat, 76g carbs, 48g protein
2 servings chocolate whey protein

2 scoops unflavored Vitargo
2g fat, 6g carbs, 48g protein,

Post-workout/dinner
8 oz. lean ground turkey burger

1/2 cup of dry Jasmine rice
2 cups of steamed spinach

Pre-bed snack
Coconut milk smoothie (blended)

1 cup of frozen pineapple
1 serving vanilla whey protein

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Macros: 2053 calories, 77.5g fat, 187.5g

carbs, 152g protein
Breakfast
4 slices cured pork bacon

3 whole eggs
4 oz. banana

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

1.5g fat, 0g carbs, 26g protein
Post-workout
1 scoop unflavored Vitargo


Snack
Total: 14g fat, 26g carbs,14g protein,
2 hard-boiled eggs
4 oz. banana

Dinner
8 oz. rib eye steak

2 cups green beans
6 oz. baked potato

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202g protein
Breakfast
Sausage and spinach omelet

2 pork sausage links, chopped
2 whole eggs
1 cup spinach, chopped

Lunch
Total: 35g fat, 144g carbs, 49g protein,
3 cup Jasmine rice

8 oz. rib eye steak
1 tbsp. ghee

Pre-workout
Chocolate banana protein shake (blended)

6 oz. banana

Post-workout
Vanilla protein shake w/ Vitargo (blended)

1 scoop Vitargo

Dinner
6 oz. sirloin steak

6 oz. sweet potato

Pre-bed snack
Mango coconut milk smoothie (blended)

can full-fat coconut milk
6 oz. frozen mango chunks

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Evening Workouts
Evening Workout Sample #1

223g protein
Breakfast
6 oz. ground beef

1 cup kale, chopped
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 cup raw mushrooms, sliced

0g fat, 2g carbs, 2 g protein
Lunch
6 oz. canned salmon


Pre-workout
4 oz. banana
2 oz. rolled oats (dry)
2 tbsp. almond butter

Dinner
3 cups cooked Jasmine rice

8 oz. pork tenderloin
2 cups raw spinach

Pre-bed snack
Chocolate avocado/coconut pudding (blended)

2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 cup of avocado

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149g protein
Breakfast
4 oz. salmon fillet

4 oz. asparagus
1 tbsp. coconut oil
4 oz. banana

Lunch
Total: 6.5g fat, 54g carbs, 32g protein
Turkey burger on lettuce

Lettuce leaf bun
1 cup cooked Jasmine rice
1.5g fat, 0g carbs, 26g protein

Pre-workout
1 scoops unflavored Vitargo


Dinner/post-workout
Yam & rice bake

4 oz. diced yams
2 oz. white rice, dry
8 oz. ground beef (80/20)
1 cup of avocado, mashed

2g fat, 49g carbs, 1.5g protein
17g fat, 0g carbs, 60 protein
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186g protein
Breakfast
Sweet potato scramble

6 oz. ground beef
2 large eggs

Snack
Cherry coconut milk smoothie, blended

1 cup frozen dark cherries

Lunch/pre-workout
cup quinoa

Dinner/post-workout
8 oz. rib eye steak

2 large eggs
3 cups cooked Jasmine rice

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

170g protein
Breakfast
8 oz. ground beef (80/20)

2 cups green beans
Black coffee w/ 1 tbsp. coconut oil
17g fat, 0g carbs, 60 protein

Lunch
Chicken Caesar salad (romaine lettuce)

1 heart of Romaine
2 tbsp. Caesar dressing

Snack
cup almonds
18g protein, 5g carbs, 8g protein
Dinner
6 oz. sirloin steak

6 oz. sweet potato

Pre-bed snack
Coconut milk smoothie (blended)

1 banana

20

209g protein
Breakfast

2 large eggs

Snack
Chocolate almond coconut smoothie

2 tbsp. almond butter

Lunch

Kale salad w/ balsamic dressing
1 cup kale, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Dinner
6 oz. ground beef

4 oz. white rice
1 cup raw mushrooms, sliced

0g fat, 2g carbs, 2 g protein

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220g protein
Breakfast

3 large eggs, fried
1 tbsp. coconut oil
8 oz. grapefruit

Lunch
1 cup spinach, chopped

6 oz. ground beef
1 cup of avocado

Snack
Chocolate protein shake (blended)

1 tbsp. coconut oil

Dinner
Chicken salad (Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, carrots)

6 oz. chicken breast, strips
1 heart of Romaine
4 oz. Greek yogurt, plain
Pre-bed snack
8 oz. sweet potato

1 tbsp. butter

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Food Substitutions and What to Avoid

One 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. Its almost paralyzing to think of what you can
and cannot eat, but it doesnt 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 shouldnt consume olive oil? No. But you shouldnt necessarily
cook at a high temperature with these sources. It is still a great addition to salad dressings and
useful when youre 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 its a quick, convenient way to get in lots of calories.
Its easy to rely upon when youre 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 arent 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 thats an important part of staying healthy! If you
arent allergic to lactose or youve never experienced problems with milk, theres no reason to
avoid dairy.
If youre 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. Itll also provide you with more calories, which can be helpful in many scenarios.
Should I Avoid Grains or Gluten?

