Nutrition Goals

No matter what your goals are - Whether it comes to getting stronger, losing fat, or simply becoming more confident in your body, we should all recognise that the time and effort you put in the gym matters - a lot... But it’s fair to say that what you consistently eat and drink is just as important in achieving these goals, and improving your long term health.

In recent years, the conversation has (thankfully) shifted from obsessing over isolated nutrients to embracing the big picture; your total dietary pattern. This concept sets aside the nature of eating during brief (and often unsustainable) bouts of motivation, and focuses on the habitual way you fuel your body day in and day out over the lifespan.

Rather than focusing on the food you eat this morning or what your post workout snack looks like, your dietary pattern is defined by the overall composition and balance of your meals over many years.

Decades of research has demonstrated that a well structured dietary pattern does more than merely support gainzzz in the gym; It is essential for mitigating chronic diseases. Evidence shows that diets consistently high in fiber, low in saturated fats, low in added sugars and low in alcohol, significantly lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes (the first of which is the leading cause of death globally).

While it is an objective fact that overall calorie balance dictates body weight over the lifespan, an individual’s genetics and environment has a profound effect on the variation in what that looks like from one person to another. I’ll save a more detailed discussion on these genetic and environmental factors for a future article.

So, what does a health promoting dietary pattern look like? It boils down to a few consistent, evidence based principles that echo throughout the research:

Emphasise Whole (Unprocessed) Foods: Base your meals on vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. Fiber in particular plays a role in reducing cardiovascular disease risk and maintaining a healthy gut microbiome; a subject of growing interest within the medical community for its role in long term health outcomes.

Prioritise Lean Proteins and Unsaturated Fats: Lean meats such as chicken and fish should be staples in an omnivorous diet. Along with plant based protein sources such as chickpeas, lentils and beans, these should form the majority of your protein intake to help improve your recovery and muscle growth after the gym. Coupled with unsaturated fats from sources like nuts, avocado, olive oil, they contribute to better cardiovascular health in the long run.

Minimise Processed Foods, particularly those high in sugar and saturated fat: The guidance here is straightforward - keep added sugars and saturated fats to less than 10% of your daily energy intake. While red meat isn’t inherently “bad”, moderation - especially in its processed forms - is the name of the game… Try to keep red meat intake to no more than twice per week.

Minimise alcohol intake: Current guidelines rightly encourage consumption of no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any day. For reference this would average out at a glass of wine or beer a day, although we’d strongly encourage having multiple days a week without drinking alcohol.

For most people, the challenge isn’t a complete dietary overhaul but making small sustainable changes that add up over time. Start your day with a balanced breakfast that leans on whole grains such as oats with some fruit. Try utilising convenient options like pre prepared high protein meals with vegetables (think My Muscle Chef or similar). Replace snacks with something like Greek yogurt or a protein bar. Experiment also with limiting alcohol intake to just special occasions and eliminating solo drinking. These incremental adjustments, can yield dramatic long term body composition improvements and health benefits.

Just remember it’s not one perfect week that makes the difference, but the cumulative effect of consistently making good choices over many years. While this might seem a daunting task, just take it day by day - What makes this approach particularly compelling is its flexibility. It’s not about locking yourself into a rigid meal plan that feels like a chore. Just as our training allows for variation - switching rep schemes or altering exercise selection - a healthy focus on your dietary pattern leaves room for occasional indulgences without sacrificing the long term benefits. Enjoy your favourite treats now and then, provided that the bulk of your nutrition supports your goals. This balanced approach reflects the mindset we try to instil at West Coast Barbell Club - Consistent, yes - but adaptable enough to make life both challenging and enjoyable.

Ultimately, the research is clear: your everyday dietary patterns have profound impacts on your long term health and performance in the gym (as well as life outside). Consistency in nutritional choices is just like consistency in training - both are investments in a healthier, stronger, better future. Whether you’re looking to enhance recovery, improve muscle growth, or simply maintain a robust state of health well into your later years, maintaining a good dietary pattern is vital.