DietingPlaybook

Hit your daily calorie target with roughly equal portions of lean protein, smart carbs, and healthy fats at each meal. No food is off limits. Portions and quality do the work.

• Chicken, turkey, lean beef, fish, eggs
• Rice, oats, potatoes, fruit, whole grains
• Olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds
• Greek yogurt, cottage cheese

• Hyper processed snack foods
• Sugary drinks and excess alcohol
• Mindless grazing. Eat on a schedule

• Easy to stick with long term
• Supports muscle, energy, and recovery
• No social/eating-out drama
• Works for fat loss AND lean gains

• Easy to over eat carbs if portions aren't tracked
• 'Balanced' isn't an excuse to eat junk in moderation forever

Anchor every meal with 30. 50g of protein. Carbs go around training, fats fill the gaps. Protein keeps you full and protects muscle in a deficit.

• Chicken breast, lean steak, white fish, salmon
• Egg whites + whole eggs
• Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, whey protein
• Lentils, beans, tofu (plant options)

• Skipping carbs entirely. You still need them for training
• Relying only on shakes. Chew your food

• Maximizes muscle retention in a cut
• Keeps you full longer (less snacking)
• Higher thermic effect. You burn more digesting it
• Faster visible body composition changes

• Can get repetitive. Rotate proteins
• Drink more water; protein digestion needs it

Carbs stay under ~100g/day. Most calories come from protein and healthy fats. Carbs are timed around training when used.

• All meats, fish, eggs
• Leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers
• Avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds
• Berries in moderation

• Bread, pasta, rice, sugar
• Most fruit juices and sodas
• Sweetened sauces (BBQ, ketchup, dressings)

• Stable blood sugar. No 3pm crash
• Crushes appetite naturally
• Often quick early fat loss
• Great for insulin sensitivity

• Lower training output. Endurance & high-volume lifting can suffer
• Not ideal for high-intensity athletes long term

Stay under ~25g net carbs/day for 2. 4 weeks until your body enters ketosis. Eat fatty meats, eggs, oils, low-carb veg. Hydrate aggressively and salt your food.

• Fatty cuts: ribeye, salmon, bacon, eggs
• Butter, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado
• Cheese, heavy cream, full fat dairy
• Leafy greens, zucchini, broccoli

• All grains, sugar, most fruit
• Beans, lentils, potatoes, corn
• Anything labeled 'low-fat'

• Hunger almost disappears once adapted
• Mental clarity reported by many
• Strong fat loss tool for the right person
• Stable energy. No glucose spikes

• First 1. 2 weeks ('keto flu') can feel rough. Electrolytes are not optional
• Hard to sustain socially
• Strength work can dip until adapted

Build meals around vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, and fish. Olive oil is the main fat. Red meat is occasional, sweets are rare, herbs and spices replace processed sauces.

• Fish & seafood (2. 3x/week)
• Olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds
• Whole grains, beans, lentils, hummus
• Vegetables, fruit, fresh herbs

• Ultra processed snacks
• Sugary drinks and pastries
• Heavy reliance on red/processed meat

• Strongest evidence for heart & brain health
• Calming by design
• Sustainable forever. It's a lifestyle
• Easy to eat out and travel on

• Carbs are moderate high. Track portions if cutting
• Quality matters: real olive oil, real fish, not deli meats

Eat only whole, unprocessed foods: meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds. Skip grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugar, and seed oils.

• Grass fed meat, wild fish, pasture eggs
• All vegetables and fruit
• Sweet potato, squash, plantains (carbs)
• Nuts, seeds, coconut, avocado

• Grains (wheat, oats, rice, corn)
• Beans, lentils, peanuts
• Dairy and refined sugar
• Vegetable & seed oils

• Forces a clean, whole food diet by default
• Often clears up bloating and skin issues
• Naturally controls calories without tracking
• Real food = real nutrients

• Cutting grains and legumes can drop your fiber. Eat more veg
• Can get expensive (grass fed, wild)
• Athletes may need to add carbs back in

Eat only animal products: fatty meat, eggs, butter, and water. No vegetables, no fruit, no grains, no sugar. Salt your food, eat to fullness, and let appetite guide quantity.

• Fatty ribeye, NY strip, ground beef (80/20)
• Eggs cooked in butter or tallow
• Bacon, lamb, pork belly, salmon
• Bone broth, organ meats (optional)

• All plants. Vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts, seeds
• Vegetable oils and seed oils
• Sugar, sweeteners, and processed foods
• Coffee/alcohol (optional. Many cut these too)

• Wipes out cravings and decision fatigue
• Often clears stubborn gut, skin, and joint issues
• Hyper-simple. No tracking, no recipes
• Stable energy with zero blood sugar swings

• Extreme socially. Eating out is hard
• Not enough long term research yet
• Some people miss fiber/regularity early on
• Talk to a doctor if you have heart or kidney issues