Are you feeling overwhelmed by the endless parade of diet options?
Keto, vegan, carnivore, Zone, South Beach, paleo—the list goes on and on.
With so much contradictory information out there, it’s no wonder people struggle to make progress. If you’re tired of diet confusion and ready for a simple approach that actually works, I’ve got good news. After years of training elite athletes and testing numerous approaches on myself, I’ve discovered that the most effective weight loss strategy isn’t complicated at all.
The internet has become a battleground of nutritional extremism. One “expert” screams that kale is bullshit while another insists sugar causes cancer. Meanwhile, someone else argues you can eat Twinkies and lose weight “as long as it fits your macros.”
Open any social media app, and you’re immediately hit with a tsunami of conflicting advice—colon cleanses, ketones, herbal teas, and countless diet protocols promising miraculous results. It’s exhausting and confusing. Worse yet, following this contradictory advice leads many people to bounce from diet to diet, never seeing lasting results and potentially damaging their relationship with food in the process.
I’ve been there myself. During my college days as an athlete, I went to extreme lengths with my nutrition. I weighed every piece of food, calculated precise macronutrient ratios, and timed my meals down to the minute. I’d wake up at 4:30 AM just to drink a protein shake before going back to sleep.
My diet was meticulously planned—40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat. I consumed between 3,200 and 4,000 calories daily, divided into at least five meals. I took multivitamins, fish oils, adrenal supports, pre-workout supplements, and ZMAs for sleep. It worked—I got lean and strong enough to become a two-time All-American and was later inducted into my college Hall of Fame for baseball. But I was also “a little bit out of my mind,” as I admit in the video.
I’ve learned something surprising: even elite performers don’t need or want that level of complexity. What works best, even for gold medalists and future Hall of Famers, is simplicity.
At our facility, we break nutrition down to just two factors: source and size. Instead of obsessing over macros and calorie counting (which is overwhelming and unsustainable for most people), we focus on food quality and portion control using intuitive measurements.
This simplified approach has transformed how our clients approach nutrition. For weight loss clients, we start with “Level One,” which focuses solely on food sources. We provide a list of approved foods (primarily unprocessed options) and tell them to eat whatever they want from that list.
For those ready for more structure, “Level Two” introduces our hand-based measurement system: a piece of meat the size of your palm, a handful of vegetables, a handful of fruit, and if needed, a thumb-sized portion of fat for each meal.
Combined with three days of resistance training per week and 8,000-10,000 daily steps, this straightforward method delivers consistent results without the stress and complexity of traditional dieting.
If you want to implement this approach yourself, here are the key takeaways:
- Focus on food quality first—choose foods that “walk the earth, grow on the earth, or swim the sea”
- Use your hand as a measuring tool: palm-sized protein, handful of vegetables, handful of fruit, and a thumb of fat per meal
- Eat 3 meals daily for faster weight loss or 4-5 meals for a more moderate pace
- Combine with 3 days of resistance training weekly and 8,000-10,000 steps daily
- Avoid ultra-processed foods, which research shows lead to overeating and weight gain
- Keep it simple and sustainable—complicated approaches rarely last
Want more help?
If you’re in North Jersey and you want to try a FREE class with us at Freak Strength, click here now: https://freakstrengthgym.com/free-class-form