“You want to sell implementation, not information.”
This was advice that we got from our second-ever business coach, Alex Hormozi.
Alex wasn’t a big deal back then like he is now.If we ran into Alex on the street now he would deny knowing us, just like Otis Day denied knowing the white frat guys when they walked into an all black night club and yelled out his name in the classic movie Animal House.
Alex may have not been a superstar at the time but he was already brilliant. And this was good advice.
Information, particularly since a little thing called the internet has been around and, more recently, a barely-even-talked-about invention called AI has hit the scene, is easier for people to find than ever.
But, in spite of the advice given to us by our mentor, I am going to deliver a small bit of information and a whole lot of implementation in the next few paragraphs - right here, for free - because I love you and I want you to win.
What we’ll be discussing today is nutrition for body composition improvement. I’m first going to give you the two pieces of information you need and, then, some strategies that you can use that will put this information to work for you so you can maintain good health, develop the physique of your dreams, attract a partner with the looks of Brad Pitt and has the sweet disposition of Dolly Parton and have you driving around in a debt-free Lambo in no time.
Ok, the two pieces of information first.
These two factors are absolutely, without question the most important data points when it comes to your nutrition for body composition outcomes.
The first is good old calories.
For years, particularly in the 80s, we moved away from the importance of calories and made dietary fats the villain of the NCU (Nutrition Character Universe).
Then we thought we got smarter in the 90s and said, “No, no! Fats are fine” and carbs became the Dr. Doom of the decade.
But, truth be told, total caloric intake, as pedestrian as that seems, is going to play the most important role. It’s above macronutrients. It’s above food quality. It’s above food choice.
(Remember, we are talking about body composition here. Not health, developing good habits or the other WAY more important - yet related - roles that nutrition play in your life)
OK, here are your oversimplified formulas to determine your daily caloric intake. I was in remedial math in high school and I can figure this out, so you can, too.
Start with your goal weight. If your goal weight represents more than 50lbs of weight loss, cut it in half and start there and adjust over time.
Weight Loss: Goal Weight x 11-13
If weight loss is your focus, take your goal weight and multiply it by 11, 12 or 13 to get your target number of average calories for the day. Eleven would be the most aggressive choice that will drive results fastest but also likely make you the most cranky. If you need to lose weight but you still have performance goals (say, you are running 40 miles per week preparing for a half marathon but a little extra weight loss would help your goals) go on the higher side and multiply by 13.
Body Recomp: Goal Weight x 14-15
If you want to body recomp - essentially you are happy with your bodyweight but started engaging in strength training and want to substitute fat for muscle, multiply goal weight by 14 or 15 to get your total average daily calories.
Muscle Gain: Goal Weight x 16-17
If you want to put on muscle and are engaging in a well organized and consistent program, multiply the goal number by 16 or 17. Keep in mind, at these numbers the goal is to add body weight in the form of muscle mass, not lose weight.
OK, on to number two, total protein.
Take your goal weight and aim for that number in grams of protein per day. If you want to be 180lbs, get in 180 grams of protein per day.
Are there other things we can look at? Yes! Carb intake, fat intake, food choices, food timing, workout nutrition - these are all worthy topics that should be considered. But I promised you two and who am I to break my promise to you.
On to the fun part. The implementation. Knowing what you need to do is the easy part. Getting it done, that’s the stuff that brownie sundae-filled dreams are made of.
Most people don't fail because they don't know what calories or protein are. They fail because they can't consistently execute those targets. These four strategies are the ones I've found most useful over two decades of coaching.
The App Hack
This one is a must for everyone. Find a great tracking app (My Fitness Pal is the most popular one, LifeSum is the one Kyle has used for years, Christabelle just started on a new one the name of which escapes me, or you can start a dedicated chat in ChatGPT or the AI overlord of your choosing) and put everything you eat in there, without fail, every day, seemingly forever.
I’ve said this here before, according to research tracking food is the most impactful intervention when it comes to improving nutrition outcomes. You could do nothing else but log your food and you will see things get better.
The Steve Jobs Approach
Super successful icons such as Steve Jobs and Einstein famously wore the same things every day. The argument is, it eliminates decision fatigue. For all I know, Jobs wore a black turtleneck and Dad jeans one day in 11th grade and his high school crush off-handedly said he looked nice and he decided this was going to be his look from now on.
Yes, plenty of men would absolutely act this way.
Whatever the rationale, the “same thing every day” is actually a great nutritional strategy. Because once you know your calories and protein, you’ve designed a full day of meals that hits those numbers, it becomes easy to hit your targets very consistently. And you don’t have to think about it much which is nice for an automaton like myself.
I’m using a slight variation of the Jobs right now and it’s working really well for me. My breakfast, lunch and snacks are all the same everyday and I have about 3 different things I rotate through for dinner for a bit of variety. But they all line up with my goals.
The Daily Flux
This strategy works very well for people who are diligent about their tracking and are also prioritizing training, whether for a running event, a HYROX-style competition or just typical gym muscle-building type workouts.
Or if you are someone who occasionally but regularly needs to alter the plan due to social obligations or a psychological break.
Rather than look at your calories and protein on a daily basis, take a weekly view. On days you have hard training sessions (or going out to dinner with your college buddies), bump up your cals and protein by 10-20% and on non-training days make up the difference by reducing your intake.
You're not eating more calories each week, you're redistributing them.
This is outside the scope of what we discussed here, but for most people doing this it would actually make more sense to keep protein steady each day and get the daily calorie fluctuation from carbohydrates which is something you may have heard of called “Carb Cycling”.
Fort Knox
When I was a kid, Fort Knox, where they keep much of the US gold reserve, became synonymous for a super-secure place where you stockpiled precious resources.
Today I have no idea if people know Fort Knox from Johnny Knoxville but I’m sticking with the analogy.
Nutrient timing (when you consume your food and which foods you consume at those times) certainly has value. For example, eating more carbohydrates prior to and after your training sessions is very advantageous.
But when you are managing your calories - particularly in a cut - I find it psychologically advantageous to have a reserve of calories at the end of the day so I know that there is always another feeding opportunity in my future.
For me it’s typically something relatively low calorie (a protein shake, serving of cottage cheese or a couple of rice cakes are my go-to’s) but knowing that I didn’t eat my last meal while still having to do the dishes, get the kid ready for bed, solve the Wordle with my wife, walk the dog and all the other evening activities is soothing for me.
The same might be true for you.
I know we all want success to be as painless as possible. And, to be fair, any and all of these techniques and strategies come with some level of sacrifice. Whether it’s taking time away from something else to track what you’ve eaten, fighting off a craving when it has snuck into your brain or even eating five more bites of chicken breast when you are already full.
But, the opposite is also true. Eating for your goals can be quite simple and fit into your life quite easily if you know what you are doing and you have strategies. And, perhaps most importantly, you resist becoming overly emotional about all of it. Which, again, I acknowledge is probably the most difficult part.
Information isn't the hard part anymore. You already know more about nutrition than most people did twenty years ago.
The hard part is building a system you can follow on Tuesday when work runs late, you're tired, and someone puts a box of donuts in the break room.
That's where results come from. It’s not from knowing what to do, but from making it easier to actually do it.