If you have celiac disease, youll 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 doesnt experience problems with grains/glutens doesnt 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 dont eat that many and its 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 arent the best option is because many of them are highly processed. Processed foods
dont 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 doesnt really add
much to the equation isnt 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 arent planning ahead and you become overreliant on convenient foods, you wont get the most out of your efforts in the kitchen and in the
gym. Thats the real problem.
The ironic part is that the grain we recommend the most is considered by many to be a bad
food because its not only a grain but it lacks fiber. Im 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 its 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. Its pretty funny when you tell people that you
dont eat many grains because their first response is Where do you get your fiber from!? and
that answer is fruits and vegetables. but that doesnt always occur to a lot of people because
there arent a lot of Kale ads on television.
Certainly Sugar is Bad, Right?

I think most people know that they shouldnt eat a ton of sugar but just dont 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 isnt that big of an
issuebut that stance certainly doesnt 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 it
doesnt 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 its 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, its quite normal
for your body to seek out a way to replace that energyThus the cravings for sugar!
Lets look at an example: a female with a TDEE of 2453 eating 1200 calories a day. In almost
every 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-today) 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 theyre more nutrient dense, I think more
vitamins are better for me, and I like how they taste. Said simply, its not an issue to have a
serving of mashed potatoes. Having hash browns for breakfast, potato chips for lunch, and
scalloped potatoes for dinner is another story, especially if youre 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 were 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 arent an issue and theyre eaten in appropriate amounts. Lets 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 some
cheese, 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 protein
per 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

Theres absolutely no reason that you cant 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.
26
Meal Frequency
Depending on who you listen to, you might hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the
day or you should never eat carbohydrates after 6pm. The simple fact is when you eat
something hardly matters at all but there some things you should consider. First of all, does it
work for you? Personally I dont eat breakfast in the traditional sense but my first meal is
normally between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and it looks like what most people would consider
breakfast (steak and eggs). As most people have come to find with the breakfast myth, its not
that breakfast is the issue at all, its bad behavior.
One thing you see often is that people will try strict guidelines on windows of eating, which is a
form of intermittent fasting. For myself I just like two bigger meals compared to more frequent,
smaller meals. Eating within windows is fine as long as your behavior is healthier as a result. If
you find yourself fantasizing about the foods you are going to eat at noon and spend most of the
morning planning these elaborate meals, thats not a good thing. Other people will use this way
of eating so they can make poor choices and fit it in to their macronutrient requirements. If you
are using this method to constantly cut body fat, you likely start to develop binge eating type
behavior which leads to a sense of guilt for a lot of people. Because of that potential
disordered eating behavior, eating smaller meals more frequently is likely a better approach.
Sometimes the Science Doesnt Matter

We are a big fan of science and its the basis for what we teach but you can have the most
scientifically justified approach and if it doesnt work for an individual, its back to the drawing
board. Mentality matters quite a bit. Just because one approach based in science works for
some, doesnt mean its the only way to get results.
The Argument for More Meals

