Many of you have been reading this blog since way back in 2009 when I first started. Those were my humble beginnings, and just like any good character in a deeply engrossing novel, I have changed dramatically since then. Life tosses you many things as you age…marriage, kids, homeownership, dogs, cats, lives, deaths, friends, family and you must embrace all those things with courage, grace, and spirit. The knowledge that you gain (GAINZ!) from embracing change is a powerful tool. How can you possibly grow as a person without change? I’ve touched on the subject before, as it seems many people are afraid of change. Be it in the form of small things like dyeing your hair or changing your wardrobe to moving across the country or getting married, no matter the size of the change, people fear it.

When this blog started in 2009, I was 26 years old. I had one small child and one little dog. I lived in a tiny rented townhouse and I was on maternity leave from my office admin/inside sales job at a hardwood supply warehouse. I did not do the fitness, unless you count the walking I did with my tiny baby. I still watched daytime TV and thought squats were bad for your knees. I ate a “healthy” diet that mostly consisted of home cooking but not enough of it. I like to think I wasn’t starving myself, but I kinda was.

Continue on to 2011 when I first started getting into more healthy eating…and then to 2012 when I became Paleo.

Fast forward to 2014. I have now written two cookbooks, I have two young children, two crazy fidos, a house that I own and I lift heavy and eat what is collectively known as “Flexible Dieting”. But what is flexible dieting and why have I abandoned the paleo diet? Well, for one thing, I haven’t completely abandoned some of the paleo principles…principles I started this blog with. Guilty Kitchen has and always will be a blog that is dedicated to food made from locally sourced and sustainably raised food with health at the forefront. I have always advocated buying local food and I will always recommend buying free range meat products (preferably grass-fed/finished beef, pastured pork, chicken and eggs and wild caught seafood), those things will never change for me.

What has changed are my goals. Before I knew better, I was always trying to make myself smaller, making sure I took up less space in the world. Now I know those goals were misguided at best and unhealthy at worst. Now I strive to be stronger, more willful, more dedicated, always healthy and never duplicated. No one is me and no one will ever be me. I have learned so much information in the last five years, that I am bursting with it. My mind is always spinning, working, trying to find solutions, answers and valuable information to give to my readers.

I want everyone to know what I know, to feel how I feel, to just be able to be yourself and fucking relax. Life is finite, we don’t get a second chance at it. Will you look back at your life and see nothing but awesomeness or will you have regrets? I don’t want a single fucking regret in my life. I love how I want to love, eat what I want to eat and lift what I damn well please (with good form).

So let’s get on to the mental gainz…Let’s talk about flexible dieting.

Flexible Dieting

Flexible dieting can be defined as the act of eating a set amount of macronutrients (fat, carbohydrates and protein) that equals a set amount of calories. This varies greatly from individual to individual but is customizable to your goals, age, weight, activity level, food intolerances and lifestyle. Basically it’s the perfect damn diet for anyone and everyone. In an age of complete and utter nutrition chaos, there has to be an answer. This is it.

I’ll break it down like this: Basically you eat for your goals, bearing in mind that each day you must hit your macros as dead on as possible. I’m going to give you an example, using my own macro numbers.

I am 31 years old, 5’5″ and 128lbs. Currently I am eating 1820 calories a day broken down into 61g of fat, 189g carbs and 130g protein. My goals right now are to maintain muscle mass while still being fully energized for lifting and metabolic conditioning. Before this, I was at a 700 calorie per day surplus as I attempted to pack on some muscle over the winter, which I indeed did. I am now enjoying the body I built over those long cold months, and will get back to adding mass come October/November again.

Obviously, these numbers are mine, personalized be me, for me. Don’t even think about using them for yourself, because they will be wrong.

These numbers are not just based on my weight, height and age, but on how my body reacts to fats and carbohydrates, how heavy I lift and how often and my own personal taste preferences. To help you figure this shit out even more, I am going to list an amazing set of references below. Peruse at your leisure and start maximizing those #BrainGainz!

Krissy Mae Cagney’s Flexible Dieting eBook

Lyle MacDonald’s Guide to Flexible Dieting

T Nation’s 7 Steps to a Flexible Diet

Learn Your Body Type by Muscle and Strength

Simply Shredded’s Ultimate Cutting Diet

If you have QUESTIONS….PLEASE email me for help.

The next huge piece of the puzzle when it comes to packing on muscle and remaining a lean, mean fighting machine? Nutrient Timing. Something I will talk about in an upcoming post!