My Diet Secrets

Shawn Perine
Mon, 07 Jul 2014 21:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

I get asked a lot about my diet. I'm pretty lean, usually somewhere around 7-8 percent body fat I'd guess (I've been tested at various times throughout my life, so usually have a decent idea), so when folks ask me for my diet it's in the hope that they can get similarly lean. Maybe they can, maybe they can't. The thing of it is that to get your body fat down in the low double digits, or even the single digits, you need several stars to align, so to speak.

For one, genetics play a huge role in one's body shape and size. This shouldn't be a revelation to anyone, but is essential to note, because all too often I find people fighting their personal gene set, to the point where they go crazy from constantly trying to be something their bodies don't want them to be. My body likes being lean. I don't have to think about what I eat to get there. That being said, I have to be very diligent about my diet in order to gain muscle. For me, gaining muscle weight is as difficult as it is for many to lose fat. Now, I know there are those reading this who may be a little jealous right now (I've heard the tiny violin being played when I've explained my predicament in the past), but rather than wish you were more like someone else, embrace who you are, and work to be the best you can be.

Secondly, exercise is crucial for anyone looking to lose weight, and for that matter, anyone looking to gain weight, or to stay the same weight they are. Regular exercise WILL increase your life span and improve the quality of your life. But regular, vigorous exercise is one of two key factors that you do have control over in your effort to get leaner. That means a combination of strength training and cardio conditioning. Don't do one to the exclusion of the other, unless you train in a hybrid fashion, as in HIIT lifting, CrossFit, P90X or another system that incorporates aspects of both strength and cardio training.
Updated: Tue Jul 08, 2014

I get asked a lot about my diet. I'm pretty lean, usually somewhere around 7-8 percent body fat I'd guess (I've been tested at various times throughout my life, so usually have a decent idea), so when folks ask me for my diet it's in the hope that they can get similarly lean. Maybe they can, maybe they can't. The thing of it is that to get your body fat down in the low double digits, or even the single digits, you need several stars to align, so to speak.

For one, genetics play a huge role in one's body shape and size. This shouldn't be a revelation to anyone, but is essential to note, because all too often I find people fighting their personal gene set, to the point where they go crazy from constantly trying to be something their bodies don't want them to be. My body likes being lean. I don't have to think about what I eat to get there. That being said, I have to be very diligent about my diet in order to gain muscle. For me, gaining muscle weight is as difficult as it is for many to lose fat. Now, I know there are those reading this who may be a little jealous right now (I've heard the tiny violin being played when I've explained my predicament in the past), but rather than wish you were more like someone else, embrace who you are, and work to be the best you can be.

Secondly, exercise is crucial for anyone looking to lose weight, and for that matter, anyone looking to gain weight, or to stay the same weight they are. Regular exercise WILL increase your life span and improve the quality of your life. But regular, vigorous exercise is one of two key factors that you do have control over in your effort to get leaner. That means a combination of strength training and cardio conditioning. Don't do one to the exclusion of the other, unless you train in a hybrid fashion, as in HIIT lifting, CrossFit, P90X or another system that incorporates aspects of both strength and cardio training.

Last, but by no means least, is diet, and while I don't have space in this column to map out a comprehensive meal plan, I can outline a few keys to my own diet that I think are good rules of thumb for anyone looking to minimize fat while keeping muscle:

1. Severely Limit Processed Carbs: While it's nearly impossible to totally eliminate all processed carbohydrates, you can do what I've done, which is cut out most. Processed carbs include breads, pastas, cookies and cakes, flour and many cereals. Most of these have seen their wheat go through a process that strips away its nutrients and fiber, leaving you with something that the body processes very quickly, and therefore can spike blood sugar and insulin levels — a recipe for fat retention. Instead, rely on whole-food carbs such as sweet potatoes, rice (white is fine) and certain low-glycemic fruits, such as apples, pears and cherries. These will be digested much more slowly by your body, and used as fuel, rather than be stored as fat.

2. Cut Back on Alcohol: I don't really drink. Maybe a glass of wine every now and again, but for the most part I stay away from alcohol. I'm not saying that you need to, but alcohol can be a big source of fast-acting carbohydrates for some. Beer is very carb heavy, and wines and liqueurs have a lot of sugar. For the most part, we drink at night, when our metabolism is slowing down in preparation for sleep, and is more apt to store what we eat and drink than attempt to burn it as fuel.

3. Don't Cheat: This may be the toughest one of all for most people, but not cheating may well be my most important rule for getting off the fat, and keeping it off. It's not simply about the calories you aren't consuming. It's about the mental strength you develop from saying "No" when everyone around you says "Sure, why not?" I've been to countless birthday parties where I would be coaxed and prodded and cajoled into having a slice of cake, and yet I'd resist, or maybe if it meant not insulting the honoree, I'd have a wafer-thin slice. The more you resist temptation, the stronger you become, and the easier it is for you to stand your ground in the face of waistline-boosting calories down the road.

If you can adhere to these guidelines in your own life, I guarantee you will start seeing the kind of results that will motivate you to keep with the program, just maybe for the rest of your life!