This has been debunked for a while but for the longest time you would here that you should eat
more meals to stoke your metabolism. Does this mean you shouldnt eat more meals though?
Of course not! From a macro perspective, if eating 6 meals a day is your best approach to hit
your calorie/macronutrient requirements, then its probably the right approach for you. If
occasionally you want to focus on fat loss with this approach and it feels right, a gradual deficit
is what we would recommend. Does that mean its the only way? Of course not.
The problem with the extreme way of doing things is that it runs its course quickly and your body
simply adjusts. That doesnt mean some people havent made it work and it stuck but over time
what we have found is that if you are using your workouts and eating adequate amounts you are
putting yourself in the best position to build lean mass. That lean muscle tissue isnt just
valuable for workouts, but it will also prolong your life. Simply put most people dont have a
great system in place for how they eat and that is why we wrote this manual. The whole point of
what we are writing is not to say one way or another is correct, we want to help you develop the
way that feels most right for you.
27
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 didnt 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
arent doing very much, your glucose/carbohydrate needs arent 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 dont have a small amount of starchy carbs (20g-30g)
digestively its a negative. Any thought that a small amount of carbs like that is a net negative is
just not based in fact. So dont 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 dont 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 doesnt she will under-eat. Most people are in a similar boat theyre unaware
of how much theyre 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 its 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 doesnt 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
its just your body adjusting like it is built to do. Does this mean that every single day you need
to 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:
28
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 that
way. When your results stall you go to 2700 calories. Lets 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 doesnt
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 isnt 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 shouldnt 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 youll be able to sustain them.
With the information weve provided you in this eBook, we hope youll 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!
29
Food List
Protein
Item
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, 4 oz.
Tuna (water packed), 5 oz. can
Salmon Filet, 4 oz.
Shrimp. 3 oz.
Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round, 4 oz.
1 egg
1 cup of egg whites
Rib eye Steak, 8 oz.
Top round steak, 4oz.
Sirloin steak, 4 oz.
Beef Tenderloin (aka Filet, Filet Mignon) 3 oz.
NY Strip Steak, 8 oz.
Flank Steak (Sir Fry, Fajita), 4 oz.
Pork Loin, 4 oz.
Ground turkey, Turkey Breast Slices or cutlets (fresh
meat, not deli cuts), 4 oz.
Carbs
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
Fat
3g
1g
2g
2g
4g
5g
0g
30g
8g
15g
6g
8g
8g
6g
2g
Protein
23g
28g
15g
18g
24g
6g
21g
50g
35g
35g
24g
32g
32g
23g
26g
Carbs
23g
31g
27g
32g
42g
20g
Fat
0g
3g
3g
1g
0g
0g
Protein
2g
6g
5g
4g
3g
2g
Carbs
2g
6g
4g
1g
2g
4g
5g
4g
4g
2g
Fat
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
0g
Protein
1g
2g
2g
1g
1g
1g
2g
2g
1g
2g
Starchy Carbs
Item
Sweet Potatoes, raw, 4 oz.
Quinoa, 1/4 cup dry
Oats 1/2 cup dry
Old Fashioned Grits 1/4 cup dry
White rice, 1/4 cup dry
White potatoes, raw
Veggies
Item
Lettuce, 1.5 cups
Broccoli, 1 cup raw
Asparagus, 1 cup raw
Spinach, 1 cup raw
Multi Colored Bell Peppers, 1/2 cup raw
Brussels Sprouts, 1/2 cup raw
Cauliflower, 1 cup raw
Zucchini, 1 cup raw
Cucumber, 1 cup raw
Mushrooms, 1 cup raw
30
Fruits
Item
Apple, 1 small
Banana, 1 medium
Mango, 1 cup
Navel orange, 1 medium
Blueberries, 1 cup
Strawberries, 1 cup
Blackberries, 1 cup
Carbs
15g
27g
25g
16g
21g
11g
14g
Fat
0g
0g
1g
0g
0g
0g
0g
Protein
0g
1g
1g
2g
1g
1g
2g
Carbs
8g
0g
0g
0g
3g
Fat
16g
14g
7g
14g
21g
Protein
7g
0g
0g
0g
3g
Healthy Fats
Item
Natural Style Peanut Butter or Almond Butter, 2 tbsp.
Olive Oil, 1 tbsp.
Clarified or organic butter, 1 tbsp.
Coconut Oil, 1 tbsp.
Avocado, 1 medium
31
Weekly Templates
These 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. Youll 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
32

Meal Planning Guide

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Meal Planning Guide

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Table of Contents

"Meal Planning 101"

Step 1: Determining Caloric Needs

Step 2: Planning Meals

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

6 oz. sirloin steak

6g fat, 0g carbs, 26g protein

There are basically three categories you need to consider:

Step 4: Meal Prep

Step 5: Storage and Portioning

A Word Regarding Workout Nutrition

Sample Meal Plans

Macros: 2260 calories, 80g fat, 217g carbs,

Total: 1g fat, 41g carbs, 26g protein

Protein shake (blended)

0g fat, 38g carbs, 2g protein

Total: 0g fat, 17g carbs, 0g protein

1/2 scoop Vitargo

0g fat, 17g carbs, 0g protein

Total: 5g fat, 37g carbs, 34g protein

6 oz. chicken breast

5g fat, 0g carbs, 30g protein

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

8 oz. rib eye steak

30g fat, 0g carbs, 50g protein

Total: 21g fat, 87g carbs, 37g protein

Chocolate peanut butter protein oatmeal

4g fat, 38g carbs, 5g protein

Morning Workout Sample #2

Macros: 2100 calories, 65g fat, 237g carbs,

Total: 14g fat, 2.5g carbs, 21g protein

7g fat, 0.5g carbs, 6g protein

Total:7g fat, 38g carbs, 31g protein

Chocolate oat shake (blended)

6g fat, 35g carbs, 7g protein

Total: 22g fat, 13g carbs, 31g protein

Cabbage - Red, raw, 2 cup, chopped

0g fat, 13g carbs, 3g protein

Total: 6g fat, 47g carbs, 43g protein

8 oz. sweet potato

0g fat, 47g carbs, 5g protein

Total: 13g fat, 137g carbs, 11g protein

Mango rice pudding (blended)

0g fat, 90g carbs, 10g protein

Morning Workout Sample #3

Macros: 2632 calories, 88g fat, 280.5g carbs,

Total: 0g fat, 17g carbs, 0g protein

1/2 scoop Vitargo

0g fat, 17g carbs, 0g protein

Total: 2g fat, 44g carbs, 50g protein

Chocolate banana protein shake (blended)

0g fat, 38g carbs, 2g protein

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

7g fat, 0.5g carbs, 6g protein

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

8 oz. Brussels sprouts

0g fat, 16g carbs, 8g protein

Total: 1g fat, 144g carbs, 47g protein

8 oz. cod filet

1g fat, 0g carbs, 35g protein

Macros: 2400 calories, 94g fat, 190g carbs,

Total: 24g fat, 0.5g carbs, 27g protein

7g fat, 0.5g carbs, 6g protein

Total: 52g fat, 13g carbs, 34g protein